Kohler 482s engine

Rusty wheel · May 4, 2014

I have a wheelhorse D180. The left plug will only fire if I unhook the plug wire and set the boot back on the plug but leave the wire unhooked. Got me and a few other guys stumped. Any help appreciated. Thanks in advance. RW.

Bob · May 4, 2014

Check the compression @ each cylinder, and the 2 intake gaskets.

Try swapping spark plugs from side to side, then wires (if one is too short to do this, temporarily use 2 known-good wires off of something else, a V-8 engine, for example).

Swap the wires between the two terminals on the coil. (Yes, this will work, they both fire at the same time and wire location is NOT specific.)

Does any of this make any difference in how it runs?

Rusty wheel · May 4, 2014

Thanks for the reply Bob. Yes, I've done everything you have suggested, New plugs and wires, new coil, but haven't checked compression but when both plugs are firing, it seems to have plenty of power. Also installed new points and condenser. What ever is causing this is only related to the left bank. Don't understand what is happening when I separate the wire from the plug unless I'm changing the resistance.

Ken Combs · May 4, 2014

I see you didn't mention swapping plug wires at the coil. If you haven't, that is critical to checking the coil condition.

I've seen the same thing on older cars (now I'm showing my age, the older cars were Chevy sixes). Usually it was due to bad wires or plugs. forcing the spark to jump a bigger gap causes the coil to become more fully saturated, so more voltage.

Rusty wheel · May 4, 2014

Thank you Ken. I will try that tomorrow, but don't see the benefit since both plugs fire at the same time. At this point I'll try anything. I remember when I was a kid an old ignition man explained the reason for the separation of spark plug wires. It was to prevent the plugs from firing out of time due to the wires giving off a magnetic field. That was on a 1951 Oldsmobile, my first car. Thanks for the reply. RW

joe csuti · May 4, 2014

You might want to click on link below & download a service/repair manual for eng.

You said you replaced coil,the 482 eng with 12v ign used 2 different type coils(this is covered in service manual ign section)one coil had an ext ballast resistor,the other had a built in resistor,if you installed a coil with built in resistor & you have a ballast resistor in 12v supply to coil you're probably not getting enough voltage to coil primary to fire both plugs at same time or 1 plug may be fireing late if at all.If coil not the problem I would suspect sticking/leaking valves,leaking head gasket or possibly an air leak in intake manifold for that cyl.
kohler

T.R.K. · May 5, 2014

I would swap plugs between the cylinders and see if the problem moved too.

Kohler 482s engine

Rusty wheel

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Bob

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Rusty wheel

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Ken Combs

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Rusty wheel

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joe csuti

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T.R.K.

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