Useful tips

How does waste spark ignition work?

How does waste spark ignition work?

In a wasted spark system, the spark plugs fire in pairs, with one plug in a cylinder on its compression stroke and the other plug in a cylinder on its exhaust stroke. The extra spark during the exhaust stroke has no effect and is thus “wasted”.

What is the purpose of waste spark?

The use of nickel-alloy or single precious metal spark plugs in vehicles equipped with waste spark ignitions will result in more aggressive gap erosion and shorter spark plug life.

What cars use wasted spark?

Wasted spark systems are most common on small one or two cylinder four-stroke engines, such as those found on lawnmowers, marine outboards, go-karts, and some generators.

How often does a coil fire on a waste spark ignition system?

System Operation A waste-spark system fires one coil for each pair of cylinders that are at top dead center (TDC) at the same time.

Why is it called wasted spark?

The coil provides the spark for one of the paired cylinders on the compression stroke and to the other on the exhaust stroke. Because the coil fires the spark plug on the exhaust stroke as well, it is appropriately named ‘wasted spark ignition’. In effect, the spark plugs fire simultaneously and twice as often.

How often does a coil fire on a waste-spark ignition system?

How is a waste spark coil tested?

The only safe way to test for spark is to use a spark plug tester tool. If a coil problem is suspected, measure the coil’s primary and secondary resistance with an ohmmeter. If either is out of specifications, the coil needs to be replaced.

What is Distributorless ignition system?

A distributorless ignition system is a type of ignition system, that is consists of multiple induction coils instead of having a distributor of an electronic ignition system. By using multiple ignition coils, each spark plug in these cylinders will ignite at the same time.

What are the 2 types of ignition system?

HOW IGNITION SYSTEMS WORK

  • Conventional breaker-point ignition (in use since the early 1900s)
  • Electronic ignition (popular since the early 1970s)
  • Distributorless ignition (introduced in the mid-1980s)