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.

Oil gas vent line heater fault

Mercedes-Benz C200 CDI 

To reduce the presence of oil in engine components such as the air intake manifold, intercooler, turbo, etc., vehicle manufacturers are working to make improvements in this area, and have introduced the "Oil gas vent line heater” into the engine's oil vapour recovery system.

Mercedes-Benz C200 CDI fuse box

Excessive mechanical noise and lack of power in Renault petrol engines

Detail of the variable valve timing system

This fault affects models of the Renault group that have the following cylinder capacities and engine codes:

1.4 16V - K4J
1.6 16V - K4M
2.0 16V - F4R



*Only in engines equipped with a variable valve timing system.





SYMPTOMS

With the engine running, excessive mechanical noise is heard from the top of the engine, specifically on the camshaft side on the timing side. The system displays different symptoms in the event of this fault:

- Fault indicator light on
- Excessive noise
- Unstable idling
- Lack of response
- Engine shaking or jerking
- Lack of power
- Engine rattles or is noisy
- Exhaust smells


When reading the fault codes using the diagnostic machine, the related codes are as follows:

How does it work?: Mazda Skyactiv technology

Skyactiv technology is a manufacturing strategy implemented by Mazda. It is not only based on engine improvements but also affects the body and transmission. This technology is focussed on weight reduction and efficiency improvement, in order to improve the performance, handling and safety of the vehicle.


Petrol engines (Skyactiv-G)


Thermodynamic improvement has been the focus for the petrol engines, the compression ratio has been increased to 14:1, until now only reached in competition engines.

Petrol Skyactiv engine

The advantage of increasing the compression ratio is that it increases the thermal efficiency, which brings with it a reduction in fuel consumption.

The disadvantage in a conventional engine is self-ignition, so various measures have been taken to prevent it:

Skyactiv exhaust manifold in a petrol engine

IMA Hybrid System

Caution!! The Honda IMA system uses high-voltage circuits (158 V). For this reason, prior to working on the IMA system, turn off the main switch to cut off the electric circuit. Moreover, the operator must respect the security measures corresponding to work with cables and high voltage components.

The Honda Civic IMA (Integrated Motor Assisted) uses a hybrid system which operates in parallel with the heat engine. The heat engine is normally driven, while the electric motor assists the heat engine. The electric motor acts as a generator during deceleration and braking.

Charging electric vehicles

Charging electric vehicles 

The main advantage of an electric vehicle is that it does not emit any polluting gases during operation.

There are studies that show that with the introduction of 1000 electric vehicles in a city, 30,000 kg of polluting gases and more than 2 tons of CO2 would not be emitted per year.


The main disadvantage of these vehicles is that they are expensive and their range is usually short (100 km approximately).

Another problem that arises after purchasing an electric vehicle is where to plug it in to charge its battery. There are still insufficient charging points on urban roads, and we would need at least a regular charging point adapted for connecting a SAVE (Sistema Alimentación Vehículo Eléctrico) (Electric Vehicle Power System).

Fault in the Ford Mondeo IV adaptive headlights

Affected vehicles:

The Ford Mondeo IV has been produced since 2007 with the adaptive headlight system.

The adaptive headlight system AFS is operated by means of an automatic adjustment control for the dipped headlights which adjusts their position in accordance with the speed and steering of the vehicle under different circumstances.

The purpose of the system is to improve visibility and reduce risks due to possible dazzle that may occur while driving at night.

Noise and judder from the front brakes

In this post, a fault is considered that causes noise, vibration and judderfrom the front axle of the Audi A6 on operating the brake pedal.

The affected models are:

Audi A6 from 2002

PR: 1LB, 1LT, 1LF, 1LG, 1LA, 1LX

Note: The PRs make reference to the vehicles equipment level and are shown on the first page of the maintenance service manual.

Detail of the PR in the vehicle's service manual