SECONDARY
IGNITION ANALYSIS
Photo & waveforms: Ken Layne
M
OTOR’s Mastering we reviewed primary circuit funda-
the Basics series mentals. In this installment, we’ll take
has looked at dif- a new look at another basic aspect of
ferent aspects of ignition testing—analyzing the sec-
ignition trou- ondary circuit with a scope.
bleshooting sev- When your doctor checks your tem-
eral times in past issues. Two years ago, perature, blood pressure and several
in July 1999, we covered some basic other vital signs, he’s looking for symp-
no-spark and weak-spark tests, along toms of what ails you. Then, after diag-
with troubleshooting distributorless ig- nosing your symptoms, he treats the
nition systems (DIS). This past March, fundamental cause of your complaint.
BY KEN LAYNE
A doctor doesn’t simply treat your
symptoms; he uses them to understand
your problem. That’s symptomatic di-
agnosis, and that’s what you do when
you analyze ignition scope patterns.
The Parts of the Pattern
Ignition scope patterns are divided into
three basic sections—firing, intermedi-
ate and dwell (Fig. 1, page 40). The
secondary high-voltage pattern shows
May 2001 39
 Firing Intermediate
Section Section
Firing Line
Spark Line
Secondary Waveform
Fig. 1
the condition of the coil, the coil lead to
the distributor, the distributor cap and
rotor, the spark plug leads and the
plugs. You can check many of the vital
signs of these components by looking at
the high-voltage secondary waveform.
But that high-voltage waveform also
is affected by combustion inside the
cylinder. High temperature and pres-
sure affect secondary circuit resistance,
and these mechanical conditions are re-
flected in the waveform. That’s why
secondary pattern diagnosis is a key to
analyzing air/fuel ratios, stuck or burned
valves and other mechanical conditions
that alter cylinder combustion.
All ignition scopes provide the
same basic waveform displays for sec-
Long, Low Spark Line
Fig. 3
40 May 2001
Dwell
Section
Fig. 2
ondary circuit analysis:
•The superimposed pattern places
all cylinder waveforms upon each other
so there appears to be only one pattern.
•The parade pattern displays indi-
vidual cylinders side by side from left to
right, in firing-order sequence.
•The raster pattern stacks individual
cylinders one above the other from bot-
tom to top, again, in firing-order se-
quence.
Most scopes also let you shift the
pattern on the screen, expand it or
break it into millisecond increments
for close-up analysis. You also can se-
lect a single cylinder and separate it
from a superimposed pattern to look
at individual cylinder details.
High, Short Spark Line
Fig. 4
Coil, Cap, Plug
Leads & Plugs
Let’s start our diagnosis with some su-
perimposed patterns to help you iden-
tify problems in the ignition system it-
self. Fig. 2 shows a superimposed pat-
tern that seems to jump up and down
on the screen. The first thing you’ll
notice is that this example shows a
problem shared by all cylinders, so
start looking for the cause in compo-
nents shared by all these cylinders.
The problem could be a loose connec-
tion or corrosion in the high-voltage
coil lead, either at the coil or the cap.
This pattern also could be caused by
an intermittent circuit in the coil sec-
ondary winding or the coil lead itself.
 Normal Spark Line
Falling Spark Line
Long, Low Spark Line
High, Short Spark Line
No Spark Line
Rising Spark Line
Fig. 5
Figs. 3 and 4 also are superimposed
patterns, but illustrate problems isolat-
ed to one cylinder. Fig. 3 shows an ab-
normally long, low spark line and short
coil oscillations. Likely causes are a
shorted or low-resistance plug lead or
crossfiring inside the distributor. Fig. 4
shows one cylinder with a high firing
line, a short spark line and almost no
coil oscillations. The likely causes here
are opposite of the probable causes in
Fig. 3. The abnormal cylinder in Fig. 4
could have a disconnected or open plug
lead or other high-resistance problem.
With a little guidance from Dr.
Ohm, the firing and spark lines in Figs.
3 and 4 illustrate the relationships of
resistance, current and voltage. Low
Typical Normal Height
Fig. 7
Typical Normal Height
Fig. 6
resistance (Fig. 3) allows longer cur-
rent time at lower voltage. That’s what
the short firing line and long, low spark
line are all about. High resistance (Fig.
4) requires a higher firing voltage and
allows current flow for a shorter peri-
od, also at a higher voltage.
