How long should distributor cap last

Sure, the crankshaft sensor, camshaft sensor and throttle position sensor, among others, can wear out over time, but there's no recommended interval for replacement. The powertrain control module PCM receives signals from these sensors all the time. If the signal stops, the check engine light comes on, and the code from the PCM will give the repair technician the necessary auto part information to find the exact sensor that needs to be replaced at that time.

This leaves almost nothing for the shade-tree mechanic to do on a Saturday afternoon. Those folks will have to be happy wrenching on cars built before , with their shorter car part longevity and regular maintenance intervals. But all cars need regular oil and filter changes -- without that basic bit of maintenance, the ignition system can't continue on for ,plus miles more than , kilometers with few repairs.

Even with this reduced maintenance, some ignition system parts will still need to be replaced. Go to the next page for more car part information. In distributorless and COP systems, few, if any, ignition system parts need to be replaced. But when these auto parts do need to be replaced, it can be tricky. In some cases, car part longevity can work against itself.

Houser points out that if the spark plugs are left in for a full , miles , kilometers or so, they can be very difficult to remove. Steel spark plugs can fuse with aluminum cylinder heads as they bond themselves together. When the repair tech tries to remove the plugs, they can break into several pieces. At the very least, this process requires special tools. In the worst case, the cylinder head will need to be replaced.

And while the PCM and its sensors can perform without fail for years, another new technological addition can cause problems. Electronic theft deterrents are being built into the ignition cylinder to keep thieves from stealing cars.

A chip inside the cylinder "talks" to a chip in the key. If it can't find that chip, the car won't start. So, what happens if the chip in the key fails? Either the car has to be towed to the dealership or a certified specialist needs to come to the car. In either case, the theft deterrent system needs to be reprogrammed. Believe it or not, auto part longevity is about to get even longer.

The state of California wants to see an extended warranty on new car ignition systems of 10 years or , miles , kilometers. This will mean notching up the quality of the current auto parts, like the crankshaft sensors and the coils.

However, Houser thinks the auto manufacturers will have no trouble meeting these new standards. The reduced need for maintenance and car part replacement means keeping a vehicle for several years is much cheaper than it once was, and with fewer parts being tossed in the garbage, it's better for the environment, too. As Macaulay says, "It's worlds apart from the cars of the '70s. For more information about ignition systems, auto part longevity and other related topics, follow the links on the next page.

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It also controls the timing advance and tells the coil when to fire. The plug wire conveys that spark voltage to the plug. Otherwise, the car may not start.

Thanks, this car belonged to my uncle. I have only been driving it for about 4 months at this point. If it has been changed, it must have been a long time ago. As to engine performance, a good used cap will work as well as a brand new one. Caps and rotors can be visually inspected for any faults. As long as the tip of the rotor contact is not burned away slight burning if ok , the cap terminals are not disentegrated, and there is no carbon tracking, the cap and rotor should be fine.

That carbon track is the spark snaking its way from one terminal to another since it could not go through a faulty spark plug, plug wire, etc. Since the vehicle has k miles the first thing that should be done in a shop situation anyway is run a compression test to weed out any mechanical problem.

If the compression is up to par then move on to things like plugs, wires, carburetion, vacuum leaks, etc. And if you remove the dist. There should be no movement.

If there is noticeable movement then this means the dist. Hope some of that helps. If the carburetor has been rebuilt, see if the floats were replaced. In ignition systems with a single coil and distributor, a bad coil or a cracked distributor cap or rotor can prevent the spark plugs from firing.

On multi-coil, distributorless ignition systems and coil-on-plug systems; one coil failure may cause an engine to misfire, but it won't prevent it from starting. Can a bad distributor cause rough idle? Bad spark plugs, bad spark plug wires and a bad distributor cap are other common causes of rough idling.

A distributor cap regulates the firing order of your vehicle's engine. These are just a few items that could cause a rough idle. How much does it cost to replace distributor cap and rotor?

Some aftermarket replacement part kits also include an ignition coil. What does a new distributor cap do? Distributor caps and rotors are responsible for passing the voltage from the ignition coils to the engine's cylinders in order to ignite the fuel-air mixture inside and power the engine.

The coil connects directly to the rotor, and the rotor spins inside the distributor cap. What happens when distributor cap gets wet? What's happening is that the moisture that's stuck inside the distributor cap is compromising your spark.

The spark is sufficient when all the other conditions are perfect, but once rain or moist air steal additional energy via the old spark plug wires, the engine starts misfiring. How do you know when a coil is bad?

One of the most common symptoms associated with a faulty ignition coil is engine performance issues. Another symptom of a potential issue with the vehicle's ignition coils is an illuminated Check Engine Light. Car is not starting. What are the symptoms of bad ignition coils? Here are some of the most common symptoms of bad ignition coil. CNP Coil Type. Should I replace coils with spark plugs?

In cases like this, to prevent future problems, your mechanic may recommend replacing all three rear ignition coils. Whenever one of the ignition coils goes bad, it's also recommended replacing all spark plugs if they haven't been replaced in a while.