Carbon fibre

The specialised use of the material in the world of competition, as well as the advance of the technology has resulted in carbon fire being more common in the automotive field.

Until a few years ago, this synthetic material was exclusively used in aeronautics and the world of top competition. Now, we can find this material anyway from supercars to everyday objects such as bicycles, watches, etc.

First, we must remember that carbon fibre is a synthetic fibre made up of filaments which measure from 5 to 10 µm in diameter. Each one of these is the union of thousands of carbon fibres manufactured from polyacrylonitrile.

The properties of carbon fibre are: 

·                     High mechanical strength (3 times greater than that of steel) with a high modulus of elasticity. 

·                     Low density in comparison with other materials: The density of carbon fibre is 1750 kg/m³, while that of steel is 7850 kg/m³.

·                     Resistance to external agents (corrosion, oxidation, etc.).

·                     High thermal insulation capacity.

·                     Resistance to temperature variations, it maintains its shape only if a thermostable matrix is used.

·                     It is a semiconductor.

·                     High price in comparison with other materials. Currently, a kg of carbon fibre is around €100, while the price per kg of steel is 2 to 5 € approximately.

·                     The main application is the manufacturer of composite materials with thermostable polymers such as epoxy resin, although it can be associated with others such as polyester or vinyl ester.

High idling speed accompanied by oil leaks, lack of power and fault codes on VAG 2.0 TFSI vehicles

AFFECTED MODELS

On some models from the VAG manufacturer with 2.0 TFSI (Turbocharged Fuel Stratified Injection) engine, with BWA, BPY and BYD engine management, it is likely that the following fault will be found:

Firstly, after repeated incidents, a list of recorded fault codes became evident in the engine control unit that could occur: 

P0507 – Idle control fault.

P2279 – Leak in the air intake system.

·                     In this fault, constant oil leaks are identified at the rear of the engine and in the spark plug locations. It is possible that fuel may be found in the spark plug area due to a loosening of the cylinder head bolts as a result of excessive pressure in the lubrication circuit.

·                     The valve intended to retain the crankcase vapours (PCV), that is joined to the cylinder head cover does not function correctly, specifically the internal membrane of the non-return valve. This PCV internal fault allows the turbo pressure to enter the oil vapour circuit.

·                     The model of the crankcase oil vapour purge valve must be checked and the metal hose doser that runs from the turbocharger to the intake manifold. There are specific spares for these two parts to solve this fault.

Engine malfunctioning without recording of fault codes

On this occasion, we are going to repair a fault that affects the BMW 3 series with M57 and M57N diesel engine.

SYMPTOMS


The engine malfunctions during different operating phases, for example, while accelerating, on starting the engine from cold and/or when travelling at a constant speed at low rpm.

After carrying out a diagnostic reading, no fault code can be seen recorded relating to the engine problems.

One of the causes of this anomaly is that there is a deterioration in the fuel rail sensor connector or in the sensor wiring.

The vehicle does not start and the pre-control pump is very noisy

In some FIAT MAREA models, a series of repetitive symptoms become evident:

The engine is difficult to start, especially from cold. There is also an abnormal noise from the pre-control pump.

After several diagnostics of the incident, it was determined that it is caused by a displacement of the O-ring that is located between the filter body and the bottom cover of the pump set. This displacement is caused by excessive fuel pressure, and in many cases it can result in a leak in the fuel supply circuit.

Technical features and verification of the particulate filter and its additive system (PSA group)

In this post, we are going to talk about how the particulate filter (FAP) and the additive system function and are verified in PSA (Peugeot and Citroën) group vehicles with BOSCH EDC 16C34 engine management.

For this, we are going to have the assistance of the documentation provided by the www.dis-net.com platform and take the Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI as an example.

The particulate filter is a component that reduces pollution in vehicles equipped with a diesel engine by filtering the solid particulates from the exhaust gas.

Particulate filter