An ignition system is the under-the-hood component that orchestrates the process of burning the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber of an engine. The ignition system is the very heart of an internal combustion engine because it directs the conversion of fuel to power. An engine only gets one chance to start the combustion of the fuel-air mixture, so efficient performance is critical. As an analogy, think of lighting your back yard BBQ: once the flame has started, holding the match to the charcoal longer, or throwing more matches at it, will not help after the fire has already been lit. Other manufacturers’ systems create multiple sparks or use long-duration sparks in the hope of scavenging unburned fuel-air molecules they failed to ignite the first time around. This strategy is an ineffective, after-the-fact fix for poor initial design that has been marketed as a “benefit”. These designs leave unburned, wasted fuel in the exhaust stream, causing diminished performance, increased pollution and reduced fuel economy. Catalytic converters and fuel additives such as MTBE are designed to make up for the shortcomings of traditional and aftermarket ignition systems. But they have turned out to be environmental nightmares in their own right, polluting landfills and drinking water supplies with concentrated poisons.