This document provides an overview of automobile basics, including: - A brief history of early automobile development from the 1860s to 1900s. - Henry Ford's innovations like interchangeable parts and assembly line production that reduced costs to $200 per vehicle. - The four basic parts of vehicles: engine, chassis, drive train, and body. - Descriptions of key engine systems like fuel, ignition, cooling, and emission controls. - Different types of vehicle frames, bodies, drivetrains, braking, suspension, and steering systems.

1. 1
AUTOMOBILE BASICS
By Kushal Kumar Sarkar

2. 2
AUTOMOBILE HISTORY
• First automobile
developed in 1860’s in
Europe.
• By 1900 cars gaining
some reliability.
• All cars are hand made
costing $10,000.00
• Henry Ford’s better
ideas:
• Interchangeable parts
• Mass production using
an assembly line

3. 3
MASS PRODUCTION OF
AUTOMOBILES
Mass production reduces the cost
of automobiles to $200.00.
There are now 200,000,000
vehicles in the U.S. alone.

4. 4
Four Basic Parts of Vehicles
• Engine or power plant
• Chassis or framework
• Drive Train
• Body

5. 5
Engine Systems
• Compression system
• Valve train
• Fuel system
• Ignition system
• Lubricating system
• Cooling system
• Starting system
• Charging system
• Emission controls
• Exhaust system

6. 6
Engine Block & Head(s)
• Compression system
lower end
• Harnesses the power
of burning gasoline
• Valve train top end
• Lets in and out the
fuel charges to be
burned

7. 7
Fuel System
• Old cars used a
carbureted system.
• Cars now use fuel
injection.
• The purpose of the
fuel system is to store,
move and deliver the
fuel and air in the
proper proportion to
the engine.

8. 8
Ignition System
• Ignition systems are
electronically computer
controlled
• The purpose is to
deliver a high voltage
spark (20,000 volts)
to cylinders at the
right time to ignite the
fuel.
• Spark plugs /wires
/coil/distributor/COIL
PACK

9. 9
Computer
• Recent innovation
• Controls
– Fuel,
– ignition,
– Emission
– suspension

10. 10
Lubrication System
• Force feed or pressure
fed system
• Via an oil pump
• Provides lubrication
and protection for all
the metal parts inside
the engine
• Oil pump/
• pan
• galleries

11. 11
Cooling System
• Liquid cooled system
• Provides protection
from the excessive
heat which builds up
inside the cylinder
• Radiator, water jacket,
hoses, thermostat,
heater core, fan

12. 12
Starting System
• Uses a battery and
electric starting motor
(cranking motor) to crank
over the engine for
starting
• Battery
• Cranking motor
• Solenoid
• Key switch
• Wires

13. 13
Charging System
• The charging system has two
functions:
• 1 – To recharge the battery
after starting.
• 2 – To provide all the
electricity for the vehicle while
the engine is running.
• The battery provides power
while the engine is not running
• Battery/alternator/voltage
regulator

14. 14
Exhaust System
• Removes gases from engine
• Quiets vehicle
• Provides back pressure
• Exhaust manifold
• Crossover
• Tail pipe
• Muffler
• Resonator

15. 15
Emission Controls
• To clean up the air pollution caused by the
automobile.
• Capture any vapor which might escape the
the fuel tank and engines crankcase.
• Clean up exhaust for any un burnt fuel,
carbon monoxide, or oxides of nitrogen.
• Many types of devices are employed.
• PCV/Catalytic convertor/gas cap/EGR

16. 16
Fuel Tank Vapor Recovery
• Captures the vapor of
gasoline from the fuel
tank.
• The charcoal canister
holds them .
• When the engine runs
the vapors are sucked
into the engine and
burned.

17. 17
Catalytic Converter
• One of the most
important emission
controls on the car.
• Literally burns up
pollution in the
exhaust system.

