In today’s complex vehicles it is not as clear as it once was when vehicle maintenance should be performed. Cars that were made 25 years ago had much less efficient systems than cars of today. One example of this is the ignition system. Contact sets and condensers were much more prone to failure than today’s Distributorless Ignition Systems (D.I.S.). These point sets, as they were known, were parts that gradually wore out and were very inefficient. As they wore out, fuel economy would get worse plus the harmful emissions out of the tailpipe would increase to dangerous levels. The only real "advantage" to this system was that the gradual wear gave the motorist some advance warning that this system needed attention and repair. Tune-ups every twelve thousand miles were common, as motorists would sense the impending trouble and avert breakdowns with preventive maintenance.
The dramatic improvements in technology helped to replace these inefficient systems with high tech solutions that were very fuel and emission sensitive. The Federal government mandated that the car manufacturers do two things; improve fuel economy and reduce harmful emissions from the tailpipe. Both of these problems had some common fixes. Igniting a leaner mixture in the combustion chamber was one. It improved fuel economy while reducing the unburned fuel, thus reducing the amount of raw gas that would come out of the tailpipe. This raw gas, known as hydrocarbons, was one of the chief pollutants that the car manufacturers were trying to eliminate. To achieve this they needed to create a "hotter" spark at the spark plug. This is what created the need to evolve and improve the ignition system. Gone were the contact sets and condensers. They were replaced in the early to mid 70’s with a control module and magnetic pick up. The key difference is that these parts did not come in contact with each other. They replaced the old wearing points. They operated electronically, hence the name electronic ignition. As time went on, these electronic ignition systems continued to evolve and get more sophisticated. By the middle 90’s most cars were operating a computer controlled ignition system that probably did not contain a distributor. These new D.I.S. systems receive information from a variety of sensors. With the help of these sensors the computer would determine the most optimum time to fire the spark plug, plus when to allow the fuel injectors to open and for how long. This system works very well. It is very efficient compared to the old ignition systems of the 60’s and 70’s. Most importantly it has allowed the car manufacturers to improve fuel economy and reduce harmful pollutants.
The only drawback that the average motorist has encountered as a result of this sophistication is the lack of a gradual warning to possible problems. The old systems went bad gradually, and you knew when to expect trouble. These new systems may go bad without any advance warning. Or said differently, sitting on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck as you were on your way to an important appointment. To compensate for this lack of warning, the car manufacturers installed the "check engine" light on your dashboard. This light is there to warn the motorist about possible problems with the operation of the vehicle. Sometimes this light goes on when there are no apparent symptoms or problems. BUT don’t take this lightly. It is the car manufacturers way of giving you as much advance notice to potential problems as possible. In a lot of cases this will be the only warning that you will receive before a crisis hits.
The key point to remember is that when you see the "check engine" light on, you should seek advice. This advice can come from any qualified service technician, it does not necessarily mean only the car dealership where you bought your vehicle. Most qualified, ASE Certified technicians can assist you when the "check engine" light comes on. You do have choices, check with your service professional, car dealer, or auto parts store for referrals to find a qualified technician. Remember, "check engine" means just that.
