Thread: No spark...
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  #13   IP: 32.211.28.40
Old 04-28-2019, 07:07 PM
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Al Schober Al Schober is offline
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Spark ignition with points/condenser is a weird beast. Primary circuit is pretty straight forward: current in the + side of the coil, out the - side of the coil, to the points, then to ground. The high voltage side is where things get strange. I used to think it was high voltage out the top, to the plugs, then through the head/block to the case of the coil. Not so - there's no continuity between the high voltage connection at the top and the case of the coil. Turns out the other side of the high voltage winding is connected to the - terminal. The return path for the spark energy is through the points/condenser! And since the points are open, the condenser is doing the work.
Why is it this way? I have no idea!
Can a bad condenser kill your spark? You bet!
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