Ignition System: Description
The Mitsubishi electronic ignition system, used on the Mazda RX7 rotary engine, is unique in that it has 2 sets of spark plugs leading and trailing). There is one set in the front rotor housing and one in the rear rotor housing. See Fig 1. There are also 2 ignition coils, 2 pick-up coils located in the distributor, and 2 coil-to-distributor high tension wires.
There are 2 separate igniters, mounted externally on the distributor housing. One is for the leading side and the other for the trailing side. Other system components include a battery, ignition switch, ignition control switches, (water temperature, altitude, etc.), and various relays.
All models are equipped with an ignition control system and centrifugal advance mechanisms. All models have vacuum control units for both leading and trailing sides.