Automotive As well Hottest Cars

Steering System worm gear box

2011-08-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

A worm gear box style of steering system is constructed of two main parts much like the rack and pinion style system. The main part is called a worm gear; the other is a selector shaft gear. The worm gear is connected to the pitman arm and then to a center link and tie rod ends. The opposing end of the center link is supported by an idler arm, which is located on the opposite side of the frame from the steering box. The Rack And pinion Steering System

Steering Box (worm)
Steering can be either power or manual. Power steering utilizes a hydraulic pump mounted on the engine, and driven with a serpentine belt. The fluid in the system is held under pressure until the wheel is turned which releases the pressure and applies it to the steering system. The power steering system fluid should be checked at every service interval. Fluid leaks are a common problem on power steering systems. When a leak is detected inspect the system to determine the course of action, then remove damaged or worn parts and reassemble. Refill system with approved fluid for you particular vehicle. When the power steering system is low a groaning noise will be heard when the vehicle steering is activated. This is caused by the power steering pump scavenging for fluid and taking in air.
When the engine is off or the system has run completely out of fluid it will be very difficult to steer the vehicle. It is advised not to move a vehicle with power steering when either of these conditions exists. Any steering component malfunction can cause the vehicle to be uncontrollable. All steering components should be inspected for "play" at regular intervals and replaced as needed. When steering components are replaced an alignment is required. Power steering system maintenance is required periodically according to the manufacturer's instructions for your vehicle. Most manufacturers recommend having the hydraulic fluid in the power steering system changed every 60,000 miles

Steering System worm gear box

Steering System Rack and Pinion

2011-08-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

What is Steering System?
Steering system in automobiles, steering wheel, gears, linkages, and other components used to control the direction of a vehicle's motion. Because of friction between the front tires and the road, especially in parking, effort is required to turn the steering wheel. To lessen the effort required, the wheel is connected through a system of gears to components that position the front tires. The gears give the driver a mechanical advantage, i.e., they multiply the force he applies, but they also increase the distance through which he must turn the wheel in order to turn the tires a given amount. Various types of gear assemblies, none with any decisive advantages over the others, are used, although some manufacturers prefer a rack-and-pinion system. In faster, heavier cars the amount of force required to turn the tires can be very great. Many of these cars use a power-steering system.

There are basically two styles of vehicle steering systems, rack and pinion and worm gear box. Rack and pinion steering is one of the oldest types of steering systems and is still used today. Inside the rack body a flat rack gear moves in a linear direction driven by a circular gear called a pinion. The steering wheel is connected to the pinion gear (shaft).

Rack and Pinion Steering
The rack gear is connected to an inner tie rod end that is covered by a rubber bellow. The inner tie rod end is connected to the outer tie rod end. These rod ends have the ability to move in any linear direction. Finally, the tie rod end is connected to the wheel spindle.

Rack Bellow, Inner Tie Rod, Outer Tie Rod End

Tie Rod End

Steering System Rack and Pinion Assembly

Hottest cars (21 LINKS)

2011-06-12T03:52:00.000-07:00

New car style 10 links

2011-06-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

New car style the Most Expensive Ram Truck Ever: 2011 Ram Laramie Longhorn
New Car Style, Aston Martin Cygnet Concept
New Car Style, New Police Car from Ford
New Car Style., An Ode to 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
New Car style, 2010 Caterham Seven Lambretta Special Edition
New car style,Ghazal-1 from Saudi Arabia
New car style 2011 Ford Shelby GT500
New Car sTyle, New Armored Vehicles from BMW
New Car style, Lamborghini Reventon Is Finally Revealed
New Car Style, First Drive: 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports

Mitsubishi Cars Incoming 2011

2011-06-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse
The 2011 Eclipse is a 2-door, 4-passenger family coupe, or sports coupe, available in 3 trims, ranging from... r the GS to the GT.
Upon introduction, the GS is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 162-horsepower engine that achieves 20-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The GT is equipped with a standard 3.8-liter, V6, 265-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard
2011 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder
The 2011 Eclipse Spyder is a 2-door, 4-passenger convertible, or convertible sports car, available in two... trims, the GS Sport and the GT.
Upon introduction, the GS Sport is equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 162-horsepower engine that achieves 19-mpg in the city and 26-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The GT is equipped with a standard 3.8-liter, V6, 265-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
2011 Mitsubishi Endeavor
he 2011 Endeavor is a 4-door, 5-passenger sport-utility, available in 3 trims, ranging from the LS 2WD to... the SE AWD.
Upon introduction, the LS 2WD is equipped with a standard 3.8-liter, V6, 225-horsepower engine that achieves 15-mpg in the city and 21-mpg on the highway. The SE AWD is equipped with a standard 3.8-liter, V6, 225-horsepower engine that achieves 15-mpg in the city and 19-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims.
2011 Mitsubishi Galant
The 2011 Galant is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in two trims, the ES and the SE.
Upon... introduction, both trims are equipped with a standard 2.4-liter, I4, 160-horsepower engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 30-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.
2011 Mitsubishi Lancer
The 2011 Lancer is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in 4 trims, ranging from the DE to the Ralliart
Upon introduction, the DE is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 148-horsepower engine that achieves 24-mpg in the city and 33-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The Ralliart is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 237-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard.
2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
The 2011 Lancer Sportback is a 4-door, 5-passenger wagon, available in 3 trims, ranging from the ES to the... Ralliart.
Upon introduction, the ES is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 148-horsepower engine that achieves 24-mpg in the city and 32-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard, and a variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is optional. The Ralliart is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 237-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 17-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard.

AUDI R18 TDI LE MANS PROTOTYPE

2011-06-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

Audi Sport announced their latest weapon to defend their Le Mans victories, earlier this evening in Germany.

The Audi R18 is the first closed coupe Audi since the R8C in 1999.
In recent years, Audi have developed open cockpit Le Mans prototypes, while main rivals, Peugeot have concentrated on Coupe designs. Both offer advantages and disadvantages, but Audi now feel the Coupe route is the way to go.

Aerodynamics will play a larger role as engine size has been reduced for 2011. Audi will run an all new 3.7 Litre Twin Turbo V6 TDi. Downsizing engines is the latest trend in many forms of motorsport.

The R18 also shows off the vertical fin on the engine cover, which is now mandatory in all ACO championships.
Designed as a Safety feature, to reduce rollovers and flips, this ungainly device will be a feature of all prototypes.

This top view shows some interesting details, including tall rear fender flares with tapered inner surfaces. The engine air intake is at the front of the windscreen and blends into the vertical fin and engine cover. The chassis is now a single carbon conponent, to improve stiffness.
Audi also confirmed the car will have identical front and rear wheel diameters, pioneered by Acura/HPD in the ALMS. This allows for a more balanced weight distribution, but wider front fenders.

One of the most striking features is the nose. Similar to the R15, the new car has distinctive LED headlamps and will light up a ‘1’ in daytime running to remind Peugeot who won Le Mans!
The R18 will makes its debut at the Le Mans test day at the end of April, prior to its first race at Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours in May.
Audi will enter three cars at the 24 hours of Le Mans in June. The R18 will make its American debut at next year’s Petit Le Mans.

In the meantime, this does mean Audi Sport will run the older R15 Plus at the Sebring 12 hours, one assumes with the vertical fin.An extensive testing programme is already underway. The R18 taking to the track last month in the hands of Allan McNish.
Peugeot have tested their 90X prototype, but have not made a formal announcement on their 2011 car.
I wonder if Batman needs a new car?

-Andy Blackmore

All images: Audi

Diesel Fuel Systems : The quiet diesel evolution

2011-05-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

The quiet diesel evolution
Clean biodiesel fuels, dual fuel CNG/diesel injection systems and similar innovations are helping to clean up diesel emissions—and so are microprocessors. The improvements made in the last few years to light-duty diesel engines are very impressive. Automobile technicians sometimes tend to avoid servicing diesels, but it’s time to reconsider; today’s diesel technology is fascinating, and a deeper understanding could prove beneficial.

You may recall from an earlier TechNews Clean Diesels article that a diesel mega-boom is forecast.
The demand is driven by the need for better fuel economy, without sacrificing power and vehicle space. Before long we’ll be seeing more light-duty diesel passenger vehicles, SUVs/crossovers and light trucks. All this, thanks to improved engine design, improved air management systems (variable rate turbos), more sophisticated fuel injection (FI) systems, after-treatment devices (for NOx and particulates) and electronic controls that have reinvented the once noisy-stinky diesel. Here, we’ll look into one aspect of the diesel’s improved performance—the quiet diesel evolution. Diesels are so improved they’re now being accepted “uptown” by discriminating luxury car owners who’ve decided to “buy in.”

A Bit of Theory
Recall that gasoline engines are spark ignited (SI). Usually gasoline is ingested with air into engine cylinders with a relatively low compression ratio (~9:1) to avoid preignition and possible detonation (knock) of fuel during the compression stroke. Because the diesel takes in air alone, it can tolerate much higher compression ratios (23.5:1 and higher) to achieve “more bang for the buck.” Air is compressed until “white hot” (Charles’ Law), so it’s hot enough to auto-ignite the fuel when it arrives. Fuel injection pressure must be high enough to overcome compression, for proper mixing, and correct compression-ignition timing. But injection is not instantaneous; “injection lag”—the time required to build injection pressure and get it to the nozzle and “pop” it open—delays things. Once fuel is injected, “ignition lag” also occurs.
Injector design and spray pattern, compression temperature, fuel cetane rating, and more influence ignition lag.
The “lag” during the compression stroke tends to cause diesel fuel to ignite spontaneously, thus creating the familiar diesel knock or “clatter” sound; upon ignition, cylinder pressure suddenly rises and “rings” the cylinder. In gasoline SI engines, such pressure spikes lead to destruction of pistons, rings, and bearings, but the diesel engine is more robust. Today, to reduce the annoying rattle (along with emissions), engineers have smoothed the combustion process. Much as a basketball is best dribbled with a smooth downward motion of the hand and wrist (rather than by slapping it), a piston should move smoothly from its upward compression stroke to its downward power stroke. Smooth up-down piston transition requires not only precise timing of fuel injection, but also of the delivery rate, for differing speed and load conditions.
Traditionally, light and medium duty diesel engines for motor vehicles have used “indirect injection” (IDI). With IDI, fuel is injected into a red-hot pre-combustion chamber (“pre-cup”) or a swirl chamber for less noisy combustion. IDI engines use a “throttling” pintle-type nozzle to introduce a very fine “pilot-injection” of fuel for less abrupt ignition. Once ignition starts in the pre-cup, the rate of fuel delivery is increased, and a rich expanding/swirling flame is then “blown” through an orifice into the main chamber to drive the piston downward. Delivery of fuel then tapers off until combustion can no longer be sustained in the excess of air (as much as a 40:1 ratio at idle), making the IDI diesel a relatively quiet and economical diesel engine—but still not acceptable to many American motorists, or for the EPA.
High injection pressures are needed to rapidly swirl and mix the fuel-air mixture for complete homogenizing and burning of fuel for economy, low emissions and less combustion noise. Yet peak injection line pressures (before the nozzle opens) for IDI are limited— some in-line pump injection systems could climb to near 12,000 psi; smaller engines using distributor type (rotary) pumps would run lower pressures.
Both in-line and rotary pumps use individual high-pressure (injection) lines to deliver fuel to nozzleholder-assemblies (NHA) on the cylinder head, but such long injection lines radiate undesired noise and add to injection lag, and parts sometimes suffered from cavitation erosion.

