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How to Test a Coil on a Boat

A coil is an important part of any engine's ignition system. These coils are made up of a primary and a secondary circuit which transfer the energy from the battery to the engine of the boat. A faulty coil will prevent the engine from firing or will make the engine hard, which can in turn destroy the engine. An easy way to test the resistance of the coil is with the use of a voltmeter. If the desired electricity fails to run through the meter, you know you have a faulty coil.

Things You'll Need

  • Volt/ohms meter
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Instructions

    • 1

      Locate the primary circuit which is connected to the battery. The positive and negative terminals to the coil are connected to the primary circuit. Disconnect both terminals.

    • 2

      Disconnect the spark plug lead from the coil tower. The lead is connected to the secondary circuit. Make sure you disconnect all these wires before testing the coil or their voltage will interfere with the test.

    • 3

      Turn on the volt/ohms meter. Be sure to check that the meter is reading the ohms and not voltage or AC/DC power.

    • 4

      Check the ohms between the positive and negative terminals. The level should be somewhere between .02 and .04 ohms, as this is the optimal reading. If it is outside this range by a larger margin (i.e., above 1 ohm), you have a faulty coil.

    • 5

      Check the ohms between the coil tower and the negative coil terminal. The optimal reading should be between 8 and 11 ohms. If it is outside this range by 1 ohm, you have a faulty cable.


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