Ignition System

•Provides a method of turning a spark ignition engine on & off.

•Operates on various supply voltages (Battery & Alternator)

•Produces high voltage arcs at the spark plug electrode.

•Distributes spark to each plug in correct sequence.

•Times the spark so that it occurs as the piston nears the TDC on the
compression stroke.

•Varies the ignition timing as engine speed, load and other conditions
change.
 Ignition Parts
BATTERY provides power for system.

IGNITION SWITCH allows driver to turn ignition on and off.

IGNITION COIL changes battery voltage to 30,000V during

normal operation and has a potential to produce up to 60,000V.

SWITCHING DEVICE mechanical or electronic switch that operates

Ignition coil(Pick-up coil, Crank sensor, Cam sensor).

SPARK PLUG uses high voltage from ignition coil to produce an arc
in the combustion chamber.

IGNITION SYSTEM WIRES connect components.

 Ignition Circuits
PRIMARY CIRCUIT
•Includes all the components
working on low voltage
(Battery, Alternator).

SECONDARY CIRCUIT
•Consists of wires and points
between coil out-put and the
spark plug ground.
 Ignition Coil
Primary Windings are made up of several
hundred turns of heavy wire wrapped around
or near the secondary windings.

Secondary Windings consist of several thousand

turns of very fine wire, located inside or near
the secondary windings.
 Distributor

•Actuates the on/off cycle of current flow through the ignition coil
primary windings.

•It distributes the coils high voltage to the plugs wires.

 Distributor

•It causes the spark to occur at each plug earlier in the compression
stroke as engine speed increases, and vice versa.

•Changes spark timing.

•Some distributor shafts operate the oil pump.

 Point Ignition System

PARTS Distributor Cam, Breaker Points, and Condenser.

 Point Ignition System

Points are wired in Primary Circuit – When the points are closed,
a magnetic field builds in the coil. When the points open, the field
collapses and voltage is sent to one of the spark plug.
 Electronic Ignition System

•Trigger wheel passes by the pick-up coil.

•# of cylinders = # of teeth.
 Ignition Control Module
•An electronic switch that turns the ignition coil primary current on/off

LOCATION
•Engine compartment

•On the side of distributor

•Inside the distributor

•Under vehicle dash

 Distributor Cap

•Insulated plastic cap

•Transfers voltage from coil (wire) to Rotor.

 Distributor Rotor

•Transfers voltage from the distributor cap

center terminal(coil) to distributor cap
outer terminals(spark plugs).

•Provides spark in the correct Firing Order.

•Sometimes the firing order can be found

on the intake manifold.
 Ignition Timing
How early or late the spark plug fires in relation to the position of the
engine piston.

Ignition timing must change with the changes in engine speed, load,
and temperature.
 Ignition Timing
Timing Advance occurs when the plug fires sooner on compression
stroke (High engine speed)

Timing Retard occurs when plug fires later on compression stroke

(Lower engine speed)

BASE TIMING Timing without vacuum or computer control.

 Methods of controlling Timing
Distributor Centrifugal Advance
•Controlled by engine speed.
•Consists of two weights and two springs.
•At high speeds the weights fly out(held by the springs), rotating the
cam, hence advancing the timing.
 Methods of controlling Timing
Vacuum Advance

•Controlled by engine intake manifold vacuum and engine load.

•The vacuum diaphragm rotates the pickup coil against the direction
of distributor shaft rotation.
 Methods of controlling Timing
Electronic Advance Sensors input influences the ignition timing.

•Crank shaft Position Sensor (RPM)

•Cam Position Sensor (tells which

cylinder is on compression stroke)

•Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP)

(engine vacuum and load)
 Methods of controlling Timing
Electronic Advance Sensors input influences the ignition timing.

•Intake Air Temperature Sensor

•Knock Sensor (Retards timing when pinging

or knocking is sensed)

•Throttle Position Sensor(TPS)

•Engine coolant Temperature

 Ignition System
Distributor VS Distributor Less Ignition System
 DIS Ignition System

•Less moving parts.

•No Distributor.
•Uses multiple ignition coils.
•Camshaft position sensor is installed in place of ignition distributor.
•ECM fires two coils at the same time.
 Direct Ignition System
Mounted directly on the plugs (Quad-4 )

No Sparkplug wires.
 Rotor Arm
Magneto Unit
Spark Generation

Condenser

Power
Generation

Coil
Distribution

Contact
Magneto
Breaker

Ignition
Switch

IGNITION SYSTEM – Magneto System

 Distributor
Condenser

Coil

Secondary
Windings

Primary
Ignition Windings
Contact
Switch Breaker

Dynamo/
Alternator

Battery

IGNITION SYSTEM – Dynamo/Alternator System

 Typical Vacuum Advance
Distributor
Diaphragm Adjustable
Vacuum Plate
Chamber
Cap

‘Points’
Body Inlet
Pressure Cam Adjuster

Centrifugal
Advance

Input
Shaft Centrifugal
Weights

IGNITION SYSTEM – Distributor

 Engine Speed Sensing Unit

Timing
Timing Sensor
Disc
Control Unit

Ignition
Switch

Coil
Packs

Alternator

Battery

IGNITION SYSTEM – Electronic Systems

 Cap Connector

Ceramic Body

Hexagon

Outer Casing

Copper Sealing Gasket

Securing Thread
Gap
Outer
Electrode

IGNITION SYSTEM – Spark Plug

 Cap Connector

Ceramic Body

Seal

Hexagon

Centre Electrode Outer Casing

Change Spark Plugs Copper Sealing Gasket

at specified times
Securing Thread

Make sure the correct These surfaces must be Outer

Spark Plug is fitted kept clean Electrode

IGNITION SYSTEM – Spark Plug

 SPARK PLUGS

• Spark plugs are

manufactured from
ceramic insulators inside a
steel shell.
• The threads of the shell
are rolled and a seat is
formed to create a gastight
seal with the cylinder
head.
• The physical difference in spark plugs includes:
– Reach. This is the length of the threaded part of the
plug.
– Heat range.
– Type of seat.
• Resistor Spark Plugs
• Platinum Spark Plugs
• Iridium Spark Plugs
The heat range of a spark plug is determined by the distance the heat
has to flow from the tip to the cylinder head.
• All inductive ignition systems supply battery
voltage to the positive side of the ignition coil and
pulse the negative side of the coil on and off to
ground to create a highvoltage spark.
• If an ignition system uses a distributor, it is a
distributor ignition (DI) system.
• If an ignition system does not use a distributor, it is
called an electronic ignition (EI) system.
• A waste-spark ignition system fires two spark plugs
at the same time.
• A coil-on-plug ignition system uses an ignition coil
for each spark plug.