What You Need to Know about Vehicle Ignition Coils

1. A Simple Guide to Vehicle Ignition Coils

You might be wondering: what is an ignition coil and what is it used for?

The ignition coil plays a huge role in enabling a vehicle's ignition system to run smoothly. An ignition coil is mainly composed of the primary coil, the secondary coil, and a laminated iron core.

So what does the ignition coil actually do?

Well, this component transforms low voltage into higher voltage, so that spark plugs can produce blue sparks. In this way, the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder can be properly combusted. The immense power produced, pushes the piston to move and the vehicle's engine starts to work. Nowadays, coil on plug is more and more popular.

2. How Are Ignition Coils Inspected?

There are three methods of inspection. These include:

●  Visual inspection

What should you look for when inspecting the vehicle ignition coil visually?

First of all, check whether the housing and copper wire are good. You should make sure that there is no greasy dirt or spillages, and no cracks or deformation. Any moisture in engine ignition coils will cause further damage and affect the ignition capacity. Next, check whether the terminals are securely connected. Replace the coils if necessary.

Here's a great tip for our ignition system!

This is a simple but practical tip. Hold the coils in your hand after the vehicle has been running for a while. If the surface temperature is not too high, the parts are performing well. If they are too hot to touch, there may be something wrong. The culprit is usually the short circuit.

●  Resistance measurement

Why would you measure the resistance of a single coil? And how can you measure it?

Here's the thing; if the resistance of one coil is less than a specified value, it indicates a broken circuit when the resistance is infinite.

Insulated tools are necessary. You should measure the housing and the terminals. Their values should be infinity. A value of 0 means that the primary coil has issues.

Measure secondary windings and high voltage wires with the multimeter. Test the high-voltage wire jack and low-voltage terminal. The resistance should be in line with the manufacturer's regulations. A value which is too low indicates a short circuit. Infinity shows a broken circuit in the secondary coil.

Measure both ends of the additional resistance. The value should be in the range of 1.3 - 1.7Ω. If the resistance value is too small, there is a short circuit. If the value is infinite, there is a broken circuit, and the result will be a bad ignition coil.

●  Test light

How can you use a test light to check the ignition coil?

The best way to do this is to insert one contact pin of the test light into the high-voltage line jack. Use the other contact pin to scratch the low-voltage terminal and watch carefully. The component is working well if the test light doesn't remain on and there is a small spark on the low-voltage terminals. If there is no spark, you have at least one failing ignition coil.

3. Common Ignition Coil Problems and Symptoms

How does bad ignition coil affect the engine?

Once ignition coils become defective, the changing magnetic field can't perform a closed loop. The spark plugs will not produce sufficient spark (too large spark plug gap will also cause this issue). This can lead to problems with cold starting, unstable idling after starting, juddering while accelerating, a reduction in speed and other failures. Pay special attention to the coil on plug.

If a failed ignition coil is left unchecked, the same cylinder will fail to work. As a result, acceleration can be weak. The check engine light may come on. In extreme cases, the air-fuel mixture can't be ignited in combustion cylinders. It will be discharged from the exhaust pipe. When the mixture reaches the pipe, it will burn due to the high temperature, and this will generate a lot of heat that blocks the catalytic converter.

All in all, a faulty ignition coil can cause damage to other car parts, such as spark plug wire and items in the electrical system. It even has terrible impact on the fuel pump. Poor fuel economy, irregular sparks, weak electric current, costly repairs sputtering noise, trouble codes and rough idle are also troubles. So it is important to solve the problem as quickly as possible. It's like, if you need new spark plugs, buy and change them.

4. How Can Ignition Coils Be Installed or Replaced?

Those ignition coils should generally be replaced after the vehicle has been running for tens of thousands of kilometers. Otherwise, it won't be a surprise if the engine misfires.

First of all, open the engine cover, and remove the protective cover, so the coils can be seen.

Remove each single coil near plug in turn. Pay attention not to let any dust in during this process. Pull out the old parts by pressing on the retaining clips.

Put the new coils back into the coil holes one by one. Make sure that they are securely bonded to the spark plug terminals. Secure the parts firmly with the fixing bolts and insert the corresponding ignition coil plugs for each cylinder. The coil pack can be tricky, but it deserves your prudence.

Start the car and check whether the new coils work properly. If everything is fine, put the hood back on the engine. It's a lucky driver to do it in the easiest way.

As we should know, ignition coils are not wearing parts, especially the coil on plug ones. However, the component has to deal with high voltage and large currents when the engine is running. As one coil works for a long time in a hot, dusty and vibrating environment, it will inevitably suffer from wear and tear. The short circuit is a common issue in the bad coil pack. Ignition coil replacement will ensure that the engine works in the best condition possible.

5. Maintenance Tips

● Keep the outer surface of the coil clean. Vehicle owners should protect the coil from humidity and keep its excellent insulating property.

● Take care of the connection between the high-voltage wire and the single ignition coil. Loose connections can mean there is a risk of electric shock. Of course, if your coils are coil on plug, you don't have to worry.

● The spark plug caps connects the secondary windings to the spark plugs. One should prevent the cap from falling off during engine running. Otherwise, the high voltage produced by the winding can reach its limit and parts may be broken.

● The connection between the external circuit and the low-voltage terminal usually has polarity provisions in the ignition system. Take care to connect them correctly.

● When a petrol engine misfiring occurs, you should turn off the ignition switch as soon as possible. When the ignition switch is turned on, the engine should be started immediately. Otherwise, a large current will continuously pass through the primary winding, and this can lead to an ignition coil failure because of the high temperature.

6. Reasons for Choosing Delcoribo

Good ignition coils are indispensable for daily driving. We want our vehicles to run with enough ignition energy. Delcoribo provides a wide selection of products for engines. We are here to show you components that fit most vehicles' makes and models. The components have a compact design with a high robustness and small dimensions.

The coating and high voltage wires used during the manufacture of Delcoribo ignition coils are extremely dependable. Both the primary and the secondary coils have a stable performance. The high-class epoxy and vacuum technology mean they have insulation qualities. All of our products offer optimum engine power when older vehicles are running. They are rigorously tested to ensure reliability in all road conditions.

Do you have a strict budget? You will be very satisfied with both the reliable product and the reasonable price. Delcoribo works hard to ensure that all products are delivered on time. Whatever your budget, we have a solution! Don't delay! Place your order today.