Some Common Car Questions Answered
Cars are complicated pieces of machinery
Cars are complicated pieces of machinery. As such, we often have questions as to why certain things are acting up.
Why do my brakes squeal?
Brake squeal is the result of a high-pitched vibration of the brake pads. This vibration occurs because the pads are not properly insulated from the caliper or secured to the caliper.
Brake pads come from the factory with anti-rattle clips, pad insulator shims, and sometimes a silicone backing that literally glues the pad to the caliper to keep the pads secure and to prevent rattle or vibration. Sometimes brake squeal is the result of the composition of the brake pads being too hard.
These hard, smooth surfaces rub against each other, resulting in the "nails across a blackboard" syndrome. If this is the case, replace the pads and resurface the rotors. That should stop the squeal.
Finally, if the brake rotors are not re-surfaced when a brake job is done, it results in squeal. When brake pads are replaced, the rotors must be resurfaced with a non-directional finish applied to the rotor face to ensure proper pad break-in.
What is the difference between "outside" and "recirculation" settings on my car's AC?
"Outside" setting means just that, fresh outside air is being fed into the vehicle's cabin along with the climate-controlled air that the HVAC system is feeding into the cabin. "Recirculation" means that the air being fed into the vehicle's cabin via the HVAC is being recirculated without adding fresh outside ambient temperature air.
What is the difference between premium and regular gas?
The difference between premium and regular gas is the octane rating. Octane is the measurement of a gasoline's volatility factor in the combustion chamber environment.
The lower the octane, the more volatile it is; the higher the octane, the less volatile (more stable). Low octane fuel is more apt to pre-ignite or ping inside the engine.
Some refer to this phenomenon as "engine knock." Engine Knock occurs when the fuel ignites in the upper regions of the engine before the spark is introduced at the high point of compression.
To understand what's happening, you must first have a basic understanding of how an internal four-stroke internal combustion engine works.
On the first stroke of the four-stroke cycle, the intake valve opens, the piston travels down, and the injection system injects a perfect air/fuel mixture into the combustion chamber. The suction or vacuum produced by the downward stroke of the piston is what draws the air/fuel mixture into the engine; this is called the intake stroke.
Now that the combustion chamber is loaded with air and fuel, the valves both close and the piston travels back up, compressing the mixture tightly; this is called the compression stroke. Compression of the mixture makes it highly volatile.
At the precise time that the mixture is at its greatest compression, an electrical spark is introduced into the chamber through the spark plug. This spark ignites the mixture and forces the piston downward; this is called the power stroke.
Finally, the exhaust valve opens and the piston travels back up, pushing the burned exhaust gas out of the chamber; this is called the exhaust stroke. This process repeats over and over, producing power in the engine.
When pre-ignition occurs, the air/fuel mixture is ignited as it is introduced into the combustion chamber before it has been compressed. Pre-ignition of the mixture hammers away on the tops of the pistons, the faces of the valves and the cylinder heads.
Over time, irreversible damage occurs and major engine work must be done to correct it.
Today's engine management systems use a knock sensor to monitor combustion chamber pressure. When the knock sensor detects excessive pressure in a combustion chamber, it retards ignition timing, thus reducing or eliminating pre-ignition.
How does the battery stay charged?
Automotive charging systems keep your car's battery charged at all times. Then the charging system provides a steady feed of voltage and amperage to keep the battery in perfect health for the next time you have to start the car or use an electrical device inside the car.
Also, the charging system provides the steady minute voltage necessary to operate the performance system of your car. When you start the car, a heavy amperage loss occurs on the battery; this is called a load.
After the car starts, the alternator recharges the battery with voltage and amperage. Perfect charging parameters range between 13.8 to 14.2 volts and up to 200 amps, depending on system requirements and alternator output capacity.
All this is controlled and monitored by the voltage regulator. When the regulator "sees" that the battery either needs more or less voltage, it makes adjustments to keep the delicate balance of battery charge.
by: Jack Landry
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