Re: A Tale of Two Condensers

[legendre]

It’s actually quite simple, Richard. The condenser does a couple of jobs, but the most important thing it does is prevent arcing at the points, when they open – and this provides two main benefits:

1) Prevents very rapid erosion (burning) of the points
2) Ensures that the largest possible share of energy in the charged-up ignition coil goes to fire the spark plug gap, rather than waste it arcing in the points gap

– If a condenser is open, it’s like not having one at all (see above).
– If a condenser is shorted, it’s like having a set of points that never open (condensers are wired in parallel with the points)
– If a condenser is leaky, it disrupts the reliable, efficient operation of the ignition – the spark becomes weaker and/or intermittent