Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I turned the key on and have no spark from the plug or even the plug wire when turning over the engine

How do I know if it is the coil magneto or the xstar module magneto?

It is a model 38180

   Have you tried testing for spark after gettnig hot and no restart?

trouts2 wrote:
I have a spark plug tester and when the Toro won't start after running for a while I get no spark across the gap also no spark from the wire to the plug. Still would like to know where to order the module and any tips on how to install it.

Hi fellas;

If anyone is still out here with some ideas, I sure could use your input!

I have become the lawnmower/snowblower repair guy for the guys at work.  I am about 99.9% successful with my repairs but this one has stumped me.  A friend gave me his Toro CCR 2000 snowblower for repair because the local shop wanted 600+ for repairs.  It is the 38185 with serial number 2001010.

No spark here.  I checked and cleaned all connections and re assembled with dielectric tune up grease.  Switch is ok.  I checked the ig modulator with a multi meter and got continuity (which I am assuming is a good thing).  Any way, I purchased a mega star II ignition module and put it in place of the original module.  Still no spark.  (spark plug is good though).  I checked the coil by placing my multi meter from the red wire of the coil to the spark plug terminal.  NO continuity.  I located and bought a used coil from a local shop for $55 .  Yippie...I got spark.  I then put it all back together.  (I had also cleaned the carb and replaced several parts there in).  She started on the first pull!  It ran excellent for 30 seconds and then quit.  No more spark.  I took everything apart again and found the module still had continuity but the coil did not (when I checked from the red wire to the spark plug terminal). 

How could that coil go shot so quickly?  I just hate to junk the machine.  I saw on ebay a coil/modulator combo for about $75.  I dont mind spending that but I also do not know if it is worth the risk.  That may go shot real quick.  What are your thoughts guys?  Thanks very much.

Not sure how much to believe your story about $600 repair cost when you can buy a brand new one (Toro 418) for around $350 with 2 year warranty.

broncman wrote:

l would first Double check the small wire that goes to ground from coil and make sure u have a GOOD and CLEAN bare metal connection there....also lve have replaced alot of those kill switchs so that may be your issuse... clean the ground connection and disconnect the kill switch then see if u got spark...if not u got a bad coil....l dont recall having to replace a coil on that motor before... and the odds of another coil going bad seems unlikely but it happens...

Yeah, I am afraid its true about the $600.  They wanted to install a new coil and a new module.  The new coil goes for about $185 plus their markup and I guess the new module for about $150 plus their mark up (close to 400) and probably 2-3 hours labor for another couple hundred.  They charged him $165 for a ariens 5 hp carb rebuild!  Plus my buddy stated it ran better last year than it does now.  Maybe I will just give him an S200 from my collection!

Thanks Niper99...I will double check the ground connection and isolate the switch again.  If I take the switch out of the mix, hopefully I will see a spark.  That would be a wonderful, easy fix!  I will make sure to sand down any paint on the flywheel cover and I will install a new bolt which holds the ground wire against the flywheel cover.  It does seem odd that a working coil would go shot so fast.  The thing that makes me think it is the coil is that when I try to establish continuity with the multi meter (from the red wire on the coil to the spark plug terminal), I get nothing.   Thanks for the suggestions.

broncman wrote:
I've never seen this coil before, so "the red wire" doesn't mean anything to me, sorry. What is the red wire? Is it the wire that leaves the coil, going to the spark plug connector? As in you think there's a break within the wire, between the coil and the plug?

This one is a Rotary 8786 from Tulsaenginewarehouse for 12 bucks. Also known as Nova II.

Niper99, check me on this,

   The module has two tangs.   Regardless of color one tang is positive, the other tang negative.  Depending on your grounding one lead goes to the coil wire (the one cut away from the ponts) and the other to ground.     Done.

   If  a stop switch is included how it gets wired could vary slightly. 

   The non-grounded wire from the tang could go to the switch then to the coil.  So the switch would create an open or connection.

   The non-grounded wire from the tang could connect with a wire nut.  From there one wire run to the coil and one to one side of the stop switch.  The other side of the stop swith would go to ground.

     Again depending on your ground being plus or minus one tang is grounded and the other wired as above.  Not for use with battery start engines or flywheels with multiple magnets. 

Thanks for the input guys.  Later today, I will triple check to get good clean connections and temporarily take the switch out of the mix.  I had bought the Mega Fire II Ignition Module.  The info on this module did not state that it would not work on flywheels with three magnets (this machine has 3 magnets).  My spark plug is good and shows continuity.  I wired the module just like the instructions previously posted showed.  Hopefully my photo has posted.  My coil shows continuity between the (partially red) coil wire and the coil arm.  However there is no continuity between the coil arm and the plug and no continuity between the coil wire and the plug.  I think this means the coil has gone bad.  This week I will have to track down another coil.  Say, the mega fire instructions show one wire being grounded with a screw through the hole on the mega fire and then to the engine.  Must the actual metal case of the mega fire be grounded too, or just the ground wire of the mega fire?  I would not think so since the mega fire has a ground wire coming out of it.  The machine was running excellent (for about 30 seconds).  I will keep the forum posted with updates.