With each year, our vehicles are becoming more efficient, more user friendly, and better equipped to help us in a variety of situations. Cars have all kinds of gadgets now - GPS, park assist, heated seats, etc. All of these things add to the technological advances and complexities in our cars. How do all of these things work? What causes our check engine light to go on? How do we know our tires are low? Let’s try to work out some of these details to understand what is happening beyond the mechanics of your vehicle.
As vehicles continue to advance in technology, so do the tools we use to diagnose and fix them. The inner workings of our cars are beginning to look alarmingly similar to computer networks. Instead of having one main computer with everything reporting to it, each vehicle has many separate computer networks focusing on a particular function in the vehicle. Depending on the manufacturer, your car can have a computer for the engine management system, one for the ABS brake system, one for the AC/ heater system, one for the transmission, one for the alarm system, and one for body control. The body control system exists to handle things like door locks, windows, tires, and suspension. In our vehicles, all these systems are in place to monitor everything to make sure it works.
The engine management system is one of the more complicated systems in the vehicle. Some of the things this system is responsible for are letting you know when you need an oil change, if you’re going to pass smog, monitoring your fuel mixture, and tracking various temperatures. Each component has at least one wire running from the engine management system computer to a sensor in the mechanical part. The sensor tracks the functionality of the part to ensure it is working at its maximum efficiency. If the part fails or the sensor fails, a message is sent to the computer. In some cases, you will see the associated light on the dash, like the check engine light. In other cases, your car may not run as efficiently. In these cases, your mechanic is able to plug in a diagnostics scanner, which is like a small computer, to figure out what the issue is. Sometimes it is not the sensor or the part that fails. The wire delivering the information can have problems as well. We have seen many reasons for the wires to fail- weather conditions, chaffing, age, fender benders, and even mice. With any of these issues, your mechanics work hard to keep up with technology. With up to date training, tools and diagnostic equipment, mechanics are able to successfully diagnose any problems your car might be having.
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If you have any questions about this or any other Shop Talk issues, call US today at 925-283-5212 or visit our website http://www.themechaniclafayette.com. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays by appointment. The Mechanic of Lafayette is your auto repair specialist for all hybrids, and Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Saturn, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Dodge, Chevy, Porsche, Jaguar, Acura, Volvo, Saab, Nissan and more. We are the concierge of automobile servicing! We provide free shuttle service to the local area.
