
How do I know if my coil is 6v or 12v? Disconnect your engine’s main negative battery cable with a wrench. Pull the main ignition coil wire, the one that leads to the distributor, off the coil.
What is the difference between a 6 volt and 12 volt coil?
A 12 volt coil has twice as much smoke in it as a 6 volt coil. As was pointed out in the link, there's no such thing as a 6 or 12 volt coil. With that said, there are design differences that have to be taken into consideration.
Do I need a ballast resistor with a 12 volt coil?
I've personally used 'standard 12 volt' OEM coils without ballast resistors with the MSD box and never had a coil failure. Without a way to limit current, remember that per Ohms Law, a 1.5 ohm coil will draw 8 amps at 12 volts, and 4 amps at 6 volts.
Why is a 12 volt coil so slow?
A '12 volt' coil designed for points use will either have a built-in ballast resistor or have primary windings designed to withstand the heat build-up. So why is slow speed operation bad? With a points-type or some of the early/less expensive electronic ignitions, dwell time varies with RPM.
How many volts can a coil handle?
Note the bold; in racing applications where very little time is spent at low rpm, a conventional coil will survive at 12 volts. It's the slow speed operation that kills them. So the typical solution is to install a ballast resistor to reduce current through the coil.

Can I use a 12 volt coil on a 6 volt system?
You can run a 1.5 ohm "12 volt coil" on a 6 volt car without a ballast resistor and it will run great. Some "12 volt coils" read out at about 3 ohms and can really only be used on a 12 volt car. The spark out of this "12 volt coil" when used on a 6 volt car will be very weak.
How do you check input voltage on a coil?
Checking the coil Connect the meter between the or CB terminal of the coil and earth, and switch on the ignition. Again the meter should read about 12 volts. If it reads zero there may be a break inside the coil winding, or a short circuit to earth inside the distributor or in the LT lead.
Is there a difference between a 6 volt and a 12 volt condenser?
No such thing as a 6V or 12V ignition condenser. Irrespective of applied primary voltage (6V, 12V, 24V) the condensers are made to withstand the flyback or reverse EMF voltage made by the coil as it's magnetic field collapses when the points open.
How do you check a 6 volt coil?
0:223:20Testing Resistance On New 6 Volt Coils - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's automatic touch the two leads together just to make sure I get a zero reading which I do I'mMoreIt's automatic touch the two leads together just to make sure I get a zero reading which I do I'm going to place the red on the positive side of the coil.
How is coil voltage measured?
All you have to do is start by dividing the primary volts by the number of primary turns: 120 ÷ 75 = 1.6. Since you know the number of turns in the secondary, you would now multiply the 150 secondary turns by the primary current of 1.6:150 × 1.6 = 240. Now you have determined that the secondary voltage is 240 V.
How many volts should a ignition coil put out?
The coil becomes a transformer, stepping the voltage up. If your car uses a 12 volt battery, the 12 volts you put into the primary side of the coil will exit the secondary side as 30,000 volts!
How do I know if my coil needs a ballast resistor?
To check if there's an internal ballast resistor in your coil, there are two things you need to do: 1) remove any cover covering up your coil, and 2) check if your ballast has 3 wires coming out of it. If the ballast doesn't have the ballast resistor built inside, then there should be three wires coming out of it.
How does a 12 volt ignition coil work?
0:343:43How Ignition Coils Work - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis coil is a kind of transformer a device that transfers voltage from one circuit to anotherMoreThis coil is a kind of transformer a device that transfers voltage from one circuit to another either as a lower voltage or in the case of the ignition coil as a higher voltage.
How do you test a 12 volt coil?
1:278:12Ignition Coil Test (The Short Version) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYour your multimeter your own meter on the low range because if you're you're out a little bit itMoreYour your multimeter your own meter on the low range because if you're you're out a little bit it can actually show that you're out of specifications. For your particular coil.
How do you check a coil with a multimeter?
Connect the multimeter to the negative and positive terminals of the ignition coil to get a primary circuit reading. If the multimeter shows a reading of 0 ohms, the ignition coil has shorted and needs replacing.
Are ignition coils all the same?
Automotive Ignition Coils Come In A Wide Range Of Shapes, Sizes And Applications. The distinct differences between coil designs make identification of optional coils relatively simple for both the parts specialist and the technician. Ignition coils come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and applications.
What resistance should a 12v coil be?
