Ignition System: Description and Operation

The electronic ignition system controls fuel combustion by providing a spark to ignite the compressed air/fuel mixture at the correct time. To provide optimum engine performance, fuel economy, and control of exhaust emissions, the PCM controls the spark advance of the ignition system. Electronic ignition has the following advantages over a mechanical distributor 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 adjustments.
^ Increased available ignition coil saturation time. Increased available ignition coil saturation time.

The electronic ignition system does not use the conventional distributor and coil. The ignition system consists of three ignition coils, an ignition control module, a dual Hall-effect crankshaft position sensor, an engine crankshaft balancer with interrupter rings attached to the rear, related connecting wires, and the Ignition Control (IC) and fuel metering portion of the PCM.