1. IGNITION SYSTEM SERVICE

2. IGNITION SYSTEM SERVICE
Ignition primary service.
Ignition secondary service.
Ignition timing and advance.
Ignition oscilloscope testing.

3. Ignition Systems Types of ignition systems:
Coil Over (late 90’s and on)
Direct Ignition (Mid 80’s and on)
- Electronic w/distributor (1975- Present)
- Breaker point (1974 and older)

4. Coil Over Ignition Each spark plug has its own coil.
No secondary wiring at all.
PCM triggers each coil like a fuel injector.

5. Direct Ignition No Distributor One Coil for Two Cylinders
Waste Spark System
One Plug Fires Backwards

6. Electronic Ignition W/Distributor
Uses one coil for all cylinders.
Distributor times out the sparks to the appropriate cylinder.
Still the most common type.

7. Breaker Point Ignition
Very old type but there’s still a few around.
Must replace the points every year.
The timing changes as the points wear out.

8. How an Ignition Coil Works
All coils have two windings called the primary and the secondary.
A magnetic field is created in the primary by current flow.
When the current is shut OFF to the primary, the magnetic field collapses across the secondary winding causing current flow.
Because the secondary has a greater number of windings, the voltage increases from 12 to 20,000 volts!

9. Ignition System Operation
Battery
Key
switch
Collapse
Pick-up
coil
Coil
Module

10. Ignition Wiring

11. Module Function Electro-mechanical Switch Relay
Solid-State Electronic Switch
Transistor

12. Pick-up Coils
The pick-up assembly tells the module when to fire the coil.
It can be mounted in one of five different locations:
#1 Distributor
#2 Vibration Damper
#3 Flywheel
#4 Crankshaft
#5 Camshaft

13. GM V6 Crank Position Sensor CKP

14. Magnetic Type Ignition Pick-up
Uses an electro-magnetic and a timing disc.
The transistor turns off the primary current and fires the coil when the tooth of the timing disk lines up with the electro-magnet

15. Hall Effect Type Ignition Pick-up
This type of pick-up uses a semi-conductor material and blocking blade.
The electrical polarity changes when the blade lines up with the semi-conductor material.
This is the signal to cause the transistor to switch off and fire the coil.

16. Diagnosis of the Primary Circuit
Faults in the primary ignition circuit usually result in a no start condition.
Since the primary circuit is responsible for creating the spark and timing it to the cylinder, faults can also include poor performance on cars which need to be timed.

17. Primary Circuit Tests
#1 Test the ignition system for function Test at the spark plug.
#2 Test spark at the ignition coil.
#3 Test the feed circuit from the battery to the coil.
#4 Test the ignition coil windings.
#5 Test the pick-up coil.
#6 Test the pick-up unit with a lab scope.

18. Ignition Secondary Circuit Service
Spark plug service
Distributor cap & rotor
Spark plug wires

19. Spark Plug Service Look up proper application and gap. Proper removal.
Installation tricks.
Firing order!
Heat range.

20. Spark Plug Heat Range
HHeat range has nothing to do with the spark but with the physical temperature of the plug electrodes.
FWith very short trip driving an engine needs a HOT plug.
FWith extensive highway driving an engine needs a COLD plug.

21. Checking Plug Wires
Visual inspection
Ohmmeter
Firing order

22. Cap and Rotor Service Inspection Check for: Burnt center button Cracks
Burns and carbon tracking
Corrosion

23. Ignition Timing Manual timing. Mechanical or centrifugal advance.
Vacuum advance.
Computer controlled timing advance.

24. Definition of Ignition Timing
The plug fires when the pick-up coil or crankshaft sensor detects the piston to be in the proper position for combustion. It tells the module to shut off primary current to the ignition coil and the magnetic field collapses firing the spark plug.

25. Setting Basic Ignition Timing
Methods:
Static
Using a timing light.
Using a magnetic timing device.

26. Why Timing Needs to be Advanced.

27. Using the Oscilloscope
What does the oscilloscope measure? V O L T A G E
TIME

28. Engine Analyzer These machines contain a
multi-function oscilloscope which can be used for the following:
-Ignition patterns.
-PCM sensor and actuator patterns.
Big Bucks!

29. We Have 3 Oscilloscopes Old Sun 1160 analog machine.
Bear Ace digital scope.
Sun 450 the latest in technology.

30. How is the Scope Hooked Up?
Engines with distributors:
One connection is made to the coil wire.
One connection is made to the #1 plug wire.
On Direct Ignition Engines:
A connection must be made to each plug wire.
On Coil Over Ignitions:
Only a primary waveform can be generated off
The negative side of the coil primary.

31. Secondary Waveform

32. Ways to View the Secondary Waveform
Parade or display
Raster
Superimposed