Telltales How it works

Summary: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. ABS Anti Blocking System.4 Brake lining remaining.7 Brake Fluid Level Low..8 Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)...8 Differential Lock...8 Driveline retarder..10 EBS Failure..10 EDC Fault.....11 Electronic stability control11 Engine coolant temperature.12 Engine Pre-Heating.12 Engine retarder13 Immobilizer..13 Lane departure warning..14 OBD II Malfunction....14 Power take OFF..15 Urea level.15 Bibliography.16

Telltale means an optical signal that, when alight, indicates the actuation of a device, a correct or defective functioning or condition, or a failure to function.

1. ABS Anti Blocking Sistem

Location of anti-lock brake components

- Stopping a car in a hurry on a slippery road can be very challenging. Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) take a lot of the challenge out of this sometimes nerve-wracking event. In fact, on slippery surfaces, even professional drivers can't stop as quickly without ABS as an average driver can with ABS.

Anti-lock brake pump and valves

- The anti-lock braking system needs some way of knowing when a wheel is about to lock up. The speed sensors, which are located at each wheel, or in some cases in the differential, provide this information. - 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 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.

Anti-lock brake components

2. Brake lining remaining

- Brake linings are the consumable surfaces in brake systems, especially drum brakes as those used in vehicles. - Brake linings are composed of a relatively soft but tough and heat-resistant material with a high coefficient of dynamic friction (and ideally an identical coefficient of static friction) typically mounted to a solid metal backing using high-temperature adhesives or rivets. The complete assembly (including lining and backing) is then often called a brake pad or brake shoe.

An automobile disc brake

- In this view of an automobile disc brake, the brake pad is the black material held by the red metal component (the brake caliper). The brake lining is that part of the brake pad which actually contacts the metal disc when the brake is engaged. - Using a typical bicycle brake as an example, the backing would be the metal shell which provides mechanical support, and the lining would be the rubbery portion which contacts the rims when the brakes are applied. In most modern vehicular applications the system is conceptually identical, except the rims would be replaced with solid steel (or sometimes exotic metal) disc. Furthermore, a metal tang is usually incorporated into the pad assembly. The tang contacts the rotors when the linings are worn out, causing an annoying noise designed to alert the motorist that brake servicing is required. - Since the lining is the portion of the braking system which converts the vehicle's kinetic energy into heat, the lining must be capable of surviving high temperatures without excessive wear (leading to frequent replacement) or outgassing (which causes brake fade, a decrease in the stopping power of the brake).

3. Brake Fluid Level Low

- Brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic brake applications in automobiles, motorcycles, light trucks, and some advanced bicycles. It is used to transfer force into pressure. It works because liquids are not appreciably compressible - in their natural state the component molecules do not have internal voids and the molecules pack together well, so bulk forces are directly transferred to trying to compress the fluid's chemical bonds. - Brake fluid is also commonly used in hydraulic clutches. - Because oils damage rubber seals and hoses in the braking system, brake fluids are not petroleum-based. Most brake fluids used today are glycol-ether based, but mineral oil (Citron liquide hydraulique minral LHM) and silicone (DOT 5) based fluids are also available.

4. Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF)

(inducement less or more severe)

- To identify the fluid used to reduce emissions from operation of the diesel engine by means of a selective catalytic reaction. - To identify the container or fill point for diesel exhaust fluid. - To identify the display that provides information about the quantity of diesel exhaust fluid in the tank.

5. Differential Lock
- The differential is a device that splits the engine torque two ways, allowing each output to spin at a different speed.

- The differential is found on all modern cars and trucks, and also in many all- wheeldrive vehicles.

- When a differential is locked, it causes both axles to receive equal drive at same time. a differential that is not locked has drive 70% power to one axle therefore if for example the drive wheel is stuck in mud, it will spin while other wheel does not drive.

6. Driveline retarder
- Installed on the driveshaft between the transmission and rear axle. A hydraulic type absorbs the truck's momentum energy by pumping oil, while the electromagnetic type sets up a magnetic field that grabs at the driveline. Absorbed energy is transferred to the surrounding atmosphere as heat. Switches usually control actuation on modern exhaust brakes and driveline retarders. - No compression brakes are made for midrange diesels, so exhaust brakes and driveline retarders are it for medium-duty trucks. These devices are likewise the only viable possibility for heavy vehicles running at low speeds in stop-and-start service, such as city buses and trash trucks.

