Stihl MS180 Chainsaw Ignition Coil identification

[ETAF]

HI,
based in UK , West Sussex
I have a MS180 Chainsaw , only been used a few times, purchased OCt 2018 and so out of warranty just.

Look like I have an ignition coil issue , no spark, changed spark plug.
NOT sure how to test ,

I'm having issues finding the part, Stihl just recommended a local dealer , and they said probably to look at £100+ !!!!!!
So may get rid of the lot and buy EGO battery kit.

Anyway,
The part i'm after is an ignition coil
on the one i have it has
1130 1309A
MC3 1130 180
UC123 Y

But I cant seem to find one , most places i email , seem to have lots of different types but not the one i want !!!!

I have attached an image

Any help in locating a supplier or how to test if it is faulty would be great - Thanks

Wayne

 

[MartDalb]

It is not the coil.
Well. It is likely not the coil. It rarely is.

Anyhow...
Check the wiring, kill switch, check the plug boot that the cable connects to the spring inside.

How do you test for spark? Dark room, plug on cylinder?

Check the flywheel gab to ignition coil. Should be business card gab.

Throw up some pictures of the saw, preferably the start/off/choke switch etc. You may have bad wiring etc.

 

[ETAF]

Thanks for the quick reply and interest
I will go and take some images.

Plug on Cylinder , i did see a small poor spark initially , so purchased a new spark plug and then tried fuel in the cylinder and no ignition.
So decided best to put on bench and start looking at carb etc.

I'll try the Spark again and see what i see.

The cables seem to just go to a plastic connector , which when OFF shorts out the LT 2 wires
I used a meter on the HT line and got around 20K

i also checked the plug with a multimeter

I'll also go and check the gap

Thanks again - will reply soon
Wayne

 

[ETAF]

very kind to offer the help here

here are some images

On the wiring, the Green Wire , goes to a Latch - shown in the red box , and red arrow
The black wire goes to the ON/OFF Chock plastic lever, arrow in Orange
Seems all they do is short out together when OFF

Checked the spring at top of HT lead seems OK, maybe i'll measure from tip of Spark Plug to Earth lead on Ignition coil Green/yellow and see if i get any reading

The GAP is bigger than a business card , that slid in easily, I dont have any decent feeler gages , just got mine out and rusted up

 

[ETAF]

OK, so had some help , in dark with sparkplug on the cyclinder held down
AND
I am getting a spark now, with both new and old plug, Put in the new plug


OK, so now I guess its Fuel.

I had been using STIHL MOTOMIX PREMIXED 2 STROKE FUEL (1 LITRE) Purchased 2 bottles in Oct 2020 - Shelf life 5years
When at the stihl dealer yesterday, talking about the Chainsaw issue - they said the fuel should be fine.
I have one bottle which has been unopened
Emptied the Fuel from the Machine and refilled with the fresh bottle of fuel

I guess i'm looking at the carb now

removed carb and cleaned it all out with carb cleaner/air intake cleaner
Removed both sides and cleaned all the diaphragm's
Cleaned the fuel filter - removed all the fuel
and put in fresh fuel

Still wont start

 

[lone wolf]

OK, so had some help , in dark with sparkplug on the cyclinder held down
AND
I am getting a spark now, with both new and old plug, Put in the new plug


OK, so now I guess its Fuel.

I had been using STIHL MOTOMIX PREMIXED 2 STROKE FUEL (1 LITRE) Purchased 2 bottles in Oct 2020 - Shelf life 5years
When at the stihl dealer yesterday, talking about the Chainsaw issue - they said the fuel should be fine.
I have one bottle which has been unopened
Emptied the Fuel from the Machine and refilled with the fresh bottle of fuel

I guess i'm looking at the carb now

removed carb and cleaned it all out with carb cleaner/air intake cleaner
Removed both sides and cleaned all the diaphragm's
Cleaned the fuel filter - removed all the fuel
and put in fresh fuel

Still wont start

Pull the muffler inspect piston cond. Also pull flywheel and see if key is sheared.

 

[ETAF]

I will check, But the machine has hardly been used maybe 1/2 a dozen times, since purchase in 2018.
It gets a lot easier to pull the starter on the flywheel with the plug removed, so I assume the piston is moving the flywheel, and getting compression , which i assume thats what the flywheel key does, will be easier to remove the sparkplug and see if the piston is moving OK

which bit is the muffler ? to see the piston,
I think I will need to remove the carb again , to see anything, i did look before , but difficult to see as theres a SPLIT barrier there, which I assume is for Fuel/air and other side for the Exhaust.
Or via the sparkplug bore?

