No spark to the spark plug on my 3200 mcculloch chain saw

A spark plug might be defective and needs to be replaced.

If your chainsaw has a defective spark plug, it cannot create an electrical current to ignite the system. Remove the spark plug and inspect if it is dirty, cracked, eroded, or damaged. There may also be a heavy carbon buildup or a burned-up electrode.

If no spark appears, check for broken wires, shorts, grounds or a defective stop switch. Once you have confirmed that the stop switch is working, reconnect the spark plug lead.

Clean the spark plug. Check that the electrode gap is 0.020 inch (0.5 mm). The bar should be turned daily for more even wear.

If your electric chainsaw won`t start, try examining it for these issues: Not pressing the safety button at the same time as the trigger. Tripped electrical breaker (for corded chainsaws) Frayed or damaged electrical cord (for corded chainsaws)

Check to see if the switch and terminals are free from rust and replace any damaged or broken spark plugs wires as necessary. Alternatively, it could be a bad ignition module. A simple way of testing the ignition module is to leave the car idling for 30 minutes and then tap the ignition module with a screwdriver.

If the ignition coil does not have spark, it`s time to check its wires. Use a test light to check the continuity on the signal wire and power wire on the ignition coil. If both wires are functional but the coil fails to produce spark, the ignition coil or the ignition control module is bad.

Importance of the Spark Plug Gap

The gap is the distance between the center and side electrodes, set so arcing occurs at the proper voltage that ignites the fuel and generates the combustion that makes the engine run.

Spark plug gaps for car engines are typically 0.6 to 1.8 mm (0.024 to 0.071 in). Modern engines (using solid-state ignition systems and electronic fuel injection) typically use larger gaps than older engines that use breaker point distributors and carburetors.

Electric chainsaws, on the other hand, don`t even have a recoil rope. They start with the simple press of a button. Say goodbye to spark plugs, air filters, and gasoline. Instead, the most important maintenance task you`ll need to perform on a corded chainsaw is to keep the bar and chain oiled.

One of the advantages of electric chainsaws that beginning chainsaw users particularly like is the minimal effort needed to start them. There`s no throttle to open and no cord to pull, just a couple of buttons to press or squeeze.

Test your spark plugs wires.

Insert a spark plug tester into the plug boot (end of the wire) and ground it on a piece of clean, unpainted metal on the engine. Have someone crank the engine and watch for a spark. If you have a good spark on all wires look for timing problems or other issues.

Misfire – A cylinder misfire occurs when the spark plug can`t ignite the air-fuel mixture. This can occur because of worn spark plugs, contamination, cracked spark plug wires, or other problems.

The low voltage primary circuit operates at battery voltage (12 to 14.5 volts) and is responsible for generating the signal to fire the spark plug at the exact right time and sending that signal to the ignition coil.

Spark issues are the most common symptoms of failing stators, known as “Misfiring.” If you haven`t already known, stators are directly responsible for producing the required spark for your spark plug. Once they malfunction, the motorbike will receive insufficient – or worse, zero – sparks.

If the ignition relay shorts, burns out, or otherwise fails while the engine is operating it will cut off power to the fuel pump and ignition system. This will cause the vehicle to immediately stall due to fuel and spark being cut off.

However, if the spark plug gap is too large, the spark is unlikely to consistently “jump” across the long distance between electrodes, thus leading to a rough-running engine or one that doesn`t run at all.

In terms of operation, the spark plug is connected to the high voltage generated by an ignition coil (by way of a conventional distributor or by way of an electronic means). As electricity flows from the coil, a voltage difference develops between the center electrode and ground electrode on the spark plug.

The larger the gap, the more voltage is needed to jump the gap. Most experienced tuners know that increasing the gap size increases the spark area exposed to the air-fuel mixture, which maximizes burn efficiency.

Repeat the adjustment until the gap tool fits closely between the spark plug electrodes. However, you shouldn`t adjust the ground electrode more than 3 times. It`s durable, but it`s not meant to deal with lots of pressure and might snap off. Any damage to either electrode means you`ll need a new spark plug.

A wider spark plug gap does a better job of igniting the combustion, but it requires higher voltage to fire. This puts a greater strain on all the high voltage parts, coil, wires, distributor, etc. Too wide a gap causes the ignition parts to fail. An engine runs best with the widest gap the ignition can reliably fire.

Advantages of Electric Chainsaws

Electric chainsaws are light and compact, so they`re not a burden to carry. They are quieter than gas chainsaws and don`t leave the smell of gas in their wake. What`s more, when using an electric chainsaw, you don`t have to worry about mixing oil and gas.

One of our major spring projects is cutting down a diseased apricot tree in our back yard. We considered using an ax or hatchet for the job, but it turns out that an electric chainsaw is an ideal tool to get the job one. Despite our best efforts to water, fertilize, and prune the tree, it`s time to say farewell.

Loss of spark is caused by anything that prevents coil voltage from jumping the electrode gap at the end of the spark plug. This includes worn, fouled or damaged spark plugs, bad plug wires or a cracked distributor cap.

If you have an electric chainsaw that won`t start, first make sure that the power cable is connected to the mains, then check whether the cable and plug are damaged. If they aren`t, the problem could lie in the motor which, for example, may have worn or damaged brushes.