Advance Essentials: Automotive Ignition System Basics Troubleshooting your
automotive ignition system is intimidating since most electronic ignition
systems have gone through major changes over the years. Though the latest
versions of car ignition systems look different from their predecessors and use
components with fancy-sounding names,they all work on the same basic principles.
By understanding automotive ignition system basics,you can fix any of them,even
the fully computerized versions. The many different variations of automotive
ignition systems all boil down to three types:
distributor-based,distributor-less,and coil-on-plug. Let's look at the
similarities of each automotive ignition system. Ignition Coil All automotive
ignition systems have to generate a spark that's strong enough to jump across
the spark plug gap. To do that,all automotive ignition systems use an ignition
coil made with two coils of wire wrapped around an iron core. The goal is to
create an electromagnet by running battery voltage (12 volts) through the
primary coil. When the car ignition system turns off the power,the magnetic
field collapses. As it does,a secondary coil captures the collapsing magnetic
field and converts it into 15,000 to 25,000 volts. There you have it. Turn power
on.The distributor automotive
ignition system Automotive Distributor Distributor-based automotive ignition
systems connect to the camshaft with gears. In the fully mechanical
distributor,the gears spin the main distributor shaft. Inside,a set of "ignition
points" rubs against a multi-sided cam on the distributor shaft Car Repair Tool. The cam opens and closes
the points. That's what starts and stops the flow of power to the ignition coil.
Once the coil generates firing voltage,it travels to the top of the coil and
into the top of the distributor cap. There,a rotating disc attached to the
distributor shaft "distributes" the power to each of the spark plug wires. These
fully mechanical distributor systems had its shortcomings.Then just pop it in place and set the
timing. Just like our advice for buying points,condensers,distributor caps and
rotors,it's important to buy high quality auto parts for your electronic
ignition system distributor from Advance Auto Parts.The distributor-less
automotive ignition system (DIS) The DIS determines spark timing based on two
shaft position sensors and a computer.However,instead of two cylinders
sharing a single coil,each COP coil services only one cylinder so the coil has
twice as much time to develop maximum magnetic field. The result? Some COP car
ignition systems generate as much as 40,000 to 50,000 volts. COP car ignition
systems have another huge advantage over DIS car ignition systems. Since the
coil mounts directly on top of the plug OBD Tool,it doesn't require spark plug
cables. Instead,it delivers firing voltage directly to the plug. If you're
replacing spark plugs on a COP car ignition system and those COP coils use a
detachable spark plug boot,replace the boot with a new one. You can count on the
high-quality auto part boots found at Advance Auto Parts to prevent needless
misfires. Here's another tip: if you get a cylinder misfire code on a COP
electronic ignition system,troubleshoot the car ignition system by swapping the
coil from the suspected cylinder with a coil from a different cylinder. If the
misfire moves to the swapped cylinder,you've nailed the culprit. Finally,we've
seen many COP coils fail right after an engine cleaning,so if you plan to
degrease your engine,start by wrapping each COP coil with plastic wrap (remove
it when you're done). Those plastic holders can break when you replace
wires. Replace them so spark plug wires won't touch and arc,causing misfires.
Anti-seize Apply just a small drop of anti-seize to the spark plug threads
(don't get any on the electrodes or the porcelain). Then reduce the spark plug
torque by about 10 percent. The anti-seize prevents the plugs from permanently
bonding to the cylinder head threads. Lastly,before you troubleshoot ignition
system problems,always consult your owner's manual first. Follow the
manufacturer's recommendations to ensure warranties are not voided.
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