Patent ID: 6877495

Claim:
An ignition system for a vehicle comprising: an ignition coil having primary and secondary windings for generating high voltage signals to spark plugs; an electronic control module (ECM) that generates a signal; a distributor having a reluctor assembly that generates a reluctor signal; and an ignition module for receiving a signal from the electronic control module (ECM) and said reluctor assembly, said ignition module having a reluctor input, a bypass signal input, and electronic spark timing (EST) input, and including a microprocessor for generating a control signal to the ignition coil and switching ON and OFF the primary current therein and reducing the duty cycle as applied to the control signal from the ignition module to the ignition coil, wherein the ignition module is operative in a reluctor mode for outputting a control signal based on the reluctor signal received at the reluctor input and a bypass mode in which the control signal follows the electronic spark timing signal input.