Introduction

The need for Automobiles

 Over the years, the Filipino lifestyle has continually changed.
Technological innovations and infrastructure have increased
the mobility of peoples in both urban and rural areas, leading
to a greater demand for more public and private vehicles. As a
result the number of automobiles on the road has doubled in
the last five years. This development is favorable to the
automobile industry, as many Filipinos today regard the
automobile as a necessity in their day to day activities. In fact,
Toyota Motors Philippines claims to have sold more than on
million vehicles in the past 26 years. Certainly, other
automobile companies operating in the country have their
own sales figures.
 With thousands of automobile plying the country,
it makes sense to know how they work, their
proper maintenance service, and repair. Whether
one is a driver, mechanic, technician, or a
proprietor of an auto service and supply shop, it is
imperative to understand the principles of
operation of gasoline and diesel engines-the
engine being the main source of an automobile’s
power and the prime mover of all the parts
attached to it.
Brief HIstory

 It is is believed that the desire to make an

automobile started as early as the fourteenth
century. The first automobile, however, was only
test-run in the early part of the fifteenth century in
Europe, and later in America, Japan, and other
Asian countries. Some of the well-known pioneers
in automobile research and manufacturing were
Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Rudolf Diesel, Henry
Ford, James Watt, James Otto, and Soichiro
Honda.
 The early automobiles believed to have run on the
road had a body like our present day tricycles. They
were equipped with wooden wheels with forward
speed ranging 5-20 miles per hour. The steering and
brake systems were mechanical and provided little
comfort, convenience, and safety for both driver
and passenger. Since the, tremendous progress has
taken place for the automobiles -the engine,
power transmission unit, suspension, steering and
brake systems, wheels, tires and body.
 Today, automobiles are loaded with an
airconditioning unit, stereo system and television
in some models, power windows, automatic
doors, safety air bags, and electronic dashboards.
Big automobiles are even equipped with a mini
bar, mini dining room, even dancing lights and
other computerized gadgets. The automobile is
almost like a house itself, giving comfort,
convenience, and safety to its occupants.
It is no wonder then that the automobile
industry is one of the most profitable industries
not only in highly industrialized countries like
the USA, Japan, Germany, UK and France, but
even in developing countries in Southeast Asia
like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the
Philippines.
With the modern car having a mea speed of
140-250 kilometers per hour, car makers are
increasingly able to manufacture fully
equipped, numerically-controlled, and
computerized automobiles.
Functions of the Automobiles

An automobile can be defined as a land vehicle or carriage

mechanically operated to move along the road or
highway using an engine, wheels and other components.
It is used to transport people, goods and merchandise
from one place to another, as in the case of cars and
public utility vehicles (PUV) and other cargoes from far
away provinces to the metropolis. The automobile is also
used in earth moving work, as in the case of bulldozers,
graders, payloaders, tracked excavators, and dump
trucks. Automobiles provide comfort, convenience,
safety, and security to riders while performing these tasks
Construction of Automobile

-about 15000 separate parts are put together to make an

automobile

-parts are grouped into several systems.

-each systems is made up of two or more parts that work

together to perform specific job.

-automotive vehicles are produced in a large variety of

sizes and shapes. All have the same basic parts and
systems.
Latest Models of Automobiles
Body types

Automobiles are available in several body

types, including the sedan, hardtop,
convertible, hatchback, and station wagon. In
addition, the minivan, the sport-utility vehicle,
and the pickup truck have become increasingly
popular.
A sedan

is a car that has front and back seats and will

carry four to six people. It has center body
pillars, or “B” pillars, between the front and rear
door. Both two-door and four-door sedans are
available.
A hardtop

 is similar to the sedan, vehicles are also

available in both two and four-door models.
A convertible

has a vinyl or cloth top that can be raised and lowered. A

convertible has no door pillars,
and its strength is designed into the frame or floor pan.
Although most convertibles are two-door models,
a few four-door convertibles have been
produced.
A hatchback, or liftback,

has a large rear door for easy access when

hauling items. This style car is available in
three- and five-door models.
A station wagon

has a long, straight roof that extends to the rear of the

vehicle. Station wagons have large rear interior
compartments and come in two- and four-door models.
Some station wagons have space for up to nine
passengers.
The minivan

 issimilar to the station wagon, but it has a

higher roofline for more headroom and cargo
space. Most minivans are designed to carry
seven passengers.
Sport-utility vehicles

 are often equipped with four wheel-drive

systems and have a tall body design. They
provide the comfort of a passenger car, the
interior space of a station wagon, and the
durability of a truck.
Early Models of Automobiles
 Two brothers, Charles and Frank Duryea built
the first car in America in 1893


 By 1895, Henry Ford, Ransom Olds and
others were building cars in America.

