skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Four-wheel ABS
The four-wheel ABS or Anti-lock Braking System is designed to help the driver maintain steering control during hard braking, especially in slippery conditions. How it works:
Imagine, you are driving a car without ABS on a slippery road (e.g. after a rain or snow). Suddenly, you notice something on the road right in front of you. You hit the brakes, and try to turn aside, but the steering doesn't work; the car just skids out of control (see the picture). Why, because all the wheels are locked up while you are holding down the brake pedal. As a result, you lose the ability to steer the vehicle.
The four-wheel ABS can help in situations like this. It prevents the wheels from locking up, helping you maintain steering control during braking. In a similar situation, driving a car equipped with four-wheel ABS, it would be easier for you to steer your vehicle while braking.
Braking on the snow without ABS
ABS hydraulic control unit
Essential to know:
- The four-wheel ABS system can help to slightly reduce the braking distance in some situations. However, under certain conditions (e.g. on loose snow or gravel), the braking distance may be longer. The main purpose of ABS is to help the driver maintain steering control during hard braking.
- Some trucks may have the two-wheel ABS system that controls only rear wheels. The rear wheel ABS system does not help to maintain steering control during braking. To gain full advantage of the ABS system you need to know what type of ABS you have in your vehicle and operate it correctly. Check your owner's manual for details.
- Good tires play an important role; for example, if the car has bald or wide sport tires the ABS can hardly prevent it from skidding on the snow.
How the actual ABS system works
Major components of the typical ABS system include four speed sensors (one at each wheel), an electronic control unit (ABS computer) and a hydraulic control unit (see the picture). The ABS computer constantly monitors the signal from each wheel speed sensor. When it senses that any of the wheels are approaching lock up during braking, the ABS computer sends the signal to the hydraulic control unit, which modulates the braking pressure for a corresponding wheel(s) preventing it from locking up.
When the ABS is activated, it feels like rapid brake pedal pulsation with a buzzing noise, which is normal.
ABS system problems
If the ABS light comes on while driving, there is a problem with your ABS system and you need to visit your dealer as soon as possible.
ABS at Work
There are many different variations and control algorithms for ABS systems. We will discuss how one of the simpler systems works.
The controller monitors the speed sensors at all times. It is looking for decelerations in the wheel that are out of the ordinary. Right before a wheel locks up, it will experience a rapid deceleration. If left unchecked, the wheel would stop much more quickly than any car could. It might take a car five seconds to stop from 60 mph (96.6 kph) under ideal conditions, but a wheel that locks up could stop spinning in less than a second.
The ABS controller knows that such a rapid deceleration is impossible, so it reduces the pressure to that brake until it sees an acceleration, then it increases the pressure until it sees the deceleration again. It can do this very quickly, before the tire can actually significantly change speed. The result is that the tire slows down at the same rate as the car, with the brakes keeping the tires very near the point at which they will start to lock up. This gives the system maximum braking power.
When the ABS system is in operation you will feel a pulsing in the brake pedal; this comes from the rapid opening and closing of the valves. Some ABS systems can cycle up to 15 times per second.
MPFI:
M.P.F.I. means Multi Point Fuel Injection system. In this system each cylinder has number of injectors to supply/spray fuel in the cylinders as compared to one injector located centrally to supply/spray fuel in case of single point injection system.
Stage(1)
Stage(2)
Stage(3)
Stage(4)
Advantage of M. P. F. I.
(1) More uniform A/F mixture will be supplied to each cylinder, hence the difference in power developed in each cylinder is minimum. Vibration from the engine equipped with this system is less, due to this the life of engine components is improved.
(2) No need to crank the engine twice or thrice in case of cold starting as happens in the carburetor system.
(3) Immediate response, in case of sudden acceleration / deceleration.
(4) Since the engine is controlled by ECM* (Engine Control Module), more accurate amount of A/F mixture will be supplied and as a result complete combustion will take place. This leads to effective utilization of fuel supplied and hence low emission level.
(5) The mileage of the vehicle will be improved.
ECM ( Engine Control Module) and its function
The function of ECM is to receive signal from various sensors, manipulate the signals and send control signals to the actuators.
