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High energy ignition, also known as H.E.I., is an electronic ignition system designed by the Delco-Remy Division of General Motors. It was used on all GM vehicles, at least in the North American market, from 1975 through the mid-1980s.[ vague ] The system is an electronic system that requires no scheduled maintenance, provides up to 35,000 volts to fire the spark plugs and increase spark plug life, especially when unleaded fuel is used. The HEI system has 40% more voltage output and 85% higher energy level than conventional breaker point systems to fire lean fuel mixtures even under adverse conditions.
There were many design variations over the years, and provisions for computer controls were added for some applications starting in the late 1970s. A predecessor system called "Unitized Ignition" was optional on 1972 and 1973 Pontiacs. [ citation needed ]
Most—but not all—HEI systems have the ignition coil mounted in the distributor cap. A control module and magnetic pickup are mounted in the distributor, in place of a conventional ignition system's breaker points and condenser.
The HEl system was developed as an integrated package that combines the distributor, magnetic pick-up, ignition coil and electronic module into one package. By doing this, these components are well protected from physical and environmental abuses and the number of electrical connections are reduced.
There are some models that use a remotely mounted coil. This coil is constructed the same as the integral coil with the exception of a mounting bracket and a terminal for the connection of a high tension lead. These models are used on engines where additional clearance was needed.
The size of the distributor was increased due to the wide spacing that must exist between the' distributor cap Inserts to prevent high voltage arc-over. A wider spacing was also needed between the cap, inserts and the distributor housing to prevent arc-over and leakage to ground.
The higher voltage output of the HEI system required new insulation materials. To prevent ignition failure due to carbon tracking, a special material is used for the distributor cap and rotor. IT is a thermoplastic, injection-molded, glass-reinforced polyester. This material provided the dielectric and insulation properties needed and also prevented carbon tracking.
The high voltage terminals used in the distributor cap are similar in appearance to spark plug terminals. These connections provide easier attachment and better sealing of the connections. Latches are used to ensure proper connections of the plug wires to the cap and prevent any loosening or movement which might reduce the moisture of the connection. The spark plug wires are a carbon-impregnated cord conductor encased in an 8 millimeter diameter silicone jacket. Silicone wiring will withstand very high temperature and is an excellent insulator for higher voltages.
There are four basic types of HEI control modules: four-, five-, seven-, and eight-pin. The four-pin module was used on carbureted engines and uses conventional mechanical timing controls (vacuum and centrifugal advance mechanisms).[ citation needed ] The five-pin module was introduced in 1978 and was an early attempt at electronic timing control; it contains a provision for connecting a knock sensor.[ citation needed ] The seven- and eight-pin modules are used on early computer-controlled engines in conjunction with fixed-timing distributors, as the computer controls the ignition timing.
The pick-up coil is not serviced separately but as an assembly with the bottom plate, pole piece and permanent magnet. This assembly, called the "pole piece and plate" in the parts book, should not be disassembled because the pole piece is centered around the axis of the distributor during production. This sets the clearance between the teeth of the pole piece and timer core.
There are seven different pole pieces and plate assemblies available. The correct part number of the pole piece and plate assembly for a particular vehicle should be determined from the appropriate parts book. The part number of a pole piece and plate assembly can be dete3rmined by visual inspection by the colored ties or connectors ant he number of teeth on the timer core and pole piece. The following is a list of pole piece and plate assemblies by pick-up coil color code.
In the oil filled ignition coil used with conventional ignition systems, the primary winding is wrapped around the secondary winding and the secondary winding is wrapped around the iron core. The HEI coil has the secondary winding wrapped around the primary winding and the primary winding is wrapped around the iron core. The HEI coil is not oil filled; instead, the windings are covered in an epoxy compound for protection against moisture and arc-over within the coil.
Primary current is increased by reducing the length of wire used in the primary windings, thus reducing resistance.
Inductance values [1] of the primary and secondary winding are also different in the HEI coil. Increased secondary inductance provide a higher voltage and a longer spark duration than the conventional system.
HEI distributors are a popular swap on older GM cars originally equipped with points and condenser type ignition systems.[ citation needed ] The HEI system produces a more powerful spark, which allows for a wider spark plug gap for surer ignition of a fuel/air mix that may not be optimal. The HEI setup has also become a popular swap into non-GM vehicles.
An electromagnetic coil is an electrical conductor such as a wire in the shape of a coil. Electromagnetic coils are used in electrical engineering, in applications where electric currents interact with magnetic fields, in devices such as electric motors, generators, inductors, electromagnets, transformers, sensor coils such as in medical MRI imaging machines. Either an electric current is passed through the wire of the coil to generate a magnetic field, or conversely, an external time-varying magnetic field through the interior of the coil generates an EMF (voltage) in the conductor.
An ignition magneto is an older type of ignition system used in spark-ignition engines. It uses a magneto and a transformer to make pulses of high voltage for the spark plugs. The older term "high-tension" means "high-voltage".
Ignition systems are used by heat engines to initiate combustion by igniting the fuel-air mixture. In a spark ignition versions of the internal combustion engine, the ignition system creates a spark to ignite the fuel-air mixture just before each combustion stroke. Gas turbine engines and rocket engines normally use an ignition system only during start-up.
A contact breaker is a type of electrical switch, found in the ignition systems of spark-ignition internal combustion engines. The switch is automatically operated by a cam driven by the engine. The timing of operation of the switch is set so that a spark is produced at the right time to ignite the compressed air/fuel mixture in the cylinder of the engine. A mechanism may be provided to slightly adjust timing to allow for varying load on the engine. Since these contacts operate frequently, they are subject to wear, causing erratic ignition of the engine. More recent engines use electronic means to trigger the spark, which eliminated contact wear and allows computer control of ignition timing.