7. EBS Failure
(Emergency brake system) - An emergency brake is a backup braking system designed to function even when there is total brake failure. It works through purely mechanical means, and is independent of

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the hydraulic system which controls the brakes normally. In addition to being used in emergency situations, an emergency brake is also used as a parking brake, to prevent the car from rolling away, should it slip into gear. Like all parts of the braking system, the emergency brake should be checked regularly to ensure that it is in good working order. - To activate the emergency brake, the driver typically pulls up a lever or pushes a pedal in the front of the vehicle. Steel cables attached to the emergency brake run to the rear brakes of the car, which are typically drum brakes. When the cables are tightened, they pull the brake shoes into contact with the drum of the brake, bringing the car to a stop. In the case of disc brakes, the brake cables are attached to a small screw mechanism that pushes a piston into contact with the brake pads, forcing them to grip the brake rotor. Typically the brake has a self-locking system, meaning that the driver must lower the lever or move the pedal to take the brake off.

8. EDC Fault
- Electronic Diesel Control is a diesel engine fuel injection control system for the precise metering and delivery of fuel into the combustion chamber of modern diesel engines used in trucks and cars.

9. Electronic stability control (ESC)

- The electronic stability control system doesn't work all alone -- it uses the car's other safety and regulatory devices, like anti-lock braking and traction control, to correct problems before they become accidents. - The center of the ESC system is also the center of the car: the yaw control sensor. It's almost always located as close to the very center of the car as possible. If you were sitting in the driver's seat, the yaw control sensor would be under your right elbow, somewhere between you and the passenger. - Ships and cars both experience yaw, which is a movement around a vertical, or z, axis. It's as if the car were pinned like a butterfly in a display case, where the pin is the z axis. The yaw sensor is right at the center of the pin. If the ESC system detects that the car is swinging too far (or not far enough) around that up-and-down axis, it springs into action to assist. - Using all the modern electronic systems at its disposal, the ESC can activate one or more individual brakes, depending on which wheel can increase driving safety the most, and control the throttle to lessen the speed at which the car is traveling. The sensor is looking for differences between the direction of the steering wheel and the direction the

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car is headed; the car's computer then makes the necessary corrections to bring the vehicle's direction of travel in line with what the driver wanted. - ESC, in particular, takes advantage of two other systems, ABS and traction control, plus a few special sensors, to do its job. - ESC also uses traction control for driving safety. If ESC is in charge of monitoring sideto-side motion around a vertical axis, traction control is in charge of front-to-back motion. If the traction control system is detecting wheel slippage, the electronic stability control sensor will pick up on the direction of the slide. If there's a difference between the angle of the steering wheel and the direction the car is sliding, the ESC will work with the traction control system to engage the ABS at the proper wheel (or wheels) and control the throttle to reduce the speed of the vehicle, too.

10. Engine coolant temperature

- The Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor ("ECT" for short) is an analog sensor which, as it's name says, measures the temperature of the coolant and feeds this data to the onboard computer. The computer then uses this data to maintain optimum driveability especially while the engine is warming up and until it reaches operating temperature. In the days before electronic engine control modules, the choke on the carburetor served this purpose, ie. to cause a rich fuel mixture at least until the engine was warmed up. Frequently the engine had to idle at high rpm to keep it running when cold. Often it would stall before it got warm. - While water may be the best cooling liquid, it's not suitable for this use in engines because it evaporates far too fast, enhances corrosion of metal parts and freezes very quickly during cold weather. Thus, engine coolant has been developed chemically to perform its functions at much higher and lower temperatures than water.

11. Engine Pre-Heating

- An engine preheating system preheats an engine such as a diesel engine efficiently and quickly with heating members such as self-temperature-controlling glow plugs. When the engine is to be preheated quickly, a voltage to be applied to the heating members is increased by electric energy stored in capacitor capacitors, and a large current is supplied to the heating members to preheat the engine in a short period of time.

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12. Engine retarder

Torque converter, opened, interior similar to a retarder

- A retarder is a device used to augment or replace some of the functions of primary friction-based braking systems, usually on heavy vehicles. - Friction-based braking systems are susceptible to 'brake fade' when used extensively for continuous periods, which can be dangerous if braking performance drops below what is required to stop the vehicle for instance if a truck or bus is descending a long decline. For this reason, such heavy vehicles are frequently fitted with a supplementary system that is not friction-based. - Retarders serve to slow vehicles, or maintain a steady speed on declines, and help prevent the vehicle 'running away' by accelerating down the decline. They are not usually capable of bringing vehicles to a standstill, as their effectiveness diminishes as vehicle speed lowers. They are usually used as an additional 'assistance' to slow vehicles, with the final braking done by a conventional friction braking system. As the friction brake will be used less, particularly at higher speeds, their service life is increased.