Sensors; Sensing different parameters (Temperature, Pressure, Engine Speed etc.) of the engine and send signal to ECM.
Actuators; Receives control signal from ECM and does function accordingly (ISCA, PCSV, Injectors, Power Transistor etc.)
Case I: If ECM fails to send control signal to all actuators then the engine won't get started.
Case II: If ECM fails to service from all sensors then also the engine won't get started.
Hyundai has officially lifted the lids on all new i20 at the ongoing paris auto show. i20 - part of Hyundai’s popular i-series is designed to meet the bigger rivals such as Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta (Hatchback) and Skoda’s Fabia. “Engineers have driven the Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz and the i20 aims to combine the best parts of these big sellers but without the premium price tag,” UK marketing director Andrew Cullis said.
Pictures of Hyundai i20
Hyundai i20: Designed with Europe in mind by Hyundai’s European Design Centre in Germany this new i20 is slightly longer and wider than the Getz. While the tear drop headlamps and large air dam reminds the i10, the twin crease on the bonnet and the bold chrome-topped grille flanked by piercing teardrop headlamps at the front gives the i20 an upmarket look. chunky standard-fit 16-inch 12-spoke alloy wheels The shoulder line that runs along the car ends in a distinct manner. Over it stacked are the swap around tail lamps. Similar to other i-series cars - i10 and i30, i20 also features ‘H’ boot lid. Overall the styling of the i20 is swanky and appealing.
Hyundai i20: is internationally available in four engines. Of these engines, the Indian i20 may come with 78bhp, 1.2-litre petrol emitting just 123g/km and a 1.4-litre turbodiesels. Both the engines is fitted with a five-speed manual transmission.
Hyundai i20: Though the new i20 got a brand new chassis platform, Hyundai - Kia developed the i20 similar to their popular hatchback ceed. The height.of i20 is same as the ceed(1480mm) while increasing the other dimensions. With a wheelbase of 2525mm (70mm larger than the Getz) you would expect a roomy hatch.
Hyundai i20: Going by the history of Hyundai, the i20 will also come with a long list of features. Expect climate control, a powerful four-speaker radio, CD and MP3 audio system with integrated data display screen, a multi-function steering wheel, sun roof, height-adjustable driver seat, reach-and-rake adjustable steering wheel, keyless entry and electrically operated windows and side mirrors with the i20
Hyundai i20: The Hyundai i20’s five-seater gets 60:40 split flat-folding rear bench with a low lip for easy loading into the 295-litre rear loadbay. I20 also offers numerous intelligently positioned interior storage spaces including a large cooled passenger glovebox and two cupholders.
Hyundai i20: At the front, i20 features MacPherson strut and at the rear it gets torsion beam suspension that are tuned to deliver the taut ride quality. Hyundai claims the new rack and pinion steering setup has also been tuned to deliver quick and accurate responses resulting in excellent urban agility.
Hyundai i20: Built on an all-new platform i20 will replace the ageing Getz hatchback in western countries. However in India i20 will co-exist with getz and expected to be priced between Rs5-6 lakhs. Launch of this i20 will happen sometime in November.
Get answers for all your queries about automobile - Vicky.in Automobile Forum
Related Posts
* Chevrolet to unveil new Nubira at Paris auto show
* Hyundai to launch i20 in December
* Hyundai new i20
* Hyundai i10 automatic and CRDi in 2008
* Vahan Show: Interview with Mr.Aravind Saxena, VP Marketing and Sales, Hyundai Motors India
Hyundai i20 Pictures
September 28th, 2008 under Auto News. 1 Comment
Print This Post Print This Post Email This Post Email This Post
More Information on Hyundai’s new i20 has come out. Following the exterior pictures here are the pictures of interiors of Hyundai i20. From the pictures of new i20, it seems that Hyundai designers were told to take a serious look at Honda products. Look at the three spoke steering wheel and matt silver inserts on it. The integrated audio system also reminds the new City. But remeber this is a hatchback, you would not have seen such exciting interiors in any of the hatchbacks flying around in India.