Throttling Nozzle Spray Pattern
The throttling-pintle nozzle is used for indirect-injection (IDI) of fuel in earlier light-duty diesel engines. A pilot-injection “pre-spray”(left) starts ignition prior to the main-injection (further right). Direct-injected (DI) engines achieved similar pilot-injection using a two-spring NHA. Today, microprocessors manage rate shaping electronically for much greater precision.

Solving Noise Problems
To overcome these limitations, today’s direct injection (DI) systems have much shorter injection lines, if any at all. Plus, the fuel injection process is much more precise to quiet the “clatter.” Much like electronic Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) electronically shapes voltage, fuel injection timing and delivery is “rateshaped”— hydraulically speaking— to allow softer/quieter combustion.
Fuel is now delivered in pulses:

a “lean” pilot injection of fuel (between 1 and 4 cubic mm) and up to 90 degrees BTDC) to achieve ignition with reduced noise;

the “main-injection” of fuel to develop engine torque and complete the power stroke; and

an additional injection pulse for after-burning of pollutants in the converter. Prior to microelectronics, injection systems used a variety of mechanical methods for achieving relatively quiet diesel combustion.

Piezo nozzle holder assembly (NHA)
Faster reacting piezo type nozzle holder assemblies (NHA) such as this allow even more (5 -7) pulses per cycle for quieter and cleaner compression ignition.
Main-injection of fuel must be delivered directly onto (or into) the piston in relatively few degrees of crankshaft rotation. In short: deliver more fuel, in less time, with higher injection pressures. The older mechanical pump/governor + injection lines + nozzle holder assembly systems cannot meet today’s peak Touareg’s V-10 engine) for ultra-efficient injection and combustion of fuel. Left unmanaged, such pressures would radically increase ignition/combustion noise; electronics has taken over.
Thanks to high-speed microprocessors, OEMs have achieved remarkable improvements to meet and exceed demands for quiet, clean engine power. In 1982 Volkswagen(and others) introduced EDC (electronic diesel control) to manage their TDI (Turbo-Direct Injection) diesel engine/injection system. Today Common-Rail (CR) and Unit Injection (UI) systems are likewise microprocessor controlled to manage “rate shaped” delivery to individual cylinders. Fuel is dynamically delivered using varying rates of multiple injections (up to 5 or more) in fractions of a crankshaft degree!
The result is drastically smoothed idle rpm and roughness; far less combustion noise; no smoke, less odor and emissions; and improved fuel.
Thanks to technology, most people standing next to a newer idling diesel car cannot tell it from its gasoline counterpart.
Helping to make today’s diesels even more clean and quiet while offering 20 percent better mileage are new “piezo” style injectors which no longer rely on mechanical or solenoid actuation.
Piezo common-rail and unit injectors offer even more improved rate-phasing characteristics (they’re more than four times faster responding) for each injection cycle. According to Denso, pilot spray intervals as small as 0.1 milliseconds are possible, and even more impressive designs are on the way. According to Bosch, we can expect to see a piezo common-rail injector with two nozzle needles and two sets of spray holes; finer-sized holes are used for pilot-injection, and larger holes for main-injection.
Reportedly, we can expect to see even further reduction of noise and up to 70% lower emissions than presently possible.
Little wonder then that technical engine improvements, the late 2006 arrival of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel, and the growing demand for more power and vehicle space with improved economy all are contributing to experts’ predictions for a U.S. diesel mega-boom.
Yes, diesels (once again) are coming. And to make things even more exciting, perhaps before long we’ll see a few diesel hybrids!

Killing the Clatter… Prior Efforts
Various mechanical designs have been tried to reduce diesel ignition clatter:

Most passenger diesel engines traditionally have used the Ricardo^® style “pre-cup” IDI design or similar with a “throttling” pintle-type nozzle to help reduce ignition noise.

Peugeot diesels using distributor-type pumps incorporated a “quietidle” device as an early attempt at rate-phasing to suppress noise: At low “throttle” settings, a small portion of fuel delivered from the pump was routed to an accumulator of sorts, reducing the initial amount of fuel injected per crankshaft degree to help reduce clatter.

Some Mercedes-Benz engines used a so-call CHIP (for “center hole in pintle”) nozzle for similar reasons. Combustion started with pilot-injection of a very fine pre-spray from a tiny hole drilled up the center of the nozzle pintle. As the nozzle pintle lifted further, maininjection took place. Often the center-hole became caked with carbon, resulting in all-too-familiar ignition clatter—and vehicle owner heartburn.

Volkswagen’s 1.9 Turbo-Direct Injection (TDI) engine clatter was softened by use of a two-spring nozzle holder assembly. With fuel pressure applied, the first spring compressed and the needle lifted enough for a pilot-injection of fuel and ignition; once the second spring compressed, main-injection completed the event.

Killing the Clatter… Today’s Technology
Two types of fuel injection systems have emerged:

Akin to an EFI fuel rail, the diesel Common-Rail (CR) system uses a high-pressure pump to deliver pressurized fuel to a robust fuel rail (serving as an accumulator) and to individual “nozzle holder” assemblies. Individual injectors are electrically triggered, and hydraulically actuated, for greater precision. Electronic diesel controls—engine and fuel system sensors, actuators and ECU(s)—complete the system.

Unit Injectors (UI) combine the pumping element and nozzle (with no injection lines) to handle considerably higher injection pressures. Individual UIs—one for each cylinder—are mounted on the cylinder head. UIs may be camshaft actuated; some are hydraulically controlled by fuel pressure. Ford’s Powerstroke® engine (and others) use so-called HEUI injectors (Hydraulically actuated, Electronically controlled, Unit Injector) which rely on engine lube oil pressure to control the injection rate per crankshaft degree; the total quantity is determined by the ECM. Unit injectors are often electronically actuated using solenoids, but today, piezo-electric injectors cut actuating time to a fraction of earlier designs for extremely accurate rateshaped timing and metering of fuel.

“V10- TDI” (left) gives it away – it’s a turbocharged 10 cylinder direct-injected diesel.

You cant see much of Touareg’s engine (left) unless surrounding under hood sound baffles are removed. The engine uses 10 combined Pumpe-Düse (pumpnozzle) camshaft-actuated unit injectors. Duration of injection is electronically controlled.

Volkswagen’s 10-cylinder Touareg SUV (left) has plenty of power, without the noise.

Hottest cars 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500

2011-05-25T14:21:00.000-07:00

If you think that four-door coupe concept has become obsolete, think again, as Mercedes Benz has finally come up with an exceptional four-door-coupe with the launch of the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500. The 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 is equipped with 24-valve 5.0-liter V-8 engine capable of producing 302 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque at 2700 rpm. Also, the engine has further been enhanced with the introduction of the seven-speed automatic transmission popularly known as 7G-Tronic. Thanks to the 7G-Tronic system, Mercedes Benz CLS500 delivers better acceleration. If you go by statistics, the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 offers 62 mph in about six seconds. That's why the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 is being preferred over other coupes at the moment. The 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 has got four front-hinged doors, trunk and luxurious back seats.

Truly the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 will fit into your dream coupe. You haven't seen such a technologically enriched coupe before. This is truly revolutionary stuff from the house of Mercedes Benz. Now, be it scorching summer or chilling winter, the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 will offer you proper driving ambience with four-zone climate control system. The rear passengers now can set the temperature they prefer and enjoy an excellent ride. Mercedes Bens has left no stone unturned to make the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 one of the luxurious cars in the market. That's why you will find sufficient legroom at the front seat. No way occupants feel that they have been cramped in the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500. This is the reason why Mercedes Benz CLS500 can accommodate easily the persons with most awkward height quiet easily. So, with exemplary spaciousness and greater sophistication the 2012 Mercedes Benz CLS500 is all set to woo the coupe lover in a most fashionable way.

Hottest car: 2011 Panoz Abruzzi

2011-05-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

2011 Panoz Abruzzi

The very exclusive and not-so-known Panoz Auto Development, together with the American Le Mans Series, unveils its new Panoz super sports car. Looking very much like Batman's Bat Mobile, the Panoz Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' will be formally introduced to the public at the 24 Hours of Le Mans event in France. This super exclusive super sports car is more of a concept car than a vehicle for small-volume or mass production. Its styling is a totally new concept that avant garde artists are sure to like it more than the real racers would.

Under the hood, the 2011 Panoz Abruzzi 'Spirit of Le Mans' is equipped with 6.2 liter V8; which is capable of producing 640 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 590 pound feet of torque at 3800 rpm. This very exclusive limited-volume, high performance vehicle uses state-of-the-art technology; like the Trifecta Cooling Technology. Panoz Auto Development, however, hasn't disclosed yet the price range of the 'Spirit of Le Mans.'

Inspecting & adjusting an engine drive belt

2011-05-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

Inspecting & adjusting an engine drive belt
Part 1. Preparation and safety
Objective

Inspect and manually adjust engine accessory drive belts.

Personal safety
Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear

Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks

Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs

Hand protection – such as rubber gloves and barrier cream

Respiratory equipment – such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.
Safety check

Never try to inspect belts with the engine running.

Always make sure that you wear the appropriate personal protection equipment before starting the job. It is very easy to hurt yourself even when the most exhaustive protection measures are taken.

Always make sure that your work area/environment is as safe as you can make it. Do not use damaged, broken or worn out workshop equipment.

Always follow the manufacturer's personal safety instructions to prevent damage to the vehicle you are working on.

Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

There are two types of drive belts:
V-type
A V-type belt has a profile that looks like the photo below, and sits inside a deep v-shaped groove in the pulley wheel. The sides of the V-belt contact the sides of the groove

Serpentine
Serpentine-type belts have a flat profile with a number of grooves running lengthwise along the belt. These grooves are the exact reverse of the grooves in the outer edge of the pulley wheels; they increase the contact surface area, as well as prevent the belt from slipping off the wheel as it rotates.

