Dictionary of Automotive Terms Abbreviations

DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Ig"

IG: Acronym for ignition

IGN: Acronym for Ignition

IGN ADV: Acronym for Ignition Advance

IGN GND: Acronym for Ignition Ground

Ignite: To set fire to; to catch fire

Igniter

A bridge igniter with detonator in an air bag system.
An electronic control unit or module used by Japanese automotive and ignition manuacturers
A device that utilizes electrical energy to ignite gas at a pilot burner or main burner.

Ignition: A process which initiates the combustion of the compressed air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. In a spark-ignition engine, the mixture is ignited by an electric spark; in a diesel engine, the self-igniting mixture must be preheated by glow plugs when a cold start is performed.

Also See
autoignition
battery ignition
breaker-triggered transistorized ignition
capacitor controlled electronic ignition
capacitor discharge ignition system
capacitor discharge ignition
coil ignition
compression ignition
contact controlled electronic ignition
contactless electronic ignition
contactless ignition
conventional ignition
direct ignition system
distributorless ignition system
dual ignition system
dynamic ignition timing
electronic ignition system
electronic ignition
four-spark ignition coil
fully electronic ignition
grid-controlled ignition system
hall-effect ignition system
high energy ignition system with electronic spark timing
high energy ignition system
inductive ignition system
integrated Direct Ignition System
magnetically controlled electronic ignition
magneto ignition
map-controlled ignition
mapped ignition
mechanical ignition timing
multi-spark ignition coil
multiple-spark ignition coil
oscillating pick-up ignition system
particulate ignition temperature
piezoelectric ignition
post-ignition
reference ignition pattern
required ignition voltage
self-ignition
single-coil twin ignition
solid-state ignition
spark ignition
surface ignition
thyristor ignition
transistorized coil ignition
transistor ignition
transistorized ignition
twin plug ignition
twin spark ignition

Ignition Activation Period: The period of time between energizing the main gas valve and deactivation of the ignition means prior to the lockout time.

Ignition advance: The extent to which the ignition spark is made to occur earlier. The opposite is ignition retard.

Also See
ignition timing

Ignition amplifier: A device used to increase the electrical signal in an electronic ignition system

Ignition angle: The angle, measured in degrees crankshaft, by which the ignition is advanced.

Also See
spark ignition angle

Ignition cable: A general term to designate the high-voltage cables of the ignition system, from the ignition coil to the distributor and from the distributor to the spark plugs. Also called "ignition leads"

Ignition capacitor: The electrical part which interrupts the primary current with low loss and suppresses most of the arcing between the contact breaker points in conventional coil ignitions

Ignition circuits: See
primary circuit
secondary circuit

Ignition coil: A pulse transformer which is a part of the ignition system. It receives a small amount of electrical voltage from the battery and steps up the low "primary" voltage and amplifies it into a big jolt of voltage of about 20,000 volts, and sends it to the spark plugs via the distributor. It is made of two windings and a core of iron. The primary coil has about 200 turns of relatively heavy wire. The secondary windings may have as much as 22,000 windings of fine wire. As electricity travels through the primary winding, it produces a magnetic field in the coil. When the points open, the magnetic field collapses and the movement of the magnetic field induces current in the secondary windings of the coil. The voltage is stepped up in proportion to the ratio of secondary to primary turns and the distributor directs this high voltage to the spark plug. Also called just "coil."

Also See
exciter coil
field coil
four-spark ignition coil
multi-spark ignition coil
multiple-spark ignition coil
single-spark ignition coil

Ignition coil resistor: A ballast resistor

Ignition control unit: A general control unit of electronic ignition systems, usually with current and dwell angle control, driver and output stage, in some cases with electronic spark timing functions. Compare electronic control unit

Ignition delay: The time lag between ignition triggering and the production of a spark

Ignition device: A device for igniting fuel at a burner. It may be a pilot or an igniter.

Ignition disabler: A standard feature of car alarm systems

Ignition distributor: See
distributor.

Ignition engine: See
spark ignition engine

Ignition file: A tool for filing ignition points and other small objects. Also called contact file, magneto file, points file, or point file

Ignition gauge: A blade or wire-type feeler gauge used to check gaps on ignition systems, such as air gaps between permanent magnet and trigger wheel on electric ignitions

Ignition key: A key which is inserted into an ignition lock located in the passenger compartment (usually on the steering column or on the dash) and is used to switch on the ignition

Ignition lag: The time lag between fuel injection and combustion in a diesel engine

Ignition-latched soft code: A type of trouble code that causes the ECU to disengage the ABS until the ignition is shut off and turned back on; if the problem has gone away, the ABS will be reactivated and the warning lamp turned out when the key is turned back on

Ignition lead: A general term to designate the high-voltage cables of the ignition system, from the ignition coil to the distributor and from the distributor to the spark plugs. Also called "ignition cable"

Ignition map: An electronic map stored in the electronic control unit of ignitions with electronic spark timing and containing the most favorable ignition angle/ignition point for every operating point of the engine. Spark timing is optimized on the basis of fuel type and consumption, torque, exhaust gas, knock limit, engine temperature, etc.