Tata Nano
Seldom do we see cars that rewrite the history books even before they are seen running around on the roads. And hardly ever do we see cars that vow to put the nation on four wheels. The Tata Nano is one such car – a car that has been in the news for quite a few years, for reasons good and evil. Nano is a car which has breathed into life due to one man. Give credit to Mr. Ratan Tata for his determination to build a low cost family car that has come true, finally! Took long it did, but the Nano came in a beautiful form. Touted as world’s cheapest car by a far cry, Nano has been the talk of the town around the globe. Head honchos of big organizations have been pouring in by numbers to have a look at this engineering masterpiece. We bring you some interesting bits.
Looks:
Numbers first.
Length – 3100mm
Width – 1500mm
Height – 1600mm
Wheelbase – 2230mm.
Ground Clearance – 180mm
You will be wondering why I am talking about the dimensions of the Nano, since all of you know that it is a rather compact and tiny machine. It is because I have good reason to talk about the dimensions. You see, the Nano is going to be faced with Maruti 800 as its main rival. But you could throw in the Alto and Zen Estilo to mark out some design and packaging aspects. Just to get things in perspective, Nano is over 230mm shorter than 800 in overall length but the wheelbase advantage of 155mm over the offering from Maruti makes sure that the Nano is more accommodating than the 800. Tata has managed to squeeze out a 60mm advantage in width and Maruti 800 falls short of about 100mm in height. So in essence, you get more legroom, better shoulder room and room more than enough for a turban, if you wear one! But before you enter inside, you are bound to gape in admiration at the beautifully crafted curves of this micro car. I personally feel that the front has a lot of Zen Estilo written on it, but manages to look really funky and cool.
The mono-volume design establishes a sea of change from the two-box layout of the 800. What it ensures the Nano with is extremely short overhangs and tight packaging. For a car of this size and image, the Nano is an extremely sexy looking car with futuristic design cues. The bonnet line is steep and unites together with the bumper in a seamless way. Though there is no ‘grille’ per se, the front has a smiling look which accentuates the ‘happy’ feeling. The fog lamps are incorporated in the bumper which has a distinct air dam running across in between them. In profile, the Nano resembles Mitsubishi’s latest small car ‘i’. The rear of the Nano is somewhat recognizable. The tail lamps are inspired from elder sister, Indica. So this is a very compact hatchback, yes? No my friend, you are massively wrong. Even I was dumbfounded when I discovered that the Nano cannot be called a hatchback – a word so true to the way the small cars are. The reason for this is because it does not have a hatch! The tail gate cannot be opened owing to it being joined together with the boot sill. This makes accessing the engine a pain in the bottom. But a hatchback it will be called still. The back side of the Nano is made attractive by the mid mounted exhaust pipe which peeps out of the aggressively designed bumper.
Interiors:
As attractive as the Nano is on the outside, the same cannot be said for the interior. The plastics feel cheap and it is here that you begin to feel the concern towards the price that Tata was aiming at. The rudimentary knobs and switches point towards the use of materials which would be better off in tractors twenty years old! Dreary and uninspiring by any measure, that’s what one can say about the interior quality and looks. What impressed me though was the layout. Spacious and functional, the dashboard has a curved look which can prove beneficial when it comes to storing items. The Chevy Spark started it for the small cars and the Nano continues on what seems to be the current trend. The instrument binnacle is mid-mounted and the centre console has a swooping form which houses all the important knobs and air con vents. Speakers for the audio system have been incorporated on the rear bench just under the seat area.
The speedo is calibrated to a top whack of 120kmph though we shall reserve our statements on that till we test the car thoroughly. Cash saving activity has gone a bit too far with the sun visor, there’s only one! Please Tata, please, have mercy on the people who will sit on the passenger seat, only to find no sun visor to protect their skin from sun or no vanity mirror for women (men too, going by the current fashion!) to put the make-up on. The centre console, forming a crest in the middle of the dash, can be worrisome if you happen to be as tall as Rajpal Yadav. The seats have integrated head restraints, like in the hugely popular, Hyundai i10. Yes the Nano will be deprived of a lot of creature comforts but to satisfy your salivating mouth, Tata will offer the top end version with air con, power windows and power steering. This car is destined to be exported too, so provision for ABS and airbags will also be there for sure. The floor mounted four-speed gearbox wasn’t smooth as silk but would give the 800 something to take inspiration from. Roominess is what this compact car from Tata is all about. Four average sized Indians will find themselves enjoying their ride.
