Ignition System: Description and Operation

Misfire: The ECM uses the crankshaft position sensor and camshaft position sensor to monitor changes in the crankshaft rotation for each cylinder.
The ECM counts the number of times the engine speed change rate indicates that misfire has occurred. And when the misfire rate equals or exceeds the count indicating that the engine condition has deteriorated, the MIL lights up.
If the misfire rate is high enough and the driving conditions will cause catalyst overheating, the MIL blinks when misfiring occurs.