Conditions to look for on a drive belt:
Cracked
Cracks in a belt indicate that it is getting ready to fail and should be replaced.

Oil-soaked
A belt that has been soaked in oil will not grip properly on the pulleys and will slip. If the oil contamination is severe enough for this to happen, replace the belt.

Glazed
Glazing is shininess on the surface of the belt, which comes in contact with the pulley. If the belt is very worn, the glazing could be caused by the belt "bottoming-out" (see below), and it should be replaced. If it is not old and worn, glazing could simply indicate that the belt is not tight enough. Tightening the belt may be all that is necessary, depending on how bad the glazing is.

Torn
Torn or split belts are unserviceable and should be replaced immediately.

'Bottoming-out'
When a V-type belt becomes very worn, the bottom of the V-shape may contact the bottom of the groove in the pulley, preventing the sides of the belt from making good contact with the sides of the pulley groove. This reduced friction causes slippage; a belt worn enough to bottom-out should be replaced.

Manual belt tension versus automatic belt tension
Many vehicles require the technician to manually adjust the tension on the belt. Other vehicles have an automatic spring tensioning system. Depending on the system used on the particular vehicle, you should always follow the manufacturer's service instructions.

There are a number of different types of tension gauges. Follow the operating instructions on the tool. If you don't have a tension gauge, you can estimate the tension by pushing the belt inwards with your hand. If it's correctly tensioned, you should be able to deflect the belt about 1.25 centimeters for each 30cm of belt (half an inch for each foot).

Part 2: Step-by-step instruction
Inspect and check belt condition
Twist the belt so that you can see the underside of the ‘V’ shape or the ribs on a Serpentine belt. Look for signs of wear and damage. You may need a flashlight to see these clearly. A cracked or glazed or torn belt will need to be replaced.

Check tension
Check the belt tension by attaching the tension gauge to the longest belt span, and pulling it to measure the tension. Compare your reading to the specifications in the vehicle workshop manual.

Choose the correct tools
Select the correct wrench to loosen the tension adjustment fastener. This is usually on the Alternator mounting or on a separate idler pulley wheel. You will also need a pry bar, which is a metal bar you can use as a lever to apply tension on the belt.

Adjust belt tension
Loosen the adjustment fastener, then wedge the pry bar between the alternator and a strong part of the engine and pull in the direction that will apply tension to the belt. Tighten the adjustment fastener.

Check tension again and readjust if necessary
Check the tension again with the gauge, and if necessary loosen the fastener and adjust the belt again until it is at the correct tension for the vehicle.

Start the engine
Start the engine and observe the belt to make sure it is properly seated and operating correctly. Stop the engine again and recheck the tension.

Electronic control unit - ECU

2011-05-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

EFI system ECU

Electronic control unit settings

Engine speed limiting

Malfunction indicator lamp

EFI system ECU
The ECU is a micro-computer. It is constructed from printed circuitry, and contains a large number of electrical components, including many semiconductor devices.
Its input devices receive data as electrical signals. They come from sensors and components at various locations around the engine. Its processing unit compares incoming data with data stored in a memory unit. The memory unit contains basic data about how the engine is to operate. And an output device pulses the electrical circuit of the solenoid-type injection valves.

It is normally located in a safe place, behind a kick-panel in the foot-well, under the passenger seat, or in the boot, and connected by a multi-plug, or plugs, to the vehicle’s wiring harness.
The core function of a basic ECU in an EFI system is to control the pulse width of the injector. More sophisticated models also control other functions such as idle speed, ignition timing, and the fuel pump. These wider systems are called engine management systems. The more precise control they allow is very effective in reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
The ECU adjusts quickly to changing conditions by using what are called programmed characteristic maps, stored in the memory unit. They are programmed into the ECU, just as data is programmed into a computer. Characteristics means the engine’s operating conditions. And they are called maps because they map all of the operating conditions for the engine.
They are constructed first from dynamometer tests, then fine-tuned, to optimise the operating conditions and to comply with emission regulations. This data is stored electronically.
Ignition timing is crucial in this process. Between one spark and the next, the ECU uses data it receives on engine load and speed to determine when the next ignition point will occur. It can also correct the map value, using extra information such as engine coolant temperature, intake air temperature, or throttle position. Putting all of this together, it arrives at the best ignition point for that operating condition.
Electronic control unit settings
Settings are made for various operating conditions, according to fuel consumption, engine torque, exhaust emissions, knocking tendency, and driveability.
That means for example, that starting ability can be improved by making timing during cranking depend on cranking speed. Timing at low idle speeds can be set for low emissions, smoothness, and fuel economy. For part-load operation, the emphasis is on economy and driveability. At full load, it is set for maximum torque without detonation.
Using the digitally stored map, the ignition point is set for each operating condition, without affecting the settings for any other condition.
All of this raises an engine’s overall efficiency, for all operating conditions. Corrections to ignition timing, combined with those to the injector opening time, provide the optimum values to achieve the best combustion.
With higher compression ratios, there is more risk of detonation, and damage to the combustion chamber.
A knock sensor allows ignition timing to be calibrated to achieve the best setting for normal operating conditions. Knock or detonation can then be eliminated separately, using closed-loop knock control. When a detonation signal is received, the control unit retards the ignition setting, to bring detonation under control.
A turbocharged engine is different. Simply retarding the ignition could increase the already high temperatures at the exhaust-driven turbine. But reducing the boost pressure at the same time brings detonation under control quickly. As soon as knocking is detected, ignition is retarded, which works immediately. Reducing boost takes longer, but as soon as it takes effect, the control unit returns ignition timing to its optimum value.
Engine speed limiting
The control unit can also control other output functions, such as engine speed limiting. When actual engine speed reaches a programmed maximum, the fuel injection pulses can be suppressed. In some systems the fuel injectors are turned off at a pre-set engine speed. Once the engine speed has slowed to a safe value the injectors are turned back on. This is referred to as a hard limiter. Other systems use soft limiters where once a pre-set engine speed has been reached, the injector pulse width is reduced to prevent the engine from turning any faster.
Both systems protect the engine from over-revving, without disadvantaging its operation.
The ECU can control the fuel pump. For safety reasons, when the ignition is turned on and the engine is stationary, the fuel pump operates for a few seconds only, enough to prime the engine for starting. It starts again during cranking, and when the engine is running above a specified minimum number of revolutions per minute.
Some exhaust gas is allowed to re-circulate, to control the nitrogen oxides. How much exhaust gas does this, can be controlled, by vacuum and vent solenoids, in the vacuum circuit of the EGR valve.
When loads are put on the engine, such as from air-conditioning or lights, the control unit regulates how much the idle speed control valve opens, to maintain a pre-set idling speed.
Fuel vapors stored on the active material in the canister are drawn into the cylinders and burned when engine operating conditions allow.
At different engine speeds and loads, the control unit operates solenoid valves that alter the effective pipe length of the manifold. This extends the torque output over a wider range of engine speeds. The cooling fan is switched on automatically when the air-conditioning is switched on. Instantaneous fuel consumption can be displayed on the instrument panel in front of the driver
Malfunction indicator lamp
The malfunction indicator lamp or MIL is a warning light on the instrument panel. It is lit up by the control unit, to warn of malfunction that effects engine operation and emission control compliance.
The malfunction indicator lamp can also indicate fault codes. They can be a series of lamp blinks, or voltage pulses from the control unit. They give a number for the kind of fault that is occurring. 1 lamp blink followed by a pause, then 3 blinks in rapid succession indicates code 13, which may mean, for that application, that the oxygen sensor voltage is not changing, leaving the engine in open-loop operation.
When the control unit does not receive a signal from a component, it uses a substitute value from its memory bank. The engine may still operate near its normal level, and the driver may not realize a problem has occurred.
In some cases, if the fault is in a major component, the control unit may go to a “Limp Home” mode, with a fixed injection duration, and ignition setting. The vehicle remains driveable, but with reduced performance, allowing it to be driven to a convenient service point.
With a data scanning tool, an engine management function can be viewed. All of these functions together are a snapshot of the state of all inputs and outputs at that instant. This data can then be analyzed.
A control unit can use data from its memory to adjust engine settings over time. This is called adaptive learning. It only occurs with feedback, or closed loop operation. This vehicle is using medium throttle, with light loading and mild acceleration. Its control unit will set fuel delivery for a specified pulse-width. However, if fuel pressure is less than when the vehicle was new, feedback from the oxygen sensor can cause the lambda control to increase injection time. The control unit learns the new time, and stores it in its memory for future use in that condition.
If the battery is disconnected, or memory is lost, the settings revert to the manufacturer’s programmed specifications, and the vehicle then has to be driven in a range of conditions, to let the control unit, in effect, re-learn the engine’s fuel settings.

Automotive Components Lubrication System Services

2011-05-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

Automotive Sump

Automotive Oil collection pan

Automotive Oil tank

Automotive Pickup tube

Automotive Oil pump

Automotive Oil pressure relief valve

Automotive Oil filters

Automotive Spurt holes & galleries

Automotive Oil indicators

Automotive Oil cooler

Automotive services Sump
The sump is bolted to the engine under the crankcase.
It is a reservoir, or storage container, for the engine lubricating oil, and a collector for oil returning from the engine lubricating system.
The sump can be formed as a thin sheet metal pressing, and shaped to ensure that oil will return to its deepest section. The oil pickup tube and strainer are located in this deep section to ensure they stay submerged in oil, and to prevent air being drawn into the oil pump.
Some high performance vehicles have a windage tray fitted to prevent churning of the oil by the rotation of the crankshaft.
Baffles prevent oil from surging away from the pickup during cornering, braking and accelerating.
The sump’s large external surface area helps heat transfer from the oil to the outside air.
In some designs, the sump is an aluminum alloy casting with fins and ribs to assist in this heat transfer.

Automotive services Oil collection pan
The oil collection pan is part of the dry sump system which is used in some motorcycles.
It replaces the sump in the wet sump system, but it is much smaller.
It collects the oil after it has circulated through the engine, and directs it to the pick-up strainer on the scavenge pump. Since no oil is stored in the engine in this system, a dipstick that is normally used to check oil levels in the sump is not needed.
Automotive services Oil tank
The oil tank is part of the dry sump lubrication system.
It is usually positioned away from the heat of the engine, and the large surface area improves cooling.
It receives oil from the scavenge pump and allows it to settle and cool. The main oil pump then pumps it back through the lubrication system.
A dipstick is often provided to measure the oil level.
Automotive services Pickup tube
Between the sump and oil pump is a pickup tube with a flat cup and a strainer immersed in the oil. The strainer stops large particles of dirt and carbon entering the pump and damaging it. The pickup tube leads to the inlet of the oil pump, on the low pressure side of the pump.

