What is an ignition coil? How can you tell if your ignition coil is failing? What are the symptoms for ignition coil failure? What should you do if your ignition coil stops working? What is the working principle of an ignition coil?
What is Ignition Coil and how does it work? What is it?
The ignition coil acts as a transformer, converting the low voltage current that is sent to the spark plugs to thousands of volts that ignites the fuel/air mixture in the cylinder.
Electromagnetic induction is the mechanism that controls the operation of an ignition coil. Two sets of wire windings are contained in the ignition coil. “coils” . The iron core (or core) surrounds two windings known as the primary and secondary sets. The core’s task is to increase the strength of the electromagnetic field (magnetization).
To generate high voltages, ignition coils use the relationship between electricity & magnetism. An electric current flows through an electrical conductor, such as a coil or wire, creating a magnetic field around it. The magnetic flux (or more accurately, the magnetic field) is a stored of energy that can then converted back to electricity.
The magnetic field is created when the battery voltage passes through primary winding. The primary winding’s task is to produce the high voltage spark needed for the secondary winding. Two factors affect the strength and stability of the magnetic field. First, increasing the current to the coil will increase the strength of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is stronger if there are more coil windings.
A switch or electronic trigger interrupts the current. The magnetic field collides into the secondary winding and induces another electric current. The induced voltage will increase the faster the magnetic field changes or speeds of movement. Because the secondary winding contains more wires than the primary winding, it is a voltage multiplier. After it has been induced, the battery voltage of 12V is sent to the spark plugs at 20-30 thousand volts.
A primary winding for an ignition coil usually contains 150 to 300 turns of wire. The primary winding contains 100 times more wire than the secondary winding. It has a wire count between 15,000 and 30,000 turns. The magnetic field in the primary winding induces the battery voltage from 12V to 200 volts. The secondary winding has a 100-fold higher induction and can produce between 20,000 and 30,000 volts.
What are the symptoms of an Ignition coil failure?
A faulty ignition coil could be the cause of misfires, shaking, and stalling in your vehicle. The ignition coil transfers power from the battery to the spark plugs. This ignites fuel and turns on your car. The severity of the fault will vary depending on which ignition coil has failed.
Backfire
An ignition coil problem may be a sign that your vehicle is starting to sway. This happens when fuel is not being used. If you don’t correct the problem you could cause severe damage to your exhaust system, and expensive repairs. You may detect gasoline-like odors and black smoke from your exhaust.
Operating Problems
Most modern engines only have one ignition coil per piston. Older cars used a single coil for voltage supply to all spark plugs. A single coil that fails will cause all cylinders to stop firing, leading to a car that doesn’t crank but won’t start.
You may be having difficulty starting your vehicle if one of the ignition coils has failed. To check for sparks at your spark plugs, you can do a quick test on the wires. You can observe the engine’s response by unplugging each ignition coil. If the socket vibrates while the engine is being removed, the ignition coil may be OK. The ignition coil or sparkplug is defective if there is no engine vibration after removing the socket. You should check the sparkplug to make sure it is working properly.
Fuel consumption is rising
An ignition coil problem could cause your vehicle to use more fuel. If less power is delivered to the spark plugs, then the ECU will send out more fuel to compensate.
Engine Misfire & Shaking
A faulty ignition coil can cause misfires, as they play an important part in the ignition of the air-fuel mixture. If one or more cylinders fail to fire properly, it is called a misfire.
You may experience hesitation and shaking when you accelerate suddenly. Vibration and low idle speed are also possible.
Keep going
A defective ignition coil can cause erratic sparks between the spark plugs and the ignition coil. This could cause the engine to stall. Most vehicles have only one ignition coil.
Cable Faults
Wearing spark plugs can cause more strain on the ignition circuits. Maintaining good electrical condition can help reduce the chance of ignition coil failures. Simple maintenance can save you money in the long-term.
Is it possible to repair the ignition coil?
If the ignition coil is damaged, it cannot be repaired. A new one must be installed. If your vehicle is equipped with an electronic ignition system, it can be replaced by the damaged ignition coil. This must be replaced if the old single ignition coil system is still in use.
You must correctly identify the socket ends on the ignition coil. It varies from one model to another so you need to identify whether the ends are signal, plus, or minus depending on your vehicle. The coil resistance should be adjusted according to your vehicle.
P0300-P0301-P0302-P0303-P0304 fault codes can be read when engine misfire fault and ignition coil fault are checked with a diagnostic tester.