You should have a resistance reading of at least 3-4.5 ohms. A bad coil will show a higher reading then 3-4.5.
How do I test a coil with a multimeter?
1:072:15How to Check Resistance with a Multimeter. Automotive Coil ExampleYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDown. There we are see we're at 100 100 anywhere from 0.9 to 1.1. So we've got a good coil pack. SoMoreDown. There we are see we're at 100 100 anywhere from 0.9 to 1.1. So we've got a good coil pack. So there's nothing wrong with that and that's simply how you test it.
How do I test an electric coil with a multimeter?
Connect the multimeter to the negative and positive terminals of the ignition coil to get a primary circuit reading. If the multimeter shows a reading of 0 ohms, the ignition coil has shorted and needs replacing.
How do I test my vape coil with a multimeter?
Turn your multimeter dial to the lowest ohms setting, usually 20 or 200. Place the two probes on the atomizer your coil is in, one probe on the positive pin (the one in the middle of the 510 connection), and the other on the outside 510 threading, to get the total resistance of the coil in the atomizer.
How do you test a magnetic coil with a multimeter?
How to Test a Solenoid Coil?Set your multimeter on ohms. If the multimeter is not automatic, set it on 2k ohms. ... Place the probes of multimeter across the pins of a solenoid coil. If you find 3 pins there, one of them is a flat pin which is connected to the ground. ... Read the number on the multimeter.
How to tell 6V from 12V system
The Cub Club -- Questions and answers to all of your Cub related issues.
How to tell 6V from 12V system
I’m in the infantile stages of getting my inherited 1950 Cub back in the dirt. In reading about the projects that I need to tackle with my new tractor, I’ve learned that there are two voltage systems. I’m assuming that my 1950 came with 6V being standard.
How many amps does a 1.5 ohm coil draw?
Without a way to limit current, remember that per Ohms Law, a 1.5 ohm coil will draw 8 amps at 12 volts, and 4 amps at 6 volts.
What is the tolerance for ballast resistor?
Generally speaking, a ballast resistor should be about the same ohm value as the coil primary, with a tolerance of -0/+10%. The OEMs would vary this a bit more, but they also had full engineering data on both the coil and the ignition requirements.
How does dwell control work on an ignition?
Some modern electronic ignition conversions address this with 'dwell control'. This is an electronic circuit that limits the 'on' time of the coil, with maximum reduction at idle speeds and reducing as RPM goes up. The coil gets full voltage but not full current during long dwell times. You can usually eliminate the ballast resistor with this type ignition. The Pertronix II and III modules both feature dwell control. MSD ignitions use a somewhat different method; they also use dwell control, but increase the primary voltage to the coil to over 500 volts while limiting current to .7 amp per 1000 RPM. Virtually any 'typical' automotive coil can be used with these, and no ballast resistor is needed. I've personally used 'standard 12 volt' OEM coils without ballast resistors with the MSD box and never had a coil failure.
Can windings take 12 volts?
This is due to the basic design; the windings can't take full current at slower speeds without overheating. Note the bold; in racing applications where very little time is spent at low rpm, a conventional coil will survive at 12 volts. It's the slow speed operation that kills them.
Can two coils have the same primary resistance?
Keep in mind that measuring primary resistance isn't the whole story; two coils with identical primary resistances could be considerably different in internal construction. One could have X turns of one size wire, another could have 2X turns of a larger size (and able to withstand higher current) yet read the same.
Can you eliminate ballast resistor?
You can usually eliminate the ballast resistor with this type ignition. The Pertronix II and III modules both feature dwell control. MSD ignitions use a somewhat different method; they also use dwell control, but increase the primary voltage to the coil to over 500 volts while limiting current to .7 amp per 1000 RPM.
How do you know if the tractor is 6v or 12v electrics?
The Cub Club -- Questions and answers to all of your Cub related issues.
How to see the length of a gen?
You can see the length of the gen looking up under the hood using a light.
Can a 12 volt battery be charged?
If you have a 12-volt battery in an otherwise original 6-volt system. It isn't going the charge. A 6-volt voltage regulator shouldn't let the generator output go as high as 12-volts.
Can you run 12 volts through 6 volts?
One thing that happens sometimes is someone runs 12Volt through 6 Volt light bulbs. Not a good order.
Is a 12V generator 12V?
If it has an alternator it for sure is 12v. But there also 12v generators