13. Immobilizer
- An immobilizer or immobilizer is an electronic device fitted to an automobile which prevents the engine from running unless the correct key (or other token) is present. This prevents the car from being "hot wired" after entry has been achieved. Immobilizers have a radio frequency transmitter that goes on your keychain. The sensor that is in the dashboard or somewhere near the ignition detects the unique frequency of the transmitter in order to allow the car to run. - Aftermarket immobilizers come in all different styles. Generally speaking, it depends entirely on the specific cars specifications in terms of fuel delivery system and ignition system to determine how to immobilize the car. - A car with an electronically powered fuel pump (which is likely fuel injected) can be easily immobilized if the power relay to the fuel pumps operation is intervened from the

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immobilizer system. A fuel injected car with an immobilizer circuit would typically disable the fuel pump, fuel injection control, as well as the ignition circuit. A car that is carbureted on the other hand, likely uses a mechanical fuel pump from stock, and therefore you cannot prevent fuel flow directly without the use of solenoids in between fuel lines to stop flow physically. A carbureted car with a mechanical fuel pump would likely only have the ignition circuit disabled in the event of immobilization. - A very simple immobilizer simply cuts power to the starter by replacing the starter relay with one that is controlled by the immobilizer control circuit if the key transmitter is not present. These systems are good, but nowhere near the theft prevention that a factory immobilizer provides. With enough time and thought, one could easily shop ahead of time for the specific relays a car they are looking to steal has, and replace the immobilizers aftermarket relays with the stock ones and cut the immobilizer circuit out of the equation.

14. Lane departure warning

- A lane departure warning system is a mechanism designed to warn a driver when the vehicle begins to move out of its lane (unless a turn signal is on in that direction) on freeways and arterial roads. - These systems are designed to minimize accidents by addressing the main causes of collisions: driving error, distraction and drowsiness.

15. OBD II Malfunction

- A malfunction indicator lamp (MIL), commonly referred to as the "Check Engine Light" is an indicator of malfunction of the computerized engine management system. It is found on the instrument console of most automobiles. 14

- When illuminated, it is typically either an amber or red color. - On vehicles equipped with OBD-II, the light has two stages: steady (indicating a minor fault such as a loose gas cap or failing oxygen sensor) and flashing (indicating a severe fault, that will eventually destroy the catalytic converter, such as a misfire). - When the MIL is lit, the engine control unit stores a fault code related to the malfunction, which can be retrieved with a scan tool and used for further diagnosis. The malfunction indicator lamp is usually labeled with the text check engine, service engine soon, check engine soon, or a picture of an engine.

16. Power take OFF

- A power take-off or power takeoff (PTO) is a splined driveshaft, usually on a tractor or truck, that can be used to provide power to an attachment or separate machine. - It is designed to be easily connected and disconnected. - Allows implements to draw energy from the tractor's engine.

17. Urea Level

- Urea binds with the nitrogen oxide emitted by diesel engines, thus reducing diesel emissions responsible for smog and respiratory illnesses such as asthma. - According to a spokesperson from the Selective Catalytic Reduction Stakeholders Group, urea tanks reduce the nitrogen oxide produced by diesel engines by as much as 90 percent. - Use of a diesel particulate filter can further reduce emissions to almost 100 percent. - Urea tanks must be filled every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, depending on the maker. - When the tank is empty a safety mechanism prevents the vehicle from starting, and some makers have not included a urea gauge to indicate urea level.

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- Most automobiles with urea tanks do have a warning system in place, but the system doesn't allow the level of awareness that a gauge would provide. - Urea can be manufactured industrially by using ammonia/carbon dioxide technology. Under pressure and under high temperatures, ammonia and carbon dioxide react creating ammonia, ammonium carbamate and urea. The urea is crystallized and removed, and the ammonia and carbamate are recycled into the reactor. - Urea is a toxic chemical. Exposure to urea crystals can cause burning in the throat and lungs. Furthermore, urea is combustible. (Gasoline is both toxic and combustible as well when mishandled.)

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Bibliography:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malfunction_indicator_lamp, 2011-03-20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lane_departure_warning_system, 2011-03-20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immobiliser, 2011-03-20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retarder_%28mechanical_engineering%29\, 2011-03-29 http://www.ehow.com/about_5770638_engine-coolant-temperature-characteristics.html, 2011-03-29 http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/electronicstability-control1.htm, 2011-04-03 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Diesel_Control, 2011-04-03 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_edc_light_on_an_iveco_mean, 2011-04-03 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_take-off, 2011-04-03 http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential2.htm, 2011-04-03 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_differential_locks_work, 2011-04-03 http://www.ehow.com/facts_5643207_urea-tank_.html, 2011-04-03

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