An ignition system is a mechanism used to ignite the fuel-air mixture in an engine’s internal combustion engine. Vehicles with direct ignition systems have coils located on the plugs.
Direct ignition, also called COP (coil-on-plug) ignition, refers to a system that includes individual coils on each spark plug, as opposed to the central coil used in standard ignition systems. COP ignitions are most commonly found on new engine designs.
A standard ignition system uses the central coil to create a magnetic field via a charge from the vehicle’s battery, which produces a reservoir of energy. This electrical energy is transferred via the spark-plug wires, which carry the energy to the spark plugs, which in turn drive the ignition spark. COP ignition coils transfer energy directly to each spark plug without the use of plug wires.
COP ignition benefits include eliminating the need for expensive, insulated plug wires that must withstand high levels of voltage and heat. COP ignition systems are more durable than standard ignition systems, due to problems related to faulty plug wires such as misfires and voltage leaks.
