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What readings should you get when testing ignition coil primary wires?

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Old Dec 17, 2009 | 04:40 PM
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dixiebandit69's Avatar
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From: The ******* of Texas
Car: '89 Firebird Formula
Engine: TBI 305
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 10-bolt, 3.42s, Torsen diff.
What readings should you get when testing ignition coil primary wires?

I know that my ignition coil is good, but I'm not sure if it is getting the power that it should.
It is a remote mounted coil with two white wires and two pink wires going into it. Also, it has an MSD 6AL box on it.
When I put a voltmeter on it, what values should I be seeing on each terminal?
My car has been having an intermittant no-spark problem since I got it running, and now it will not start at all.
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Old Dec 20, 2009 | 12:01 PM
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Re: What readings should you get when testing ignition coil primary wires?

The pink wires should get full system voltage (usually at least 13.5 when running) and the white wires are the switched ground from the HEI module which are routed to the tach and ECM. The tach/ECM wires may have fairly odd readings on a voltmeter due to the voltage spikes created when the coil field collapses.
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Old Dec 20, 2009 | 07:08 PM
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Re: What readings should you get when testing ignition coil primary wires?

When you are using a 6A box (or any capacitive discharge ignition box) voltage readings at the coil terminals are about meaningless. It's not being supplied power constantly, like it is with a stock setup. It's having higher voltage thrown at it for very short periods of them when the capacitors in the box discharge to fire the coil.

My experience with 6-series ignitons tells me the first thing you should do is dsconnect it and put the wiring back to stock to see if it runs. If it does, the box is going flaky or you got a bad ground somewhere. It happens. Believe me, it happens.
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