Automotive services Oil pump
Oil pumps may be driven from the camshaft or the crankshaft.
In a rotor-type oil pump, an inner rotor drives an outer one. As they turn, the volume between them increases. This larger volume lowers the pressure at the pump inlet.
Outside atmospheric pressure is then higher. This forces oil into the pump, and it fills the spaces between the rotor lobes.
As the lobes of the inner rotor move into the spaces in the outer rotor, oil is squeezed out through the outlet.
The crescent pump uses a similar principle. It is mounted on the front of the cylinder block.
The inner gear is on the end of the crankshaft which then drives the pump directly. An external toothed gear meshes with this inner one. Some gear teeth are meshed but others are separated by the crescent-shaped part of the pump housing.
The increasing volume between gear teeth causes pressure to fall. Oil is then taken through the intake port, and carried around between the gears and crescent, then discharged to the outlet port.
Similarly in a geared oil pump, the driving gear meshes with a second gear. As both gears turn, their teeth separate, creating a low pressure area. Higher atmospheric pressure outside forces oil up into the inlet. The spaces between the teeth fill with oil. The gears rotate, and carry oil around the chamber. The teeth mesh again, and oil is forced from the outlet toward the oil filter.
Automotive services Oil pressure relief valve
A normal pump is capable of delivering more oil than an engine needs. It’s a safety measure to ensure the engine is never starved for oil. As the pump rotates, and engine speed increases, the volume of oil delivered also increases. The fixed clearances between the moving parts of the engine prevent oil escaping back to the sump, and pressure builds up in the system.
An oil pressure relief valve stops excess pressure developing. It’s like a controlled leak, releasing just enough oil back to the sump to regulate the pressure of the whole system.
Automotive services Oil filters
There are 2 basic oil-filtering systems - full-flow, and by-pass. The full-flow type filters all of the oil before delivering it to the engine. The by-pass type only filters some of the oil.
The full-flow type is the more common. Its filter uses pleated filtering paper in a metal housing, to collect harmful particles.
Normally all oil goes through the filter before it gets to the engine, but if the filter clogs up, it can starve an engine of oil.
As a safety measure, full-flow filters have a bypass valve. If the filter clogs, this valve opens and directs unfiltered oil to the engine. Dirty oil is better than none at all.
Most oil-filters on diesel engines are larger than those on similar gasoline engines, and some diesel engines have 2 oil filters.
Diesel engines produce more carbon particles than gasoline engines, so the oil filter can have a full-flow element to trap larger impurities, and a bypass element to collect sludge and carbon soot.
In a by-pass system, the bypass element filters only some of the oil from the pump by tapping an oil line into an oil passage. It collects finer particles than a full-flow filter. After this oil is filtered, it goes back to the sump.
Automotive services Spurt holes & galleries
Pistons, rings and pins are lubricated by oil thrown onto the cylinder walls from the connecting rod bearings.
Some connecting rods have oil spurt holes. These holes are positioned to receive oil from similar holes in the crankshaft. Oil can then spurt out at the point in the engine cycle when the largest area of cylinder wall is exposed. It lubricates the walls and gudgeon pin, and also cools the underside of the piston.
Oil feeds to the cylinder head, and through a gallery to the camshaft bearings and valve-train. As well as lubricating these moving parts, it also gathers heat from the engine so its temperature keeps rising.
Finally it drains back to the sump to cool, and start again.

Automotive services Oil indicators
If a lubrication system fails it’s serious, so it’s crucial to know it’s working. If oil pressure falls too low, a pressure sensor in a gallery can light up a warning light, or register on a gauge.
Low oil pressure can mean a lack of oil. It may have leaked away, or it may have been burned.
This can be caused by worn piston rings which let oil into the combustion chamber.
Some engines even use an automatic cut-out that turns off the engine if oil pressure falls too low.
Too little oil in the engine is a problem but so is too much. The crankshaft can whip it into foam, and cause leaks by flooding the seals..
Of course, the simplest indicator of oil level is still the dip stick.

Automotive services Oil cooler
Engines which operate under severe conditions may use an oil cooler to cool the oil in the engine.
In diesel engines, the oil cooler and oil filter are often on the same mounting , on the cylinder block.
The oil cooler is a heat exchanger. It transfers heat from the oil to coolant from the cooling system. Coolant circulates through tubes in the cooler, and oil fed from the lubrication system surrounds the tubes. As the coolant circulates, heat is removed from the oil.
In another design, the oil cooler is mounted in the airstream at the front of the vehicle. This type of oil cooler uses the flow of air passing across its fins to cool the air circulating through it. It is called an oil-to air heat exchanger.

Automotive car Cylinder head

2011-05-18T15:18:00.000-07:00

Cylinder head :

Automotive Cylinder head design

Automotive Desel combustion chambers

Automotive Intake & exhaust passages

Automotive Gaskets

Automotive Gaskets and oil seals

Automotive Head gaskets

Automotive Turbulence

Automotive services Cylinder head
The cylinder head bolts onto the top of the cylinder block where it forms the top of the combustion chamber.
In-line engines of light vehicles have just one cylinder head for all the cylinders. Larger in-line engines can have 2 or more.
V-type and horizontally-opposed engines have a separate cylinder head for each bank of cylinders.
Just as with engine blocks, cylinder heads can be made of cast iron, or aluminium alloy.
A head made of aluminium alloy is lighter than if it were made of cast iron. Aluminium also conducts heat away more quickly than iron. So with an aluminium-alloy head, the heat of combustion can be conducted away into the coolant more quickly.

Manufacturing the head is similar to manufacturing the block. A casting mold is made. Sand cores are put in to form any hollow areas. Depending on the engine, these can be for coolant and lubricant passages, and inlet and exhaust ports.
Air-cooled engines have cooling fins cast into the cylinder head. The underside of the head is shaped to form the combustion chamber.
Molten metal is poured in, and allowed to cool. The cores are broken out and removed, and the cylinder head cleaned of any sand. After casting comes machining. Surfaces that must seal are machined flat. Holes are drilled and tapped for attaching bolts and studs.
In sand-cast heads, the large holes that had contained sand are machined, then fitted with soft metal plugs, called core plugs.
Automotive services Cylinder head design
Cylinder heads are designed to help improve the swirl or turbulence of the air-fuel mixture, and prevent fuel droplets settling on the surfaces of the combustion chamber or cylinder walls.
When air-fuel mixture is compressed between the piston and the flat part of the cylinder head, it produces what’s called “squish”. That means squeezing of the gases to increase their velocity and turbulence.
In gasoline engines, the three most popular combustion chamber designs are called hemispherical pent roof, bath-tub and wedge.
A hemispherical, or pent-roof combustion chamber has the intake valve on one side of the chamber and the exhaust valve on the other. This provides crossflow. Air-fuel mixture enters on one side, and exhaust gases exit on the other. Positioning the valves in this way leaves room for relatively large valves and ports, and that helps the engine breathe. Breathing refers to the engine taking in the air or air-fuel mixture. Fuel starts to burn at the plug, then burning travels outward in all directions. This is called flame propagation. With the plug in the middle of the hemisphere, the flame front has less distance to travel than in some other designs, which gives rapid and effective combustion. This design is common in a lot of passenger vehicles.
The bath-tub combustion chamber is oval-shaped, like an inverted bathtub. Valves are mounted vertically and side by side, making them simple to operate. The plug is to one side, and that creates a short flame path. It all helps increase turbulence.
The wedge-shaped combustion chamber tapers away from the plug which is at the thick end of the wedge. The valves are in line and inclined from the vertical. This design usually has a smaller surface area than the others, with less area where fuel droplets can condense. Less fuel is left unburned after combustion, which reduces hydrocarbon exhaust emissions. And since the flame is directed toward the small end of the wedge, damage caused by detonation is reduced.

Automotive services Diesel combustion chambers
Diesel combustion chambers come in 2 main types. Direct and indirect injection. Both are designed to promote turbulence, to help the compressed air and injected fuel mix well.
Engines using direct injection have cylinder heads with a flat face. The combustion chamber is formed in the top of the piston.
Sometimes, the rim of the piston provides “squish”, forcing the air to the centre of the combustion chamber. This causes turbulence as fuel is injected into the cylinder.
In indirect injection, the piston is fairly flat, or has a shallow cavity. The main combustion chamber is between the cylinder head and the top of the piston, but a smaller, separate chamber is in the head. Fuel is injected into this smaller chamber. It can have various designs. A swirl chamber is spherical, and connected to the main chamber by an angled passage. Both the injector and glow plug are screwed into the head. The glow plug preheats the air inside to help start the engine.
During compression, the spherical shape makes the air swirl in the chamber. This helps make a better mixture of the air and fuel, which improves combustion. This combustion chamber is divided into a main combustion chamber and an air cell, joined by a throat. The injector is in the throat.
When injection commences, combustion pressure forces the air to flow from the air cell where it mixes with fuel from the injector. The rush of air from the air cell produces a rotary motion of gas in the main chamber which helps make combustion more efficient.
This pre-combustion chamber is screwed into the cylinder head. The injector is mounted in the upper end.
Injection occurs near the top of the compression stroke. Only part of the fuel is burned in the pre-combustion chamber because of the limited amount of air there. The high rise in pressure forces burning fuel into the main chamber. This happens very rapidly, which helps make more efficient combustion.

Automotive services Intake and exhaust passages
The size of passages in the head can affect engine output. Smaller intake and exhaust passages and ports allow more torque at low engine speeds. This is because smaller passages improve mixing of air and fuel at low speeds, which causes more efficient combustion.
At high speeds however, these smaller passages restrict airflow. To reduce the effect of this, this engine has two inlet valves. One opens at low speed and the other operates at higher engine speeds. Larger passages produce greater power at high engine speeds.
Each intake and exhaust passage can be formed separately in the head. Intake passages for adjacent passages may have a common, thin wall between them. This is called siamesed. Exhaust ports in the same head can also be siamesed.
When all intake and exhaust ports are on one side, it is called a counter-flow head. They can be cast separately or siamesed.
When all of the intake ports are on one side and exhaust ports are on the other, it is called a cross-flow head. This allows for straighter passageways and higher efficiency.

