How to test a small engine ignition condenser?

Question

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?

Answer 1

Yes you can. Disconnect it. Set an ohm meter on ohms. Put one probe on the case and the other on the condenser lead. Then, switch the leads. If the condenser is good, you will see a "jump" on the meter. The reason for that is that the ohm meter is charging the capacitor with a small but harmless charge. Then, when you reverse the leads, the capacitor discharges into the meter. I think that's the way you do it. If I am wrong, someone please say so.

Of course, Benjamen is right too.

Man 86 is right also, I did that a long time ago and my hair is still standing straight up! What is it, 20,000 volts?

Answer 2

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 : )

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

Not really. Easiest thing to do is to replace it. If it works, there's your answer. If not, you have a different problem. Condensers are relatively cheap, at least when you compare to the hassle you would go through to try to prove that it's bad.

Answer 5

grab a hold of spark plug wire if knoxs the hell out of you when you pull the rope its working