Recommend coil and injector testors

[Bennylava]

Hi all. I'd like to get your recommendations on automotive coil pack testers, as well as fuel injector testers.

I found these two, but are they worth it?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-COP-Ig...ash=item58ded55165:g:LEkAAOSwvg9Xf0dc&vxp=mtr



http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECTRONIC-...:g:BKUAAOSwL7VWj6l~&item=272382665033&vxp=mtr

 

[chammyman]

Why not get a cheap scope?

You can get a hantek etc for less than that and do more stuff with it.

 

[neuralsnafu]

Just get a cheap usb scope, some t pins and watch some scanner danner videos on youtube.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Coil pack tester all I have ever used was an ST125 (ST125 is actually a GM tool number). Can't find a picture of it right now but it looks like a spark plug with an alligator clip on the side. The key is to get the one with no center electrode, instead there is a hole in the center porcelain, most of the tool trucks sell them. Back in school we tested one of these on an old Sun scope and it took close to 30,000V to fire. If the coil can't fire this thing It ain't working. For injectors, I first use a stethoscope to listen for it firing then if no sound use a simple noid light to check for signal. Or if you have a factory scan tool the best method would be to do an injector balance test. But no fancy tools needed both tests can be done with less than $30 in tools. No gizmos or fancy scopes needed.

 

[Bennylava]

Well what attracted me to both of those tools that I linked, is that you just lay them on top of what you're wanting to test. You just touch it, and look at the LED light. If its behaving erratically or not at all, you know you've got something going wrong. So they should save time, if they actually work well.


Changing to a different tool recommendation now - How about this diagnostic scanner? I can't really afford one of those $8,000 snap on units, but this one looks like it would really help me out. Anyone have any experience with the Launch brand units, or Autel?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-Versio...:g:iAkAAOSwOVpXVWb3&item=252427624939&vxp=mtr

 

[Aqua-Andy]

Well what attracted me to both of those tools that I linked, is that you just lay them on top of what you're wanting to test. You just touch it, and look at the LED light. If its behaving erratically or not at all, you know you've got something going wrong. So they should save time, if they actually work well.


Changing to a different tool recommendation now - How about this diagnostic scanner? I can't really afford one of those $8,000 snap on units, but this one looks like it would really help me out. Anyone have any experience with the Launch brand units, or Autel?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/2016-Versio...:g:iAkAAOSwOVpXVWb3&item=252427624939&vxp=mtr

The tool that you stick on top if the injector may tell you if the coil has power but is the pintle opening? That is where the stethoscope come into play, can you hear the pintle opening? Hell even a screwdriver to the ear can tell you more than the $50 gizmo. The coil tester does not load up the ignition system like an ST125 will. All the tester you linked to will tell you is if the coil is energizing but that could only mean the primary side is energized, the secondary may be faulty. With the ST125 you will load up the system and find other issues also like bad wires or current leaking through the coil housing. Most times simpler is better. Take the simple 12v test light for instance. The majority of a vehicle's 12v systems are better diagnosed with a test light than a DVOM for the simple fact that the test light will load the system. Try this little experiment, set your DVOM to 20v scale and attach the neg lead to the battery and hold the positive lead in one hand then touch the positive terminal with your other hand. See what the meter reads, I think you will be surprised. I have seen more than a few techs chase their tail for hours and replace thousands of dollars worth of unneeded parts because of this.

 

[Fedwrench]

I own both of the tools linked but, I'm pretty sure my injector tester is green not blue. They're great for quick checks.

those tools are great for accessing coil on plugs that are hard to get to. Sometimes you might have to remove parts to access the Coil on plug to stick the spark tester into it. Laying the COP tester on top of the coil is a lot easier.

The injector tester is similar to a stethoscope but, instead of listening, it picks up the vibration of the injector & gives you some LEDs to watch.

Shop around for the best deal.

 

[Bobioz1]

I own both of those tools. In the Waekon brand. The injector tester actually works pretty well. The COP tester not so much. Some newer coils are so well insulated that you won't get any activity from the probe. Neither tool gets used much. A scope and current probe are a better test.

 

[Milton Shaw]

A good pair of eyes, work light and glasses if you need them. You can see carbon tracking on coils and plug wires and see condition of them. A good visual inspection is the starting place for ignition repairs. Wires down on manifold or greasy or cracked may test ok but already should have failed your visual inspection because they will short out the first humid day.

 

[Bennylava]

Why not get a cheap scope?

You can get a hantek etc for less than that and do more stuff with it.

I assume you're talking about an oscilloscope, something like this?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/HanTek-DSO1...329621?hash=item41982360d5:g:fvEAAOSwVupTlqpq

My only question would be, how do you know the range of a particular part that you're testing? Just look it up on google and then use the oscilloscope to make sure its in spec? Never really used one before but I do understand the basics.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Checking ignition secondary is difficult first because there are several different kinds of secondary voltage distribution system and because failures don't always occur under all conditions.

Older distributor systems, whether they used points or some type of electronic trigger, can have many different failure modes. About the only tool that you can use to catch them all is the old Sun Ignition Analyzer Scope. I had a car back in the 70s that would miss/backfire/run crappy during damp weather. New point, rotor, cap, wires and plugs helped but did not cure it. I only found the root problem when I ran the engine in a completely darkened garage and sprayed a light mist of water on the cap and wires. Turns out there was a carbon arc trail from the coil center tower to the bracket holing the coil that would provide a path to ground when damp.

If you have a coil pack, you can possibly have internal shorts. With COP, you can not get to the secondary while it is on the engine.

Check resistance and even impedance on both the primary and secondary will not always show an issue. If you can access the PRIMARY control wire a simple inductive pickup will give you a lot of info from the back EMF if you know what you are looking for.

Same is true for injectors, but a partially clogged injector may still have a "good" signature.