Electronics and engine management 26 www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2026 Recognising symptoms of problems early is key to prevention Quality components critical to tackling ignition failure Nissens Automotive takes a deep dive into ignition coils problems to help technicians spot symptoms and causes of typical failures and suggest solutions The introduction of ignition coils to the Nissens engine efficiency portfolio is a significant expansion that adds further depth to the aftermarket specialists’ growing product offering. For independent workshops and technicians responsible for servicing and repairing vehicles, this gives reassurance that the same level of premium quality products and comprehensive technical support that is standard with its existing products, will be carried across to this system-critical component. The typical ignition coil consists of a primary winding, secondary winding, iron core and housing, and is enclosed in a durable, heat resistant casing filled with epoxy for insulation. The primary winding receives low voltage current from the battery, which builds a magnetic field around the iron core. When the current is interrupted, the collapsing magnetic field induces a high voltage surge in the secondary winding. This high voltage is then sent to the spark plug to ignite the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. Most contemporary engines utilise a coil-on-plug (COP) design where the spark plug has its own coil mounted directly on its top, eliminating the need for spark plug wires and improving ignition precision. The pencil coil is a slim, elongated version of COP designed to fit deep into narrow spark plug wells, commonly used in compact engine layouts, and the rail coil design is a single unit with multiple coils mounted together, supplying several sparkplugs from a centralised location. The ignition system and the coil issues directly affect the engine’s operation. As well as noticeably affecting the overall drivability, ignition coil failures can ultimately result in severe damage to the engine and its equipment. Recognising the symptoms of a coil problem early is key to prevention. A faulty or non-performing ignition coil is generally easy to recognise from a range of symptoms. For example, check the engine light — often the first indicator. Diagnostic trouble codes such as P030X (misfire) or P035X (coil circuit fault) point to specific cylinders or coils. Engine stalling is another symptom. Intermittent coil failure may cause the engine to stall unexpectedly, posing safety risks. Ignition coils are subject to various stress factors that can lead to failure. Understanding these helps in accurate diagnosis and prevention. For example, open or shorted windings disrupting the coil’s ability to generate a spark. Overheating and age are common contributors. A range of physical or electrical faults within the coil’s components should also be highlighted, including epoxy insulation failure — breakdown of internal insulation material causing overheating and electrical instability. Nissens ignition coils are developed through rigorous engineering and validated in advanced, among others, European manufacturing facilities. The coils incorporate a series of targeted design enhancements that directly address known failure modes of OE and other aftermarket coils. The initial Nissens ignition coil range caters for more than 230 models, covering in excess of 1,000 OE references across passenger car and light commercial vehicle applications, and offers 65% plus coverage of the European car parc. Visit www.nissens.com/ignition-coil for details.
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