I see if i can Get a Video of the spark

I tried some cold start just to see if it would fire, down the air intake - nothing

 

[lone wolf]

I will check, But the machine has hardly been used maybe 1/2 a dozen times, since purchase in 2018.
It gets a lot easier to pull the starter on the flywheel with the plug removed, so I assume the piston is moving the flywheel, and getting compression , which i assume thats what the flywheel key does, will be easier to remove the sparkplug and see if the piston is moving OK

which bit is the muffler ? to see the piston,
I think I will need to remove the carb again , to see anything, i did look before , but difficult to see as theres a SPLIT barrier there, which I assume is for Fuel/air and other side for the Exhaust.
Or via the sparkplug bore?

I see if i can Get a Video of the spark

I tried some cold start just to see if it would fire - nothing

Yes to see the piston.

 

[ETAF]

what am i looking for

 

[hotshot]

Piston surface should be smooth as a babies’ butt.

No vertical scratches nor scorched spots like in the attached pics.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I will check, But the machine has hardly been used maybe 1/2 a dozen times, since purchase in 2018.
It gets a lot easier to pull the starter on the flywheel with the plug removed, so I assume the piston is moving the flywheel, and getting compression , which i assume thats what the flywheel key does, will be easier to remove the sparkplug and see if the piston is moving OK

which bit is the muffler ? to see the piston,
I think I will need to remove the carb again , to see anything, i did look before , but difficult to see as theres a SPLIT barrier there, which I assume is for Fuel/air and other side for the Exhaust.
Or via the sparkplug bore?

I see if i can Get a Video of the spark

I tried some cold start just to see if it would fire, down the air intake - nothing

If you cannot find the muffler- try removing the exhaust- might be an opposite side of the Atlantic, translation thing. Like looking under the hood, or the bonnet to check the oil level on your car.
And throw the "coldstart" away- that stuff ruins saw motors.

 

[ETAF]

And throw the "coldstart" away- that stuff ruins saw motors.

Yea, I was not sure on that as not 2 stroke, BUT just wanted to see if i could get any ignition.
I'll do some more on it tomorrow hopefully
Thanks

 

[ETAF]

managed to get to start , no idea what i did , but its now working
Thanks so much
Difficult to start , takes a lot of pulls, and i used the OLD spark plug , which did have a resistance reading, whereas the new one I stuggled to get a reading - BUT saw a much better spark on the OLD plug.
NGK CMR6H
NOT sure what reading i should get

Thanks again

 

[MartDalb]

managed to get to start , no idea what i did , but its now working
Thanks so much
Difficult to start , takes a lot of pulls, and i used the OLD spark plug , which did have a resistance reading, whereas the new one I stuggled to get a reading - BUT saw a much better spark on the OLD plug.
NGK CMR6H
NOT sure what reading i should get

Thanks again

Flooded?

Some 180s Come with decomp valve, I seem to recall, did you have it pressed in by chance?

 

[HarleyT]

Get a Champion plug!!

 

[ETAF]

Thanks ALL for the replies, excellent forum, glad i signed up here

@MartDalb
not sure i have a decomp valve at all
I seem to just have a plastic lever
OFF
RUN
WARM
COLD
settings

Nothing else i can see

@HarleyT
Interesting you say Champion , I went for NGK as i thought would be a good make - in my old repair car days 70's i usd champion - I'll have a look for one of those , with the same code as a spare

Just cut up a load of ASH , for the fire , which is where I started on saturday !!!!!
Working really well,
So pleased to have the saw back
didnt fancy a cordless and spending a lot of money , as i have dewalt tools, i was looking at the dewalt 30CM and a couple of 5Ah batteries at around £350
or
changing over to all cordless and going for the EGO range

 

[MartDalb]

Decomp valve.

Glad to hear its running again!

 

[ETAF]

thanks , no nothing like that
Now chain needs sharpening , never have sharpened before - so off to look and see how thats done, using a file - was going to use a local stihl dealer who sharpens, but tree surgeon said machine sharpening ruins the chain

 

[HarleyT]

thanks , no nothing like that
Now chain needs sharpening , never have sharpened before - so off to look and see how thats done, using a file - was going to use a local stihl dealer who sharpens, but tree surgeon said machine sharpening ruins the chain

People that don't know how to do it are the ones that ruin a chain, and folks that cannot file run a dull chain. One needs to learn how to sharpen properly.

 

[ETAF]

ok, just been quoted £6 to sharpen chain while i wait at a Stihl Specialist Shop locally - so thats what I'll do
Thanks