Transportation – Automotive Maintenance - 1

Name______________________________ Date__________ Block__________ Course: Home Construction & Energy Instructor: Mr. Kieffer Unit: Transportation Lesson: Automotive Maintenance

Automotive Basics A car will probably be the second most expensive item you will purchase in your lifetime. Some basic knowledge of an automobile’s major components and how to properly maintain them will save you money, time and frustration

I. Basic Automobile Features & Terminology

A. Powertrain The powertrain for cars refers to: All the components, excluding engine, which transmit the engine's power to the rear wheels. This includes the

________________________________________

B. Warranties Warranties for both new use cars are usually either:

Bumper to bumper o Generally speaking, bumper-to-bumper warranties cover everything from major mechanical repairs to

tiny details like rattles and squeaks. Items not covered are ______________________,

adjustments and wear items.

o Not covered items include drums and rotors, exhaust system, friction materials, hoses and v-style

belts, ______________, manual/hydraulic clutch assembly, brake pads, linings and shoes,

filters, spark plugs and wires, tires, wheel balancing and wiper blades.

o Most new cars include at least a _________________ mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Powertrain

o The Powertrain warranty covers the cost of parts and labor needed to repair the engine, transmission and/or drive systems.

o Most new cars come with a _________________ mile powertrain warranty

C. Engine The engine is the heart and lungs of the car. The following are some basic engines terms that describe the way that a particular engine functions.

a. Size of Engine

Number of Cylinders

o The core of the engine is the __________ with the

piston moving up and down inside the cylinder.

o Most cars have ______________ cylinders. In a

multi-cylinder engine, the cylinders usually are arranged in one of three ways: inline, V or flat (also known as horizontally opposed or boxer)

Liter (metric)

o Liter is the cubic capacity (volume) _____________ of

all the cylinders in the engine summed up.

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o For a 3.3 liter engine, if you were to turn the crankshaft of this engine through ________

complete revolutions, the four pistons would inhale a total of __________ of air.

o The displacement of the engine gives you some estimate of the ______________that

the engine can produce.

b. Engine Fuel System Fueling a vehicle is not quite as simple as pouring gasoline into the engine. In order to burn properly gasoline must be atomized, then vaporized, then mixed with air. There are two types of systems that are used to complete this process:

Carburetor – Used on older cars 30 years and older – its purpose is to properly mix air and fuel and then deliver the mixtures to the cylinders.

Fuel Injection – If your car is less than 30 years old it probably doesn’t have a carburetor. Instead it is fuel injected which is more

__________ to build and service. In recent years fuel injection

systems with computerized ____________________

devices have show to be more powerful, produce greater

____________, and are more dependable.

C. Drive Position

Front wheel drive cars:

o Vehicles that are __________ by the front wheels, rather than pushed by the back wheels.

o These cars combine the engine with the transmission and

differential into a single unit called the __________.

o With _____ of its weight at the front, _____ at the back,

fwd cards holds an advantage in slippery conditions such as ice or snow as more weight is over the drive wheels reducing slip during acceleration.

o _______________ (when the steering wheel pulls to one side during acceleration) is a

serious issue with many front wheel drive cars that exceed _____.

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Rear wheel drive cars: o Vehicles that are pushed by the rear wheels, rather than pulled by the front wheels.

o The engine and the transmission are separate and it has a

long __________ under the center hump in the floor

that is joined to the differential between the rear two wheels.

o By having the front wheels do the __________, and

the rear wheels __________ the car, you get a better-

balanced vehicle. This eliminates torque steer and improves

_______________.

o In slippery conditions some rwd cars struggle with __________ because much of the weight

is in the front of the car and not over the rear drive wheels.

D. Transmission The transmission in your car is probably the most complex system in terms of automotive mechanics. The purpose of your transmission is to transmit power from the engine and direct it to the wheels. Gears inside the transmission change the

vehicle's drive-wheel speed and torque in relation to engine _______________. Lower (numerically higher) gear ratios serve

as torque multipliers and help the engine to develop enough power to accelerate from a standstill.

Types:

a. Manual/Standard

A manual or standard transmission uses a _________________, typically

operated by a pedal or lever, for regulating torque transfer from the engine to the

transmission, and a _______________, to change from one gear to

another.

As the name implies, manual transmissions require the driver to physically change the gear from one to another to increase speed or torque while driving.

Advantages

o The manual transmission option is cheaper up front, at an average savings of ____________.

o Stick-shift vehicles are __________ to service. The fluid needs less frequent changing, and when a

manual transmission breaks down, usually it's the clutch that needs replacing.

o Standard transmissions achieve a ____________ per gallon more than automatics. This applies

mainly to highway driving.

o Manuals allow you to get the most power from your engine versus an

automatic because you can rev the engine to a _____________

o A standard-shift transmission provides better control of the car because

of a ________________, which is especially beneficial in bad

weather.

o Manual transmissions are easier on __________, because the

driver is not always fighting the automatic transmission's effort to move forward.

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Disadvantages

o ______________ automobiles are coming equipped with manual

transmissions

o Driving in _____________ traffic in large cities can be both a

nuisance and a wallet-breaker if you own a manual transmission. Those familiar with driving a manual transmission in urban areas often complain

about _____________ and increased workload when driving in traffic.

With a third pedal to actuate during shifts, a manual transmission can quickly become annoying.

o _____________ caused by constantly pressing the clutch pedal in and out can create an

enormous repair bill over time. Each engagement of the clutch causes a certain amount of slip; enough

slip over time can cause severe clutch _____________.

o Drivers learning how to drive an automobile equipped with a manual transmission can face a steep

______________. Learning how to get the car moving on a _________ is also a difficult task

to master. This takes quick footwork, and may require months for a driver to become proficient.

b. Automatic Just like that of a manual transmission, the automatic transmission’s primary job

is to allow the engine to operate in its narrow range of speeds while providing a

wide range of __________ speeds.

Unlike a manual however, the job of changing gears from one to another is

handled by the car’s______________ system and requires only for the

driver to put the car in drive and operate the throttle pedal.

Advantages

o Automatic transmissions are simply easier to use making them easier for ________________.

o Automatic transmissions are inherently more _____________ than any equivalent manual transmission.

o Generally speaking, automatics shift ___________ and more _____________ than most manual transmission drivers can manage.

o With an automatic transmission you cannot _________ the engine (like you can with a

manual) when pulling away as the correct gearing will always be selected.

Disadvantages

o In the past, automatic transmissions where less _____________ than their manual

counterparts. Modern automatic gearboxes have improved and, in some cases, beat manual variants in fuel efficiency.

o In the event of a dead battery with a manual transmission vehicle, you can start the vehicle by

_____________ (pushing the car in first gear until it starts). Automatics __________ do this.

o Less ________________ for the driver. An automatic decides when to shift instead of the driver, and in

some cases you could have unwanted ____________ causing wheel-spin and loss of control in low-traction

conditions.

o There are many people who contend (primarily in ___________, where 80 percent of all cars are

manuals) that automatics make driving _____________, decreasing driver involvement in the

driving process and increasing the likelihood of an accident. (This is not proven)