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Best spark tester?

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Vantastic

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Yea get the lisle one. I think mine is HF and was like $2. I don't use it that often. Usually just pull the plug to check.
 
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MechanicNamedJohn

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Absolute best is a scope, IMO.

But, this is the fastest, no need to pull the ignition wire. It will tell you if you have a fouled plug, break in wire, etc.

15%2B-%2B1
 
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Bobioz1

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Nope. Scopes don't test anything. They measure voltage over time.
O.P. Google HEI ignition tester, that's what your looking for. Those 2 tools you linked are spark "checkers" and almost worthless.
 
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MechanicNamedJohn

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Bobioz1 said:
Nope. Scopes don't test anything. They measure voltage over time.
O.P. Google HEI ignition tester, that's what your looking for. Those 2 tools you linked are spark "checkers" and almost worthless.
Click to expand...

So a scope could not tell you whether or not there is a spark event occuring?
 
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GTA Matt

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Bobioz1 said:
Nope. Scopes don't test anything. They measure voltage over time.
O.P. Google HEI ignition tester, that's what your looking for. Those 2 tools you linked are spark "checkers" and almost worthless.
Click to expand...

I agree that the spark checkers are really only good for seeing that yes, there is some sort of signal coming from the coil and they no way indicate spark strength. The best manual testers are the type that you can adjust the gap on.

As far as scopes not testing anything, you can see the entire firing event, from the kV it takes for the spark to jump the plug gap, to the firing line, burn time, even indicate what the air fuel mixture in the cylinder is. It's using the actual ignition system as the 'tester' if you want to get picky. Add in a low amp probe and you can see exactly what is going on with the coil as well, such as shorted secondary windings, etc. A great tool to have, and much better then any manual tester.
 
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1950mercury

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Have a friend hold the wire while you turn the motor over. They will let you know of you have a good spark without saying a word
 
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92integra

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The guy who posted the spark plug with a clamp welded to it that thing may work but it isn't really a true spark tester. It works to check for spark, but testers have a specific gap so that a minimum of 25 thousand volts must be present to jump the gap on the tester.
 
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Bobioz1

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Scopes, a great tool to have= yes
Better than any manual tester= no. Especially not for a spark tester.
Spark testers create a demand on the ignition system.
A scope can only measure whatever demand is already there. Could be a lot or a little. That's not a test it's an observation. Put your scope leads across a car battery. Are you testing battery voltage or are you measuring battery voltage? Most scopes have 10 meg ohm plus impedance. They are incapable of testing anything.
 
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redmondjp

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Wow, the best spark tester is the one that I have made by KAL tools and I just web-searched it and it is no longer made! It is a peak KV tester that works by clamping onto the outside of the plug wire (obviously worthless for newer cars with coil-on-plug).

I use it on everything including chainsaws and lawn mower engines. It's been the best $75 that I ever spent on a tool. I'm a bit disappointed that they no longer make it. You can tell if you have a lean cylinder because the firing voltage in that cylinder will be much higher than the others.
 
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justme-

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There's more to it than just the gap - the conditions inside the cylinder when spark occurs is nothing like atmospheric conditions - the plug attached to a clamp, holding the plug on the side of the engine, the cheap Lisle tester with the adjustable gap, and the other with the stiff heat shrink are not any different from each other and will fail to aid diagnosing some weak spark issues. Neon bulbs even as cheap as the HF bulb one are way better as they are inline and do not affect the actual spark in the cylinder like an open tester does.

I have several of the ones I mentioned above - and have learned since I bought many of them. I use an Oregon neon tube one at work and have a HF bulb at home. I'll get a Stihl neon (much higher quality ends) shortly.
 
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GTA Matt

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Bobioz1 said:
Scopes, a great tool to have= yes
Better than any manual tester= no. Especially not for a spark tester.
Spark testers create a demand on the ignition system.
A scope can only measure whatever demand is already there. Could be a lot or a little. That's not a test it's an observation. Put your scope leads across a car battery. Are you testing battery voltage or are you measuring battery voltage? Most scopes have 10 meg ohm plus impedance. They are incapable of testing anything.
Click to expand...