Ignition module: A transistorized component in an electronic ignition that triggers the ignition coil to fire high voltage. It replaced the breaker points on older cars.
See
ignition control unit

Ignition oscilloscope: An oscilloscope used especially for ignition tune-ups; usually integrated in an engine tester

Ignition pattern: A display of the waveforms in the primary or secondary circuit of an ignition system in the firing order of the engine; optionally parade or display pattern and stacked or raster pattern.

Also See
reference ignition pattern

Ignition point

The moment of spark firing.
breaker points.

Ignition point file: See
ignition file

Ignition points: See
breaker points.

Ignition primary: The low-voltage part of the ignition circuit, such as part of the ignition coil wiring, the pickup, electronic ignition module, and ECM. Compare ignition secondary

Ignition retard: Ignition which occurs after top dead center

Ignition secondary: The high-voltage part of the ignition circuit, such as part of the ignition coil wiring, spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor. Compare ignition primary

Ignition setting: See
basic ignition setting

Ignition switch: A control device that is generally operated with a key that closes and opens an electrical current to connect and disconnects the ignition system from the battery so that the engine can be started and stopped as desired. The key should not be removable when the engine is running. It usually has various positions which, besides starting the engine, allow the user to operate the accessories without engaging the engine or to check the bulbs in the warning lights on the dashboard.

Ignition system: The system that provides the electrical current or spark to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chambers. It includes the battery or magneto which sends electricity to the ignition coil if the ignition switch is on. The coil amplifies the electrical charge and sends it to the distributor where it goes through the points and is modified by the condenser. The distributor sends it along the high tension lines (spark plug wires) to the spark plugs where it ignites the air-fuel mixture.

Also See
ballast ignition system
battery ignition system
continuous AC Ignition System
conventional ignition system
direct ignition system
distributorless ignition system
dual ignition system
electronic ignition system
grid-controlled ignition system
hall-effect ignition system
high energy ignition system with electronic spark timing
high energy ignition system
ignition
inductive ignition system
integrated Direct Ignition System
oscillating pick-up ignition system
semiconductor ignition system
twin ignition system

Ignition temperature: See
flash point
particulate ignition temperature

Ignition timing: It is important that the spark coming from the spark plugs ignites the air-fuel mixture at the correct moment determined by the manufacturer of the engine. Often this is a few degrees before top dead center (BTDC). Suppose the specs indicate that it should be set at 5 degrees BTDC, but in actuality it is set at 6 degrees. In that case, the timing is advanced. If it were set at 4 degrees, the timing is retarded. Incorrect ignition timing may result in poor performance and excessive fuel consumption.

Also See
basic ignition setting
basic ignition timing
dynamic ignition timing
mechanical ignition timing
static ignition timing
stroboscopic ignition timing

Ignition-timing control: See
vacuum ignition-timing control

Ignition toolkit: A set of small tools usually comprising 8 small open-ended wrenches (sizes 3/16 - 7/16 in), a feeler gauge, a small screwdriver and a points file

Ignition transformer

A unit that transforms the primary voltage resulting from the capacitor discharge to the required high voltage
Transformer designed to provide a high-voltage current. Used in many heating systems to ignite fuel; provides a spark gap.

Ignition transistor: A transistor that switches the primary current of a transistorized ignition system

Ignition voltage: The voltage at which the spark jumps across the electrodes; 30,000 volts are quite common today.

Also See
required ignition voltage

Ignition wrench

A small, open-ended wrench about 3 inches (75mm) long. It had two jaw openings set at different angles to the handle, e.g., 15° at one end and 60° or 75° at the other. (The British term is electrical spanner). The available jaw sizes were the following

15°	75°	Length
13/64"	15/64"	3"
7/32"	1/4"	3"
1/4"	7/32"	3"
9/32"	5/16"	3-1/2"
5/16"	9/32"	3-1/2"

Ignitor, ceramic: Electric ignition system used in a water glycol solution, forced-air furnace. Electrically heated to create ignition of the gas-air mixture in the combustion chamber.