How Ignition Works and Fails

Your engine's ignition coil(s) can produce up to 50,000 volts of electricity! Ideally, it never has too!  In an ideal, well maintained ignition system, a spark plug can be fired using less than 15,000 volts and that is where it should stay.  As spark plugs and ignition wires wear and age, they require higher and higher voltages to fire.  This stresses and overheats and eventually damages the ignition coil(s).  This causes the engine to misfire, surge and lose power.  When the spark arcs or jumps to other metal parts, it is like a lightning bolt.  When it is around sensitive electronic components, it can damage them, just like a lightning hit can damage a TV or computer.

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