Automotive services Gaskets
Gaskets form a seal by being compressed between stationary parts where liquid or gas could pass. Most gaskets are made to be used only once. They can be made of soft materials such as cork, rubber, paper, asbestos. They can also be made of soft alloys and metals such as brass, copper, aluminium or soft steel sheet metal.
Choosing which material and design to use depends on the substance to be sealed, the pressures and temperatures involved. And, the materials and mating surfaces to be sealed.
Head gaskets seal and contain the pressures of combustion within the engine, between the cylinder head and block. They also seal oil passages between block and head. And control the flow of coolant between the block and the head.
Some gaskets provide or adjust clearances. Some joints between surfaces on modern engines are being sealed with special sealants which eliminate the use of gaskets in some applications.
Gaskets around a rotating part would quickly wear out and leak. To seal these parts, oil seals are needed. Many different kinds have been developed, including oil slinger rings. The most widely used is the lip type dynamic oil seal. It has a shaped dynamic rubber lip that’s held in contact with the shaft to be sealed by a circular coil spring called a garter spring.
A similar sealing principle is used to seal the valve stem to prevent oil entering the engine combustion chamber.
Rotating or sliding shafts can also be sealed by using “O” rings, but generally they are not as durable in most applications as the lip-type seal.
As a general rule, oil seals must be replaced when a component is overhauled.

Automotive services Gaskets and oil seals
Gaskets form a seal by being compressed between stationary parts where liquid or gas could pass. Most gaskets are made to be used only once. They can be made of soft materials such as cork, rubber, nitrile, paper, heat resistant materials or graphite; or they can also be made of soft alloys and metals such as brass, copper, aluminum or soft steel sheet metal. Such materials may be used individually or in some cases as blends to produce the required functional material.
Choosing which material and design to use depends on the substance to be sealed, the pressures and temperatures involved, and the materials and mating surfaces to be sealed.
Head gaskets seal and contain the pressures of combustion within the engine, between the cylinder head and block. Modern head gaskets have to be constructed to resist high temperatures and engine detonation.
Some modern high temperature head gaskets are called 'anisotropic' in nature. This means that the gasket is designed to conduct heat laterally to transfer heat from the engine to the coolant faster. They are normally constructed with a steel core. Special facing materials are added to both sides of the gasket core to provide a comprehensive seal under varying torque conditions.
With the advent of environmental factors and a reduction in the use of asbestos, replacement materials have been developed. Some of these modern special materials that are now used for the side layers of head gaskets are designed to withstand temperatures up to 2100 degrees F or 1150 degrees C. Such materials are also designed to allow the cylinder head and block, some of which which have considerable distortion rates, to move slightly on the head gasket as they expand during engine warm-up. This feature is vital for preventing head gasket failure.
Some head gaskets also incorporate stainless steel fire rings to help to contain heat and pressure within the cylinder. In addition, many head gaskets also have an added silicone based outer coating on both sides of the side material layers to provide additional cold sealing ability during start-up and warm-up. Head gaskets also seal oil passages, and control the flow of coolant between the cylinder block and head and are fitted with beads or rings to prevent leakage and corrosion.
Some joints between surfaces on modern engines are being sealed with special sealants which eliminate the use of gaskets in some applications. Pure rubber, or conventional cork-rubber is unable to deal with the stresses and pressures in modern engines.
Modern gasket manufacturers are producing improved material combinations such as nitrile and cork blends to deal with 'high tech' engine demands. Such combinations are more able to deal with issues such as compressibility and wicking.
Some materials are designed to 'swell' in application and increase sealing ability. For instance when oil inside a valve cover penetrates the edge of the gasket material, it is designed to swell by approximately 30%. This swelling effect increases the sealing pressure between the head and valve cover sealing surfaces and helps to seal potential leaks.
Some gasket materials are designed to have high tensile strength. They are designed to resist breakage during dismantling or installation processes.
Gaskets around a rotating part would quickly wear out and leak. To seal these parts, oil seals are needed. The most widely used is the lip type dynamic oil seal. It has a shaped dynamic rubber lip that’s held in contact with the shaft to be sealed by a circular coil spring called a garter spring.
A similar sealing principle is used to seal the valve stem to prevent oil entering the engine combustion chamber.
Rotating or sliding shafts can also be sealed by using “O” rings, but generally they are not as durable in most applications as the lip-type seal.
Various materials are used in modern oil seals, some being impregnated with special coating materials that are designed to increase their sealing ability on worn shafts.
As a general rule, oil seals must be replaced when a component is overhauled.

Automotive services Head gaskets
Head gaskets seal and contain the pressures of combustion within the engine, between the cylinder head and the block.
Some high temperature head gaskets are called 'anisotropic' in nature. This means that the gasket is designed to conduct heat laterally to transfer heat from the engine to the coolant faster. They are normally constructed with a steel core. Special facing materials are added to both sides of the gasket core to provide a comprehensive seal under varying torque conditions.
Some head gaskets incorporate stainless steel fire rings to help to contain heat and pressure within the cylinder. Many head gaskets also have an added silicone based outer coating on both sides of the side material layers to provide additional cold sealing ability during start-up and warm-up. Head gaskets also seal oil passages, and control the flow of coolant between the cylinder block and head and are fitted with beads or rings to prevent leakage and corrosion.
Gasket manufacturers have produced improved material combinations such as nitrile and cork blends because pure rubber, or conventional cork-rubber, is unable to deal with the stresses and pressures of 'high tech' engines. Such combinations are more able to deal with issues such as compressibility and wicking.
Some materials are designed to 'swell' in application and increase sealing ability. For instance when oil inside a valve cover penetrates the edge of the gasket material, it is designed to swell by approximately 30%. This swelling effect increases the sealing pressure between the head and valve cover sealing surfaces and helps to seal potential leaks.
Some materials are also designed to allow the cylinder head and block, some of which have considerable distortion rates, to move slightly on the head gasket as they expand during engine warm-up. This feature can be vital for preventing head gasket failure.

Automotive servicesTurbulence
Turbulence refers to the swirling motion of a liquid or a gas.
It helps to maximise the mixing of air and fuel, which helps make sure the combustion process occurs efficiently. Without turbulence, the air-fuel mixture can form local areas of high pressure and temperature that can cause detonation during combustion. A high level of turbulence can prevent this.

The Most Fuel-Efficient 2010 Automotive Cars and SUVs

2011-05-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

The Most Fuel-Efficient 2010 Cars and SUVs
Check out the 21 cars, SUVs, station wagons and hatchbacks that get better than 30 mpg.
2010 Toyota Prius

The Automotive car Toyota Prius, the family sedan long the symbol environmental do-gooders, remains at the top of the list of most fuel efficient widely available vehicles, with 50 mpg combined fuel economy. The classic hybrid was rated one of the greenest cars of the year by Greenopia and Kelly Blue Book.
Note: 133,000 2010 Prius hybrids were recalled Feb. 8 to fix a braking problem that has caused several accidents.
Stats
51 mpg city
48 mpg highway
$1.34 to drive 25 miles
$801 annual fuel cost
3.7 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Honda Civic Hybrid

This Automotive top-rated small car again sits beside the Prius among all widely available 2010 vehicles with 42 mpg fuel economy. Compared to the conventional Civic, the hybrid costs about $8,000 more, but costs about $430 less to fuel annually. It was named one of Greenopia's greenest cars of 2010.
Stats
40 mpg city
45 mpg highway
$1.59 to drive 25 miles
$953 annual fuel cost
4.4 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Honda Insight

The automotive second-best small car, also a Honda, is the newly redesigned Insight, a hybrid with a fuel economy of 41 mpg. And it costs a few thousand dollars less than the leaders in this category. It ranks on both Greenopia and Kelly Blue Book's greenest lists.
Stats
40 mpg City
43 mpg Highway
41 mpg Combined
$1.63 to drive 25 miles
$977 annual fuel cost
4.5 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

The automotive most fuel-efficient family sedan behind the Prius, at 39 mpg, the Fusion costs more, but does qualify for up to an $850 federal tax credit (if you buy before April 1, 2010) that the Prius no longer qualifies for. If you're stuck between buying The Fusion and its hybrid version, the hybrid costs $8,000 more, but will cost nearly $600 less to fuel each year. It was rated one of Kelly Blue Book's greenest cars of 2010, and it was named North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show.
Stats
41 mpg city
36 mpg highway
39 combined
$1.71 to drive 25 miles
$1,025 annual fuel cost
4.7 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

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The automotive car hybrid Milan, a family sedan, gets 39 mpg and costs about $6,300 more than the base-level Milan. But it costs nearly $600 less to fuel annually. It qualifies for up to an $850 federal tax credit if purchased before March 31, 2010.
Stats
41 mpg city
36 mpg highway
$1.71 to drive 25 miles
$1,025 annual fuel cost
4.7 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Smart ForTwo

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Whether you pick up the classic coupe or the convertible (no, it's not a golf cart), the Smart ForTwo's 36 mpg make it the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid car on the market. And at $11,990 it's also the most affordable. It was rated one of Greenopia's greenest cars of the year.
Stats
33 mpg city
41 mpg highway
$1.85 to drive 25 miles
$1,113 annual fuel cost
5.1 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Lexus HS 250h

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The automotive car Lexus HS 250h is the most expensive fuel-efficient car on the market, but it makes a statement as the only luxury hybrid sedan available. It gets 35 mpg, so the big spender can save a few pennies at the pump. Note: the 2010 Lexus HS 250h was recalled Feb. 8 to fix a braking problem.
Stats
35 mpg city
34 mpg highway
$1.91 to drive 25 miles
$1,145 annual fuel cost
5.3 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid

It costs almost $7,000 more than the standard stripped down Altima, but the hybrid family sedan gets 34 mpg and will save about $750 in fuel costs.
Stats
35 mpg city
33 mpg highway
$1.96 to drive 25 miles
$1,177 annual fuel cost
5.4 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid
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Compared to the stripped down conventional Camry, the hybrid costs almost $7,000 more, but at 34 mpg, the hybrid will save about $560 in annual fuel costs.
Stats
33 mpg city
34 mpg highway
34 combined $1.96 to drive 25 miles
$1,177 annual fuel cost
5.4 tons of CO₂ annually

Audi A3 TDI
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The automotive car Audi A3 "clean diesel" TDI achieves 34 mpg - 10 mpg more than its gasoline-fueled cousin. Like other diesels, though, even the "clean" version produces more pollution than a comparable gasoline engine or hybrid. Still, this car earned "Green Car of the Year" designation from the Green Car Journal.
Stats 30 mpg city
40 mpg highway
$2.04 to drive 25 miles
$1,226 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO₂ annually

