How To Test The Coil-On-Plug Ignition Coil (2000-2003 3.0L V6 Honda Accord)

If you've been wondering how to test the Coil-On-Plug ignition coils on your 2000-2003 3.0L V6 Honda Accord to see if one or several are bad and are causing a misfire, this is the article for you.

In this tutorial, you'll find all of the tests steps explained in detail and the diagnostic/troubleshooting is accomplished in several easy steps.

You can find this tutorial in Spanish here: Cómo Probar Las Bobinas De Encendido (2000-2003 3.0L V6 Honda Accord y Odyssey) (at: autotecnico-online.com).

APPLIES TO: This tutorial applies to the following vehicles:

• 3.0L V6 Honda Accord: 2000, 2001, 2003.

IGNITION COIL CIRCUIT WIRING DIAGRAM:

• Ignition System Circuit Wiring Diagram (2000-2002 3.0L V6 Honda Accord).
• Ignition Coil Circuit Wiring Diagram (2003-2007 3.0L V6 Honda Accord).

CYLINDER MISFIRE DIAGNOSTICS:

• How To Test A Misfire Condition And Misfire Codes (1998–2007 3.0L V6 Honda Accord)

Common Symptoms Of A Bad Coil-On-Plug Ignition Coil

This is not the most definitive list on the subject, but does cover the majority of symptoms I've seen on this type of ignition system:

1. Misfire codes that light up the check engine light (CEL) on your instrument cluster.
   • P0300: Random Cylinder Misfire.
   • P0301: Cylinder #1 Misfire.
   • P0302: Cylinder #2 Misfire.
   • P0303: Cylinder #3 Misfire.
   • P0304: Cylinder #4 Misfire.
   • P0305: Cylinder #5 Misfire.
   • P0306: Cylinder #6 Misfire.
2. Engine misfire that DOES NOT light up the check engine light (CEL).
3. Smell of unburned gasoline coming out of the tailpipe.
4. Rotten egg smell coming out of the tailpipe. This is due to the unburned gasoline from the misfiring cylinder over loading the catalytic converter.
5. Really bad gas mileage.
6. Lack of power as you accelerate the vehicle down the road.

If you're troubleshooting a cylinder misfire, I've written a solid, step-by-step guide on the best diagnostic strategy. You can check it out here:

• How To Test A Misfire Condition And Misfire Codes (1998–2007 3.0L V6 Honda Accord)

What Tools Do I Need?

A scan tool (Automotive Diagnostic Scanner) is not needed. Even if you suspect a misfire, you don't need a scan tool to find out which cylinder is the one that is misfiring. You can perform the cylinder balance test yourself on your Honda Accord or Honda Odyssey, TEST 1 will help you with this. You'll need:

1. An HEI spark tester. If you don't have one, these are the ones I own and recommend:
   • OTC 6589 Electronic Ignition Spark Tester (Amazon affiliate link).
   • Cal-Van Tools 64 High Energy Ignition Tester1 (Amazon affiliate link).
2. Battery jump start cables.
3. A digital multimeter.
   • This multimeter must be able to read Hertz frequency.
4. A helper.
   • You'll need someone to help you crank the engine while you perform the tests in the engine compartment.
5. A repair manual.
   • For whatever remove and replace info you'll need that is not covered by this article.

Where To Buy The Ignition Coil And Save

The following links will help you comparison shop for the ignition coil of known name-brands (Delphi and Standard Motor Products):

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Buying through these links helps support this site at no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate it!

Not sure if the above ignition coil fits your particular 3.0L Honda Accord? Don't worry, once you get to the site, they'll make sure it fits by asking you the particulars of your vehicle. If it doesn't fit, they'll find you the right one.

Circuit Descriptions Of The C-O-P Ignition Coil Connector

OK, to test the Coil-On-Plug ignition coils on your Honda Accord (Odyssey), you need to know what each wire (circuit) does in the connector. Here are the circuit descriptions:

• Circuit labeled 1:
  • Power (12 V) Circuit.
• Circuit labeled 2:
  • Ground Circuit.
• Circuit labeled 3:
  • Trigger Signal Circuit.

The above circuit descriptions are shared by all of the six Coil-On-Plug ignition coils on your Honda Accord (or Odyssey). So, whether you're testing the number 1 cylinder ignition coil or the number 4 cylinder ignition coil (or whichever ignition coil), the above info applies.