A distributor is an electric and mechanical device used in the ignition system of older spark ignition engines. The distributor's main function is to route electricity from the ignition coil to each spark plug at the correct time.
A wasted spark system is a type of ignition system used in some four-stroke cycle internal combustion engines. In a wasted spark system, the spark plugs fire in pairs, with one plug in a cylinder on its compression stroke and the other plug in a cylinder on its exhaust stroke. The extra spark during the exhaust stroke has no effect and is thus "wasted". This design halves the number of components necessary in a typical ignition system, while the extra spark, against much reduced dielectric resistance, barely impacts the lifespan of modern ignition components. In a typical engine, it requires only about 2–3 kV to fire the cylinder on its exhaust stroke. The remaining coil energy is available to fire the spark plug in the cylinder on its compression stroke.
The Trionic 8 is an advanced engine management system in the Trionic series, created by Saab Automobile. It is used in both Saab 9-3 and Opel Vectra vehicles, and is available with 150, 175 and 210 horsepower (160 kW) engines. It will also be used for a flexifuel version starting production spring 2007. Saab Trionic T8 has been developed by Saab and is a very advanced engine management system. The Engine Control Module (ECM) is used principally to regulated the air mass, fuel and ignition timing.
An ignition coil is used in the ignition system of a spark-ignition engine to transform the battery voltage to the much higher voltages required to operate the spark plug(s). The spark plugs then use this burst of high-voltage electricity to ignite the air-fuel mixture.
The Duraspark II is a Ford electronic ignition system.
Capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) or thyristor ignition is a type of automotive electronic ignition system which is widely used in outboard motors, motorcycles, lawn mowers, chainsaws, small engines, gas turbine-powered aircraft, and some cars. It was originally developed to overcome the long charging times associated with high inductance coils used in inductive discharge ignition (IDI) systems, making the ignition system more suitable for high engine speeds. The capacitive-discharge ignition uses capacitor to discharge current to the ignition coil to fire the spark plugs.
In a spark ignition internal combustion engine, ignition timing is the timing, relative to the current piston position and crankshaft angle, of the release of a spark in the combustion chamber near the end of the compression stroke.
Various types of electrical transformer are made for different purposes. Despite their design differences, the various types employ the same basic principle as discovered in 1831 by Michael Faraday, and share several key functional parts.
A low-tension coil is an electrical device used to create a spark across the points of an ignitor on early-1900s gasoline engines, generally flywheel engines, hit-and-miss engines, and other engines of that era. In modern electronic terms, a low-tension coil is simply a large inductor, an electrical device that stores energy for brief periods. The term "low tension" was the terminology of the day used to differentiate it from the term "high tension" and generally meant "low voltage" (tension) as opposed to "high voltage" (tension). High-tension coils produce high voltages, generally meant to produce a spark across a spark plug.
Trionic T5.5 is an engine management system in the Saab Trionic range. It controls ignition, fuel injection and turbo boost pressure. The system was introduced in the 1993 Saab 9000 2.3 Turbo with B234L and B234R engine.
Spark plug wires are electrical cables used by older internal combustion engines to transmit high-voltage electricity from the distributor to the spark plugs. Tension in this instance is a synonym for voltage. High tension may also be referred to as HT.
Inductive discharge ignition systems were developed in the 19th century as a means to ignite the air–fuel mixture in the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines. The first versions were low tension coils, then low-tension and in turn high-tension magnetos, which were offered as a more effective alternative to the older-design hot-tube ignitors that had been utilized earlier on hot tube engines. With the advent of small stationary engines; and with the development of the automobile, engine-driven tractors, and engine-driven trucks; first the magneto and later the distributor-type systems were utilized as part of an efficient and reliable engine ignition system on commercially available motorized equipment. These systems were in widespread use on all cars and trucks through the 1960s. Manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Citroen, Mercedes, John Deere, International Harvester, and many others incorporated them into their products. The inductive discharge system is still extensively used today.
The Delco ignition system, also known as the Kettering ignition system, points and condenser ignition or breaker point ignition, is a type of inductive discharge ignition system invented by Charles F. Kettering. It was first sold commercially on the 1912 Cadillac and was manufactured by Delco. Over time, it was used extensively by all automobile and truck manufacturers on spark ignition, i.e., gasoline engines. Today it is still widely used in coil-on-plug, coil-near-plug and in coil packs in distributorless ignitions. An alternative system used in automobiles is capacitor discharge ignition, primarily found now as aftermarket upgrade systems. Electronic ignition was a common term for Kettering inductive ignition with the points replaced with an electronic switch such as a transistor.
The Ford EEC or Electronic Engine Control is a series of ECU that was designed and built by Ford Motor Company. The first system, EEC I, used processors and components developed by Toshiba in 1973. It began production in 1974, and went into mass production in 1975. It subsequently went through several model iterations.
A trembler coil, buzz coil or vibrator coil is a type of high-voltage ignition coil used in the ignition system of early automobiles, most notably the Benz Patent-Motorwagen and the Ford Model T. Its distinguishing feature is a vibrating magnetically-activated contact called a trembler or interrupter, which breaks the primary current, generating multiple sparks during each cylinder's power stroke. Trembler coils were first used on the 1886 Benz automobile, and were used on the Model T until 1927.