Early cars were crude compared to today’s

cars.
Basic parts and systems in
automobile/major components

1. An engine- power plant that produces power to

move the vehicle
2. Power train- to carry the power from the engine to
the drive wheels.
3. Suspension system- that absorbs the shock of the
tires and wheels meeting bumps and holes in the road.
4. Steering system- so the driver can control the
direction of vehicle travel.
5. Braking system- so the driver can slow and stop the
vehicle.
6. Electrical system- to provide electricity for
cranking the engine, charging the battery, and
powering the lights and other electrical
equipment.
7. body- that provides enclosures or
compartments for the engine, passengers, and
luggage or cargo.
Under the hood
 Engine compartment usually in front of the vehicle.

air- conditioning compressor

Alternator
Power steering pump
Starting motor
Supercharger or turbocharger
(other parts such as battery and power brake
booster are near the engine and connected to it by
electric wiring and hose or tubing)
Identifying the drive wheels
 RWD (rear wheel drive)
Engine power flows through the transmission and
driveshaft to the rear wheels.
 4WD (four wheel drive or all drive wheel)
These vehicles usually have transfer case. It can send or
transfer some of the engine power to the front wheels
 FWD (front wheel drive)
Engine mounts transversely at the front of the vehicle.
Engine power flows through the transaxle to the front
wheels.
 Car engine mounts either sideway or
longways
 Engine mounted longways has longitudinal
mounting, transmission attached to the rear
of the engine. A longdrive shaft connects the
transmission, through the rear drive axle and
differential, to the rear wheels.
rear wheel drive
 An engine the mounts sideways has transverse
mounting. With this arrangement, the car is more
compact. The engine compartment requires less
space. Instead of a transmission, a transaxle
attaches to one end of the engine. The transaxle
combines the transmission and many parts of the
rear drive axle into a single assembly. Short axle
shafts or half shafts connect the transaxle to the
front wheels.
Front wheel drive
The source of power

The automotive engine is an internal

combustion engine.

Internal means inside

Combustion means burning

Power is produced by burning a mixture of air

and fuel cylinder In the engine. Most of the
engine has 4,6 or 8 cylinder.
 Each cylinder has piston that slides up and
down and the movement is carried through
gears and shaft to rotate the wheels and
drive the car.
 To continue running, engine must have the
support of the fuel, ignition, lubrication and
cooling system
Supporting engine operation

 Ignition system
After the fuel-air mixture enter s the engine
cylinder, the piston moves up to the cylinder.
This compresses the trapped mixture. Then
electric spark at the spark plug ignite the
mixture. The resulting combustion produces the
power to move the car. Ignition system provides
the spark
 Fuel system
Mixes gasoline or similar fuel with air to make a
mixture that will burn in the engine cylinders
Some fuel systems use carburetor or electronic fuel
injection (FI)
carburetor-mixes the air and fuel into a combustible
mixture
EFI-when engine needs fuel, a signal from the ECM
opens the injector . Fuel the sprays into the air on its
way to the engine cylinder.
The lubrication system

 Keeps all moving parts inside the engine

coated with layers of oil
 Reduces wear on the parts
 Allows the parts to move freely
 Oil pan at the bottom of the engine holds
several liters of oil.
 Engine drives an oil pump that picks up oil
from the oil pan and sends the oil through the
engine.
The cooling system

 Removes just enough heat so the engine runs

at the proper temperature.
 A water pump circulates liquid called the
coolant between the engine and the radiator
Getting power to the wheels
 The power train.
The drive train or power train carries power from the engine to
the wheels. Major power train parts include the clutch,
transmission or transaxle, transfer case, driveshaft and
differential
 Transmission and transaxle may be either manual or
automatic.
 Automatic transmission and transaxle automatically shift
from 1 gear ratio to another.
 Manual transmission and transaxles are shifted by hand.to
shift gear, the driver depresses the clutch pedal and moves
the lever.
THE CLUTCH

 Vehicles wit a manual transmission or transaxle

have a clutch. It is between the engine and the
transmission or transaxle. Before shifting, the
driver depressed the foot operated clutch pedal.
This disconnects the engine from the transmission
or transaxle. Parts in theses units may damaged
by trying to shift while under load..

