4. The ignition system ignites the air/fuel mixture inside
the cylinders, or combustion chambers.
All internal combustion engines require an ignition
system to work. The entire system consists of two
electrical systems.
One is a low voltage circuit induced by the voltage
supplied by the BATTERY. The other electrical system
is the high voltage circuit. This circuit provides the
necessary voltage to create a spark at the SPARK
PLUG.
10. The ignition coil takes the weak battery power and
turns it into a spark that is powerful enough to ignite
your fuel's vapor.
11. The distributor is the nerve center of the
mechanical ignition system and has two
tasks to perform.
1. First, it is responsible for triggering the
ignition coil to generate a spark at the
precise instant that it is required (which
varies depending how fast the engine is
turning and how much load it is under).
2. Second, the distributor is responsible
for directing that spark to the proper
cylinder (which is why it is called a
distributor).
12. The distributor is responsible for directing that spark to
the proper cylinder, as shown in the video.
13. The distributor cap and rotor are
two essential pieces that distribute
electrical current to the spark plugs.
The distributor cap connects to the
spark plugs directly using a spark
plug wire. The number of plug wires
connected depends on the amount
of spark plugs that are in the engine.
For example, an four cylinder engine
will have four plug wires. The rotor
is designed to spin inside of the
distributor cap, just missing the
terminals inside the cap.
14. These cables are designed to handle 20,000 to more
than 50,000 volts, enough voltage to toss you across
the room if you were to be exposed to it. The job of
the spark plug wires is to get that enormous power
to the spark plug without leaking out. Spark plug
wires have to endure the heat of a running engine as
well as the extreme changes in the weather.
15. The ignition system's sole reason for
being is to service the spark plug. It
must provide sufficient voltage to
jump the gap at the tip of the spark
plug and do it at the exact right
time, reliably on the order of
thousands of times per minute for
each spark plug in the engine.
The modern spark plug is designed
to last many thousands of miles
before it requires replacement.
16. An automotive battery is a type
of rechargeable battery that
supplies electric energy to an
automobile. Usually this refers to
an SLI battery (starting, lighting,
ignition) to power the starter
motor, the lights, and the
ignition system of a vehicle’s
engine. An automotive battery
may also be a traction battery
used for the main power source
of an electric vehicle.
18. In a diesel engine the fuel ignites as soon as it is
injected into the hot, highly compressed air in the
cylinder. Diesel engines frequently utilize an electric
heating element, called a glow plug, inside the cylinder
to preheat the air to facilitate starting and running until
the engine has reached its operating temperature.
A glowplug (alternatively spelled as glow plug or glow-
plug) is a heating device used to aid starting diesel
engines.
Diesel engines, unlike petrol engines, do not use spark
plugs to induce combustion.
19. A glow plug is a pencil-shaped piece of metal with
a heating element at the tip; that heating element,
when electrified, heats due to its electrical resistance
and begins to emit light in the visible spectrum,
hence the term "glow" plug; the effect is very similar
to that of a toaster. The heat generated by the glow
plugs is directed into the cylinders, and serves to
warm the engine block immediately surrounding the
cylinders. This aids in reducing the amount of
thermal diffusion which will occur when the engine
attempts to start.