Modern Automotive Technology (Paperback)

Paperback. A stored fault code tells you that something is wrong. It does not tell you why.Modern vehicles are no longer mechanical machines with a few electrical accessories attached. They are distributed computing platforms built around combustion, thermodynamic and chemical processes, and servicing them demands fluency in both worlds at once. A technician who understands combustion but not network communication will misread half of what a diagnostic tool reports. An engineer who understands control software but not the mechanical wear beneath it will design systems that look elegant on paper and prove fragile in the shop. Most resources widen that gap: mechanical theory sits in one place, electronic diagnosis in another, and the reader connects them alone, usually while a vehicle waits on a lift.This book closes the gap directly. Every chapter develops its subject from first principles, then connects that theory to the fault patterns the system actually produces. Worked examples show complete calculations with unit tracking rather than shortcuts, and practice problems carry verified answers.What you will be able to do: Calculate compression ratio, thermal and volumetric efficiency, gear and final drive ratios, braking force and alignment angles from first principlesAnalyze air-fuel ratio, injector duty and delivery pressure across port, direct and common-rail fuel systemsConvert raw sensor signals into engineering values through transfer functions, scaling and analog-to-digital conversionRead short-term and long-term fuel trim as diagnostic evidence rather than as numbers on a screenTrace communication faults across vehicle networks, gateway modules and multi-network architecturesInterpret standardized diagnostic data, including trouble code structure, parameter decoding, readiness monitors and freeze frame snapshotsApply a repeatable five-step method that moves from verified complaint to confirmed root cause, including intermittent faults that refuse to reproduceEighteen chapters cover engine fundamentals and mechanical wear, fuel and ignition, electrical power distribution, sensors and control modules, engine management software, vehicle networking, transmissions and drivelines, braking and stability control, steering and suspension, climate and body electronics, emissions treatment, hybrid and electric powertrains, the standardized on-board diagnostic layer, diagnostic instrumentation and method, and driver assistance sensing and automation. Notation and units hold constant throughout, figures sit where they are useful, and a glossary, conversion tables and reference appendices support consultation as well as study.It is written for upper-level automotive and mechanical engineering technology students, for instructors needing one text that spans systems and diagnostics, for technicians moving from code reading toward genuine fault isolation, and for engineers who want the shop-floor reality underneath the specification. A foundation in basic physics, algebra and general mechanical concepts is assumed.Begin reading, and start treating systems knowledge and diagnostic skill as one continuous way of thinking about vehicles. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability.…