COP tester

Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent COP tester instrument ? Will it work well on Ford engines ?

I forgot to mention I would be using it with my vantage pro.

Were you thinking of a secondary ignition probe, for viewing secondary ignition waveforms? Or, were you thinking of something for bench testing ignition coils?

As far as secondary probes, there are some great options out there. I personally use the AESWave Paddle Probe daily. Great tool for the money. Works well on the Ford COPs you'll find on 4.6s and 5.4s.

There's also the Wyze probe , and the Pico TA204 . Paul has used the Wyze probe in a couple different videos with good results.





We also discussed some COP probes in this thread , lots of good info in there.

Hi Tyler. Yes for secondary ignition waveforms. I just knew there were quite a few different ones available and wanted a little direction from someone who has been using it. I am new to the site and really appreciate you guys. I have been a Infiniti/Nissan tech since 2000. I am 60 yrs. old and find a need to get out of flat rate type working conditions. My main shortfall over the years is having a weak electrical trouble shooting/electrical understanding. I will be starting a new job at a transit support company, working on mostly later model gasoline Ford trucks and Taurus Interceptors.I think I will do ok there and the best part is that I get paid by the hour.

Jackolope56 wrote: Hi Tyler. Yes for secondary ignition waveforms. I just knew there were quite a few different ones available and wanted a little direction from someone who has been using it. I am new to the site and really appreciate you guys. I have been a Infiniti/Nissan tech since 2000. I am 60 yrs. old and find a need to get out of flat rate type working conditions. My main shortfall over the years is having a weak electrical trouble shooting/electrical understanding. I will be starting a new job at a transit support company, working on mostly later model gasoline Ford trucks and Taurus Interceptors.I think I will do ok there and the best part is that I get paid by the hour.

Congratulations, sir! I just got off of flat rate, too. I'm much better off for it, but MAN it was a strange feeling at first! :lol: I'm sure it'll work out well for you.

I'm glad you mentioned the vehicles you'll be seeing, 'cause there are some issues there. I know to a certainty that the Paddle Probe works well on the good ol' two wire pencil coil, like these:



The trouble is that these coils are rarely seen on newer generation Ford engines. They've been replaced by a newer type of two wire coil, like on the 5.0L Coyote engine and the 3.5L in the Taurus, OR a three wire coil on the 3.5L EcoBoost. The Paddle Probe does NOT work well on either of these, in my experience.

You might check out this thread by nick.elias. He caught some secondary patterns off a 5.0L with the Wyze probe. The waveforms aren't textbook, but not bad, either.

FYI, many new Fords are also providing spark duration data on the scan tool. It's not as good as having an actual secondary pattern, but it's very useful for diagnostic direction. Here's an example I got off an '06 Mountaineer with a 4.0L. I pulled the #4 wire off the coil at around frame 2280, and was manipulating the spark with a test light.