If you can check across the coils negative ground wire connection to the coil pack. You know you have 13.4 on the coils positive input wire and the engine block. What you want to verify is that the coils negative wire is carrying its load back to the block. Do not try to measure the output side of the coil pack going to the distributor cap.

 

okay i am not sure how i would measure what you are asking. keep in mind i have old barrel style coil. do i put red term on positive coil post and black wire on negative coil post?

 

He's asking what the voltage is across the primary terminals of the coil is. In other words, do not measure voltage from the coil to the engine block, vehicle body, or battery negative. Measure across the +/- terminals.

 

when i measure across the terminals my digital multimeter goes to fault (actually 1). i assumed i was measuring something wrong.?? i have the multi meter set to 20v.

 

Was the engine running?

 

yes with engine running

 

It should read somewhere around 6-8 volts.

 

so i have this in my mind before i go test this. positive term on coil red to meter. ground term on coil to black on meter when engine is running i should have 6-8 volts?

 

Yes, but if you don't get a reading, try swapping the two meter leads.

 

when i hook them up "backwards" i get around 1.5-1.75, if i turn the meter to 200v and hook it up i get around 55-77v sometimes a jump around 90.(so my meter may be going bad) i am going to scream if these idiots sold me a bad coil!!.