
186 LIGHT AND HEAVY VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
1 An electrical discharge with associated arcing would
occur across the separating contact-breaker points,
thereby shortening their useful life.
2 A rapid collapse of the magnetic field would be
prevented and thus the high-tension voltage available
from the coil secondary circuit would be reduced.
A capacitor (or condenser, as it was once known in the
motor industry) therefore becomes indispensable to
satisfactory operation of the ignition system. Since the
function of a capacitor is to provide temporary storage
for electrical energy, it is connected in parallel with
(across) the distributor contact-breake ...