BAD IGNITION COIL INDICATORS

A bad ignition coil is one of the things outside of the various other engine management items that can cause your vehicle to run poorly. This article will help you know what an ignition coil does, and what signs your should look for before the ignition coil goes bad.

How does an Ignition Coil Function?

Spark plugs within your engine explode the fuel combined with the spark the spark plugs produce in the cylinder area of the engine and propel your car forward. This simple task given by the spark plugs rely on a more complex ignition system to fire them at exactly the right time and with the proper intensity. The ignition coil relays power from the battery and then converts the increased voltage to a high level creating spark in the plugs.

What is an Ignition Coil Design?

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  Ignition coils are made up of components. The first part by design is the primary coil, and the second part is called the secondary coil. Battery current runs into the primary coil creating magnetic field. This magnetic field causes a current to transfer onto the secondary coil. By this design the voltage in the secondary coil is much higher than that of the primary coil.

  

  
  

  Indicators Of a Bad Coil

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    When your ignition coil fails this will prevent the engine from turning over and starting or if your car happens to be running at the time of failure you could be on the side of the road calling a tow truck since this component will stop the engine from running entirely. This is due to the fact that no current will reach the spark plugs enough to deliver combustion moving your vehicle forward. In some cases, an ignition coil that is failing will still provide some current to the plugs, but it might not be enough for a full spark, which is needed by the vehicle. The result will be a poor running motor. The battery voltage current must be accurate and consistent within the coil or the car will run rough. In this case we had a customer come in with a coil that exploded and you could see the voltage inside the coil making spark. This video displays a worst case possible yet still allows the vehicle to function. 

    
    If you think your vehicle is running poorly have us check out the ignition system at Rick's Complete Automotive located at 6560 Railroad Ave. Forestville, CA 95436 or call (707)887-1641.