91nbtsi wrote:
You can see the trigger wheel on the cam sprocket and the pickup.

now i feel dumb

92BlackTT wrote:
does that motor use a hall switch? i dont htink you can use a coil per cylinder with one unless you had two triggers?

I am pretty sure that car is using megasquirt with a ford EDIS ignition system. You can see the trigger wheel on the cam sprocket and the pickup. It is possible to run a 4 cylinder with sequential ignition with that setup.

EDIT: I take that back, it is not using a Ford setup. But, it is using some type of ignition system with a trigger wheel and VR sensor...

I am not sure which system, but it surely could support the COP.

92BlackTT wrote:
the book nate just wrote is true.. but that doesnt change the fact that the car is dumb.

Lol. That car is pretty stupid.

ichibankilla wrote:
I could be wrong but don't funny cars and top fuel dragsters run 2 wires per cylinder, I could swear I've seen it or at least heard about it before. Not sure of the reason unless it's for the "wasted spark" your talking about. I always thought they where for a backup, a redundant system, so if one fails there's one to back it up.
I never got into the more advanced workings of ignition systems, I put in my msd box and looked a few schematics to trace wires but that's the extent of my knowledge.

I do not think that is related. I believe the ones you are thinking of have 2 sets of plugs, and pretty much two ignition systems.

slowvo wrote:
wasted spark and dual plugs/cylinder are different....
waste spark just means that there is 1 coil for 2 clyinders....

Also, if those 4 wires are grounded...it would effect the spark for the cylinder that the other wire is going to....the engine wouldnt run....

if the wires REALLY dont go anywhere....then why are they acually there? this setup would work with those coils......if there were only 4 wires....

What happens when you have a wasted spark system and you take one wire off? It arcs at the coil, through the wire boot, because that is less resistance than jumping the 2 feet to the block. If what you are saying is true, all the current would go through the connected wire(path of least resistance) and not arc on the open terminal.

Here is why...

The current only flows one direction. If the other wire isn't grounded, returning current will try to arc back to the terminal on the coil and have a lot of resistance. Where as if the un-used plug wire is grouned, it just provides a return path for the current. The current goes out one terminal and jumps the plug gap and goes into the block and then is supposed to jump the companion cylinders plug gap and go back to the coil. So, if the other wire was just grounded, it would provide an easier path back to the coil. It does this because it is an induced current from the collapsing magnetic field in the primary side of the coil. Since it is DC, the current will only flow one way. The coils are setup so that the magnetic field causes the current to go in the direction of the spark plug that you want to fire, so that you get the most voltage in the place the engine needs it. All it needs is a complete circuit. The un-used return wire will complete the circuit.

I maybe wrong but I think I am right.

Also, if those 4 wires are grounded...it would effect the spark for the cylinder that the other wire is going to....the engine wouldnt run....

if the wires REALLY dont go anywhere....then why are they acually there? this setup would work with those coils......if there were only 4 wires....

dynotune wrote:
wasted spark- see they are there, but they're not firing anything (they are wasted!!!) No, I am not familiar with that particular engine but I believe it has 8 spark plugs (four on the pass side)

Lol. I like your wasted spark theory. I can't find anything to say the 3s-gte has 8 plugs...all I can find is distributor caps with 4 terminals. Anyone know forsure? It is pretty gay whatever it has going...

dynotune wrote:
waste spark ignition

I am a little confused at what they have going on. They aren't doing wasted spark, they would only have 2 coils. They must be using an EMS that has 4 coil triggers...and had those coils laying around? I have no clue. They wouldn't run wires to the back of the car from the front for a second engine.. The only thing I can think of is those coils hooked up easy and they just have the other non-used wires shorting to ground. I dunno, but it looks pretty stupid, they need to figure out how to change the ignition settings in their ECU to run wasted spark, or get different coils.

Maybe they tapped some holes into the side of their cylinder and are running 8 plugs?? haha.