checking spark plug for spark
 

do i just take the spark plug out of the cylinder socket...and put it in the wire, fire the engine to check for spark?

trying to isolate a miss on the CE. Don't know if its fuel injector related...spark ..or vacuum.

seems like cylinder 3 is the culprit...but i want to confirm that the plug is ok before exchanging fuel injectors.

YOu can take the plug out and with the wire attached, lay the plug so that it is touching a metal part of the engine so it is grounded. Then crank and watch for the spark. It should be nice and blue, not yellow.

Good luck

Tom

i dont' think its a spark plug issue...but this will help me troubleshoot.

it's been too cold to do too much here...

These are nice: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=4424 presently on sale. I like them so much I bought eight of them.

can't you just buy one? they are right around the corner from me...so i could pick it up today..if they have them in stock

Can they remain permanently connected? Would be a nice light show under the hood and help of checking spark at any time.

You can buy them individually - not sure if they are on sale in the store right now - that was the internet price. They come both straight and with a 90 degree bend in the connector. 119 motor spark plugs are so deep I have to tape a popsicle stick on to the wire. I'm sure they are meant for temporary service, not for driving around. One thing I've noticed is that they don't all have the same brightness, and it doesn't necessarily reflect differences in voltage. In other words one would be brighter than the one next too, and I would try to read something into to that, but switch them around and the brighter one stays with the tester, not the cylinder. But they work - they tell you if there is a spark. I guess you shouldn't expect too much for $2.

For general non-wrenching troubleshooting, use your inductive timing light to see if the individual wires are triggering the light. In most cases the plug is fine and the wire is bad or has a bad connection.

And if all else fails, you can hold on to the plug and have someone crank the engine.

John

so i guess you have some sort of chart that decides if the spark is good based on how high the person holding the wire jumps?

You get a more accurate measurement if you touch your tongue to the plug. :eek:

jp