What is an Ignition Coil?
Believe it or not, the ignition coil is one of the most important parts of your car engine. A wire coiled into this piece serves the essential purpose of converting 12-volts coming from the battery into a high voltage, sometimes even up to 40,000 volts! It takes that much voltage to power the spark plugs, creating the ignitions for the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber. Without it, a car would not start properly. There are different types of ignition systems, but the 'coil on plug' is a very modern kind of system that is gaining popularity these days. In such a design, each spark plug has its ignition coil mounted on the top. It reduces the loss of energy to a minimum, resulting in good performance and improved reliability. Your car's engine type might make them set differently, but in most cases, they are set at the top in a four-cylinder engine and in rows for bigger engines.Ignition Coil Problem: Signs Not to Be Overlooked
Various signs indicate a problem with the ignition coil, all of which have a major impact on your driving and the condition of your car. Finding them out in good time could help you avoid bigger problems down the line.Activation of the Check Engine Light
If an ignition coil starts deteriorating, one of the very first things you may notice is that the check engine light turns on. This is a direct alert from your vehicle's engine control module, perceiving a misfire since the coil is not able to send enough voltage across the spark plug.Rough Engine Idle
A faulty ignition coil causes rough idling. You may even feel your car vibrate while it is in a stationary position. This lack of smooth operation is due to incomplete combustion cycles from the missing sparks, which can lead to discomfort and potential safety concerns.Poor Performance of Vehicle
Ignition coils that are not at their best have poor performance. In multi-cylinder engines, each of the spark plugs needs to fire right for power to be generated the right way. Even with just one misfiring cylinder among four, efficiency will be reduced by as much as 25%, making acceleration poor and the general performance mediocre.Fuel Smell
Most of the time, incomplete combustion results in fuel finding its way through the exhaust system, often giving a characteristic smell from the gas that is hard to ignore. It is both simply annoying and a risk for long-term damage to crucial parts like the catalytic converter. Excess fuel can lead to overheating and degrading over time if not promptly addressed. These signs and symptoms will help you know what could be the problem with your car's ignition system ahead of time. Finding these issues early and dealing with them will save you from overly expensive repairs that may also keep your car off the road.How to Diagnose Problems in Ignition Coils Like a Pro
The first important thing every car owner should do when dealing with problems regarding ignition coils is to perform a proper visual inspection. This could be facilitated by looking out for signs such as corrosion or even cracks on the ignition coils and their connectors, which could help them locate any potential failures before they become bigger problems.Visual Inspection Tips
- Check connectors for any visible corrosion that may hinder good functionality.
- Inspect every part of the ignition coil for any signs of cracking, which may suggest breakage or wear and tear.
Step-by-Step How to Test an Ignition Coil
- If you can, use an OBD2 scanner to diagnose which cylinder is misfiring correctly. For example, in P0302, 2 is the cylinder that's misfiring.
- Swap the suspect ignition coil with one from another cylinder.
- Start the engine and see if the misfire follows the swapped coil.
- If it does, replace that bad ignition coil.
- If swapping doesn't fix the problem, check and replace the spark plug in that cylinder.
