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Showing posts with label does. Show all posts
Showing posts with label does. Show all posts

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Does anyone need a Voltage Stabilizer

A Voltage stabilizer could be just a simple black-box of many capacitors... sometimes comes with attractive and convincing digital displays or blinking/colorful leds. ... attached directly across a battery at the positive and negative terminals to regulate the flow of electricity running from a cars battery to its electrical components. Plug n Play type is also available...The Voltage Stabilizers are believed can smooth idling, increase battery life, improve combustion efficiency hence increase power/torque, decreased emissions, improve output from headlights and audio equipment, etc....

The truth is the battery itself is already like a large voltage stabilizer.
Everybody knows that the electrical system in most cars is 12 volt [24 volt system also got]. However, the charging system generates a voltage between 13.2 and 14.5 volts [based on my old school book] while the engine is running because it has to generate higher voltage than the batterys rated voltage to overcome the wiring and internal resistance of the battery. The current needed to recharge the battery would not flow at all if the charging systems output voltage is lower than or the same as the battery terminal voltage. There is also a voltage regulator at the alternator to regulate the dc voltage output.
Peugeot 405 Voltage Regulator

The alternator generate electricity and send it to the battery and other electrical loads. During low or moderate loads the excess electricity generated by the alternator charges the battery rather than increasing the voltage/current flow to the car electrical system and damaging them. When the demand of a cars electrical system exceeds the alternator output [normally at idling speeds] electricity is withdrawn from the battery to fill up the deficit.

Now, anyone still need a voltage stabilizer?
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Friday, April 17, 2015

Does Your Car Start But Then Stop Immediately

Figuring out why an engine starts and stops immediately is either going to be a very easy problem to find or it will send you in circles trying to find it. I typically do not see many situations that fall between. With todays electronics it can be a very difficult problem to find without using a computer scan tool. But, I am not saying that you shouldnt try to find out what is wrong.

As I have mentioned it previous articles "you should go back to the basics." You have one of two problems, spark or fuel. Its really easy to figure out which one you are having the issue with. First spray some starter fluid or some brake cleaner into the intake and have someone start the engine. Watch here for details. If the engine fires and can run with the spray and stops when you quit spraying then you have a fuel issue. If you remove a spark plug and test the spark and there is none then you have a spark issue. Watch here for details on testing spark.

Most of the time when a car has a problem with starting, running, and immediately cutting off, then the issue is not normally spark. If you are having a fuel issue then consider changing your fuel filter. But first, look at how many miles you have and how long since you filter has been changed. Fuel is filtered much better than it used to be, so mileage recommendations may very from mechanic to mechanic, but your fuel filter should be changed every at least every 60,000 miles. I am not saying run out and put a fuel filter in your car and it will be fixed though.

You need to test and back probe the fuel issue, such as testing for fuel pressure. There are very simple tests that can be done by someone who has almost no mechanical knowledge to rectify the fuel issue. When I say "simple" I mean simple. You can diagnose things easier than you know. All you need is good information and a willingness to fix your own car. Youll be surprised at how much better you feel about driving your car when you are not scared of it breaking down.

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How Does a Proportional Valve Work

What Is a Proportional Valve?

    A proportional valve is a vital component of all automobiles and trucks, allowing them to stop properly. When a vehicle is in motion, it generates momentum, which must be overcome if a vehicle is to stop. When braking suddenly, the weight of a vehicle is thrown forward. However, the ability of a tire to retain traction on the road is dependent on the weight pushing that tire down. Because more weight is on the front tires than the rear tires, if equal braking pressure were sent to the rear tires through the hydraulic brake lines, the rear wheels would lock up and steering control would be lost before the car could stop. Proportional valves are made to send more hydraulic fluid pressure to the front tires to prevent this from happening.

Design

    Proportional valves are cylindrical in shape and hollow, made from steel or cast iron. One sits between the master braking cylinder output and the hydraulic lines connecting to a vehicles rear brakes. The other sits between the master braking cylinder output and front brakes. The output from the master cylinder connects through a port on the side, while the output port to the brake lines is covered by a powerful spring driven piston. On average, the proportional valve connecting to the rear brakes has a hollow space roughly 70 percent larger than the front brakes.

Function

    When the brake pedal is depressed, the master cylinder forces out brake fluid into both proportional valves. It incorporates a pressure increase so that, for example, if the driver were to exert 10 pounds of force on the brake pedal, the hydraulic fluid would have 500 pounds of pressure behind it. When the hydraulic fluid reaches each proportional valve, it possesses half that pressure, divided evenly between both. However, more hydraulic fluid must be sent to the proportional valve on the rear brakes to generate enough force to push up the piston and flow to the brake apparatus. Because more fluid is sent to the rear brakes to achieve this, the pressure exerted upon the rear brakes is consequently lower than that of the front brakes. Without proportional valves, 250 pounds of pressure would be sent to both front and rear brakes, causing the rear brakes to lock up. With proportional valves, 150 pounds of pressure is sent to the rear brakes and 350 pounds of pressure is sent to the front brakes.

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