How to test a small engine ignition condenser?
For a small gas engine, aside from replacing it, can resistance tell you if its any good, for example?
2007-03-04 23:16:15 · 4 answers · asked by stargazergurl22 4 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
First, discharge the condenser by shorting the two ends with a piece of wire. Set your multimeter on resistance, and touch the probes to either end of the condenser. The meter should jump towards zero ohms, and then rapidly settle back to infinity. If you end up showing any reading other than infinity, the condenser is bad.
With regard to Nomadd's comment: A fully charged condenser can discharge at 300V, but it doesn't take that much to charge one. Remember that the ignition system operates at 12V. Furthermore, the condenser is in series with the coil, and probably only sees about 9V.
2007-03-04 23:32:43 · answer #1 · answered by anywherebuttexas 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Small Engine Ignition Tester
2016-10-15 05:34:09 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's not a good way to test one. The 1 volt or so an ohm meter puts out isn't enough to tell you much. The condensers tend to leak at higher voltages. It's standard procedure just to spend the two bucks to replace the thing with the points.
2007-03-05 00:09:49 · answer #3 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sometimes you can get a bit of oil at the end of the condenser. To remove it put a dollar bill in the closed contacts and pull it through a couple times. When you grab the spark plug and pull you should feel the jolt all the way to your arm pit. I wouldn't recommend this to the faint hearted : )
2016-03-18 03:55:32 · answer #4 · answered by Allyson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