DIY Spark Discharge
Spark discharge is one of the most common methods of checking your car's ignition. You can visually check to see if your engine is producing a charge by removing the spark plug cover and cranking the engine. If you see a spark discharged from the end of the wire, you can rule out ignition problems when your car is missing or won't start at all. This technique has been used for years, and even experience mechanics will check it before moving on to other more complicated diagnosis.
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Instructions
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Lean over the hood of the car while the engine is off and pull off the nearest spark plug wire with your fingers. Remove the spark plug with a spark plug socket.
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Place the end of the spark plug back into the spark plug wire just as if it was before you removed it. Put on a pair of leather gloves.
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Hold the spark plug with your fingers by the thick rubber portion at the end of the wire.
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Instruct an assistant to sit in the driver's seat and turn the key to turn over the engine briefly. If the engine starts, that's okay. Observe the end of the spark plug. If it discharges a consistent spark, the ignition is fine. If you don't see any spark, you could have a problem with the ignition system.
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Tips & Warnings
Inspect the spark plug wires before doing your spark discharge test. If you see any bare spots, replace the wire before doing anything else. You can also remove the spark plug from the wire. Hold the end of the wire next to the engine's manifold and turn over the engine to check the wire without the spark plug. If the wire discharges a spark without the spark plug, the wire is fine. If it fails to produce a spark with the spark plug in it, the spark plug is bad.
Keep the spark plug and wire at arm's length. Event though it won't do you any permanent damage, getting shocked by a spark plug discharge hurts.
References
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