Somewhere in the study of ignition science, many of us come away with the idea that secondary ignition voltage, as expressed in kilovolts (kV), is the end-all, be-all of engine performance. We also come away with the idea that secondary ignition voltage increases only under “snap-throttle” conditions.
But not so fast on kV-only diagnostics. When diagnosing in-depth secondary ignition problems, we’ll find that kV demand can vary widely according to air/fuel ratio, running compression, and spark timing. That said, there’s more to ignition science than looking for the classic quarter-inch long “hot blue spark” jumping from coil secondary to ground.
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