2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
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The automotive car little Jetta gets 34 mpg, making it one of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrids on the market. But it runs on diesel, which means its carbon footprint is greater than comparable vehicles. The stripped-down gasoline-powered Jetta costs about $5,000 less, but will cost about $350 more to fuel each year.
Stats
30 mpg city
42 mpg highway (41 for manual)
$2.06 to drive 25 miles
$1,235 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO₂ annually

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2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

The automotive car most fuel-efficient hatchback on the market, the Golf TDI gets 34 mpg. The TDI costs about $3,600 more than the gasoline, but saves about $300 annually in fuel costs. Because it burns diesel, its carbon emissions are greater than comparable cars.
Stats
30 mpg city
42 mpg highway (41 for manual)
$2.06 to drive 25 miles
$1,235 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO₂ annually

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2010 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI

This automotive car diesel hatchback runs about $5,000 more than its gasoline-powered cousin, but with 34 mpg, it will save about $360 in annual fuel costs. Because it runs on diesel, its carbon footprint is higher than comparable vehicles. It was rated one of Kelly Blue Book's greenest cars of 2010.
Stats
30 mpg city
42 mpg highway (41 for manual)
$2.06 to drive 25 miles
$1.235 annual fuel cost
6.2 tons of CO₂ annually

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2010 Toyota Yaris

Whether the little Yaris you get is the 3-door hatch, the 5-door hatch (add $300) or the 5-door sedan (add $750), the little Yaris gets 32 mpg.
Stats
29 mpg city
36 mpg highway (35 for manual)
$2.09 to drive 25 miles
$1,254 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO₂ annually
How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Mini Cooper

The classic Mini Cooper gets 32 mpg and is rated one of 2010's greenest cars by Kelly Blue Book.
Stats
28 mpg city
37 mpg highway (36 for the convertible)
$2.27 to drive 25 miles
$1,366 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO₂ annually

How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Ford Escape Hybrid

The automotive car Ford family again has the only members in the over-30 mpg SUV club. The hybrid Ford Escape gets 32 mpg -- as good as the tiny Mini Cooper. While it costs $11,000 more than the gasoline-powered Escape, it costs between $440 and $570 less to fuel every year (depending on whether you go with 4WD or not). The Escape hybrid qualifies for a federal tax credit of up to $750 if purchased by March 31, 2010.
Stats
34 mpg city
31 mpg highway
$2.09 to drive 25 miles
$1,254 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO₂ annually

How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Mercury Mariner Hybrid

It costs about $7,000 more than its gasoline-powered cousin, but with 32 mpg, the Mariner hybrid will save about $490 annually in fuel costs. It also qualifies for a federal tax credit of up to $650 if purchased before March 31, 2010.
Stats
34 mpg city
31 mpg highway
32 combined $2.09 to drive 25 miles
$1,254 annual fuel cost
5.7 tons of CO₂ annually

How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Mini Clubman

The Mini Clubman gets 31 mpg.
Stats
28 mpg city
36 mpg highway
$2.35 to drive 25 miles
$1,410 annual fuel cost
5.9 tons of CO₂ annually

How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Honda Fit

If you're buying a new Fit, the automatic 5-speed gets the best mileage, with 31 mpg. It is rated one of the greenest cars of 2010 by Kelly Blue Book.
Stats
28 mpg city
35 mpg highway
$2.15 to drive 25 miles
$1,294 annual fuel cost
5.9 tons of CO₂ annually

How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Kia Rio

The automotive car manual Kia Rio gets 31 mpg without the benefit of a hybrid engine, keeping its cost low. (The automatic drive comes in at a combined 30 mpg, but does better on the highway.)
Stats
28 mpg city (27 automatic)
34 mpg highway (36 automatic)
$2.15 to drive 25 miles
$1,294 annual fuel cost
5.9 tons of CO₂ annually

How to Pay 69 Cents a Gallon (or Less) for Gas

8 Weird Car Fuels That Could Replace Gas

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities

Next Gen Now: 6 Electric Cars Here Today

10 Ways To Save 20% On Gas Today

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2010 Hyundai Accent Blue

At 31 mpg, this new baseline version of the Accent (which otherwise gets 30 mpg) is among the more affordable fuel efficient 2010 cars.
Stats
27 mpg city
36 mpg highway
$2.15 to drive 25 miles
$1,294 annual fuel cost

Services Automotive Cylinder Block

2011-05-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Automotive services Cylinder blocks:

   Automotive services Cylinder block

   Automotive services Cylinder block construction

   Automotive services Engine blocks & pistons

   Automotive services Cylinder sleeves

   Automotive services Grey iron

Automotive services Cylinder block
The services automotive cylinder block is the largest part of the engine. Its upper section carries the cylinders and pistons. Normally, the lower section forms the crankcase, and supports the crankshaft.
It can be cast in one piece from grey iron.
Or it can be alloyed with other metals like nickel or chromium.
The iron casting process begins by making up the shapes of what will become waterjackets and cylinders as sand cores which are fitted into moulds. This stops these parts becoming solid iron during casting.
Molten iron is poured into sand moulds that are formed by patterns in the shape of the block.
After casting, core sand is removed through holes in the sides and ends, leaving spaces for the cooling and lubricant passages. These holes are sealed with core or welsh plugs. The casting is then machined. Cylinders are bored and finished, surfaces smoothed, holes drilled and threads cut.
All cylinder blocks are made with ribs, webs and fillets to provide rigidity but also keep weight to a minimum.

Automotive services Cylinder block construction
As more manufacturers try to make vehicles lighter and more fuel efficient, more and more engine blocks are being cast from aluminium.
A block made of aluminium alloy is lighter than if it were made of cast iron. So if two engines are generating the same power, the alloy version would have a better weight-to-power ratio than the cast iron version.
Aluminium alloy blocks are made by various casting processes, including pressure casting.
Another method is gravity casting, where the molten metal is poured into molds.
Cast iron liners are usually used in the cylinders of aluminium blocks, and sometimes in cast-iron blocks. Some sleeves are cast into the block. Grooves on the outside form a key that stops any movement in the cylinder. They also increase surface area to assist heat transfer from the sleeve to the block.
Some blocks don’t need liners. They can be made of wear resistant material that makes a hard-wearing surface for the pistons and piston rings. Or the cylinder bore may have some sort of surface treatment to make it hard-wearing.
When the cylinders, block and crankcase are all cast together, it is called a monoblock construction.
A horizontally-opposed block has a split crankcase. The two engine blocks are joined together by the flanges of the crankcase.
In air-cooled engines, the cylinders are usually made as separate parts, then bolted to the same crankcase. Each cylinder has cooling fins. They’re often machined to give uniform thickness and allow free flow of air.
Automotive services Engine blocks & pistons
The services automotive cylinder block is the largest part of the engine. Its upper section carries the cylinders and pistons. Normally, the lower section forms the crankcase, and supports the crankshaft.
All cylinder blocks are made with ribs, webs and fillets to provide rigidity but also keep weight to a minimum. The cylinder head bolts onto the top of the cylinder block where it forms the top of the combustion chamber.
In-line engines of light vehicles have just one cylinder head for all the cylinders. Larger in-line engines can have 2 or more. V-type and horizontally opposed engines have a separate cylinder head for each bank of cylinders.
As with engine blocks, cylinder heads can be made of cast iron, or aluminum alloy. A head made of aluminum alloy is lighter than if it were made of cast iron.
The piston, with its connecting rod and bearing, transfers the force of the combustion and expansion of the power stroke to the crankshaft. The piston itself, its rings, and the piston pin, also known as the gudgeon pin, are together called the piston assembly. The cutaway shape on this piston allows it to clear the counterweights on this rotating crankshaft.
The connecting rod connects the piston to the crankshaft. It is fastened to the piston at its little end, by a piston or gudgeon pin. The big end of the connecting rod has a detachable cap, and carries 2 halves of the big end bearing. The big end is attached to the crankshaft at the crankpin journal.
Automotive services Cylinder sleeves
The services Automotive Cylinder sleeves are used in engine blocks to provide a hard-wearing material for pistons and piston rings.
The block can be made of one kind of iron that’s light and easy to cast, while the sleeve uses another kind that is better able to stand up to wear and tear.
There are three main types of sleeves - dry, flanged dry, and wet.
The dry sleeve can be cast in or pressed into a new block, or used to recondition badly-worn or damaged cylinders that can’t easily be re-bored. It’s a pressed fit in its bore in the cylinder blocks. Its wall is about 2mm thick. Its outer surface is in contact with the block for its full length. Its top finishes flush with the top of the block and can hardly be seen. Once in place, dry sleeves become a permanent part of the cylinder block.
A flanged, dry sleeve is like a normal dry sleeve, but a flange at the top fits into a recess in the surface of the engine block. It’s not a tight fit and it can be replaced if it’s worn.
With a wet sleeve, the outer surface is part of the waterjacket around the cylinder. It’s called wet because it has coolant against its outer surface. This helps speed up heat transfer between the sleeve and coolant. The sleeve is sealed at the top to prevent coolant leaks. This stops coolant entering the combustion chamber, and the bottom of the crankcase. A flange at the top of the sleeve fits into a recess in the block. The lower end has 1 or 2 neoprene sealing rings.
With coolant in direct contact with the cylinder sleeve, corrosion can be a problem. It can even insulate the sleeve from the coolant, which reduces the main advantage of having a wet sleeve at all.
The walls on wet sleeves are thicker than on dry sleeves. They don’t have the same support from the block as dry sleeves so they depend on their wall thickness to stop distortion.
In diesel engines, vibration caused by combustion can cause cavitation. This damage appears similar to corrosion and it can eventually destroy the cylinder.

Automotive services Grey iron
The services Automotive Grey iron is a form of cast iron. There are many different kinds of cast iron, depending on the particular materials they contain.
Grey iron is a cast iron that contains carbon in the form of graphite, plus silicon, manganese and phosphorus. The fractured surface of a cast iron with graphite appears grey, hence the name. It is brittle and cannot absorb shocks. It resists heat and corrosion, and can be cast into many different shapes. It is used for many components.and THATs to all my Services Automotive in cylinder block info.

Interior cleaning services automotive vehicle

2011-05-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Clean indoor vehicles

Conversion Components
Components like these, along with an 0₂ sensor, wiring harness and control module, are what it takes to convert open-loop propane engines to closed-loop for passing EPA standards. Left to right: fuel vaporizer-regulator, mixer, and throttle body assembly.
Opportunities for skilled automotive technicians are looking good…
Why? In case you haven’t heard, both CARB (the California Air Resources Board) and the EPA have for the first time crafted and are enforcing emissions standards for several classes of non-road vehicles. Affected applications include:

units or equipment with large industrial spark ignited engines (known as large SI engines, or simply “LSI”) from 19 kw (25 hp) to 130 kw (175 hp)

recreational engines and units like motorcycles, ATVs, and snowmobiles

recreational marine diesel engines

In this article, we’ll discuss the first category of LSI units and equipment, and how automotive technicians with fuel and emission system know-how may help the non-road vehicle and equipment sector to clean up its act.
If you qualify and are interested, read on.

