Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Install a Lawn Mower Ignition Coil
How to Install a Lawn Mower Ignition Coil. Trying to start an uncooperative lawn mower can quickly become a frustrating ordeal, especially since most small engine repair shops place a high premium on their services. Most often the lawn mower's problems are related to a lack of fuel or spark, the latter of which is caused by a bad ignition coil....
Trying to start an uncooperative lawn mower can quickly become a frustrating ordeal, especially since most small engine repair shops place a high premium on their services. Most often the lawn mower's problems are related to a lack of fuel or spark, the latter of which is caused by a bad ignition coil. Fortunately, ignition coils are fairly easy to replace with only a few hand tools, allowing you to save your hard-earned cash by not hauling your poor mower off to the repair shop.
Things You'll Need
Screwdrivers
Socket set and wrench
Needle nose pliers
Business card
Locate your lawn mower's ignition coil by opening the lawn mower's hood or removing the engine cover and locating the spark plug. Pull the spark plug wire off of the spark plug and follow the wire to the component mounted just below the motor's flywheel. This is the ignition coil.
Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to gently pull off the small "kill" wire that is attached to the ignition coil. This wire stops the motor by grounding out the ignition coil. Unbolt the ignition coil from the motor using a screwdriver or socket wrench, and pull the coil away from the motor.
Install the new ignition coil by loosely bolting it into place. Attach the "kill" wire to the coil and plug the spark plug wire onto the spark plug.
Insert a business card into the gap between the ignition coil and spark plug. Tighten the ignition coil's mounting bolts and spin the flywheel by hand. The business card should move along with the flywheel as it turns. If the card binds or prevents the flywheel from spinning freely, loosen the ignition coil bolts and reposition the coil slightly before testing again.
Lower the mower's hood or replace the motor cover.
Tips & Warnings
You can test the ignition coil by placing a new spark plug into the spark plug wire. Ground the tip of the spark plug against the motor and spin the flywheel by hand. As the flywheel turns, a spark should appear between the spark plug's electrodes. If a spark is not present, the ignition coil is bad.
