COP Ignition Systems

Manufacturers began omitting the distributor from earlier ignition systems to reduce cost and improve the performance of their engines. Soon after went the secondary ignition wires. Ignition wires are expensive and wear. In addition, they were often considered a weak point in the ignition system.

These two components are eliminated on (COP) Coil on Plug ignition systems. The ignition coils are placed directly over the spark plugs.

In earlier distributorless systems, each coil produces a spark for more than one cylinder. In a COP ignition system, each coil supplies spark to only one cylinder. There is no waste spark.

These systems require a crankshaft position sensor and usually a camshaft position sensor for ignition timing. The PCM calculates these signals and sends a signal directly to the cylinder's coil, which may or may not contain its own IC module.