Note: in the automotive, an assembly such as a

transmission or transaxle is called a unit.
Transmission and transaxle

 Transmission and transaxle look different.

 They are similar some ways. Both are gear boxes
made up of a metal case containing gears and
shaft. the case is filled with oil.
 Provide several different forward gear ratios
between the engine and the drive wheels.
 Gear ratio is the difference in rotating speed
between engine and the wheels
 Other positions are reverse and neutral.
 Reverse allows the vehicle to move backward.
 Neutral disengages all gears for starting and
running the engine without moving the vehicle.
 When an engine is turning slowly. It cannot
produce enough power to get the vehicle
moving. The transmission gear ratios provide
the necessary increase in engine torque. Torque
is twisting or turning force. It is the torque
supplies by the engine that turns the wheels to
move the car.
Automatic Transmission and
transaxles
 Most cars have an automatic transmission or transaxle.
It shifts automatically to match the driving conditions.
For example, when the car is going up a steep hill, the
transmission or transaxle will downshift. This allows
the engine to turn faster and produce more power.
 Automatic transmission and transaxles are controlled
primarily by devices that react to vehicle speed and
engine load. Many newer units are computer
controlled. An electronic control module controls when
and how the transmission shifts.
Controlling Ride and Handling
 Springs, shock absorber, and related parts between the
wheels and the car body make up the suspension
system.
 A spring at each wheel supports the weight of the
vehicle and the load it is carrying. The springs allow the
wheels to move up and down as they meet holes and
bumps in the road. As the wheels do this, the springs
absorb most of the motion. Little up and down
movement reaches the body. A shock absorber at each
wheel helps limit the spring travel and wheel bounce.
 Automobile suspension systems uses four types of
springs.
Coil spring
Leaf spring
Torsion bar spring
Air spring
Some cars have electronic ride control. It automatically
changes the firmness of the shock absorbers to suit road
conditions. Other cars have electronic air suspension
system. It is similar to electronic ride control
The steering system
 The steering system enables the driver to turn the front
wheels left or right. This changes the direction of the wheel
travel.
 Steering starts at the steering in front of the driver wheel . As
it is turned, shafts and gears act on linkage which connects
to the front wheels. The wheels swing to the right or left, the
vehicle then follows the direction in which the front wheels
point.
 Few vehicles have four wheel steering. When the front
wheels swing to one side for steering, the rear wheels also
swing slightly. This can make parking easier and improve
high speed stability.
Controlled either electronically or
mechanically. However, the rear wheel steering
movement is very small compared to that of
the front wheel
The braking system

 Toapply the brakes, the driver pushes on the

brake pedal. This sends fluid under pressure
to a brake assembly at each wheel. In the
brake assembly, the fluid forces a stationary
part against a rotating part. The friction
between the two parts slows and stops the
car.
Two kinds of brake

 Drum-attaches to the side of the wheel.

When braking, curved brake shoes are forced
against the inside of the rotating drum.
 Disc-flat shoes called disc brake pads nearly
touch the two sides of the disc. Braking
action forces the pads against the rotating
disc.
Drum brake
Disc Brake
Need for electricity and electronics

 The electrical system

-the engine provides the power to move the car,
however, electricity powers most devices on the
car. The starter motor requires electricity to
crank the engine. the ignition system requires
electricity to deliver sparks to the cylinders. The
fuel injection system needs electricity to provide
fuel. The lights, horns, radio, and air conditioner
all require electricity to operate.
 The car has two sources of electricity. One is
battery. The other is the alternator in the
charging system. The battery supplies
electricity while the engine is off and for
cranking the engine. After the engines starts,
the alternator recharges the battery and
supplies power for electrical load.
Electronic control system
 Many device and systems on the car require an electronic
control systems for safe and proper operation. They include
electronic control of automatic transmission and transaxles,
suspension and steering, and antilock brake and traction
control system.
 A basic control system has three parts: the inputs, control
unit, and the outputs
The inputs are the switches and sensors
They provide information to the electronic control module
(ECM) . It then decides how much change to make, if any, then
the ECM signals the output devices or actuators to take the
required action.
Major parts of the automobiles

1. Engine
Also called the internal combustion engine, it is
the main source of the automobile’s power. It is
self-propelled mechanical device that can
produce power by itself through the conversion
of chemical energy into heat energy, and finally
into mechanical energy.
Conventional gasoline engines are categorized
as Otto cycle engines.

