Your ignition system explained
The ignition system is of course an essential part of the technology that allows cars to function, and without it you would not get very far. But what does it do? Well the system provides the electrical energy required to get the engine running.
There are certain faults that can occur with the ignition system, and some of the ones that are most regular include the battery being flat, and therefore not able to provide the voltage for the ignition spark. Another common problem is that a fuse blows somewhere in the system, or the connections on the battery get loose. Faulty leads and a worn spark plug are other possible options too.
Behind the scenes of the ignition system there is quite a lot that goes on, and of course involves the battery to create the initial voltage for the electrical spark that lights the fuel/air mix in the engines' cylinders.
Although you don't need to know about how it all works in detail, it might be useful to read something like an encyclopaedia entry on how a petrol engine works in order to see what the basics of the system are; this can also help you understand what the pieces are and where potential errors can creep in, as outlined above: if you were told for instance that the cause of the ignition failing was a worn rotor arm would you know what that meant?
Related Articles...
Testing your driving ability
The driving part of the test to assess if you are safe to let on the roads is called the practical test, and it lasts in the region of 40 minutes in total. The purpose is to assess if you can drive...
Driving Theory
Practice makes perfect. It is a known fact that if you practice a particular skill, you get better at it. This is true of mental skills such as performing mental arithmetic: the more you try to do...
What causes accidents: junctions
An alarmingly high proportion of accidents happen in and around junctions.
This is because of the combination of busy roads, traffic that can be nose to tail and people crossing all sorts of...
What to check on your car daily
A car is a sophisticated piece of machinery, although it is commonplace and therefore taken for granted by many there are considerable elements working together to make it work.
And if one...
Your ignition warning light
When you turn on the electrical circuits in your car, then the ignition warning light will come on: make sure that this does indeed happen.
Once the engine itself is started, then the ignition...
The lane discipline of a motorway
Driving on a motorway is not something you will be able to do until you pass your test, and therefore it is important to understand as much about motorway driving as you can before your first...
What signs with a percentage mean
When you are driving in some places, the roads will be up and down in terms of gradient, which refers to how the height of the road changes as you move along it, just like on a hill.
When you...
Practical Driving Test
There is an online booking system available for a practical driving test which you can access from the DirectGov website.
The web address to do this is: ...
What to do at a box junction
The box junction is quite common but despite this there are a whole wide range of ways in which different drivers interpret what they are supposed to do at them so you will see different behaviours...
How to pass the hazard perception test
First you need to understand just what a hazard is. Broadly, it is any element that can introduce risk into the driving scenario.
There are various different types of hazard that are...
Back to home page of driving theory test questions
