In internal combustion engines with spark ignition and mechanically timed ignition, a distributor is an enclosed spinning switch. The primary duty of the distributor is to provide high-voltage electricity from the ignition coil to the spark plugs in the proper firing sequence and for the proper duration.
Diverse trigger designs are possible for distributors. As a result, you must be aware of the ideal trigger style for your engine. The four most typical trigger designs for distributors are as follows:
A revolving arm, sometimes referred to as a rotor, is located within the distributor cap and on top of the distributor shaft makes up the distributor. The camshaft or a gear that spins the rotor finally connects the spinning shaft to the crankshaft. Through a spring-loaded carbon brush, the rotor makes contact with the main high-voltage wire coming from the coil. The output contacts, which are subsequently connected to each cylinder's spark plug through high-tension wires, are then passed by the rotor arm, but it avoids touching them. Thus, through the distributor cap, the rotor makes and loses contact with the spark plug wires. There is high voltage energy in the distributor that can jump the little distance between the rotor arm and the contact. The same shaft opens and shuts the points simultaneously.
The contact breaker will be operated by a cam on the distributor shaft, which is a protruding portion of a rotating wheel or shaft that hits a lever at one or more places along its circular path. A large induction voltage will result from opening the points in the ignition coil of the vehicle.
The ignition wires that connect to the spark plugs receive high-voltage power from the ignition coil at the ignition (or distributor) cap. An electrical link is created by the metal contacts in the cap and the contacts in the ignition wires, and the electricity is then transmitted to each spark plug in the order that they fire.
The internal components of the distributor are shielded by the distributor cap, which also serves to hold the connections between the internal rotor and the spark plug wires. There are many issues that might arise as a result of a defective distributor; here are some of them.
Poor engine performance, such as stalling, misfiring, and sluggish acceleration, can be brought on by a defective distributor. The inability of the air-fuel combination to burn effectively is what leads to power loss and misfiring.
The engine light begins to glow after the engine control unit sends a signal to the instrument cluster because the engine is misfiring.
Complete combustion will not occur if spark plugs are not receiving enough current due to a malfunctioning distributor and are not lighting at the appropriate moment according to the firing sequence. And it will produce a lot of emissions.
Engines that misfire vibrate excessively and make strange noises.