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It has been 114 years since Rudolph Diesel applied for a patent for his new improved engine. It was hoped to replace the gasoline engine but as we can all see that this has not happened. The gasoline engine having just been invented in 1876 was still considered inefficient in fuel consumption and power. An evaluation of each engine’s performance tells a story that is difficult to reconcile with the way things have shaken out in the beginning of the 21st Century. The invention of the Diesel offered the world a far more efficient and effective fuel based engine. It actually provides more horsepower per gallon or liter than a gasoline. This is why diesel engines power our large earth moving equipment, trucks, marine engines, low mileage cars and now aircraft.

The diesel is a combustion injection engine. Unlike the gasoline engine, air is compressed first and then the fuel is injected into it. The compressed air is hot enough to ignite the diesel fuel without the use of a sparkplug. Diesel engines developed out of the earlier work surrounding two engines; the original diesel design and the solid injection system of Herbert Akroyd Stuart created in his hot bulb engine. This means that the upward stroke of the diesel engine compresses the air to where its’ temperature is between 1300-1650° F. When the piston has reached the top of its’ upward stroke, diesel fuel is then injected, combustion occurs, pressure increases and pushes the cylinder downwards. This motion is transmitted by means of the connecting rods to the crankshaft which itself turns thus transmitting rotating power to a drive shaft which powers ships, cars, generators, aircraft and even motorcycles.

During cold weather, diesel fuel thickens when the wax crystallizes. It becomes a gel and the fuel injection will not easily work. Technological advances have made this a problem of the past. The fuel lines and fuel filter can be pre-warmed, others use a glow plug in the combustion chamber to pre-heat its’ walls, some use resistive heaters in the intake manifold to warm air taken into the combustion chambers and engine block heaters are used in areas like Kansas or Nebraska when automobiles are left in the cold overnight.

Diesel engine speed used to be controlled by governing the rate of fuel through a gear system. Today the use of electronically controlled engines ECM (electronic control module) allows diesel engines to adjust their timing to start according to the environmental conditions of heat and cold, regulate the engine speed in terms of RPM (revolutions per minute) and maintain fuel economy.

Diesel engines may not have beaten its’ chief contender, the gasoline engine, but it has kept ahead in terms of heavy machine and naval engines. It has recently performed outstandingly in the area of remotely piloted vehicle engines, set amazing land speed records for racecars and motorcycles. The diesel engine has improved amazingly in the past 114 years. The use of electronics has given all engines abilities of fuel conservation unheard of in past years. This makes the diesel engine a real budget-winning contender. This year the new 2006, Volkswagen diesel won fourth place in the best mileage evaluation according to http://www.fueleconomy.gov. Diesels may prove to be the green vehicle engine of choice in the future since they have very little carbon monoxide emissions. Catalytic converters and diesel particulate air filters have made diesel engines free from particulate, nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Diesel engines may prove to be the easiest solution to greenhouse gases.

Earlier, a test was conducted by the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and it was found that FriCSo’s Surface Engineering Treatment (SET) was involving FriCSo’s product lines. According to the results, FriCSo’s technology reduces particulate matter emissions, increases engine mechanical efficiency, and reduces fuel consumption.”This test is further proof that FriCSo’s SET introduces a new era in energy efficiency and environmental protection,” said Amir Weisberg, the CEO of FriCSo, Inc. “FriCSo is setting a new standard for friction and wear reduction, and enables manufacturers to offer superior products to meet market demand, with unprecedented performance.”

FriCSo’s breakthrough SET technology reduces the friction between moving parts through a ground-breaking polymer-based machining process. SET creates an oil-retaining organic nanolayer that is chemically bonded to the metal surface. As a result, it increases surface hardness and enhances surface topography. The technology is expected to bolster the efficiency of auto parts like the brakes and, at the same time, the overall performance and functionality of the vehicle.

Technion’s Mechanical Engineering Faculty performed the tests on a 4-cylinder tractor diesel engine at its Internal Combustion Engine Laboratory. The test consisted of two runs. The first test served as the baseline. It is done without any treatment of surfaces. The second test was consequently made after replacing the engine’s main friction parts like the cylinder liners, rocker shafts, piston pins, and valves with new parts treated with FriCSo’s SET.