TEST 1: Testing For Spark

This is a pretty straightforward test, but one that should be done with a dedicated spark tester. If you don't have one and need to buy, I recommend a High Energy Ignition (HEI) spark tester. Here are the ones I use and recommend:

• OTC 6589 Electronic Ignition Spark Tester (Amazon affiliate link).
• Cal-Van Tools 64 High Energy Ignition Tester1 (Amazon affiliate link).

Here are a couple suggestions that'll help you avoid wasting time and money (by not replacing a good part):

• Don't use a regular spark plug instead of a dedicated spark tester. The result you may get from using a regular spark plug IS NOT trustworthy.
• Don't pull the ignition coil off its spark plug while the engine is running to see or hear if it's sparking. This method can ruin the coil —and now you've got another problem on your hands.
• You can use any type of spark tester, as long as it's an automotive spark tester.

OK, now on with the show. The test instructions below assume you don't know which cylinder is misfiring or has a bad ignition coil. But you don't have to test them all if you don't have to (or don't need to).

These are the test steps:

1. 1

   Remove the first Coil-On-Plug ignition coil that you're going to test.

2. 2

   Attach the HEI spark tester (or an equivalent spark tester) to the ignition coil as shown in the photo above.

3. 3

   Connect the spark tester to the battery negative (-) terminal. You can do this with a battery jump start cable (my preferred method).

4. 4

   Have your helper crank the engine while you observe the spark tester.

5. 5

   You're gonna' get one of two results: spark or no spark.

6. 6

   Disconnect the spark tester from the ignition coil and put the ignition coil back in place.

7. 7

   Repeat the spark test on the remaining ignition coils.

Let's examine your test results:

CASE 1: All six ignition coils sparked. This is the correct and expected test result.

With this test result you can conclude that all 6 ignition coils are good. The cause of the misfire is something else. Take a look at the suggestions here: TEST 6: Checking For Carbon Tracks.

CASE 2: You got spark from some but NOT all of ignition coils. The ones that did not fire off spark are probably bad.

To make sure, you need to verify that the non-sparking ignition coil is receiving 12 Volts, Ground and a Triggering signal. For the first of these tests, go to: TEST 2: Making Sure The Ignition Coil Is Getting 12 Volts.

CASE 3: You got NO spark from none of the Honda Accord's (or Odyssey's) Coil-On-Plug ignition coils. It is rare (next to impossible) for all of the ignition coils to go bad at the exact same time.

The most likely causes of this are:

• A bad crankshaft position sensor.
• A bad ignition switch.
• A blown fuse.

TEST 2: Making Sure The Ignition Coil Is Getting 12 Volts

OK, so far TEST 1 has confirmed that one or more of the ignition coils are not firing spark.

The next step is to verify that that ignition coil or coils (that did not spark) are receiving 10 to 12 Volts DC.

The wire that delivers this voltage to the ignition coil is the wire labeled with the number 1 in the photo above.

We'll check for the presence of this voltage with a multimeter voltage test.

NOTE: Be careful when probing the front of the female terminal of the ignition coil's connector to avoid damaging it.

IMPORTANT: The circuit ID numbers and functions (12 Volts, Ground, and activation signal) of the ignition coil connector shown in the image are the same on all coil connectors, no matter which cylinder you're testing.

OK, let's get started:

1. 1

   Disconnect the ignition coil from its electrical connector.

2. 2

   Put the multimeter in Volts DC mode.

3. 3

   Probe the front of the terminal that connects to the wire labeled with the number 1 with the red multimeter test lead (using an appropriate tool).

4. 4

   Connect the black multimeter test lead to the battery negative (-) terminal.

5. 5

   Have your helper turn the key to the ON position.

6. 6

   You should see 10-12 Volts on your multimeter.
   
   If you're using a 12 Volt test light, the test light should light up.

Let's take a look at what your test results mean:

CASE 1: The multimeter registered 10-12 Volts (or the test light lit up). This is the correct test result and lets you know that the ignition coil is getting power.

The next step is to make sure the ignition coil is getting Ground. Go to: TEST 3: Making Sure The Ignition Coil Is Getting Ground.

CASE 2: The multimeter DID NOT register 10-12 Volts (or the test light DID NOT light up). This tells you that the ignition coil is not getting power and without it, the ignition coil will not spark.

This test result eliminates the COP ignition coil itself as bad and as the source of the misfire condition.

Since the power circuit is shared by all of the COP ignition coils, the most likely cause of this missing voltage is a bad ignition coil connector or an open-circuit problem in the wire between the connector and the engine wiring harness.