Go Kart Engine Diagnostics: Solid State Ignition Failure Detection

I have had a couple of times where I had some dramatic failures occur on my go kart engines. One time I had a chain snap and the chain made a ferocious clunk and then fell off the go kart. The funny thing is that the engine kept running, and I had to shut it off.

I replaced the chain and ran into a peculiar problem. The engine would not start.

This is where most of us, with NO engine experience just throw up our hands and kick the go kart and go away. Then we throw it in the back of the pickup and bring it over to “Smokin Joes Lawnmower Repair.” There we spend about $200 to have the engine fixed.

I am here to tell you forget about going to “Smokin Joes.

First of all a basic understanding of ignition systems is required. (I am assuming that you understand the Otto Cycle or 4 cycle engine theory, so I will dispense with that SnoozeVille explanation)

Ignition systems are basically partial generators. The flywheel has a magnet, and the Magneto has a coil of wire in it.

The theory behind electric current is that when a wire (a simple wire ) is passed through a magnetic field that an electric current is induced into the wire.

And conversely, when a wire is induced with an electric current it gives off a magnetic field.

The Magneto (the device that the spark plug wire comes out of) has a coil of wire in it plus a core of iron to attract or concentrate the magnetic flux lines into the wire.

The wire then gets an instantaneous jump in electricity as the magnetic field in the flywheel passes by it. The sudden increase in electricity is concentrated as high voltage which is released as a spark in the spark plug.

The timing, or the firing of the electricity to the spark plug is regulated by circuitry. This particular circuitry is activated by a small magnetic sensing switch (which looks like a small cylinder of steel tucked in with the coil). When the magnet passes by the magnetic field activates the switch. The switch then releases the coil energy into the spark plug.

The spark plug is nothing more than a glorified jumping bridge for electricity. We all are familiar with this static discharge when we scrub our feet against the floor and the reach out and touch somebody. A spark jumps when we get close, like .125 inches and closer.

The design of the spark plug is to keep the electricity isolated up to the bridge. Once the electricity from behind shoves real hard, it forces the electrons in front to jump. Kind of like getting pushed off of a bridge.

So the white part of the spark plug is non-conductive and an insulator. The metal part is isolated from the rest of the spark plug and only becomes integral when spark completes the circuit or jumps across the gap.

Obviously, sparks cause the right concentration of Oxygen and Combustible gases or even dust, to ignite. Ignition is the excited state of electrons jumping from one molecule to another. This excited state releases heat and light: we call that flame or ionized gas.

Next time we will discuss how to trouble shoot the ignition system so that you do not have to pay Smokin Joes what you just have learned…and will learn.

The popularity of compact cars is on the rise. Skyrocketing oil prices and constantly-improving features of these cars are just a couple of the main reasons why buyers are grabbing compacts off the shelves. And nowadays compact cars are not only the choice because of their fuel efficiency and practicality, but also because of their affordable price and excellent value for money.

The compact car is defined as a car that is a tad smaller than medium-sized cars or sedans. The term compact car is mainly North American in origin, and in Europe, compacts are known as “small family cars”.

Let’s go back a few years and see how today’s modern compacts came to be.

A brief history of compacts: European and US Market

After World War II, European manufacturers mainly featured two vehicle types: small cars or superminis and large sedans or super saloons. Some of these manufacturers discovered that a lot of middle class buyers wanted a larger version of the superminis, and this led to the creation of small family cars - the forerunner of today’s compact cars. The first successful line of makes and models that came out during this time are: Volkswagen Golf, Renault 5, Fiat Ritmo, Citroen GSA, and the Opel Kadett.

Although compact cars have been manufactured in the United States even before World War II, some consider the first modern compacts to have come out from the years 1958 to 1960, namely: the Studebaker Lark, Chevrolet Corvair, Ford Falcon and Plymouth Valiant.

Today, modern compact cars have generally smaller dimensions and they are more fuel efficient than their predecessors and even compared to today’s mid-sized cars-averaging anywhere from 20 to 50+miles per gallon.

Here are just a few things that you can expect from a modern compact car:

Back to basics

For the consumer who wants an affordable, no-frills compact, manufacturers (ranging from European to US to Japanese and Korean) offer basic models that cost around $10,000. Read: no power windows, no CD player, and no cruise control. For something that cheap, what can you expect? But these cars are efficient, reliable, and cheaper to operate.

Roomier options and Additional Performance

Customers who are looking for something with more options and features in addition to a roomier interior must be willing to shell out as much as $15,000 to $21,000. For those who might think that this is too steep a price for a compact, features like intelligent keyless entry, keyless ignition, Bluetooth, in-dash 6-CD changer with MP3 capability and satellite radio might change their minds.

And if it’s flat-out performance you are looking for, there are compacts that bring as much as 263 horsepower in a package that boasts a snowboard-friendly cabin featuring fold down seats, which boosts interior room.

The Bottom Line

Compact cars should definitely be on the top of your list when shopping for that brand new or pre-owned car. Simply put, for those who are looking for a practical, fuel-efficient, and stylish vehicle, modern compact cars will certainly fit the bill.

We all know that good things come in small packages. But who would have known that in these hard times, compact cars could give you more bang for your dwindling buck?