Technion’s test results show that using the SET treatment leads to a fuel consumption reduction of 0.4 to four percent, depending on engine RPM and load. Additionally, SET treatment resulted in a significant cut of particulate matter emissions, about 43 to 46 percent, while oil consumption was reduced by 48 percent compared with the baseline case. In addition, SET treatment led to an improvement of about two percent in the engine’s mechanical efficiency.

According to S. Sumithra, a Frost & Sullivan research analyst, “FriCSo’s solution is an innovative device, which could potentially replace existing non-environment friendly coatings in the field of automotive coatings.”

FriCSo’s surface treatment delivers coating-like performance. SET comprises one or two of the following processes: high performance polymer lapping as a single treatment, and two-step treatment involving surface texturing using vibro-grooving followed by polymer lapping. “FriCSo’s solution is an innovative device, which could potentially replace existing non-environment friendly coatings in the field of automotive coatings,” said Sumithra.

Amir Weisberg, the CEO of FriCSo, Inc., said, “FriCSo’s solution is not a coating but delivers coating-like performance at a fraction of the time, cost and maintenance required by traditional solutions. Metal parts treated with SET enjoy high wear resistance and improved energy efficiency in the engines. SET is cost effective compared to using exotic metals for metal-pairs design, DLC and other coatings and bushings, and even offers superior performance in certain applications. Being environment friendly, this technology does not produce any toxic waste and complies with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restrictions.”

We live in the digital age where technology makes our lives easier each day. Advance medical equipments are created to help doctors treat patients, kitchen tools are innovated to make it easier for home makers, and cars are made smarter to make driving easier for humans.Automotive electronics paved the way for helpful features like anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and automatic weather adjustments which makes driving safer and more comfortable.

Car manufacturers spend about two thousand dollars in automotive electronics for every car that comes out of the assembly line. These automotive electronics transform the car into a vehicle with better performing engine, more adaptive entertainment systems, and safety features that are far more superior than its predecessors.

Automotive Electronics of the Modern Car

Control Area Network or CAN – There are several computers that run a modern car. The CAN is a network of computers that play vital roles in the different functions of the engine and its peripherals. The CAN serves as the bridge for the different computers so they can communicate with one another so everything are well coordinated. CAN controls the functions like cruise control, engine management, and the ABS.

Fuel Efficiency- automotive electronics can save a car owner hundreds of dollars in fuel consumption. This is done thru the EFI or Electronic Fuel Injection technology which ensures that the engine’s fuel consumption is at its optimal. In hybrid cars, a driver can easily switch from using gas and electronic power supply to run the vehicle.

Safety Devices- Most safety system is controlled by automotive electronics. Devices like the Acceleration Slip Regulation, Traction Control, Electronic Stability and Dynamic Steering wheel ensure the safety of the driver and the passengers. The simple but complicated timing of airbags during a road collision is also controlled by advanced automotive systems.

Added Features- Some cars today can even park themselves without any assistance from the driver. All the calculations are done by a computer making sure the car will not hit anything by making references to other cars and different objects in its surrounding.

One cannot imagine the evolution that took place with automotive electronics. The Apollo 11 which landed on the moon ran on a memory which is 150 kilobytes only. The sound systems of our cars today are running on 500 kilobytes of memory to ensuring our entertainment pleasure. Automotive electronics have gone far beyond entertainment and enhanced modern day vehicles in terms of safety, efficiency, and convenience.

The automotive industry projects billions of investments and sales in developing cars that are smarter, more fuel efficient and more environment-friendly in the future. Modern cars can be the answer to alleviate the adverse condition of the environment and the rising price of fuel all over the globe.

Cars are being developed to scan the traffic, the road, and all hazards so it can drive itself while the driver can do anything that he wants while in motion. The future cars can think for themselves with the aid of advanced automotive electronics. In that way, driving will be more than getting from one place to another.

Some owners keep their automobiles running like finely tuned Swiss watches. They carefully follow all of the manufacturer’s recommendations in the owner’s manual. They buy premium grade oil, order regular check-ups and rush to the repair shop when they detect any unusual noise.

However, most of us are inclined to skimp a little on maintenance and some of us never see the repair shop until the car quits. Sometimes this is due to finances but most of the time it is a matter of convenience. We need our cars to take us where we have to go and we’re reluctant to give them up even for a short period of time.

