Autonomous cars

Autonomous cars are cars that drive themselves, without the need for a driver.
It could be considered a type of robot as it is a machine capable of carrying out a series of actions by itself without the intervention of a human being, although it does not look like what we think of as a robot (metal humanoid).
This technology is advancing rapidly and there is no turning back.

The first autonomous cars will be marketed from 2020. The first marketed examples may be semi-autonomous cars, cars with a temporary auto-pilot system or different automated tasks (for example, piloted parking), and then fully autonomous cars soon after, which would not require a driver for any situations.

A look into the future: The electric turbo

For some years, car manufacturers have been following a clear trend towards the mass electrification of vehicle components and systems, i.e. to change what has been up to now mechanical for electrical. Up until now we have seen water pumps, power steering, air conditioning compressors, but not turbos.

This is about to change...

The first question is obvious, why an electric turbo? 

The answer is downsizing (remember that this concept refers to maintainin
g or increasing the power of engines at a lower energy cost).

Since new turbocharged engines were started to be used in the world of competition, this technology has progressed considerably.

AdBlue, now also for passenger cars

On 1 September 2014, the Euro 6 European anti-pollution standards came into force, and on this occasion there were new stipulations relating to the reduction of emissions for light vehicles with a diesel engine. 

See where the change is:

Comparison between the EURO 5 and EURO 6 standards

As can be seen in the graphics, the new EURO 6 standard has evolved with the objective of substantially reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the diesel engine

The diesel engine, due to its operating characteristics, generates a high level of
NOx, as this gas is generated under high pressure and temperature conditions.

From some time now exhaust gas treatment systems have been used, one of the best known by professionals in the sector is the exhaust gas recirculation system EGR, this consists of reducing the creation of nitrogen oxides (NOx), by introducing burnt gases from the exhaust into the cylinder.

With the new emission limits required by EURO 6, many engines (especially larger capacity engines) will not achieve the target required by the standard.

AdBlue, the solution for NOx

This technology started in the industrial, agricultural and heavy machinery vehicle sector, and is the same system (with just small differences) that is currently installed in passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

AdBlue is an additive in the form of an aqueous solution made up of 32.5% urea and 67.5% water. This is not a flammable product, it is safe to handle and in general is not a hazardous substance for people or the environment.

Fault in the catalytic converter inlet sensor in the Suzuki Ignis II

On this occasion, we are going to repair a common fault that affects the Suzuki Ignis II 1.3 (M13A), manufactured from 2003.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms shown in this incident are:

- Engine failure lamp (MIL) on

- On reading the fault codes in the engine control module (ECM) with the diagnostic tool, we see code P0420 is recorded (Catalyst system efficiency below threshold on bank 1).

CAUSE

The cause of this anomaly is due to a fault in the inlet sensor (sensor 1) of the catalytic converter.

REMEDY

The repair procedure for this fault is to measure the temperature with a thermometer at the inlet to the catalytic converter and to take another measurement at the outlet, and check that the inlet temperature is lower than the outlet temperature. If this is the case, directly replace the converter gas inlet sensor 1, because, as we say in this newsletter, it is a common fault and this solution is not always correct.

To assure yourself that the incident has been resolved, check that the exhaust gas system is operating correctly by means of a road test and the deletion of all the engine control module (ECM) fault codes.