Which items are considered major components of the ignition system?

Which items are considered major components of the ignition system?

• A. Ignition coil, spark plug, and battery
• B. High tension leads, ignition exciter, and 2 spark ignitors
• C. Distributor, cap, rotor
• D. Spark plugs and fuel injector

Answer: (B)

The ignition system’s major components are the parts that generate and deliver the timed, high-voltage spark to ignite the air–fuel mix. The ignition exciter provides the timing signal and triggers the spark, the high-tension leads carry that high voltage from the exciter to the spark devices, and the spark ignitors (spark plugs) are the devices that actually produce the spark in the combustion chamber. Having two spark ignitors is common for redundancy or to ensure reliable ignition in each cylinder, so that three-item set is the proper representation of the major components. Other options mix in elements that aren’t part of the main energy-generation and delivery path: a battery and ignition coil are power-related, not the complete ignition energy path; distributor, cap, and rotor are timing/distribution hardware rather than the core energy-delivery components; and spark plugs with a fuel injector pairs ignition parts with a fuel-system component, which isn’t correct for identifying ignition-system major components.

The ignition system’s major components are the parts that generate and deliver the timed, high-voltage spark to ignite the air–fuel mix. The ignition exciter provides the timing signal and triggers the spark, the high-tension leads carry that high voltage from the exciter to the spark devices, and the spark ignitors (spark plugs) are the devices that actually produce the spark in the combustion chamber. Having two spark ignitors is common for redundancy or to ensure reliable ignition in each cylinder, so that three-item set is the proper representation of the major components.

Other options mix in elements that aren’t part of the main energy-generation and delivery path: a battery and ignition coil are power-related, not the complete ignition energy path; distributor, cap, and rotor are timing/distribution hardware rather than the core energy-delivery components; and spark plugs with a fuel injector pairs ignition parts with a fuel-system component, which isn’t correct for identifying ignition-system major components.