Ignition Coils/Modules

The ignition system on this vehicle features a multiple coil configuration and is known as coil near plug. There are two styles of ignition coil assemblies (1, 2). The engine could have either style. The ignition coil mounting bracket is attached to the rocker cover (3). The secondary ignition wires are short compared to a distributor ignition system wire.




Eight ignition coils/modules are individually mounted above each cylinder on the rocker covers. The coils/modules are fired sequentially. There is an Ignition Control (IC) circuit for each ignition coil/module. The eight ignition control circuits are connected to the PCM The PCM triggers each ignition coil/module individually and makes all timing decisions. The ignition coil/modules are supplied with the following circuits:
^ Ignition feed circuit
^ Ignition control circuit
^ Ground circuit
^ Reference low circuit

The ignition feed circuits are fused separately for each bank of the engine. The two fuses also supply the power for the injectors for that bank of the engine. Each coil/module is serviced separately.

This system puts out very high ignition energy for plug firing. Less energy is lost to ignition wire resistance because the ignition wires are shorter. Since the firing is sequential, each coil has seven events to saturate as opposed to the three in a waste spark arrangement. Futhermore, no energy is lost to the resistance of a waste spark system.