THE CAR NAIRA BLOG

If you own a car or a truck, even if you do not do much of your own vehicle maintenance, you have probably at least heard of antifreeze or coolant. It sounds as if they serve very similar purposes in a vehicle's engine. So what is the difference? Different colours of coolant The Difference Between Antifreeze and Coolant Antifreeze, usually ethylene glycol, does not freeze easily. It also does not boil easily. When it is added to water, it becomes coolant.  You can buy antifreeze separately and add it to the water in your radiator—usually aiming for a 50 percent antifreeze to 50 percent water ratio. Or you can buy it premixed (coolant), generally in that same ratio. It is usually green or red. In addition to regulating the engine's temperature, antifreeze naturally protects it against corrosion, such as rust, and It lubricates all the moving parts that it comes into contact with—the water pump, for example. In summary; Coolant = Antifreeze + Water (usual...

The cooling system is what keeps your car from having a meltdown. Whether you're cruising down the highway at 100 kilometres per hour (when you find good roads) or stuck in a typical Lagos traffic jam at rush hour, your cooling system is working hard to keep your engine operating at the right temperature.  If you didn't have some way to cool things off, your engine would turn into a solid block of useless metal in no time.  In the modern car, your cooling system has a bigger job than just keeping the radiator from belching steam all over the place. Your engine is designed to run at an optimum temperature. This is not just the best temperature for performance, it's more about maintaining the right conditions for all of your emission control systems to function at their peak and to obtain the best mileage. That's why your engine has so many ways to heat up quickly on a cold morning. Schematic of a car's cooling system What's In My Cooling System? All...

Many economy and mid-range automobiles today offer cabin air filters. What does the cabin air filter do? How long does the cabin filter last? How do you replace the cabin air filter? A cabin air filter The engine air filter keeps dust and contaminants from getting into the engine, where it accelerates wear and forms performance-robbing deposits. Similarly, the cabin air filter prevents dust and pollen from getting into the passenger compartment, where it can cause problems ranging from HVAC performance-robbing effects and health problems for the driver and passengers.  Just as the engine needs to breath clean air, so do we. The road is also a smelly place, for which certain cabin air filters are well-suited. Why is Cabin Air Filtration Important? The “cabin air filter” may be referred to as “air conditioner filter,” “dust filter,” or “cabin filter,” but they are not HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters, which are tested to remove over 99.97% of particle...

Until the 1970s, all automotive braking systems in consumer automobiles were standard friction brakes that worked by a foot pedal that applied pressure to brakes pads that in turn squeezed a metal disc or a metal drum to bring the wheels to a stop. If you have driven one of these vehicles, you know that these brakes are susceptible to locking up on wet roads and causing the automobile to skid into an uncontrollable slide. It is necessary to teach drivers how to pump the breaks in order to maintain control of the front wheels and prevent an uncontrolled slide. The ABS Symbol Antilock Braking Systems Beginning in the 1970s, automobile manufacturers began to offer a new braking system, in which the brakes automatically gripped and released in rapid succession in order to maintain steering control of the front wheels. The idea here is that under heavy braking, the wheels continue to turn, which allows for the driver to maintain control of the vehicle rather than surrende...

Most cars on the road today have some form of Anti-lock Brake System (ABS). The description which follows here is how most systems work in general. Different manufacturers have their own versions of ABS their specifications and part names may differ. If you're having a problem with the ABS on your vehicle you should always refer to the specific service and repair manuals for your vehicle or speak with a knowledgeable mechanic. The ABS Symbol The ABS is a four-wheel system that prevents wheel lock-up by automatically modulating (modifies/changes) the brake pressure during an emergency stop. By preventing the wheels from locking, it enables the driver to maintain steering control and to stop in the shortest possible distance under most conditions. During normal braking, the ABS and non-ABS brake pedal feel will be the same. During ABS operation, a pulsation can be felt in the brake pedal, accompanied by a fall and then rise in brake pedal height and a clicking sound. ...

During its lifetime, an average spark plug might fire 27.5 million to 110 million times. Each time, it vaporises a few molecules off the spark plug electrodes. Eventually, the spark plug gap widens, and the air-fuel mixture no longer ignites efficiently. Other engine problems (poor air-fuel management) might contaminate the spark plug, and in certain circumstances, it may not fire at all. A spark plug firing. How the Spark Plug Works Fire (combustion) requires three components: oxygen (O 2 ), fuel, and heat. In your engine, every time a cylinder pulls an intake stroke, it pulls in air (≈21% (O 2 ). Port-injection engines inject fuel during the intake stroke, while direct-injection engines, gasoline or diesel, might wait until the compression stroke. Finally, heat is provided in one of two ways: one or two spark plugs for gasoline engines, or the heat of compression for diesel engines. The result, as when any time these three components are combined, is a tiny explosi...

In modern cars, dozens of computers control everything from wiper blades and power windows to the internal combustion engine and transmission. The two main computers we usually worry about are the engine or powertrain control module (ECM or PCM) and the transmission control module (TCM). They are commonly referred to as "brain box". Physically, the ECM and TCM may be located anywhere in the vehicle, such as in the trunk, under the dash, or under the hood. Using dozens of sensors, such as those that measure engine coolant temperature or transmission output shaft speed, the ECM monitors engine and transmission function. Using this data, it can fine-tune actuators to deliver more power when needed and reduced emissions whenever possible. If the ECM detects a problem, such as sensor data out of sync or air flow readings that don’t “make sense,” it will turn on the check engine light, also known as the malfunction indicator lamp or service engine soon light (CEL, MIL, or ...