Twin ignition coil (electronic), NGK Fiat 126 ELX

Twin ignition coil (electronic), NGK:

with 2 pole connector for waterprove connection.

This product fits the following models:

• Fiat 126 ELX(1972-1987)

NGK has been a leading Japanese manufacturer of spark plugs, diesel engine glow plugs, ignition coils, lambda sensors, and exhaust gas temperature sensors since the 1930s and is one of the market leaders among automotive suppliers, including in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) segment for new vehicles. The company, headquartered in Nagoya, has built an excellent reputation over the last few decades, especially with its highly durable spark plugs. Currently, NGK produces over 1,000 different types of spark plugs for numerous automobiles, motorcycles, motorsports, and other applications.

The Ignition Coil

The task of the ignition coil is to transform the 12V from a normal vehicle battery into a very high ignition voltage - up to 40,000V - in order to generate the spark at the spark plug with its help. In this task, it receives assistance from the breaker and a capacitor connected in parallel to the breaker.

Vehicles of older construction years are usually equipped with an ignition coil - in modern vehicles, a separate ignition coil is used for each spark plug, which is integrated directly on the spark plug in an ignition module. This increases reliability, and a distributor and high-voltage wiring are not required.

The ignition coil utilizes the properties of electrical induction. It operates like a transformer with a very high turns ratio - a thick wire with few windings as the primary winding and a thinner wire with many windings in the secondary winding, both wound around a common iron core. When current flows through the primary winding - with the ignition turned on - a magnetic field is formed. This field is transferred to the secondary winding due to the design. Now, the current flow in the primary circuit is interrupted, the magnetic field collapses instantaneously, triggering an induction-related high-voltage pulse in the secondary circuit. This high voltage is directed to the spark plug and used as a spark to ignite the fuel-air mixture in the cylinder's combustion chamber.

An ignition coil is constantly subjected to mechanical and thermal stresses. Its lifespan is expected to be around 60,000 - 80,000 km; however, various influences can shorten this lifespan:

• Mechanical damage due to rodent bites or high vibrations in the engine compartment
• Faulty power supply due to damaged ignition leads or a weak battery
• Ingress of moisture
• Overheating damage due to a damaged ignition module or a defective control unit

The following symptoms may (but not necessarily) indicate a defect in the ignition coil:
The engine does not start, misfires are heard, and the car no longer accelerates as usual. Often, such a fault is also signaled to the driver through the engine control unit to the check engine light on the dashboard or the onboard computer displays an error code.

To check if an ignition coil is damaged, the easiest method is visual inspection:

• Does the ignition coil have hairline cracks or other mechanical damage such as scorch marks or breaks?
• Is the wiring in good condition: no bends, connectors undamaged, and without corrosion?

With the help of a multimeter, you can measure the electrical resistances of the primary and secondary windings; for this, the ignition coil must be removed, and the desired values of the resistances of the individual windings must be known. Defective ignition coils must be replaced and replaced with new ones.