Mechanicals:
Everyone, and it does not discount the motoring journos, expected the ‘One Lakh Car’ to have a plastic body. But boy did Tata play it big there! Contrary to everyone’s belief, the Nano is a metal-bodied car with four full-blown doors to ease the ingress and egress. This is a uni-body construction but makes use of a sub-frame which adds to the strength in addition to providing support for drivetrain and suspension units. The suspension has a story of its own altogether! Well, Tata engineers said that since the rear-biased weight distribution led to some scary moments while testing the car, they had to optimize the suspension setup and add a fair amount of other eccentric but equally helpful technical add-ons like fatter rear tyre while the battery box and fuel tank are placed right underneath the arse of front occupants.
The engine is what has been the buzz word around the car. It is an all-aluminum two cylinder engine displacing 624cc with two valves per cylinder driven by a single overhead camshaft. The bore and stroke are nearly similar giving it a ‘square’ form. Making the Nano move will be the power of 33 horses which will peak out at 5500rpm while 48Nm of turning force will be supplied at a meager 2500rpm which should help the drivability of the car. The Nano will transmit its small amount of power via a 4-speed cable operated gearbox with the fourth being an overdriven ratio. Tata is working on developing an automatic gearbox as well but that will not be available when the car gets launched later this year. In addition to the 624cc petrol engine, the Indian auto giant might also bring out a common-rail diesel engine (700cc) which might be of the same architecture as the one seen on Tata Ace.
As it was famous, Tata’s One Lakh Car will not exactly be that. Not a one lakh rupee car it will be. The base version, when it will come to a parking halt will see you shed close to 1.2lakh while the one which will sit in between with some necessary creature comforts will be priced in the vicinity of 1.5lakh. The top end might retail for close to 2.0lakh, we speculate.
Quick Specs:
Price: 1.2lakh onwards
Engine: 624cc, in-line, twin-cylinder
Power: 34PS@5500rpm
Torque: 48Nm@2500rpm
Gearbox: 4-speed manual; Cable operated
Top Speed: 95-100kmph (Speculated)
Fuel Efficiency: 20kmpl (claimed)
Length: 3100mm
Width: 1500mm
Height: 1600mm
Wheelbase: 2230mm
Ground Clearance: 180mm
Fuel Tank Capacity: 15lt.
Kerb Weight: ~ 600kg.
The Nano will be launched in India later in 2008. The car will be available in both standard and deluxe versions. Both versions will offer a wide range of body colours, and other accessories so that the car can be customised to an individual's preferences.
Stylish, comfortable
- Designed with a family in mind, the Nano has a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room.
- Can comfortably seat four persons. Four doors with high seating position make ingress and egress easy.
- With a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, with adequate ground clearance, it can effortlessly manoeuvre on busy roads in cities as well as in rural areas.
- Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and manoeuvrability, which will set a new benchmark among small cars.
Why Nano?
The name 'Nano' was chosen as it denotes high technology and small size.
Most eagerly waited car
People world over were keen to see what Tata Motors' People's Car looked like, and know more about it. The Tata Motors website saw nearly 7.9 million hits on January 10 (the day the Nano was unveiled), while the Tata Nano website saw 4 million hits in 30 hours, making these sites among the busiest in the world.
The Nano website (www.tatanano.com) was developed within a short timeframe of 1.5 months and with limited resources.
The entire portal has been built on open source technologies, involving minimum investment, following the essence of the Nano - low cost, but high technology.
Fuel-efficient engine
- The Nano has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33 PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft.
- The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel efficiency.
- Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine management system.
Meets all safety requirements
- The Nano's safety performance exceeds current regulatory requirements. With an all sheet-metal body, it has a strong passenger compartment, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body.
- Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.
Environment-friendly
- The Nano's tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory requirements. In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today.
- The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation solution with a low carbon footprint.
Posts
