Tem my briggs portable generator has no spark it appears ignition coil has failed. Items checked. disconnected kill wire to coil, disconnected oil sensor wire no spark this will be the 2nd coil

If it is an older engine with standard flywheel ignition (contact breaker inside the flywheel) the coil will be grounded except when the contacts are open and even then a casual test with the average multimeter it will appear to be grounded as the coil resistance is very low; just a few ohms needing the low range of a digital multimeter to measure...

When those engines have been unused for a while it is almost certain the contact breaker and perhaps the condenser will need attention.

If it is a later engine fitted with an electronic ignition module, once the kill switch has been disconnected and the spark is still absent, it is almost certain to need a replacement module unless the flywheel has lost most of its magnetism.

There are three items that are connected together needed to create spark on your 1997 Honda 4-wheeler, regardless of which model it is.
Before we go through a checklist of these three important parts, look for a black wire with a white stripe that runs to the ignition switch and kill button from the CDI box. Disconnect this wire before it gets to the ignition switch and kill button, then check for spark. The most likely cause is a broken kill switch on the handlebar, or shorted ignition switch. Such a condition grounds this wire and kills the spark.
If this test did not restore the spark, continue reading...
Here is what is required to create a spark.

First, the alternator has one coil which generates a high voltage--about 125 Volts AC for the CDI ignitor box.

Second, there is a pulse voltage generated once every revolution of the engine that goes to the CDI box. This pulse causes the CDI to dump its stored energy from the 125 volt line into the primary of the ignition coil.

Third, If the two connections of the wire that runs from the CDI to the Coil are BOTH SHINY clean, the ignition coil will generate a spark.

If any one of these 3 don't happen, the spark will go away. Of these three, item 3 -- one or two tarnished and/or dirty connectors -- is the most likely cause. Just an added resistance of 0.3 Ohms or more in the CDI to Coil connections will cause the ignition to fail. No other wires have to be this clean.

check gap on coil the gap on the points and also make sure the magnets are free of rust, the capacitor could be weak also.

Remove the kill wire from the the back of the ignition module and test to see if you then have spark. If you have spark you would have a bad ground but if you still do not have spark then you may have a bad ignition module.

remove blower shroud off top of engine.Remove grass screen first.disconnect ignition kill wire from coils,retest for spark,if no spark check kill wire,wire that was disconnected from coils for short to ground.If wire checks ok,replace coils.Forty years in small engine repair.

This is going to sound way to over simplified but here goes. They have a low oil level sensor and when the oil gets low OR the sensor fails it kills the ignition. If the engine oil level is fine and you still have no spark.. disconnect ONE lead of the sensor and check spark again. If you have spark the Oil level Sensor is either very dirty or has failed.

Thanks for choosing FixYa.
Kelly

If it sat for 2 years, particularly in humid environment, try removing one of the wires on the back of the OFF / Shutdown switch. If you get spark then, the switch is defective. Also check the wiring closely as a pest may have been gnawing on the wire itself.

The oil alert will also cause the ignition to be disabled. Removing the wire from the sensor will temporarily defeat its intended purpose of shutting down the engine due to no / low oil. If the engine runs afterwards, then you may have a bad sensor if the crank case has adequate oil.

All wires on a small engine except for the spark plug wire are to ground out the spark and stop the engine. Except a few for accessories and on generator/welders.

Knowing that, there is a small main wire that comes from your coil and leads to all other wires. It usually sits under your gas tank and runs toward your on/off switch or ignition switch. To see if it is any off your shutdowns gone bad, disconnect this wire. If still no spark then you either have a open in this wire or your magnito (coil) is bad.

If it starts, then unplug all the wires going to the kill wire and hook them up one by one until you find the one that kills the engine. Follow the wire to it's source looking for breaks in the line. If no breaks then the switch is out of place or bad.

Note: check your oil level first. Most engines come with a low oil sensor that will kill the spark if the oil level gets too low.

To check is your magnito is bad or you have a short, disconnect the wire at the magnito found by the flywheel under the flywheel cover. Tuck this wire out of the way and try to start your unit. No spark then you have a bad magnito.

Are you saying the engine will not turn off? The engine shut down uses a ground on the ignition circuit to shut down. This kills the circuit that provides the spark for the engine to run. See if you can trace the circuit for the shut down and check the ground connection.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/craig_3fa289bf857b1a3c

Hi Mark,

The engines used on the Powermates have a low oil shutdown system that can be troublesome. Try this:

1 - Make sure there is enough oil in the crankcase. The oli level needs to be all the way up to the bottom of the threads in the oil fill hole.

2 - Still no spark? Replace the spark plug with a new one (properly gapped), then spray something like brake cleaner into the carb. Pull the rope and see if you hear any detonations from the engine. If the engine tries to start but won't you need to look at the fuel system, then the ignition.

3 - If you proved there isn't any spark happening, look under the plastic cover where the kill switch is located. You'll find a small metal box with wires coming out of it. Find the wire that goes from the box to the kill switch and disconnect it at the switch. Mark things as needed so that you'll remember where to put them back. Give the rope a gentle pull and see if we have a working ignition, if it does have spark there is something wrong in the low oil shutdown mechanism.

4 - If you've convinced yourself that the low oil shutdown is misbehaving try changing this oil and flushing out the crankcase. Look for any evidence of debris that would have made the oil level float bind. As a final test reconnect the wire we took off the switch and disconnect the one that goes from the module to the oil sensor on the side of the engine, if you don't get a spark with the sonsor disconnected you probably have a bad module.

5 - If we didn't get ignition with the low oil shutdown disconnected from the kill switch, reconnect the wire we took off and then disconnect the (usually black) wire that leads down inside the engine. This is the kill wire for the ignition module. If you get the engine to start with this wore disconnected you may have a shorted kill switch, test it with an ohm meter.

6 - if there still isn't a spark with the kill wire disconnected you may have a bad ignition module. You have to take off the carb, then the blower housing to get to it. Check that the kill wire isn't shorted to the block anywhere, and that the module has the proper gap and orientation before replacing it, The modules say "cyl side" on the side that should face into the engine. A regular business card or a playing card ought to just fit between the magnet on the flywheel and the module, too loose would cause a loss of ignition. You get extra points if you use a feeler guage to set the gap to 0.010 inches.

7 - Ignition modules are available from a bunch of different places, your local Briggs supplier will want to know the model, type, and code numbers located on the side of the valve cover in order to be sure which parts you need,

Rate me if you liked the answer,
Carl