I have to strongly disagree with this. In the event of a misfire, the scope will show you what is going on in the exact condition of the misfire. In one simple test, you can see B+ to coil, PCM signal, current ramp, voltage drop, kV and the entire firing event. All without disturbing a thing, in some cases, from the interior fusebox without ever having to pop the hood. For quick simple no start diag, manual testers are fantastic, for misfire diag, they stay in the tool box.
 
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MechanicNamedJohn

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Bobioz1 said:
Scopes, a great tool to have= yes
Better than any manual tester= no. Especially not for a spark tester.
Spark testers create a demand on the ignition system.
A scope can only measure whatever demand is already there. Could be a lot or a little. That's not a test it's an observation. Put your scope leads across a car battery. Are you testing battery voltage or are you measuring battery voltage? Most scopes have 10 meg ohm plus impedance. They are incapable of testing anything.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm going to strongly disagree as well...

Example: In top pic you can clearly see #7 has intermittent no spark and weak spark condition. A bulb style "Spark Tester" would light up in this event, and possibly send the tech in another direction. A gap style tester would however indicate there is a weak spark condition; but you would never be able to see an intermittent scenario.

The bottom pic shows the repair.

Pay no attention to the blue trace; it's just a sync.

15%2B-%2B1
 
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Bobioz1

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Not debating the usefulness of a scope. I own a "few".
O.P. Asked for "best spark tester" and linked a couple of duds. I think he was looking "for quick simple no start diag" and I agree for his purpose "manual testers are fantastic".(best)
 
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MechanicNamedJohn

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Bobioz1 said:
Not debating the usefulness of a scope. I own a "few".
O.P. Asked for "best spark tester" and linked a couple of duds. I think he was looking "for quick simple no start diag" and I agree for his purpose "manual testers are fantastic".(best)
Click to expand...

And, IMO the scope is the best tool to view ignition.

I also believe in the event of quickness the Ignition Analyzer is the fastest.

Which I stated in my original response to the OP's question.

I was merely offer something other then the conventional bulb or gap style tester. At that point I would just use a test light to quickly check spark strength, no need for either tool.
 
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Bobioz1

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IMO the scope is the best tool to view ignition also. But he didn't ask for "best tool to view ignition". He asked for "best spark tester". Hopefully he got his answer. Now somebody needs to work on that guy with the neon bulbs!
 
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Toymeister

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Vantastic said:
. Usually just pull the plug to check.
Click to expand...

Bad idea.

Source: Experience of being burned face to waist (22%) full and partial thickness burns. One month in the burn unit and loss of fine motor skills in right (dominate) hand.

Bonus: flashbacks, PTSD, remembering being skinned alive (debridement) while the skin slowly died for a few weeks.
 
A

ADSR

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MechanicNamedJohn said:
Yeah, I'm going to strongly disagree as well...

Example: In top pic you can clearly see #7 has intermittent no spark and weak spark condition. A bulb style "Spark Tester" would light up in this event, and possibly send the tech in another direction. A gap style tester would however indicate there is a weak spark condition; but you would never be able to see an intermittent scenario.

The bottom pic shows the repair.

Pay no attention to the blue trace; it's just a sync.

15%2B-%2B1
Click to expand...


where does one buy this scope? That looks great.
 
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pozidriv

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Toymeister said:
Bad idea.

Source: Experience of being burned face to waist (22%) full and partial thickness burns. One month in the burn unit and loss of fine motor skills in right (dominate) hand.

Bonus: flashbacks, PTSD, remembering being skinned alive (debridement) while the skin slowly died for a few weeks.
Click to expand...
What? Are you serious? How?
 
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Toymeister

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pozidriv said:
What? Are you serious? How?
Click to expand...

The vehicle matters. 1952 John Deere model B. Gravity feed gas tank. It always had 2 problems: no spark and flooding. Neighbor borrowed the tractor and 'fixed' the leaking float by soldering it with LOTS of solder. I didn't know that so when it stopped it had to be no spark, right?

