This article is part of a 5-part series on automotive ignition systems. Part 5 covers how distributorless systems eliminate moving parts, how crankshaft and camshaft sensors provide digital timing signals,…

This article is part of a 5-part series on automotive ignition systems. Part 4 covers how mechanical and electronic triggering devices interrupt the primary circuit, including point-type distributors, condensers, and…

This article is part of a 5-part series on automotive ignition systems. Part 3 covers ignition coil construction, the physics of self-induction and mutual induction, and how coil design affects…

This article is part of a 5-part series on automotive ignition systems. Part 2 covers how the primary circuit stores and regulates electrical energy, including the battery, ballast resistor, and…

This article is part of a 5-part series on automotive ignition systems. Part 1 covers the basic purpose of the ignition system, the primary and secondary circuits, the ignition coil,…

This is the sixth and final article in a 6-part series. Part 6 covers diesel compression ignition, the mechanical plunger and governor systems used for diesel fuel metering, and the…

This is the fifth article in a 6-part series. Part 5 explains how the ECM calculates the mass of incoming air using speed-density theory, heated wire sensors, or vortex frequency,…

This is the fourth article in a 6-part series. Part 4 covers how the ECM processes sensor inputs to control fuel delivery, how the oxygen sensor reads exhaust content to…

This is the third article in a 6-part series. Part 3 explains how the injector solenoid converts electrical signals into mechanical motion, how internal components control fuel flow, and how…

This is the second article in a 6-part series. Part 2 examines how fuel injection systems control fuel volume through pulse width modulation, the different ways injectors can be timed…