What does the Alternator Do?

Cars run a number of systems each of which has a specific task, all of these processes function with one commonality. They all in one way or another rely on electricity from the battery to keep them going. While the diesel fuel pumps and diesel injector both run on electrical impulses many other systems rely on electricity as well. Belt driven systems like the power steering pump and water pump may seem to have nothing to do with the electric flow but they rely on the movement of the motor which is caused by combustion started by a spark.

The alternator is the belt driven unit in the motor which generates electricity that can be flowed to the battery in order to keep the unit from discharging all of its power. If the alternator fails the car will not instantly die because the battery retains a charge that can maintain the systems for a short time. Do not expect to make it very far on just the battery since every function in the car is going to be draining the battery of its life.

Electricity or the movement of electrons is created by the alternator by way of a rotating coil driven by the belt of the motor. Around the coil is a larger coil that uses a magnetically opposite metal that forces the electrons to move through the coils and then out of the lines from the unit. This flow of electrons will charge the battery and keep the car going. 

Why is an Intercooler so Important to a Turbocharged Car

The internal combustion engine found in today’s cars is basically the world’s most mass produced heat pump. It converts what are basically the remains of dinosaurs into heat through the process of combustion. The combustion is used to force the pistons in the motor downward creating a torqueing motion on the crankshaft. This motion is converted by the transmission into usable power at the wheels of the car. A car equipped with a turbocharger or usually referred to as turbos for short uses an external device that is considered a power adder. A turbo is basically an air pump that forces more air into the cylinders of a vehicle.

When a turbo begins to build “boost” which is the slang term for the pressure that the turbo build in the engine a large amount of heat is created.  This heat can be damaging to a motor is not removed from the system and it robs horsepower from the motor as well. The more heat the air carries the more space the air will need to occupy. The device used to cool the air that is compressed by the turbo is referred to as the intercooler, this unit is basically a radiator that cools air.

The basic idea of the intercooler is that compressed hot air is spread out across a larger area than the pipes in the intake system. Once spread across this larger area the air will deposit its heat on the surface of the intercooler where it is released into the air. To add to the cooling ability fins are placed on the channels where the air travels, these fins allow the heat to be transferred more efficiently out of the system.

Once the air has been super cooled it is returned to the normal pipe size and it continues to the motor. The cooler air also needs less space which means that even more air can be forced into the cylinders of the vehicle. The more air, the more fuel that can be added to the cylinder and a more powerful combustion stroke can be achieved. A more powerful explosion in the cylinder means more power to the crank shaft and thus more horsepower at the wheels of the car. 

Why do Bigger Brakes Perform Better?

New car models all seem to have larger brakes each year but what makes that such a good thing? Performance enthusiasts always seem to change the brake calipers and brake disc on their cars to something different but why? The fact of the matter is that the brake system on a vehicle is one of the most important parts in the car. Even if a car has a blow engine it can still start rolling on a hill and if the brakes are gone it won’t be easy to stop.

The key to big brakes or just an overall great braking system is to match the system to what the vehicle is intended for.  The idea of larger brakes is that larger brake pads can be fitted and more contact can be made between the pad and the disc. Big discs are not the only factor in better stopping power, evenly spaced and properly positioned pistons for the calipers are a huge factor.

The disc is very important to the braking as it must be vented for proper cooling and slots can be added for even more. There is a down side to slotted or drilled rotors and that is when the drilling or slotting is done it reduces the surface area of the disc and thus lessens the cars ability to stop. Many times it will be seen on the road when some car owner bought the “upgrade discs” for their car and now it can’t stop as quickly.

The key to brake upgrades is to go larger and also add slotted or cross-drilled rotors to reduce brake fading over time. There is not really a cheap way to get better braking in a car so be sure before ordering a set of “upgraded” discs that there is a plan to do a complete brake system upgrade. Lastly don’t forget that the tires are the only part that touches the tarmac so if they are bad the brakes won’t help.

Fuel System Issues

Any car can be crippled with a fuel issue and it doesn’t matter how well you care for your car. The main issue to remember it may not always be the fuel pump or fuel pump assembly that is to blame. Many people get the news that their engine is not getting enough fuel and assume a fuel pump issue. In fact most mechanics will give the old “fuel pump don’t work” but believing this can be an expensive mistake. There are many parts in the fuel system that can cause an issue from leaking to low pressure.

If the fuel pump is bad there will be no pressure coming from the pump even if the mechanic were to hook direct power to the unit. A low pressure system may be caused by a blockage in the system or even low voltage from the alternator. A major cause of fuel issues is the FPR or fuel pressure regulator which is a unit that controls the flow of fuel to the injectors. If this unit were to function incorrectly it would cause low fuel pressure at the injectors and the car would have issues running and starting.

Cracks in the fuel lines and bad seals in meeting points can cause fuel leaks that can not only cause low pressure in the fuel system but can also be dangerous due to the highly flammable nature of the fuel.  If there is a fuel leak in the system it could be caused by old dry rotted line or cracks in the system from impacts of rocks and other debris from the road.

If the issue is tracked back to the fuel pump it may be a much smaller issue than the whole pump. If the wiring has a short and cannot get the proper voltage to the pump then the electric motor cannot function at full power and will not provide the correct pressure. Sometimes the voltage sent from the alternator is just too low and cannot power the pump unit enough. In the end it is better to check out the cause of the issue then just throwing in new parts and hoping it fixes the issue.