When you get into your car and turn the key in the ignition, do you ever wonder how your vehicle works to get you to and from your destination? Don't worry if your answer is "no." Most drivers don't ...

Every month we receive a substantial number of technical questions, many of which deal with electrical problems. Recently we were in Texas visiting the folks at Painless Performance and had the ...

The electrical system includes several subsystems that provide your vehicle with that vital spark that makes it start and then keeps it running. It's one of the many systems on a vehicle that's ...

If you're a follower of the "How It Works" series, you've been learning the principles of what makes a car run. You've boned up on the four-stroke cycle, valvetrains, cooling, lubrication, and ...

When you’re trying to learn about older cars, you might as well be signing up for the debate club. Every question, especially when it comes to breaker points, electronic, and multiple spark discharge ...

Automotive ignitions systems have seen many transitions over the years. Historically, the designs have matured from a magneto to today’s coil-over-spark plug designs. The progression follows the ...

No Ford engine project is complete without a properly functioning ignition system. This system has the important job of delivering the spark to the required cylinder at precisely the right time. Any ...

Ignition system technology has taken a number of twists and turns over the past fifty years. Matthew Beecham reports on some technical trends in the OE and aftermarket. “In the past, the sole purpose ...

There's nothing wrong with having points in your distributor. There's also nothing wrong with walking across country. There's just more efficient ways to get both jobs done. We had a 1959 Willys CJ-6 ...

The ignition system’s job is to ignite the air-fuel mixture in a gasoline engine. In addition to the spark plugs that spark in the combustion chambers, the ignition system consists of an ignition coil ...