From Sparks to Valves
and Nuts & Bolts
The spark line in the intermediate sec-
tion of secondary scope patterns can tell
you a lot about ignition faults and me-
chanical problems. Fig. 5 is a raster dis-
play that shows one pattern with a nor-
mal spark line and five patterns with ab-
normal spark lines. From the top down,
here are some of the probable problems
Fig. 8
that these symptoms reveal for individ-
ual cylinders:
Falling spark line. High resis-
tance between the distributor cap
and the plug due to corrosion in the
cap or cable terminals.
Long, low spark line. We’ve al-
ready seen that this symptom may be
due to a shorted or low-resistance plug
lead or crossfiring inside the distribu-
tor. It also can be caused by a fouled
or shorted plug inside the cylinder.
High, short spark line. This
could be due to a high-resistance
problem, such as loose or corroded
plug lead connections. A wide plug
gap in an individual cylinder also
could cause this pattern.
May 2001 41
 Available
Voltage
Fig. 9
No spark line. The complete ab-
sence of a spark line means infinite
resistance, like a disconnected or
open plug lead.
Rising spark line. At low rpm,
this often indicates a sticking valve. If
the symptom persists as engine speed
rises, it may indicate floating valves.
If the defect appears at all speeds,
look for a burned valve, a wide plug
gap or an intake leak.
Jumping spark line. Although
not shown, this condition often indi-
cates a sticking or worn valve in an in-
dividual cylinder, which causes an un-
even air/fuel mixture.
Problems on Parade
Fig. 6 on page 41 is a parade pattern
that shows firing lines (spikes) much
higher than normal. Electrically, this in-
dicates high resistance that requires
higher voltage to bridge the plug gaps.
The cause could be worn or wide-gap
spark plugs, a wide rotor air gap or a
break in the coil lead. High resistance
also can be caused by nonelectrical
problems like late ignition timing or a
lean air/fuel mixture.
Fig. 7 shows the opposite kind of
problem. Here, low resistance causes
lower-than-normal firing lines. On the
ignition side, the cause could be fouled
plugs or narrow plug gaps. Mechanical
problems that could cause low firing
voltages include low compression, late
ignition timing or a rich air/fuel mixture.
42 May 2001
Fig. 10
Whether the symptom is high voltage
or low voltage, you have to trace the
symptom to the root cause, which could
be electrical or mechanical.
Fig. 8 has a little something for
everyone. Firing voltages vary from
high to normal to low. Any of the causes
cited for Figs. 6 and 7 can exist in a sin-
gle cylinder and cause an abnormally
high or low firing voltage. A bent dis-
tributor shaft or worn bushings also can
cause uneven firing voltages.
How Much Is Enough?
We hope you don’t try to check for maxi-
mum coil ouput on an engine with high-
voltage electronic ignition by simply dis-
connecting a plug wire. This used to be
a common quick check in grandpa’s day,
but today, with 40 or 50 kV hanging on
the end of the coil secondary terminal,
secondary voltage is going to find
ground some way. It may zap you, dam-
age the coil itself or zap the ignition
module attached to the distributor.
A better, safer way is to attach a spark
plug simulator to the coil secondary
lead or to an individual plug lead. Just
clamp the simulator to a good ground
and attach the coil wire or plug lead to
its terminal. If you’re troubleshooting
DIS, install the simulator on one or
more coils to check for spark to several
cylinders. A healthy spark should ap-
pear from the center electrode of the
simulator to the shell when you crank
the engine. Fig. 9 shows the very high
False Spark Line
firing line that indicates the coil’s avail-
able voltage. Notice the absence of a
spark line and note that the negative
voltage oscillations extend about half as
far below the zero-voltage line as the
positive oscillations extend upward. Any
trace of a spark line in the pattern (Fig.
10) indicates secondary voltage leakage,
usually inside the distributor.
Now that you’ve looked at a number
of common symptoms revealed by sec-
ondary scope patterns, you can reach
some informed conclusions about an
engine’s vital signs. If you remember
the principles of symptomatic diagnosis
and use some common sense, your
faithful ignition scope can nail many
performance problems in a short time
with little confusion.
Visit www.motor.com to download
a free copy of this article. Copies
are also available by sending $3 for
each copy to: Fulfillment Dept.,
MOTOR Magazine,
5600 Crooks Rd., Troy, MI 48098.
Answers to Previous
Assessment Quiz
(Ignition Systems, Mar. 2001)
1-D 2-D 3-C 4-D 5-A
6-D 7-A 8-C 9-C 10-B