Contact Point

Function/Mechanism

In a gasoline engine system, fuel-air mixture is compressed in the combustion chamber and then ignited by electric spark, and the energy of the fuel-air mixture combustion is turned into reciprocal power. Generating an ignition spark on the electrodes of a spark plug requires more than 15kV. To generate this voltage, either a mechanical point system or a pointless system is used. The pointless system has two types - a fully transistorized one or a direct ignition system. In the mechanical point system, the contact point, or the distributor breaker point as it is often called, intermittently interrupts the electrical current flow on the primary side of the ignition coil, thus generating high voltage at the proper ignition timing in the secondary side.
The distributor then distributes the current in the designated firing order to the spark plug(s) of each cylinder through the rotor revolving inside.

Points:
are made of highly purified tungsten, which offers excellent durability against the arcs that are generated when the current in the ignition coil is interrupted (points open) and still tries to flow. (These arcs fuse and damage the points.) The points are designed to ensure contact is even and centered. This ensures proper intermittence of the current throughout the life time of the contact points.

Advantage of Genuine Nissan Parts

High quality and high performance in accordance with stringent design and manufacturing standards: The components of genuine Nissan contact points are designed and manufactured with great precision, thus minimizing uneven contact and chattering. (See the section on quality comparison test.) The shape and heel width of the cam follower are also designed to achieve the optimum duration of current flow. Some aftermarket parts in which the heel width and shape do not match with cam shape may not have the appropriate duration of the current flow, thus being unable to generate sufficient voltage.

Long service life:
Genuine Nissan contact points are made of highly purified tungsten which offers excellent durability against arcs, thus minimizing fusing and pimples on the contact surface. The cam follower is made of an oil-permeated plastic which is highly resistant to abrasion. In addition, the arm shaft has oil grooves to retain the oil for a long period of time even at high temperatures. In inferior aftermarket contact points, the cam follower may break, the arm bushing may seize up and the bushing material may deteriorate due to gas produced inside the distributor as the high voltage current is distributed.

User friendliness and added value as a service part:
Genuine Nissan contact points for service use have paper between the points to keep them clean until they are installed in customers' vehicles. A special grease to apply on to the cam follower for preventing abrasion of the cam and cam follower is also enclosed in the service part package as a kit. The grease is packed in a special colored film to protect it from ultra violet ray and to enable it to be stored for a long time.

Genuine Photos/Illustrations

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Surface of the points

Genuine Nissan Parts Non-Genuine Parts
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Description

Genuine Nissan Contact Points provide:

  1. Easy engine starting
  2. Smooth acceleration
  3. Outstanding durability
Inferior contact points cause the following problems
  1. Poor engine starts caused by slower ignition timing.
  2. Decreased engine power and poor acceleration due to misfiring caused by unsatisfactory voltage.
  3. Short service life caused by poor durability.
Please be sure you are not sold imitation contact points. They look alike, but differ a lot.

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