Non-Road “Vehicle” Legislation
In October of 1998 California adopted for the first time a 2001–2004 phase-in of clean air regulations for non-road equipment produced and sold. Previously no such regulations existed. California also wants older units to be retrofitted with systems in order for them to meet the standards, and other states may follow suit. Whatever CARB mandates typically becomes federal (and beyond), and under pressure from environmental groups, the EPA has followed suit.
As of this year (2004), 50-State non-road vehicle Tier 1 mandates are in place for new (zero hours of use) LSI equipment sold. Equipment affected includes that for material handling (forklifts), electric generation, airport ground support, ice and floor sweeping, farm and construction, industrial, and much more. Forklifts, for example, are FTP 75 Transient Test Cycle tested on the dyno—a start / stop test some consider more demanding than that used for automobiles. Tier 2 standards take effect in 2007 and are more stringent than CARB’s, covering even engines and equipment in the field. Tier 2 tests for reductions of HC by 70%, CO by 90% and NOx by 85%. While both propane and natural gas units have the potential for extremely low HC, CO, and NOx emissions well below 2004’s Tier 1 standards, all but the newest LSI engines now in use would fail the EPA’s air quality standards.

Non-Road Automotive Vehicle Technology
Non-road outdoor units are typically gasoline or diesel, propane or battery-electric powered. Indoor units (estimated at around 800,000) are used as forklifts, manlifts, ice and floor sweepers, baggage handlers and the like. A smaller percentage of these are battery powered, but most have ICEs (internal combustion engines). For air quality and safety reasons, most ICE powered units use propane, with a small number running on natural gas.
Traditionally, OEMs of spark ignited units and equipment have relied on low-tech open-loop carbureted fuel systems with little if any emission controls. Studies have shown that most emissions failures on older industrial engines are simple to fix with only minor adjustments bringing them into current specs.
For new units, however, standards call for extended emissions warranties and more, and for onboard diagnostics capable of alerting operators of malfunctions in the engine’s emission-control system.
Automotive car Gasoline-fueled Tier 2 engines must also have EVAP systems.
In order for engines to meet the new emission standards, use of automotive technology such as EFI, 3-way catalysts and closed loop systems is required.
To give new low-emissions life to pre-emission controlled equipment, LSI retrofit kits may include an O2 sensor, a feedback carburetor or modified pressure regulator, a controller (module), and more. A variety of suppliers now offer such equipment, which costs anywhere from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. With the installation of these closed-loop “kits,” older engines (assuming good mechanical condition) easily pass the required smog tests. Once kits are installed, “Lambda Testers”—simplified low cost exhaust gas analyzers which read O2 content—are now available to enable technicians to adjust fuel mixtures for “Lambda = 1” stoichiometric operation.
Muddying the water for an industry scrambling to meet air quality standards, the fuel used may be anything but consistent in quality.
In the case of propane and natural gas, impurities (fuel by-products) and contaminants picked up in the fuel delivery “pipeline” leave oil, sludge or wax deposits in pressure regulators, injectors, etc., causing equipment problems and headaches for owners trying to keep engines running clean and efficient.

Automotive Technicians and Training
At present, equipment is typically run day-in, day-out in small businesses with only one or a handful of units.
Thus there’s likely no highly qualified automotive technician on staff and little attention is given to “tune-ups.” These days, turning a fuel mixture screw until the engine idles smoothly won’t cut it.5 In the non-road sector, there’s a serious shortage of trained technicians, and even though converting older units isn’t that difficult, owners and operators are scrambling to find technicians with the training, know-how and tools to service units, and install and integrate closed-loop retrofit kits. Attitude may be a contributing factor to the shortage: One forklift maintenance trainer reports that students tell him, “If I was going to have to learn computerized engine controls, I would go to work for an automobile dealership,” and, “We don’t have an emissions analyzer, we just tune by ear.” Reportedly, one year’s worth of PERC sponsored forklift training of technicians alone could reduce CO output by anywhere from an estimated 3,000 to 68,000 tons.
Admittedly, indoor vehicle service and repair is a niche market.
To be successful, technicians should be able to service not only engines and fuel systems, but also maintain and repair the mechanical, hydraulic and electrical systems on these units. Automotive Technicians with the ability to service emissions systems, and propane and CNG fuel systems, are well positioned for servicing LSI engines and equipment. Having such qualifications will open the door of opportunity for automotive technicians willing to service non-road equipment.

2011 Chevrolet Covertte - Feel the Pleasure of Sports With Luxury Features Cars

2011-05-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

There may be a lot of innovations in the automobile manufacturing industry, but for over 50 years, one car has always lead the pack in innovation and performance; the Chevrolet Corvette. Now with more options and models to choose from than ever, it's time to treat yourself and give into your lifelong dream of owning America's most popular sports car.The new 2011 Chevrolet Corvette model is an example of state of the art technology and it redefines the meaning of freedom. You can feel the pleasure of smooth driving with removable panel of roof that gives you a feeling of sports driver.

Chevrolet Corvette has a V8 engine that delivers 430 HP in a LS3 aluminum block motor. It is a great performer that is pleasurable to drive.The Corvette comes with 6.2-liter fuel tank that delivers 26 MPG on the highway. It delivers excellent performance that leads the sports car pack. You will feel the improved fuel efficiency with this latest model of Chevrolet Corvette that 6-cylinder sports cars simply cannot deliver.Chevrolet Corvette 2011 is not limited to performance. This model also has new accessories that make a statement of style and offer the feeling of luxury as you drive. These accessories are designed to enhance the functionality of your car and improve your driving experience. There are countless choices, but popular options include Magnetic Selective Ride Control, a unique feature of the 2011 Corvette that will help you maintain control on winding roads. Luxury features include leather seats, five-spoke wheels, audio controls in the steering wheel and other safety features.Find your new Corvette by using the My Chevrolet application to help you locate a car dealer in your area for sales and service.

Once you own your new Corvette, Google maps has provided Find My Car application that will help you locate your car if it's lost or stolen.Now when you take delivery of a 2010 or 2011 Corvette by February 28, you have the opportunity for a two-day driving school courtesy of the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in suburban Phoenix or the Ron Fellows Performance Corvette Driving School at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch near Las Vegas. It's your choice. See your Chevrolet dealer for details!Purchase a new 2010 or 2011 Corvette and you'll have the opportunity for a two-day driving school experience courtesy of the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in suburban Phoenix or the Ron Fellows Performance Corvette Driving School at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch near Las Vegas. It's your choice. Take delivery by February 28, 2011. See your dealer for details.*

Automotive Services Rotary spark-ignition engine & components

2011-05-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

Rotary spark-ignition engine & components :
Basic principles of the rotary engine
Basic components of the rotary engine
Rotary engine cycle
Rotary/piston engine comparison
Rotary engine power pulses
Renesis rotary engine

Basic principles of the rotary engine
The rotary engine is not as common as the 4-stroke or 2-stroke engine but its basic principle is well accepted. It operates very differently from a reciprocating engine.
A piston-engine is called reciprocating because the pistons move back and forth over the same path. This reciprocating motion changes into rotary motion at the crankshaft.
A rotary engine has a rotor, not a piston, and it’s called rotary because the rotor has a planetary motion. It does not reciprocate.
The rotor is roughly triangular in shape and it turns inside a housing which is a particular geometric shape called an epitrochoid curve.
Because it spins, rather than moves up and down, engine operation is said to be very smooth and vibration free.
Let’s look at basic principles of the rotary engine.
The rotary engine does look different but it is still an internal combustion engine, so let’s find the 5 key events common to all internal combustion engines.
Intake occurs when air-fuel mixture enters the working chamber at the inlet port.
The turning rotor then carries it around to the spark plugs. Along the way, the volume of the working chamber decreases, and compresses the mixture.
The mixture is ignited and combustion occurs. Expanding gases produce a power pulse, driving the rotor onward.
When the exhaust port is uncovered, exhaust occurs as the rotor sweeps burned gases out of the housing.
Which brings it all back to the beginning, ready to run a new cycle.

Basic components of the rotary engine
The rotor is mounted in an oval-shaped housing. The housing is made of aluminium alloy, but the curved surface has hard chromium plating. This surface has to put up with the wear and tear of the rotor sliding against it as it turns in the housing.
There are usually 2 spark plugs fixed to the housing which enable combustion to occur.
The rotor housing also has an exhaust port to expel burnt gases. It has cooling passages for water to circulate.
The rotor has three apexes which have seals to seal between the rotor and the rotor housing. This prevents premature wear as the apex seals and housing are in continuous contact.
Side seals seal between the rotor and side housing.
The combustion chamber is formed by hollows in the flanks of the rotor. These hollows are sometimes called bathtubs.
Front and rear housings, or side housings, are bolted to each side of the rotor housing. If it is a two-rotor engine there is an intermediate housing between the two rotors.
An internal gear in each rotor meshes with a corresponding stationary gear in the front housing and rear housings.
When combustion occurs, the meshing of the teeth forces the rotor to walk around the stationary gear. This combines with the eccentric shaft to make the rotor follow the curved surface of the housing, and it gives the rotor planetary motion.
The rotor is attached to an eccentric shaft at points called rotor journals. This shaft is like a crankshaft in a piston engine but with the journals off-centre.
Because the rotor is off-centre, the force applied to the shaft is off-centre too. The whole shaft is supported by main journals, so the final output is smooth rotary motion.
Rotary engine cycle
The inlet port is uncovered and fuel-air mixture enters the working chamber. The lobe of the rotor covers the inlet port, and the rotor moves the mixture around the chamber.
The rotor turns. The working chamber becomes smaller, compressing the mixture.
It is smallest at the top of the compression phase. And that is when the air-fuel mixture is ignited. Hot, expanding gases apply force to the rotor and produce a power pulse which turns the rotor. This power impulse is also called Expansion.
The apex of the rotor uncovers the exhaust port, and exhaust gases are pushed out of the chamber.
This completes 1 cycle. In rotary engines, the stages are called phases. So one engine cycle has 4 phases.
Rotary/piston engine comparison
How does the output of 1 rotor compare with the output of a piston engine?
Look again at the working chamber. How many of these chambers are there in the housing?

There are 3 - 3 working chambers between the rotor and housing, and 3 lobes on the rotor. This means that for each complete rotation of the rotor, there are 3 power pulses. Let’s see how this occurs.