But, now that gasoline is still at astronomical prices, we need to re-think our maintenance practices. Letting some things go can cost us money in extra fuel consumption. For instance, repairing a faulty oxygen sensor can result in a 40% improvement in gas mileage. Tuning an engine can increase mileage by 4%.

You should be sure that your air filter is always clean. If your engine is fuel injected, airflow regulates the quantity of fuel that is burned. The process of mixing air and fuel is quite precise so the filter needs to be clean to ensure an efficient mixture. The air filter also protects your engine from impurities, extending the life of the engine as well as saving on gas.

It is also important to check oil regularly and change dirty oil. An engine with clean oil operates at maximum efficiency, which translates into gas savings. You should definitely use the grade of motor oil recommended by the manufacturer. Using one weight oil in an engine designed for a different weight can lower gas mileage up to 2%.

You can also realize greater efficiency from using a high-quality multi-grade oil but if there is a price difference you need to compare the costs involved.

And when your tires are not properly inflated, your gas mileage decreases by 5%. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that millions of American cars run on tires that are not correctly inflated. Correctly inflated tires will also last longer and are safer.

The owner’s manual always states the correct pressure for the tires. If you are driving a pre-owned car with no owner’s manual, you can call a local dealer or research the information on the net.

Radial tires are supposed to improve gas mileage by 5% when driving in the city and by 7% when driving on a highway. So if you don’t already use radials, you might consider switching.

Another benefit of radial tires is that they last longer. However, you should be careful not to mix radials with conventional tires unless the owner’s manual clearly states that this procedure is acceptable for that model car.

In addition, tires need to be properly balanced. Properly balanced tires reduce road friction thereby increasing fuel efficiency.

You also need to check wheel alignment to ensure that wheels are properly aligned. Wheels that are out of alignment also cause your car to burn extra fuel.

Although the savings from each practice might be small, the overall savings is worth the extra effort.

When you but see an ATV for sale, or a motorcycle, after you spend much money for it, what it the next step? How to use it for a long time.

Every driver hopes extend the motorcycle or motor scooter using age. Motorcycle using age is calculated by kilometers when motorcycle is total repaired.

Chinese ATV or motorcycle’s age is from 50 thousand kilometers to 100 kilometers according to the way using motorcycle.

In that means, how to use motorcycle take great influence on motorcycle age.

What is the sign for total repair? A important sign is the piston and cylinder abrasion. Cylinder abrasion is a key sign. When the cylinder abrases, space between piston and cylinder becomes bigger, and it makes noises and leak. It makes fuel consumption raise quickly, and drive inefficiency. It’s time for total repair.

Total repair includes piston-cylinder space adjusting and change the piston. Chinese ATV’s piston-cylinder space is about 0.05mm to 0.07mm. The most important things is how to avoid cylinder abrasion. Now we are discussing what to do for avoiding cylinder abrasion.

1. A good warm-up for new motorcycle

For example, when you buy a new 125cc motorcycle, though new motorcycle’s piston and cylinder are lucent, but it’s crude when taking a carefully look. The crude part is easy hurt when it’s endured heavy power, and make cylinder been demaged.

So when you are using new motorcycle, you have to take a low speed until cylinder’s crude part is rubdown. You can extend the cylinder age by this way which has been proved by scientist.

When a new motorcycle is made, factory demands user take preparative drive which is about 1 kilometer to 2 kilometers. During preparative drive, some factory installs items to limit driving speed. It’s better not driving carrying another people. For the 2 stroke motorcycle, gasoline lubricant ratio should be up to 20:1 which is the best ratio for new motorcycle.

2. Cleaning air into cylinder

If air coming through the air cleaner includes some dust, it will enhance cylinder’s abrasion. So we must keep the cylinder air very clean. Now Chinese motorcycle uses air cleaner, we should clean the dust per 1000 kilometers. In the other hand, we should always check the airproof of the air cleaner avoiding air entering cylinder directly.

3. Cylinder need good lubricant

Liquid attrition is better than dry attrition. To avoid the dry attrition, we should use lubricant to keep the cylinder and piston smooth in order to build liquid attrition. It requires lubricant to be viscous. Lubricant’s viscidity relates to temperature, we use different lubricant according to different season.

Due to the international standard, summer lubricant is SAE10W/30 SD grade API class. According to China standard, we use No.6 lubricant for winter, No.10 for spring/autumn, No.15 for summer.

