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The Scoop on
Automotive Intake Systems - Buying Auto Parts Online
March 26th 2006
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Cold Air Intake |
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Intake systems
are a vital part of your vehicle. If you are concerned with
horsepower and optimal engine performance, it is imperative that
your vehicle’s intake system operates at its full potential. There
are also a number of custom and high performance replacement parts
and systems that will boost your vehicle’s performance. Here is a
brief description of some of the components of stock and specialty
intake systems and why they are so important to your vehicle’s
operation.
Cold Air Intake
The cold air
intake increases power to your engine. It reduces the air
temperature at the intake to be burned more efficiently in your
combustion chamber. Proper cold air temperature provides increased
power to the engine.
An engine relies
on a delicate balance of fuel and air for combustion. Cold air is
much denser and holds more oxygen per volume than warm air. More
oxygen molecules going in means a more efficient burn and more power
in the combustion process. The result is more horsepower and better
fuel economy.
Cold air intake
is often why most vehicles perform better in cooler or cold weather
conditions. Engines that run in hotter climates require more precise
timing to get enough cold air to the engine. A properly functioning
cold air intake means an increase in throttle response and
horsepower as well as a marked improvement in fuel economy. Most
vehicles come with stock cold air intakes.
Some experts
claim that these draw in warmer air and their location in the
vehicle inhibits proper cold airflow. Therefore, these stock intakes
will not increase your engine performance or give fuel economy as
well as high performance cold air intakes. For the coolest possible
airflow, high performance products such as the dynamic APC (American
Products Company) or performance enhanced AFE (Advanced Flow
Engineering) cold air intake will generate a more efficient
combustion process and increase horsepower and torque output.
Intake Manifold
The intake
manifold is a network of channels that directs the balanced air and
fuel mixture into the intake ports in the cylinder head. The flow
generally advances from the throttle body into a chamber that feeds
individual runners, leading to each intake port. Your engine
performance is enhanced if the intake manifold is configured to
optimize the pressure pulses in the intake system. A high
performance or custom manifold is designed to take advantage of
these facts and produce more horsepower and more mid-range torque.
Fuel Injectors
The fuel injector
transfers and atomizes the fuel, and like many other engine
components, a fuel injector has a finite performance life and must
be periodically replaced. The fuel injection pump disperses very
precisely measured amounts of fuel through the lines that run from
the fuel pump delivery system to each injector. In turn, the
injector atomizes and delivers fuel to the pre-chambers for internal
combustion.
When the injector
gets dirty or "gummy", engine performance can be drastically reduced
and your injectors should be replaced. When the spring compression
strength becomes weaker, usually due to wear, the pressure of the
fuel inside the injector can exceed the spring pressure on the fuel
injector.
Obviously, this
is not something you want to happen because it may keep the injector
closed, deliver the improper amount of atomized fuel, or inject fuel
at the wrong time to be efficiently burned, either too soon, or too
late. It can also cause delivery of the fuel to the pre-chambers
that is not finely and properly dispersed or atomized. Poor engine
performance and possible irreversible engine damage can be the
result.
Pinging for a gas
engine or Nailing in a diesel engine is a telling clue of this
situation. Nailing in a diesel engine will be much noisier than a
gas engine's ping and sounds like metallic hammering. The resulting
engine damage can be extremely costly and inconvenient, to say the
least. It may make the engine smoke inordinately, and under extreme
qualifying factors, it may cause flaws in the pre-chambers. In rare
cases it may even cause them to crack or explode. The bottom line is
one of obvious conclusion; changing your fuel injectors before this
type of damage occurs will save you big money on costly repairs.
Fuel Pumps
The fuel pump is
the central component of the fuel delivery system to your vehicle’s
engine. Its function is to deliver fuel quickly and efficiently when
you step on your accelerator. If your fuel pump isn't operating
correctly, if it generates lower than normal fuel pressure, or if it
leaks, insufficient fuel will be supplied to the carburetor or fuel
injection system and your vehicle’s performance will decrease.
Sufficient gas isn't going to get to the combustion chamber unless
your fuel pump is providing the necessary fuel pressure as it was
designed to do.
Clean fuel is an
essential part of performance. When replacing your fuel pump, be
sure to also install a new fuel filter. This is an essential step to
keep contaminants out of your fuel system. Clean fuel filters also
ensure adequate fuel pressure. Strainers for electrical fuel pumps
serve a similar service and fuel lines and hose conditions also can
affect performance. Don’t forget that not all fuel pumps are the
same. The fuel pump in general terms is unique to your model of
vehicle and has been designed to deliver the optimum performance to
your engine.
Fuel Pressure
Regulators
This one is
pretty much self-explanatory. It regulates your fuel pressure. As
you already know, a properly operating fuel pressure regulator will
deliver power and response in acceleration. Some performance
pressure regulators have an integral pressure gauge feature that
allows for even minute adjustment of fuel delivery.
Oxygen Sensor
Even though the
oxygen sensor is located in the exhaust manifold, it has everything
to do with the vehicle’s intake. The oxygen sensor monitors the
oxygen content in your vehicle’s exhaust. A U-shaped rod inside the
sensor is divided into compartments, and exhaust is vented to the
inner compartment. An electrical impulse is then generated as a
response to the oxygen content and the strength of the signal
(oxygen content) is sent to your vehicle’s on-board computer.
The computer then
calculates the oxygen content in the exhaust. Analyzing the results,
the computer adds or subtracts fuel at the intake to obtain the
correct air/fuel mixture. This maximizes fuel economy as well as
performance. Oxygen sensors have a limited life and can wear out. A
worn oxygen sensor will provide less accuracy and may report
erroneous oxygen content in the exhaust when worn and the on-board
computer may then make incorrect adjustments as a result.
This could result
in either a rich or lean air/fuel mixture. If your "check engine"
light comes on and the vehicle is not performing well, check the
oxygen sensor. Some experts say that changing the oxygen sensor
every 60,000 miles is necessary to maintain vehicle performance.
Other vital
Components There are many other vital components included in intake
systems that should be checked regularly and replaced or upgraded
for better performance. They include:
* A.I.R. Pipe
* Air Filter
* Air Filter
Recharge Kit
* Air Inject
Check Valve
* Air Mass Meter
* Air Mass Sensor
* Air Pump
* Air Temp.
Sensor
* Breather Filter
* Carburetors
* Carbon Canister
* EGR Back
Pressure Filter
* EGR Vacuum
Solenoid
* EGR Valve
* EGR Valve
Gasket
* PCV Valve
* PCV Valve
Grommet
* Purge Valve
* Thermo-Vacuum
Valve
By F. Penn
This article was
written by FR Penn sponsored by
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/. The Auto Parts Warehouse offers
round-the-clock sales support as well as free shipping within the 48
states for orders over $50. Also, you'll find more BMW auto parts here
than anywhere else on the web. Reproductions of this article are
encouraged but must include a link pointing back to
http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/.
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