Start near the end of an intake phase for working chamber A. Apex 1 is compressing the fresh fuel-air mixture as it approaches the plugs. At the same time, chamber B has ignition and combustion, and the start of a power phase. Chamber C is full of exhaust gases being pushed out of the open exhaust port.

The mixture in chamber A keeps being compressed, getting ready for ignition. Chamber B has uncovered the exhaust port and is starting to push out its exhaust gases. Chamber C has moved on for more fuel-air mixture.

Chamber A ignites. The combustion produces a power phase for A. Chamber B keeps pushing out exhaust gases. Chamber C‘s inlet port is about to be closed after receiving more mixture.

Chamber A moves on to push out exhaust gases, B gets more fuel-air mixture, and C approaches ignition.

A finishes discharging exhaust gases and moves on for more fuel-air mixture, B is at ignition, and C is pushing out its exhaust gases. Which is where we started.

The 3 chambers continu
Rotary engine power pulses
Each chamber has 1 power pulse. So each rotor revolution produces 3 power pulses, which is similar to the output from a single cylinder 2 - stroke engine.
What if 2 rotors are bolted together?
Then their output is similar to that of a twin-cylinder 2 - stroke engine.
Because of the ratio of the gears in the housings and rotor, the eccentric shaft makes 1 revolution for each power phase. That’s the same as 3 revolutions for each rotation of the rotor. So the eccentric shaft turns at 3 times the speed of the rotor.
Renesis rotary engine
The Renesis engine is a further development of the "Wankel" rotary engine. The operating cycle is the same as the conventional rotary engine, with improvements to it's design which has the result of improving fuel economy when under load.
They are designed with either a low output (154 kw version) for use with automatic transmissions or a high output (184 kw version) for use with manual transmissions.
The fundamental design is the same, however some changes have been made so the engine can comply with current emission regulations.
The exhaust ports have been moved from the periphery of the combustion chamber to the side of the housing. They have also been enlarged. Their location delays their opening, when compared to the wankel engine, providing a longer expansion stroke, increasing thermal efficiency. In addition the rotor is machined so as to delay the closing point.
The intake ports have also been enlarged and moved to the side of the housing The low output engine has 2 intake ports, primary and secondary. The high output engine has 3 intake ports, primary, secondary and auxiliary.
The ports are enlarged when compared to the wankel engine. Their position allows them to open sooner improving power and torque and extending engine efficiency over a wider engine speed range.
The intake manifold has primary, secondary and auxiliary ducts. The primary duct has no control valve, the secondary and auxiliary ducts are controlled by butterfly valves.
At low engine speeds, air flows into the engine through the primary intake ducts only, keeping the air velocity in the manifold high providing better air fuel mixing.
At medium engine speeds, and when engine load is high enough, the secondary intake ducts are opened by butterfly valves, reducing restriction and increasing airflow and torque.
At high engine speeds, an extra air duct opens on the air cleaner allowing extra air to be drawn into the engine.
On the high output engine at engine speeds above 6000 rpm the auxiliary duct opens allowing the engine to draw air in through all 6 ports, further increasing engine breathing.
A butterfly valve located between each housing's main intake duct is used at speeds above 7000 rpm to shorten the effective length of the intake tubes so as to use pressure pulses to force more air into the engine.
Low output engines have 2 fuel injectors per rotor, primary and secondary. The primary fuel injectors operate at all times, the secondary injectors operate at engine speeds over 3700 rpm and when the engine load demands more fuel.
The high output engine has additional primary injectors, named primary 2, which only operate at very high speed and load conditions.

List of Engine Troubleshoot and sytem

2011-05-17T00:39:00.000-07:00

This all contain in my Basic Automotive As Well As Hottest cars
List of Engine troubleshoot,diesel,gasoline,intake,exhaust all about engine system

Cooling systems

List of EFI Troubleshoot

2011-05-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

Basic Automotive as well as Hottest Cars
There is my EFI List Troubleshoot

Brake Sytem,info,procedure,components,

2011-05-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

This all contain in my Basic Automotive As Well As Hottest cars
List of brake System

Where to Find the Free Online Auto Repair Manual You Need

2011-05-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

If you need an online auto repair manual that can help you precisely fix your problem, the internet has an incredible amount of car care information. What you won't find however, is a Chiltons or a Haynes auto repair manual, because they're copyrighted material. You don't need them anyway, because there are a lot of good car repair web sites with individual pages or articles that can solve your specific problem.In fact, you'll find articles on all kinds of car fix and vehicle maintenance topics, such as

auto body repairs

automatic transmission replacement

bleeding brakes

car audio systems fix

changing oil

finding the causes for a bearing failure

how to install a replacement ignition system

how to upgrade an exhaust system

troubleshooting car stalling

troubleshooting car starting problems and much more.Here is a good place to search for vehicle fix manuals: Go to the search site at 10w40.com and type in the problem you want to solve - and the likehood of finding the instructions you need is high. On this website you can also post your problem on an advice and discussion board, and get your problem solved almost instantly by an expert in this repair field or by an ordinary person who has experienced your problem and solved it already or might know where to go to get the answer you need. And it doesn't cost you a cent.There are many other good websites where you can get an online auto repair manual that will fit your needs. Go to google.com and type in [the problem you want an answer to]+repair manuals, and you should find lots of valuable vehicle repair resources that might solve your problem.

Automotive Scan Tools and Troubleshooting Your Car

2011-05-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Troubleshooting a vehicle should not be more trouble than it already is. Until the very recent past, a combination of intuitive guesswork, costly man-hours, and outright trial and error were the only available means for technicians to diagnose mechanical failure. The advent of computers changed this, making it possible not only to internally regulate automotive functions, but also to quickly and reliably diagnose problems with automotive scan tools that interface directly between machine and man, eliminating costly overtime and problematics in the process.

Today's automotive scan tools have evolved into highly sophisticated devices that can test practically anything under the hood. By reading data from the vehicle's onboard computer and sending that information directly to the technician, an automotive scan tool can reliably and quickly diagnose a problem that would have taken hours or even days to manually troubleshoot in the past.Whenever a car rolls into a shop these days, technicians start by checking the basics utilizing automotive scan tools specifically designed to check oil levels and quality, air bag functionality, and engine check lights. Almost every new car relies on an onboard diagnostic computer, or OBD, to report malfunctions in the engine and supporting systems.

This information feeds into a connector and reports data through a series of codes, referred to in the mechanical world as OBD or OBD2 codes. Before beginning any work under the hood, a technician must first collect this data with an automotive scan tool engineered to read and interpret the codes. Armed with accurate information, the technician can now begin the repair process without the excessive labor costs and possible damage than often resulted when trial and error troubleshooting ran into late hours and overtime in the past.

ABS Brake Repair Troublesooting in Car

2011-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Inspect Your Emergency BrakeAs silly as it seems, there are times when the emergency brake will not be down quite far enough and will set off the light, regardless of whether the brakes are actually being used. A simple way to check this is to engage your emergency brake, check the corresponding dash light, and move it back into the off position. Do this a few times to make certain. Lights can be triggered quite easily, and this little tidbit has saved quite a few people the embarrassment of having their mechanic disengage their emergency system for them.Hydraulic Pressure LossDuring your inspection, take a minute to check all of the levels in your reservoir to find out whether you are losing any substantial amount of fluid.

Warning lights can go off due to low brake system levels. If you top it off and the problem remains, you may be losing pressure on one side of the vehicle, which can pose a safety risk if not addressed quickly. Pressure loss can easily lead to brake failure on the road; a risk that only increases with speed.Inspect Your Hydraulic CircuitsEvery vehicle has two hydraulic circuits which should be inspected during your ABS brake repair. The purpose behind the dual system is a safety precaution in case of main line failure. If you're first line fails, you will still have a second available that will allow you to stop the vehicle.

These devices are made to turn on as the other turns off. If either of these are broken, it may be the reason for your ABS light illumination. Switch out any broken parts and check to see if your ABS light is still on. If nothing has changed, you may be looking at a much more serious problem in the brake lines themselves.ABS Light Is Still StuckIf you've gone through each step with no luck whatsoever, the best idea is to get it checked out by someone with experience with ABS systems. In this fashion, you'll be able to rest easy knowing that the brake repair will be attended to properly in addition to checking everything else within the system inside and out. Call around to local shops in your area to find the best deal and get yourself back on the road safely.

World`s Luxurious Sports Cars - Porsche Carrera GT

2011-05-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's common practice for a well-known sports car manufacturer to take the leap and attempt to release the ultimate supercar. All the big names have done it: Lamborghini, Ferrari, Mercedes, and in 2004, Porsche did it too with their Carrera GT. Porsche's version of a supercar is a long time in the making.They went completely outside of their comfort zone and delivered an automobile that has the body style of a Ferrari but offers the reliable performance that clearly screams Porsche. Through two years until 2006, the company produced 1,270 of these cars. Its predecessor was the GT1 - a supercar in it's own right, although built strictly for racing.Porsche's supercar is a bit contradictory. For starters, they used some serious state-of-the-art technology in a lot of aspects of the automobile; however, in other aspects, the Carrera GT operates much like a standard Porsche

.With a pure carbon-fiber monocoque and subframe, the car is light and easy to handle. It also features inboard suspension and an extremely large radiator. However, separate from other supercar rivals, the Carrera GT features traction control instead of the latest dynamic stability control. But all in all, Porsche has over 75 technology patents for their Carrera GT alone.The Carrera GT might be a supercar, but its sleek exterior and comfortable interior make it a sought after roadster as well. The interior is completely decked out in soft leather, and for a two-door, it boasts a lot of room inside. It also has state-of-the-art navigation system and a Bose audio system to provide entertainment.Keeping with the Porsche tradition, the ignition of the car is found on the left-hand side, enabling the driver to simultaneously start the car and put it in gear with his or her right hand. No one needs to start out of the gate that quickly on the road, but the design feature is more of a carry-over from the days of racing.

The Porsche Carrera GT engine is no joke. It climbs to over 125mph in only 10 seconds and can achieve 0 to 60 in 3.5. Its maximum speed only takes it up to 205, but that's still faster than many competitors sharing the road.The GT gets its speed and power from the 5.7 liter V10 engine under the hood. Putting out 612 horsepower, the Carrera is a real piece of monster machinery. The transmission isn't very detailed. The straightforward design is a basic six-speed manual gearbox.Although Porsche's supercar can compete with other models on the road without giving up an inch of leeway, the Carrera GT does better on price than the entire lot. Of course, it's still rather expensive, coming in at around $440-thousand, but in comparison to some supercars, that's a virtual steal.