# Car Q: Are an "engine coil" and an "ignition coil" the same thing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-q-are-an-engine-coil-and-an-ignition-coil-the-same-thing/279374>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 12, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-q-are-an-engine-coil-and-an-ignition-coil-the-same-thing/279374 "2004-12-12T00:31:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-q-are-an-engine-coil-and-an-ignition-coil-the-same-thing/279374/1 "2004-12-12T00:31:03Z")

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Please say yes!

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-q-are-an-engine-coil-and-an-ignition-coil-the-same-thing/279374/2 "2004-12-12T02:20:22Z")

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Yes.

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**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-q-are-an-engine-coil-and-an-ignition-coil-the-same-thing/279374/3 "2004-12-12T02:21:43Z")

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> [@Silentgoldfish](#):
>
> Please say yes!

Yes!  
(Of course I don’t know that to be true. But since you asked…)

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-q-are-an-engine-coil-and-an-ignition-coil-the-same-thing/279374/4 "2004-12-12T06:14:31Z")

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The only point worth adding is that on some cars built in the last 15 or so years, a single coil which works in conjunction with a distributor style device has been replaced with direct ignition where each cylinder is fed by it’s own coil. Google “direct ignition system” if you’d care to read more.