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Short answer: Fires the spark plugs. The ignition coil is nothing more that an electrical transformer. It contains both primary and secondary winding circuits. The coil primary winding contains 100 to 150 turns of heavy copper wire. This wire must be insulated so that the voltage does not jump from loop to loop, shorting it out. If this happened, it could not create the primary magnetic field that is required. The primary circuit wire goes into the coil through the positive terminal, loops around the primary windings, then exits through the negative terminal. The coil secondary winding circuit contains 15,000 to 30,000 turns of fine copper wire, which also must be insulated from each other. The secondary windings sit inside the loops of the primary windings. To further increase the coils magnetic field the windings are wrapped around a soft iron core. To withstand the heat of the current flow, the coil is filled with oil which helps keep it cool. The ignition coil is the heart of the ignition system. As current flows through the coil a strong magnetic field is built up. When the current is shut off, the collapse of this magnetic field to the secondary windings induces a high voltage which is released through the large center terminal. This voltage is then directed to the spark plugs through the distributor.

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14y ago

if the car keep dying out, and loud back fire......

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Q: How do you know if a coil is working on a car?
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How do you know if your distributor is working?

YOUR CAR WILL RUN IF IT IS NOT YOUR CAR WILL NOT RUN!!!!! if you mean my car won't run and is it the distributor, please check to see if your plugs have spark. If not, then no it is not working. But, none the less if the distributor is shot, don't be a tight wad. The most expensive distributor cap I have ever seen was $28.00. However, the distrbutor shaft itself, if it isn't working, that means your motor has siezed. IF your coil isn't working first check to see if its getting voltage. If it is replace the coil. If it isn't then you got a wiring problem. That could be caused by a number of problems. Note when checking a coil there are proper procedures for checking it. Basic simple test for checking it from a repair manual will help isolate the problem. Can't go into details not knowing the make and model of your car.


Can your ignition coil stop your car from running while driving?

The coil boosts the 12 volts from your battery to tens of thousands of volts for your spark plugs, if it stops working, the car stops working. It however is controlled by your engine control module using input from things like the crankshaft position sensor. Find the coil pack, there will be thick wires going to each cylinder and several small connectors. Make sure they are all tight, but not while the engine is running, those tens of thousands of volts will sting you.


What is a car coil?

The coil is a high voltage transformer, used to step up battery voltage to 50,000 volts to fire the spark plugs.


How do you test the ignition coil on an '86 Toyota pickup 22re?

get a volt meter. turn it on. put one end on the +. the other end on the -. if you get a number greater than 12 with the car running then your golden.


Can coil cause the car not to start?

Yes,without a working coil the engine will not get fire to the spark plugs you can check your coil by using a 12 volt test lamp ground the black wire and connect other lead to negative side of coil, if the light does not flicker when turning the motor over your coil needs replaced

Related questions

How do you know if ignition coil is bad from looking at it?

well depending on the car if you look at the cylinder of the coil you suspect is bad you might see Browning almost like the cylinders overheating... Or pull the coil out and check for what looks like melting on the coil itself. also try pulling coil partway out of the cylinder and have someone turn car to accessory but not on! if you see a spark then the coil is working fine. hope this helps :)


How do you know when your coil is bad on your 2001 Hyundai elantra?

It is important to know the symptoms of a bad car part. The symptoms of a coil going bad would be having a trouble starting and running the car, the coil getting hot, and poor fuel economy.


How do you know you have a bad ignition coil?

The car may misfire or not accelerate properly


How do you know if your distributor is working?

YOUR CAR WILL RUN IF IT IS NOT YOUR CAR WILL NOT RUN!!!!! if you mean my car won't run and is it the distributor, please check to see if your plugs have spark. If not, then no it is not working. But, none the less if the distributor is shot, don't be a tight wad. The most expensive distributor cap I have ever seen was $28.00. However, the distrbutor shaft itself, if it isn't working, that means your motor has siezed. IF your coil isn't working first check to see if its getting voltage. If it is replace the coil. If it isn't then you got a wiring problem. That could be caused by a number of problems. Note when checking a coil there are proper procedures for checking it. Basic simple test for checking it from a repair manual will help isolate the problem. Can't go into details not knowing the make and model of your car.


How do you know your water pump is working?

get out of your car find it turn on your car and get out feel the pump if it vibrates it is working if not get a new one


How do you see if the coil is working on 2002 Chevy?

If theres a miss fire on a cylinder you check engine light will tell you.. Switch the coil from that cylinder to another and siwtch that coil to the cylinder that the computer says is missifing. If the cylinder you put your suspected coil on miss fires then you know its a bum coil.


How do you make electric fence energizer from car coil?

i have a diagram for the car coil fence


Do both 1st and 2ed have to touch on a tesla coil?

Most people, who enjoy working with the coil, are very careful. So every person has to know the dangers to avoid damage.


How do you know when a thermostat has gone bad?

Car overheats, your heat in your car stops working


How do you know which coil is bad on a 99 Monte Carlo if the car has a coil pack?

AnswerLightly spray the exhaust manifold with water as the engine is running A good cylinder will evaporate the water quickly The misfiring cylinder will not. Replace the coil at the other end the spark plug wire from the bad cylinder You can remove the suspect coil and switch it with a good coil and see if the two cylinders that were firing are now misfiring and the two that were misfiring are now firing.If the coil pack is not working correctly then your car will be sluggish and should throw a misfire trouble code (check engine light). Usually only one coil will fail at a time. You can have the code scanned at autozone for free. They will also test your coils if you have them off the car. Always check your plugs and wires first before replacing the coil.


The heat is not working on your pontaic transport 1990?

if the air is blowing but it is not hot then it is your heat coil and it might have went bad and you might need to get a new one. a heat coil is a coil located around your engine area, and as it is heated air blows through it into your car.


Why is water on the front floor of the car?

It is probably the heater coil. When it stops working water from the radiator goes back through a hose and when it overfills it emptys into the passenger side floor. You can replace the heater coil or bypass the hoses. Second option will cause heater to stop working.