Engine fires each plug every 540 degrees. I saw one spark, two, hand off of the foot switch for the starter, flywheel carried it one more spark.

Plugs were accessible via a cut out in the frame and angled 10 degrees upward. This at waist level. The frame and the angle saved my Johnson. Lost a ****** though if you want a visual.

Use a sparkplug checker or a scope.

edit: for my European friend who asked. The John Deere has a horizontal 2 cylinder. It is a tractor that ran at 1,100 rpm. The cylinders were the size of lard cans.
 
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dnschmidt

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I vote for the HF type as well. These go in-line with the spark plug wire and the spark is having to jump the spark plug gap with a compression load.
 
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pozidriv

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Toymeister said:
The vehicle matters. 1952 John Deere model B. Gravity feed gas tank. It always had 2 problems: no spark and flooding. Neighbor borrowed the tractor and 'fixed' the leaking float by soldering it with LOTS of solder. I didn't know that so when it stopped it had to be no spark, right?

Engine fires each plug every 540 degrees. I saw one spark, two, hand off of the foot switch for the starter, flywheel carried it one more spark.

Plugs were accessible via a cut out in the frame and angled 10 degrees upward. This at waist level. The frame and the angle saved my Johnson. Lost a ****** though if you want a visual.

Use a sparkplug checker or a scope.

edit: for my European friend who asked. The John Deere has a horizontal 2 cylinder. It is a tractor that ran at 1,100 rpm. The cylinders were the size of lard cans.
Click to expand...
Jesus Christ. So I guess there was a build up of gasoline vapours? Shows how dangerous some of this stuff can be, and that we can never take anything for granted.
At least you live, and you've still got your Johnson! I know, not a joking matter, but still, in some way, you got lucky.
These freak accidents sometimes really freak me out..
 
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Shadowdog500

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Bobioz1 said:
IMO the scope is the best tool to view ignition also. But he didn't ask for "best tool to view ignition". He asked for "best spark tester". Hopefully he got his answer. Now somebody needs to work on that guy with the neon bulbs!
Click to expand...

Mechanic named John, did give what he thinks is the best spark tester in post 2.
When I asked him why he was selling it he pointed out that he uses a scope now. That opened the tangent conversation on what a scope can and can't be used for.

Chris
 
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Shadowdog500

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MechanicNamedJohn said:
Yeah, I'm going to strongly disagree as well...

Example: In top pic you can clearly see #7 has intermittent no spark and weak spark condition. A bulb style "Spark Tester" would light up in this event, and possibly send the tech in another direction. A gap style tester would however indicate there is a weak spark condition; but you would never be able to see an intermittent scenario.

The bottom pic shows the repair.

Pay no attention to the blue trace; it's just a sync.

15%2B-%2B1
Click to expand...


What scope is that, and what ford was it hooked to in that scan?


Chris
 
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MrGiggles

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Autozone/Oreilly's carry an OEM brand adjustable gap tester for less than 10 bucks.. I've used it a couple times and it works just fine.
 
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GTA Matt

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LORDDiESEL said:
where does one buy this scope? That looks great.
Click to expand...

You can pick up a small cheap U-scope from AES wave to get your feet wet with them. I believe they still have a package for around $300 for the scope, some leads and a low amp probe. The scope by itself is in the $130 range IIRC. Used vantage pro's are going in the $5-600 range on ebay and a friend of mine just picked up a fully updated verus for $1200. There's also the Pico scope, which gets up into the 2-4k range depending on accessories. MNJ's is a Hantek I believe.

Not to take away from the original intent of the post using manual testers, you really can see a lot using a scope to view spark.The red trace is coil current ramp taken from the fuse box in the truck. Green trace is primary voltage, backprobing coil connector. In the first image, the coil has failed, resulting in no spark output, in the second pic, the coil is good, but the plug well is full of water, causing spark to never make it to the plug. The third picture is a good coil ramp and firing line for comparison. The first two are fords with multistrike ignition.






 
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