The coil of a solenoid will have an associated duty cycle it is designed for; for Pontiac Coil solenoids, there are three duty cycle options. First is the continuous duty cycle; it is designed to be activated indefinitely. Second is the intermittent duty cycle; it can be activated for short periods of time but must then be deactivated to allow the coil to cool down. This cool down time allows for a higher coil power, creating more force for the armature. Third is the pulse duty cycle; this type is energized just long enough to allow the armature to seat before cool down. Maximum force is developed with a pulse duty cycle.