Moreover, we should always check lubricant pressure and staff guage in order not to use motorcycle without enough lubricant.

4. Engine works flexibly

The major reason for engine’s burst shake is fast gasoline burning. Burst shake generates powerful momentum and shake the cylinder result in cylinder abrasion.

The reason for fast gasoline burning is following:

Gasoline is not fit for engine’s compression ratio.

According to motorcycle standard, high compression ratio engine should use 93# gasoline, and low compression ratio engine use 90# gasoline. It will abrase cylinder if high compression ratio engine uses 90# gasoline.

Engine’s rotate speed is between max torque and max power. Chinese motorcycle is 3000r/min to 5000r/min. Every gear has it’s speed range.

If drives don’t change gears in time and accelerate the motorcycle, it will make shaking noise in the cylinder.

5. Avoiding cylinder mucosity

Cylinder mucosity is mucosity between piston and cylinder. The reason for this are lacking of lubricant or lubricant doesn’t work because of engine’s cool problem. How to avoid engine’s over heat?

On one hand, we always clean heat disperser and make it better heat disperse function. On the other hand we should pay attention to disperser’s temperature.

The normal temperature is under 180 degree, and we can check it by thermometer. Driver can also test the temperature by slobber. When the slobber makes the disperser noisy like zizi~~~, it means disperser’s high temperature. We have to stop driving and cool the motorcycle.

Driving in a cool temperature can avoid cylinder mucosity.

Furthermore, when you discover driving speed is falling after accelerating, you must stop driving immediately.

Because it’s the auspice for cylinder mucosity. After engine gets cool, we should unload the piston and polish the piston surface adhere to cylinder by sand paper.

Only by this way we you save the cylinder, otherwise cylinder will broken.

6. Avoiding using motorcycle when it’s cold.

Lubricant is frozed and it doesn’t work in winter. Then we should warm up motorcycle. The method is running the engine before driving. Lubricant will work after warm-up.

7. Avoiding charcoal dropping into cylinder.

There is some charcoal on the top of piston and cylinder head. Charcoal will hurt cylinder when it drops into the cylinder.

In order to reduce the charcoal, we have to use professional lubricant.

Driver also needs to clean charcoal on the piston, too much charcoal will make burning space smaller and increase the compression ratio result in burst shake.

My friends, if you can do what I mention your motorcycle will have a long age.

Article source: ATV for saleAll Right Reserved

Your mileage has certainly become a much more interesting topic in recent times. This is not because folks have just developed a new love for auto mechanics; it has to do with how much of our monthly spend goes to gas. The price of gas is still near all time highs and does not show any signs of dropping low enough to really make a difference. I will give you a few tips that will help you maximize your gas mileage.

You can get better gas mileage by changing your oil at regular intervals. If you’ve been putting off this important chore indefinitely you’ve built a drain on your finances without knowing. Time is money. But the time spent on changing your oil is saved at the gas station. Always remember what you’re losing otherwise. This will motivate you to do your oils as frequently as necessary.

The next thing that can help you improve your mileage is the attention you give to your tires. The condition of your tires affects your fuel use. Under inflated tires lower your gas mileage by 0.4 for every one pound of drop in pressure of all four tires. This means that if you’re under inflated by as much as 5 pounds you are losing as much as 2% in your fuel economy.

Still on tires, if your tires are not properly aligned they will drag and not roll freely. This also will increase fuel consumption. So, it’s a good idea to ensure your tires are properly aligned. Generally make sure your tires have all the care they require. You’ll get better mileage for that.

The more load you have on your car, the less your gas mileage. This means that you must get rid of stuff that are of no practical use to you on a drive. Check your trunk, you’ll be surprised how much has accumulated over time. Remove them and keep only the essentials.

A warm engine saves more fuel than a cool engine. How can you take advantage of this fact? Simple. Try as much as possible to combine every bit of activity that involves driving around into one or less drives. You can work out mutual arrangements with friends that will help you maximize this option.

There are features you can use on the highway to improve your gas mileage. They are the cruise control and the overdrive. The first helps you maintain your speed while the other provides an extra gear for high speeds.

Driving at speeds above 60km/h lower you gas mileage. So drive at slower speeds wherever you can.

Go ahead and make sure you try all these tips and you’ll improve your gas mileage considerably.