CONVENTIONAL IGNITION SYSTEMS

The main purpose of the ignition system on a vehicle is to produce a flame on the spark plug which will be used to burn the fuel and air mixture to generate power on the engine.

The resulting fire must be strong and large in order to be able to resist the compression pressure of the machine. When the flame generated by a small spark plug then the fire can die when exposed to compression pressure so that the machine becomes difficult to live. In addition, a small fire can also make the engine power is less than optimal because the combustion process is less good.

There are many factors that can cause a flame on the spark plug, on a conventional system that uses platinum (contact point), factors that can cause small spark plug flame, among others:

Spark plug conditions

The first factor is the spark plug conditions. A spark plug is a component in the ignition system that serves to produce sparks, if the spark plug conditions are not good then the fire generated by the spark plug will also be small.

Spark plug sparks continuously spark on the central electrode spark plug will experience wear. The more worn central electrode spark plug will add big spark gap, the greater the spark plug hole then the spark plug requires a higher voltage to generate a large flame, because the high voltage generated by the ignition coil is relatively constant then if the spark gap is greater due to sprinkling spark on the spark plug is getting smaller.

In addition, if there is a leakage of oil in the combustion chamber will make the spark plug be quickly damaged because there will be oil deposits on the electrode surface which will increase the high voltage electrical resistance to flow. In addition to oil leakage, adjustment of too rich a mixture (grease) will also make the spark plug be quickly damaged because on the surface of the spark plug electrode will have carbon deposits. This carbon deposition will also increase the electrical resistance.

A condition of high-voltage plugs

High-voltage spark plugs play a role to distribute the high voltage from the distributor to the spark plug so that if the high-voltage cable condition is not good spark plug will affect the flame generated by the spark plug is a small flame.

Inspection performed on high-voltage spark plug wire that checks the cable connection, whether spark plug wires break or not? Then check the condition of high-voltage cable spark plug insulator, is there a crack or not? Then the high-voltage cable spark plug resistance, whether the resistance is appropriate or too big.

Distributor conditions

A distributor is a component in the ignition system that serves to distribute the high voltage from the ignition coil to each spark plug in accordance with its FO (Firing Order). If the condition of the distributor is not good then the flame generated by the spark plug will also be small.

Inspection on the distributor itself, among others, the condition of charcoal on the lid distributor, whether there is corrosion or not? Then check on the rotor, whether the electrical conductor part of corrosion or not?

The condition of platinum

In the conventional ignition system, there is a platinum component that serves to break and connect the electric current to the coil primer coil. If the condition of platinum is not good then it will also influence the spark flame spark.

Platinum will gradually wear and tear so that it will enlarge the platinum slit. If the platinum gap becomes large then it will make the dwell angle small so that it will affect the length of the primary current flowing into the coil primer coil.

The platinum gap that is too large will cause the flame on the spark plug to be small, so the platinum slit should be routinely checked. When the platinum gap becomes large then do the adjustment step platinum slit.

If the platinum contact surface is dirty or there are burn marks then clean the surface of the platinum slit. Because dirt and burn marks on the platinum contact surface will increase the electrical resistance of the platinum.

Condenser condition

The condenser in a conventional ignition system serves to absorb spark jumps that occur when the platinum begins to open so that when the platinum begins to open there will be no jump sparks.

When the condenser condition is damaged there will be a spark jump on the platinum. The spark jump on the platinum will affect the termination of the primary current flow as it should when the platinum begins to open then the current flowing into the primary coil must be immediately disconnected to produce electrical induction but due to a spark jump on the platinum the current leading to the coil primer will not be directly disconnected so it will affect the electrical induction on the ignition coil.

So if the damaged condenser will affect the sparks on the spark plug becomes smaller as well.

The condition of high-voltage coil cable

The high-voltage coil of the ignition coil serves to distribute the high voltage from the ignition coil to the distributor. Similar to high-voltage plugs, high-tire cable coils will also affect the flame generated by the spark plugs.

When the high-tension coil cable condition is not good then the fire generated by the spark plug will also be small.

For inspection of high-voltage cable, the coil is equal to the inspection of high-voltage plugs.

Ignition coil conditions

Ignition coil on the ignition system works to produce high voltage, high voltage from the battery of 12 volts is increased to about 20,000 volts. If the ignition coil condition is not good then it can affect the resulting high voltage so it will also affect the flame on the spark plug.

Inspection of the ignition coil includes resistance to the primary coil and resistance to the secondary coil.

Current source

Current sources can come from batteries and charge systems. When the battery voltage or on a small charging system it will also affect the flame generated by the spark plug.

This current source is used to create a magnetic field on the coil primer coil when the battery voltage or charging system is small then the magnetic field formed on the primary coil also becomes small and consequently the induced voltage will also be small so it will affect the spark plug flame that is also small.