Mitsubishi rarely mentioned from the 80's ? (Variable displacement / VVT)

[Cobb]

My car has no spark plug wires. I guess I could get 8 wired leds and tap each coil pack and mount them to the edge of the hood by the windshield and watch the flashing while I drive it at various loads?

As a former chrysler mechanic I believe the newer dizzyless engines fire the coils on the exhaust as well as compression stroke for better emissions, so it maybe a moot point to monitor the plug pack vs the injector.

Plan B was to get 4 wired 12 volt leds to each injector, tape along edge of hood by windshield so I can see it inside and test it.

Originally Posted by ecomodded

I have an idea for testing which cylinders deactivate
If you have a timing gun you could hook it up to the spark plug wires until you find the active cylinders or inactive cylinders during idle.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by Cobb

As a former chrysler mechanic I believe the newer dizzyless engines fire the coils on the exhaust as well as compression stroke for better emissions, so it maybe a moot point to monitor the plug pack vs the injector.

That's called the "wasted/lost-spark" ignition technique, where BOTH spark plugs fire (one in compression cylinder; other in exhaust cylinder) and is characterized by having plug wires (or fittings) coming out of both ends of the coil pack, one to each of its "paired" cylinders:



There is absolutely NO emissions benefits from the firing plug in the exhaust stroke...it is ALL done for parts reduction and component simplification (beancounters vs. engineers).

In fact, half the plugs are always firing "backwards" (reverse polarity) due to their physical installations, so half the plugs are NOT as efficient as they could be (optimal arc is ground-to-center electrode), hence their different erosion characteristics.

P.S.--I taught electronic ignition systems classes for 8 years.

[ecomodded]

I see, it sure sounded good on paper I thought for a minute there I was sMaRt

[Cobb]

A lot of lawn mowers do this too since the points are operated by the crank vs cam. Yeah, coil, condenser are under the flywheel.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by Cobb

A lot of lawn mowers do this too since the points are operated by the crank vs cam. Yeah, coil, condenser are under the flywheel.

Ala' early Ford 'flywheel' generator/starter arrangement.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

This crank-operated ignition contact system also widely used in motorcycles with single or parallel-twin cylinders. I have also seen a few light aircraft engines using this setup.

[gone-ot]

Aircraft commonly used magneto's for both simplicity and reliablility.

[Cobb]

Ironically the Chrysler c square d bus used a crank sensor for the ignition and 1 coil fed 2 cylinders too.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Aircraft commonly used magneto's for both simplicity and reliablility.

I have seen a few light aircrafts using motorcycle-type stators, altough magnetoes are still more common.