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Auto Mechaniker

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73 views3 pages

Auto Mechaniker

Uploaded by

besuvsk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = T H E DRIVE TRAIN

You may have seen this idea at work on a bicycle. If your


chain is on a small chain ring in the front and a large sprocket
in the back, it will help you climb a very steep hill. If it is on
a large chain ring and a small sprocket, it will help you pedal
along a flat road at high speed.
A key difference between a car transmission and a bicycle
gear set is that on a bicycle, you can use any chain ring with
any sprocket. On a car, however, the gears on the input shaft
(coming from the engine) and the output shaft (going toward
the wheels) are always connected in pairs. Each time you shift
gears, the transmission tells a different pair of gears to send
power to the wheels.
There are two basic types of transmissions: manual
and automatic.

Man ual Transmissions


With a manual transmission, just before sh ifting gears, the
driver must push a pedal down to release the clutch. This
temporarily disconnects the wheels from the engine so the
driver can select a gear by using a shift lever.
The clutch has a round disc, about the size of a dinner
plate, that is covered with friction material. When the clutch
pedal is out, this disc rests tightly against the engine flywheel.
This makes the transmission's input shaft spin at the same
speed as the crankshaft.

Manual transmissions are sometimes ca lled


standard t ransmissions.

Automatic Transmissions
An automatic transmission shifts itself. There is no clutch pedal;
the driver just has to move the shift lever to D (drive) to use the
car's forward gears. Hydraulic (fluid) pressure flowing through
various pathways does all the work. An automatic transmission
senses engine speed and vehicle speed, and then picks the
appropriate gear ratio.

AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE 31
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = T H E BRAKING SYSTEM

What Is Friction?
Friction is resistance to motion. If you run on a gym floor in
hard-soled shoes, you will slide when you try to stop or change
direction quickly. If you are wearing sneakers, it is much easier
to stop and turn. That is because rubber has higher friction than
other materials. Automotive brakes need to be made of much
tougher materials than shoes. They are made of special com-
pounds that lose heat quickly and wear very slowly.

Hydraulic Circuit
The brake pedal is attached to a master cylinder, which holds
two containers (reservoirs] of brake fluid and two plungers. When
you apply the brake pedal, the plungers force fluid through steel
tubing to the wheels. The fluid presses against wheel cylinders,
which in turn move the brake pads or linings to create friction.
This changes motion energy into heat energy that goes out
easily into the air.
The brake system needs hydraulic pressure to build up
when the driver presses the brake pedal. If there is a leak in
the system, pressure cannot build up and the brakes will not
work. To prevent dangerous brake failure, modern cars have
two separate brake circuits. (That is why the master cylinder
has two fluid reservoirs and two plungers.) If one circuit has
a leak, there will still be braking power in the other. Typically,
the circuits are cross-linked, which means that one circuit
powers the left-front and right-rear brakes, while the other
powers the right-front and left-rear brakes.

Types of Braking Systems


There are two major types of brakes: drum brakes and disc
brakes. Drum brakes force curved pads, called brake shoes, to
rub against the inside of an iron drum. Disc brakes use pairs of
levers, called calipers, that clamp small brake pads against the
sides of a spinning iron disc, called a rotor. (This is how bicycle
brakes work, too.)
Disc brakes are better for severe operating conditions,
because air cools the rotor, helping heat go away more quickly.
New cars usually have drum brakes in the rear and disc brakes
in the front. High-performance models have disc brakes at all
four wheels.

AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE 43
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = T H E A I R INTAKE AND FUEL SYSTEMS
Fuel Injection
Fuel injectors are computer-controlled valves that shoot precise
amounts of atomized fuel into the engine. When you press the
accelerator, a throttle valve opens and lets air into the engine.
(The gas pedal should really be called the air pedal!) The engine
control unit senses this action and turns on the fuel injectors.
How much fuel does the engine need? This depends on
many factors, including engine speed, engine load, barometric
pressure, airflow, coolant temperature, throttle valve angle,
and exhaust oxygen content. Based on these factors, the engine
control unit decides how long to keep each injector open (the
pulse width) and exactly when to inject the fuel so it will happen
when the piston is on the intake stroke.
The injectors may be located in the throttle body itself or in
the intake manifold near each cylinder:
• In throttle-body fuel injection, one or two injectors add fuel to
the air before it reaches the cylinders.
• In multipart fuel injection, there is an injector near each
cylinder. Half the injectors fire at a time.
• In sequential fuel injection, an injector near each cylinder
fires just before the cylinder opens. Most cars sold in the
United States use sequential fuel injection.
The Fuel Tank and Fuel Delivery System
The fue l tank is at the rear of the vehicle. Fuel leaves it through
a device called a fuel pickup, which is covered with a finely
woven fabric or metal screen that traps large particles of dirt,
rust, scale, and moisture. It seldom requires replacement.
Locate your fuel filler cap, which is probably on one of
the car's rear quarter panels. Some older cars, however,
hide filler caps behind the license plate or even behind
a taillight!
AUTOMOTIVE MAI NTE NAN CE 51

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