18. 18
Automobile Bodies
• Most made of
stamped steel parts
• A few cars made of
aluminum (NSX
Cadillac Allenta)
• Some use composite
materials (Saturn or
GM Minivan)

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Chassis or Frame
• Under lying structure
of all vehicles
• Three types of frame:
• 1 – Full frame
• 2 – Unitized frame
called unibody
• 3 – Space frame

20. 20
Full Frame Chassis
• Uses welded steel alloy
metal
• C-channel or box frame
construction
• Note engine cradle in
front and rear axle hump
in rear
• Used on large cars and
most all trucks
• Body made in separate
unit and bolted to chassis

21. 21
Unitized Body Construction
• Called Unibody
• All body and frame
parts welded together
• Light weight but
strong structurally
• Most cars use this
construction

22. 22
Space Frame Construction
• Newest type of
construction
• Hybrid unibody
• Used on race cars first
but now used in
passenger cars
• Many use plastic
fenders and body
panels

23. 23
Chassis Related Systems
• Braking
system
• Suspension
system
• Steering
system

24. 24
Braking System
• The purpose of the
braking system is of
course, to stop the car.
• Brakes are used on all
wheels and is
hydraulically operated.
• Two common types of
brake assemblies are
used.
• Disc Brakes
• Drum Brakes

25. 25
Disc Brakes
• Uses a rotor that spins
with the wheel and a
stationary caliper to
press friction material
against the spinning
rotor.
• Used on most all front
brakes and some rear
brakes.

26. 26
Drum Brakes
• Uses a drum which
spins with the wheel.
Stationary brake
shoes are pressed out
from the inside to
cause friction.
• Used on rear brakes
of many cars.

27. 27
ABS Anti-Lock Braking System
• Helps driver stop under
control
• Keeps brakes from
locking up
• Pulses brakes
• Enables car to be turned
• *Does not replace
hydraulic brakes
• Does not make
vehicle stop faster
• Does not work if
brake petal is pumped

28. 28
Suspension System
• Uses springs and shock
absorbers to provide a
good ride and improved
handling.
• Coil & leaf springs,
torsion bars and air
suspension are all used.
• Most shock absorbers are
hydraulic or gas operated.
– Stop bouncing action
• Struts

29. 29
Independent Suspension
• Allows each wheel to
move up and down
independently with
out effect from the
opposite wheel.
• Used on most all front
wheels and many rear
wheels now.

30. 30
Straight Axle
• Wheels are held
together on a
common axle.
• Very rugged but
poor on handling.
• Used mostly on the
rear wheels.

31. 31
Steering System
• Two types used:
• Conventional or
parallelogram steering
used on larger cars
and trucks.
• Rack and pinion
steering used on
most cars.
• Conventional on
trucks, SUV, BIG
VEHICLES

32. 32
Drive train
• Takes the engines torque and sends to the
drive wheels.
• Major types are: front wheel drive, rear
wheel drive, four wheel drive and all wheel
drive.
• Major components of all drive trains:
clutch, transmission, differential, and drive
shaft(s).

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Drive Train Components
• Basic purpose is to get the engines torque
to the wheels.
• Clutches used with manual transmissions a
torque converter used with automatics.
– Disconnects engine from transmission
• Transmission/transaxle
• Drive shafts and drive axles.
• Differentials

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Front Wheel Drive
• All drive train
components under the
hood (transaxle)
• Reduces weight and
size of vehicle
• Good traction in rain
and snow

35. 35
Front Wheel Drive

36. 36
Rear Wheel Drive
• Components spread
from front to rear
– Transmission
• Heavier than FWD
cars
• Poor handling in rain
and snow
• Better traction for
performance purposes

37. 37
Four Wheel Drive 4X4
• Used primarily on
trucks
• Drive all four wheel
when engaged
• Heavy, poor fuel
economy
• Excellent traction on
rain, snow or off road
conditions

38. 38
All Wheel Drive
• Front wheel drive
power train connected
to a drive shaft in the
transaxle running to a
conventional rear axle
assembly.

39. 39
Identifying Vehicles
• Reading the V.I.N.
• 17 digit code located at the lower left
corner of the windshield.
• On Firewall

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Thank You