What happens to the voltage of a primary Igniton circuit?
When the circuit is switched on by the supply of an earth path, the voltage decreases to 0 V. The primary circuit remains on, at 0 V, for around 4 ms. When the circuit is switched off, the primary voltage spikes, very briefly, around 400 V.
How does a distributor based ignition system work?
Distributor based ignition systems use a single ignition coil. The switching of the primary circuit can be controlled using one of two mechanisms: mechanically, by a contact breaker driven by a rotating cam within the distributor. using transistorised current switching, triggered by a timing reference signal.
What happens when the primary circuit is switched off?
The primary circuit remains on, at 0 V, for around 4 ms. When the circuit is switched off, the primary voltage spikes, very briefly, around 400 V. After it is switched off, the primary circuit mirrors the features within the secondary circuit. There is a raised voltage, around 25 to 40 V, for about 2 ms after the voltage spike.
What should the earth voltage be when the primary circuit is off?
When the primary circuit is off, the switched earth voltage should be at, or very close to, battery voltage. When the primary circuit is on, the switched earth voltage should be very close to 0 V. If not, there is likely to be a high resistance in the earth circuit (e.g. from a bad connection or a wiring issue).
How is the primary circuit of an ignition system connected?
One end of the fine wire is is connected to the high tension terminal and the other is connected to the primary circuit wire within the coil. All these turns of fine wire from what is called the secondary winding. Several hundred turns of heavier copper wire are wrapped around the secondary coil winding.
What causes the ignition code p1320 to set?
However, the primary circuit does not have to fail completely for this code to set. Factors like abnormal electrical resistances in wiring, crankshaft position sensor, ignition coil power transistors, or even the ignition coil itself can cause code P1320 to set, or contribute to its setting, which will cause a warning light to be illuminated.
What happens when the ignition switch is turned on?
Coil Operation. When the ignition switch is turned on, the current flows through the primary windings of the coil to ground. When a current flows through a wire, a magnetic field is built up around the conductor. Since there are several hundred turns of wire in the primary windings, a strong field is produced.
How is the coil installed in the primary circuit?
The coil must be installed in the primary circuit according to the way the battery is grounded. This alignment of the positive and negative terminals is grounded, the negative terminal of the coil must be connected through the ignition module or distributor to ground as applicable. This is done to ensure the correct polarity at the spark plug.