subject: The Importance Of The Car Ignition System [print this page] The earliest mass-produced cars had internal combustion engines that were not radically different from the modern car engines. Well, at least they were not as different in terms of fundamental principles. However, the ignition systems of these cars were different from their modern counterparts.
The first types of ignition systems for mass-produced cars were very inconvenient that drivers or assistants had to turn an external crank in front of the car in order to start the engine. Just imagine the hassle and inconvenience, especially when it is raining and the car is stuck in a mud pool.
Thankfully, electrical and electronic components were developed for modern ignition systems. These allowed for the convenient and almost instantaneous starting of the car engine with just a turn of the ignition key. Simple as it may seem, several components and chain of events are necessary before an internal combustion engine can be started.
A modern ignition system can be divided into at least two main components, namely, the electrical and the mechanical components. The electrical components include the battery, the ignition switch, the ignition coil, the starter motor, the ignition wires, and the spark plugs. On the other hand, the mechanical parts include the starter motor (which is also an electrical component), the ignition lock and key, which turn the ignition switch, and the distributor rotor and cap.
When the ignition key is turned, the ignition circuit is completed, sending the electric power from the battery to the ignition coil. This component boosts the voltage several thousand folds before sending to the electricity to the distributor and finally to the spark plugs.
The ignition coil also sends high voltage to the starter motor. This motor provides the initial power for the engine crankshaft in order for it to turn. The crankshaft has to be rotating for ignition to take place. The rotational motion of the crankshaft is then converted into the reciprocating up-and-down motions of the pistons.
As the pistons move, fuel and air mixture is then injected into the combustion chambers. The electric sparks from the spark plugs ignite the mixture, thereby starting the engine. Fuel combustion begins powering the engine. All of these processes happen almost instantaneously after the ignition key is turned.
Without the modern ignition system, the car perhaps will not be a dominant means of transportation. Aside from convenience in starting the engine, the development of powerful car engines will not be possible without the modern ignition system.
