Wasted Spark Ignition
Wasted spark ignition fires two spark plugs at the same time from one coil.
What is Wasted Spark Ignition?
One cylinder is on its compression stroke and uses the spark. The other is on its exhaust stroke, where the spark does nothing. It needs fewer coils than one coil per cylinder. It is common on older four-cylinder engines.
How it works
Each coil has two outputs connected to paired cylinders whose pistons move together.
Why it matters for your car
Plugs can wear unevenly because current flows in opposite directions. A faulty coil causes misfires on both cylinders of its pair.
Other terms
- Adaptive Headlights
- Aluminium Body
- Crown Wheel And Pinion (Ring And Pinion)
- Driving In Fog
- Electric Current (Amperage)
- EV Battery Warranty
- EV Mode (Electric-only Mode)
- Flex-Fuel Vehicle (E85)
- Heater Core
- Lead Replacement Additive
- Left-Hand Drive (LHD)
- Liftback
- Locking Differential (Diff Lock)
- Longitudinal Engine
- LPG (Autogas)
- Skidding (Losing Grip)
- Studded Tyre
- Waterless Wash
- Wh/km And kWh/100 Km (EV Consumption)
- Windscreen Demisting (Defrost)