ACCUSPARK PROBLEM

[Morgana]

The capacitor prevents arcing which is a good thing all round, not just for the reduced points erosion. It means the time taken for the charge to decrease is greatly reduced, so there is a single spark rather than a drawn-out arc which not only stresses the coil but makes timing irregular. In other words, the primary current changes much faster, meaning the magnetic field in the coil collapses more quickly, which leads to the induced secondary voltage being instantaneously higher. Result? Better sparking at the plug and no arcing so erosion, burning and pitting of the points is greatly reduced. If you think of arcing as being the same process as arc welding, you can imagine what that does to the metal's surface.