Ignition system — general information

A spark forms in the ignition system, which ignites the air-fuel mixture in the cylinders. In order to create a powerful spark, the ignition coil converts the 12 V voltage from the battery into a voltage of about 30,000 V.

The diesel engine does not have an ignition system, because due to the high compression ratio, the air heats up so much that after fuel injection it ignites on its own.

Gasoline engines have an electronic ignition system that does not wear out and must be adjusted as part of maintenance. Thanks to the use of electronic components, the ignition system works very reliably and requires little to no maintenance.

Since some parts of the ignition system are also used to control the petrol injection system, they can also be described in chapter «Petrol injection system». It also schematically shows the location of the parts.