No auto part lasts forever, but faulty auto parts like a bad ignition coil can cause tons of other problems and limit your vehicle's performance. However, if you don't know what the symptoms of a bad ignition coil are, it may be difficult to take appropriate action.
When you're driving on the open road, a misfire or a sudden power outage can be a symptom of several different problems, and a bad ignition coil could be one of them.
However, not only are there several bad ignition coil symptoms but catching them early may prevent further damage.
If you're wondering what the symptoms of a bad ignition coil are, you've come to the right place, because in this article, we'll show you how to detect them.
What does the ignition coil do?
If the ignition system is not working properly, your car's engine will not start. Spark plugs, ignition coils, car batteries, or alternators are all equally important components of your vehicle's ignition system, and if any of these components fail, your car's performance can suffer.
Car batteries are the primary source of power for igniting the fuel/air mixture, but most car batteries produce 12V of electricity while igniting the fuel requires 20,000 to 40,000V.
This is where ignition coils come into play, as they convert the voltage from a low voltage to a high voltage, allowing the spark plug to receive enough energy to create the spark that ignites the fuel/air mixture. This is why ignition coils are also called compact transformers.
Ignition coils have two windings placed on the iron core, and the casing of older coils is also filled with oil that acts as a refrigerant.
The low-voltage current produced by the battery reaches the primary winding, or the so-called outer coil, which is then transmitted to the secondary winding, where a high-voltage current is generated and sent to the spark plug or distributor.
Once the 12V current reaches the outer coil, an electromagnetic field is created, causing the current to stop, causing the electromagnetic field to collapse.
In this way, a high voltage current is induced on the secondary coil and used to power the spark plugs with the power needed to ignite the fuel.