I am assuming you jumped it because the starter would not spin the engine because of a lack of battery power. If this is the case then the spining alternator would provide the electricity for the ignition. but a bad battery would not charge so it would have to be jumped every time to start it. When the battery got bad enough to go to a dead or near dead short it sucks up all the juice when jumping so that there is not enough left to activate the ignition system. Mabye.