Where Is the Ignition Coil Located?

The ignition coil is typically mounted on or very near the engine. On most modern gasoline cars, individual “coil-on-plug” units sit directly on top of each spark plug beneath the plastic engine cover; older vehicles often use a coil pack on the top or side of the engine with plug wires; classic distributor systems have a single coil near the distributor or firewall. Motorcycles commonly hide the coil(s) under the fuel tank, small engines place it next to the flywheel under the shroud, and diesel engines don’t use ignition coils at all.

Why the Location Varies

The ignition coil transforms battery voltage into the high voltage needed to fire the spark plugs. Automakers place coils as close as possible to the plugs to minimize losses and improve reliability. That design choice—and whether the vehicle uses one coil, a coil pack, or a coil over each plug—determines exactly where you’ll find it.

Typical Locations by Configuration

Different engine and ignition designs put the coil(s) in predictable places. The list below outlines the most common setups and where to look.

• Coil-on-plug (most 1998–present gasoline cars and many hybrids): A pencil-shaped coil sits directly atop each spark plug, usually beneath a plastic engine cover. You’ll see a small electrical connector on each coil and no long plug wires.
• Coil-near-plug (e.g., GM LS-series V8s): Individual coils are bolted to the valve covers with short plug leads running to each spark plug.
• Coil pack with plug wires (many 1990s–early 2000s cars): A block of two to six coils mounted on the top or side of the engine, strut tower, or firewall, with thick plug wires leading to each cylinder.
• Single canister coil with distributor (older/classic vehicles): A cylindrical coil mounted near the distributor—often on the intake manifold, fender apron, or firewall—with one central high-tension lead feeding the distributor cap.
• Motorcycles/scooters: One or two small coils mounted under the fuel tank or along the frame near the steering head; plug leads run directly to the spark plugs.
• Small engines (mowers, generators): An ignition module/coil sits under the flywheel shroud, adjacent to the flywheel magnets.
• Marine outboards and personal watercraft: Coil packs or individual coils are inside the engine cowl near the powerhead, close to the spark plugs.
• Diesel engines and battery-electric vehicles: No ignition coils—diesels ignite by compression heat; EVs have no spark plugs.

Once you determine the ignition architecture your engine uses, you can focus your search on the relevant area: atop the plugs, on the valve covers, or on a nearby bracket or firewall.

Quick Steps to Find Your Ignition Coil

Use these practical steps to locate the coil confidently without disassembly you don’t need.

1. Identify engine type and layout (inline vs. V6/V8, transverse vs. longitudinal). This helps you know which bank to inspect and where the plugs sit.
2. Remove the plastic engine cover if present; coils are often hidden beneath it.
3. Look for spark plugs or their wells: coil-on-plug units are small rectangular or pencil-like modules plugged into each well with a two- to four-pin electrical connector.
4. If you see thick plug wires, trace them backward: they lead either to a coil pack (rectangular block) or a single canister coil feeding a distributor.
5. Check valve covers on V8s and some V6s for multiple small coils bolted along each cover (coil-near-plug designs).
6. On motorcycles, lift or remove the fuel tank (per the service manual) to reveal coil brackets and short plug leads.
7. For small engines, remove the recoil/flywheel shroud to expose the magneto/coil beside the flywheel.

If you still can’t find the coil, refer to the owner’s or factory service manual for an engine diagram; coil locations are usually identified in the ignition system section.

Make and Engine Examples

Manufacturers follow patterns that can point you straight to the coil once you know the engine family.

• Toyota/Honda (late 1990s–present): Coil-on-plug under the engine cover; each cylinder has its own coil.
• Ford EcoBoost (I3/I4/V6): Coil-on-plug on top of the head(s), visible once the cover is removed.
• GM LS/LT V8: One coil per cylinder mounted along each valve cover with short leads to the plugs.
• VW/Audi TSI/FSI: Tall pencil coils pull straight out of the plug wells on the top of the head.
• BMW inline-6 and modern 4-cylinders: Coil-on-plug beneath a decorative cover; coils pull up from the plug wells.
• Subaru boxer engines: Coil-on-plug at the outer sides of the heads, accessed from the fender wells or top with airbox removed.
• Mazda RX-7/RX-8 rotary: Multiple coil packs typically mounted on the firewall or near the strut tower.
• Harley-Davidson and many sport bikes: Coils under the tank or behind side covers with short leads to plugs.
• Briggs & Stratton/Honda small engines: Magneto coil under the top shroud beside the flywheel.

These patterns aren’t universal, but they cover the vast majority of current and legacy gasoline engines on the road and in equipment today.

Access and Safety Tips

Before you remove or probe coils, follow these safety and handling practices to avoid damage.

• Disconnect the battery on older/distributor systems; for modern cars, turn ignition off and wait a few minutes before unplugging connectors.
• Use a plastic trim tool to lift coil-on-plug units; avoid yanking by the connector or boot.
• Blow debris out of plug wells before removing coils to prevent dirt from dropping into cylinders.
• Mark plug wires before removal on coil-pack systems to avoid crossfiring on reassembly.
• Apply dielectric grease to boots on reinstallation and torque mounting bolts to spec.

Taking a few extra minutes to prepare and handle components correctly prevents broken connectors, misfires, and water intrusion later.

How to Confirm You’ve Found the Coil

Visual clues and basic checks can verify that the component you’ve located is indeed the ignition coil.

• Electrical connectors: Coils have a small multi-pin low-voltage connector; coil packs may have one or two larger connectors.
• High-voltage path: Either a short boot directly into a spark plug (coil-on-plug) or thick plug wires leading away from the coil/pack.
• Shape: Pencil or rectangular modules for coil-on-plug; finned rectangular blocks for coil packs; cylindrical can for old single coils.
• Scan-tool clues: Misfire/coil circuit codes (e.g., P030X, P035X) often identify the affected cylinder or coil bank to help you home in.
• Not present on diesels/EVs: If your vehicle is diesel or fully electric, you won’t find ignition coils at all.

Once you verify the connectors and high-voltage lead path, you can be confident you’ve identified the ignition coil assembly.

FAQ

Is the ignition coil the same as the coil pack?

Functionally yes—both generate spark energy—but a “coil pack” houses multiple coils in one assembly for several cylinders, while “coil-on-plug” is one dedicated coil per plug. Older cars may use a single shared coil feeding a distributor.

Which side is it on for V6/V8 engines?

With coil-on-plug, coils are on both banks directly above each plug. With coil-near-plug (e.g., GM LS), look along the top of each valve cover. With a single coil or coil pack, it’s usually mounted on a bracket toward the front or side of the engine bay or on the firewall.

What if I can’t see any coils under the cover?

Some engines bury coils beneath intake runners or acoustic covers. Remove the decorative cover, air intake tubing, or engine beauty panels as specified by the service manual. On boxer engines, coils sit low on the outer sides of the heads, sometimes best accessed from the wheel wells.

Summary

You’ll find the ignition coil on or near the engine: directly atop each spark plug on most late-model gasoline vehicles, grouped in a coil pack on older engines, or as a single canister near a distributor on classics. Motorcycles tuck coils under the tank, small engines mount them by the flywheel, and diesels/EVs don’t have them. Remove the engine cover, trace plug wires or plug wells, and look for small multi-pin connectors to pinpoint the coil’s exact location.