The ignition system is a glutton for punishment. As the miles rack up, the distributor wears out, the coil gets abused, and the spark plug wires melt. The steadfast ignition system only gets attention ...

The distributor has two jobs: to house a switch that tells the coil when to send a spark, and to send that spark to each individual cylinder in the correct order. The distributor shaft is spun by the ...

The purpose of the ignition system is to ignite, or fire, the spark plugs in order to generate power to run the engine. To do so, the battery sends current to the ignition coil. Then that high voltage ...

The intermittent stalling problem was solved by replacing the distributor. This is the sequel to troubleshooting my ‘86 Dodge Aries that defied logic and baffled my mechanic. To be sure, electronic ...

It seems like such a small thing—that tiny area approximately 0.040 of an inch wide inside each combustion chamber. That area we're talking about is the gap between the electrode and strap on each ...

Automotive ignitions systems have seen many transitions over the years. Historically, the designs have matured from a magneto to today’s coil-over-spark plug designs. The progression follows the ...

Worn ignition component gremlins are mysterious little buggers. Ignition misfires can be confused with fuel mixture or delivery problems. Even ambient humidity can affect the ignition system—making a ...

When you’re trying to learn about older cars, you might as well be signing up for the debate club. Every question, especially when it comes to breaker points, electronic, and multiple spark discharge ...

Ignition system technology has taken a number of twists and turns over the past 50 years. Matthew Beecham talks with experts from Delphi and Denso about the latest developments both on the OE and ...

The ignition system’s job is to ignite the air-fuel mixture in a gasoline engine. In addition to the spark plugs that spark in the combustion chambers, the ignition system consists of an ignition coil ...