Automotive engines may either be gasoline or

diesel engines, according to fuel usage.
On most engines, an electronic engine control
system (EEC) controls the ignition and fuel
injection systems.in EEC system, the electronic
control module usually has a self diagnostic
capability. This means a memory stores
information about faults or malfunction is an
improper or incorrect operation. When recalled
from the memory this stored information helps
the technician diagnose and repair the vehicle.
Regulating the automotive

 Automotive air pollution

 Clean air act
 Automotive safety
 Safety items fall into three class
 1. crash avoidance (such as the light mounted rear
stoplight)
 2. occupant protection (such as the padded dash and
locking seat backs)
 3. post-crash protection (such as roll bars and air bags
that deploys almost instantly after a crash begins
 Some safety devices added weight to the
vehicle. This encourages auto manufacturers
to make parts from lighter , and stronger
material.
2. Power train or drive train unit
This units consists of part that transmit power from the engine all the
way to the wheels. The conventional type is composed of clutch,
transmission, universal joints (slips joints), propeller shaft, and the
differential and drive axles where the wheels are attached. In terms of
transmission, automotive vehicles are either equipped with manual
transmission or automatic transmission. Automatic transmission
primarily use hydraulics to select gears, depending on pressure
exerted by fluid within the transmission assembly.
Modern automobiles particularly cars whose the engines are mounted
across the line of the frame, have drive axles that are mounted in
front, with the use of linkages from the engine, clutch and
transmission, the car is converted into a front wheel drive automobile.
3. Running gear system
This system consist of accessory units that
assist the engine and the power train unit in
enabling smooth operation, running and
control of the automotive vehicle. It includes
the steering gear system, brake system, front
and rear suspension system, wheels and tires,
shock absorbers, linkages, leaf and coil springs,
and other accessory units.
4. Body
It is the compartment where the operator or
driver and passengers and or cargoes are
housed. It includes the dashboards and
instrument panel, seats and seat belts,
provision for lights, mirrors, wipers,
box/compartments and other paraphernalia
needed by the driver and passenger to feel safe
and comfortable.
The automobile body comes in different shapes and
sizes depending on the need and use. Some are
usually rustproof, while others are made of stainless
steel, or black/galvanized iron. For the best past few
decades, Filipino ingenuity has led to the mass
production of the so called Asian Utility Vehicle
(AUV) body which is made of asbestos and hard
plastic transhow. At the recent Transhow held at the
Philtrade Center, so many examples of this type of
automobile body were displayed.
In almost all modern cars, the construction of the body is such
that the front and the rear designed to progressively collapse
and absorb front and rear impacts. The rigid center section
helps maintain the integrity of the passenger’s compartment.
It is also interesting to note that car manufacturers are using
more aluminum in car bodies. An average of 60 kilos of this light
metal are used. For instance, in Humburg, Germany, 5% of the
total body weight is aluminum, this percentage is expected to
double in the next few years.
Modern cars are now found using aluminum because of the
advantages in weight savings and better recycling
opportunities.
5. Frame
It is the skeleton of the automobile where the
engine. The power train unit, the running gear
system, and body are attached together to
form a complete automobile. The types of
frame vary depending on the application and
uses. It can be of the box type, k-type and or so
called unitized body type.
6. Chassis
This consists of all the parts f the automobile like the
engine, power train unit, running gear system, and
frame-minus the automobile body. A simple alphabetical
equation may be used to represent this: A-B=C, showing
that Automobiles (A) minus Body (B), equals the Chassis
(C).
Strictly speaking, no automobile should be allowed to run
on the road without a body, for not only does it constitute
unsafe practice, but will prove to be highly dangerous and
uncomfortable to the riders.
Activity

A. Give five accessories present in today’s

automobile that provide comfort and
convenience to passengers..
1
2
3
4
5
B. Enumerate the power transmission units
from the engine to the wheels.
1
2
3
4
5
C. Give at least five uses of automobile today.
1
2
3
4
5
D. Give at least five components of the chassis.
unit.
1
2
3
4
5
E. How does the power transmission of modern
automobiles differ from the automobile of the
1980’?
F. Do you agree that automobile today is a
necessity/ if yes, explain. If not, why?