One coil or both???

[Grasswhore]

Sixteen year old Kawasaki FH580V acting up when engaging electric PTO switch, narrowed it down to the coil/spark plug on the left side cylinder when viewed from rear of engine. Should I replace both coils at once as they both have the same age and hours(582) or just the one causing problems. Don't want to cheap out, but don't want to replace perfectly viable parts?

 

[shurguywutt]

I'd replace them both and keep the old good one as a spare. Or you could choose to run the old and a new one and when one fails just replace it with the other new one. Win win.

 

[Auto Doc's]

Replace both, but get them from Parts Direct or Jack's Small engine. Avoid Amazon.

Ebay is also good but look for genuine parts.

Just because it fits never means it will work. For air gap spacing, use a simple business card.

 

[Rick O]

Clean all the rust from the coil and engine mounting points and then see if you need none.

 

[Grasswhore]

Replace both, but get them from Parts Direct or Jack's Small engine. Avoid Amazon.

Ebay is also good but look for genuine parts.

Just because it fits never means it will work. For air gap spacing, use a simple business card.

Thanks for the advice. I have been using Jack's for most parts purchases but there shipping to my area seems to take an inordinately long time, but for the price, ehh, I guess I can live with it.

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

Thanks for the advice. I have been using Jack's for most parts purchases but there shipping to my area seems to take an inordinately long time, but for the price, ehh, I guess I can live with it.

Always replace both coils, keep the one good one, and replace the next one that goes bad years from now.

 

[Grasswhore]

Always replace both coils, keep the one good one, and replace the next one that goes bad years from now.

Thanks for the advice, I will do just that. I am so appreciative of the many experts on this forum that take the time to share their accumulated knowledge with the rest of us. Without having learned from all of you so much over the years, diagnosing my issue may have led me to just throwing parts at it, starting with a carb overhaul. But reading you're responses over the years has taught me how to be more methodical and deliberate in diagnosing my intermittent issue. Thanks again to all you generous seasoned veterans!!

 

[ILENGINE]

In some cases when 1 coil fails the other one is also going out, and in some cases with advance in part supercessions, a new coil can actually overload the old coil, and burn it out.