How to Check Your Spark Plug with a Multimeter – A Step-by-Step Guide

Checking spark plugs can help you determine if your spark plug is in need of replacing or not. When you check your spark plug with a multimeter, you can easily detect any issues with the plug, such as a corroded connection or a buildup of contamination. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps needed to test the spark plug with a multimeter so that you can easily determine if it needs to be replaced or not.

Preparing To Check The Spark Plug With A Multimeter

Before beginning to use the multimeter to check your spark plug, there are some steps that should be taken in preparation first:

1. Gather Supplies: Before beginning any work on your vehicle, make sure that you have all of the necessary supplies for testing the spark plug with a multimeter. This includes an adjustable wrench, silicone spray lubricant (if needed), and most importantly, a digital multimeter designed specifically for automotive uses.

2. Ensure Vehicle Is Off & Disconnect Battery Cables: Once you have all of your supplies ready, make sure that your vehicle is off and then disconnect both battery cables from their terminals on either side of your battery before beginning any work.

3. Locate The Spark Plug: Once the battery cables have been disconnected, locate the spark plug for your vehicle. Generally this is located near the center of your engine towards the top and may be hidden by a protective cover.

Steps For Checking The Spark Plug With A Multimeter

Once you have completed all of the preparatory steps, you can move on to testing the spark plug with a multimeter:

1. Set Up Your Meter and Connect It to The Spark Plug: In order to check your spark plug with a multimeter, begin by setting up your meter and connecting it to one of the electrodes on the spark plug. Make sure that you have selected an appropriate resistance range on your multimeter and ensure that it is correctly connected before taking any readings. Additionally, if there is any corrosion or buildup of contaminants on or around where you will be attaching your meter, spray it off with silicone lubricant so that there are no electrical interruptions during testing.

2. Read Ohms Values Of The Meter: After connecting your multimeter to one of the electrodes on the spark plug and making sure it is correctly reading resistance values, read off what appears as an “Ohms” measurement on the display. Generally, a good spark plug should read between 4 and 10 ohms of resistance. If it reads higher than that, then your spark plug may be in need of replacement.

Conclusion

By following the above steps, you can easily check the condition of your spark plug using a multimeter. This process is quick and easy and can help you quickly determine if your spark plug needs replacing or not. With this guide, you now have all of the information needed to check your spark plug with a multimeter whenever necessary.