Page 17 - Understanding Automotive Electronics

2735 | CH 1 Page 4 Tuesday, March 10, 1998 10:52 AM

1 AUTOMOTIVE FUNDAMENTALS

Figure 1.1.
Systems of the
Automobile

FPO

relatively heavy component, its location influences weight distribution (fore and
aft).
Ideally, the engine should be located near the drive wheels for optimal
drive traction. It is this fact that has led car makers to configure the front wheels
as drive wheels. This change has led to the engine being mounted transversely
(i.e., with the rotation axis orthogonal to the vehicle axis as opposed to along
the vehicle axis). In automotive parlance the traditional engine orientation is
referred to as North-South, and the transverse orientation as East-West. The
transmission is mounted adjacent to the engine and oriented with its axis
parallel to the engine axis. The differential and drive axle configuration is
normally mounted in the transmission; the combined unit is thus called the
transaxle.
For stability purposes the steering is still via the front wheels. The
combination of steering and drive mechanisms results in a somewhat more
complicated front-wheel system configuration than the traditional orientation.

4 UNDERSTANDING AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS