Ignition System Overview

The electronic ignition system controls fuel combustion by providing a spark to ignite the compressed air/fuel mixture at the correct time. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM) controls the spark advance of the ignition system in order to provide optimum engine performance, fuel economy, and control of exhaust emissions. The electronic ignition system has the following advantages over a mechanical distributor ignition system:
^ No moving parts
^ Less maintenance
^ Remote mounting capability
^ No mechanical load on the engine
^ More coil cool down time between firing events
^ Elimination of mechanical timing adjustment
^ Increased available ignition coil saturation time

The electronic ignition system does not use the conventional distributor and coil. The ignition system consists of the following components or circuits:
^ The 8 ignition coils or modules
^ The 8 Ignition Control (IC) circuits
^ The Camshaft Position (CMP) sensor
^ The 1x camshaft reluctor wheel
^ The Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor
^ The 24X crankshaft reluctor wheel
^ The related connecting wires
^ The Powertrain Control Module (PCM)