Under the hood

Anthony Fontanelle
September 25, 2007

As a vehicle moves, a handful of activities happen under the hood. Two of these activities concern the transmission (manual or automatic) and cooling and heating – processes crucial for an efficient automotive performance and longevity. The pressure plate and radiator fan play key roles in keeping smooth transmission and stable engine temperature respectively, To understand the importance of these components, a sneak peak under an Audi’s hood could help.

For Audi cars with manual transmission, a clutch pedal is a fundamental ignition part. In a vehicle's clutch system, a clutch pedal is pressed to change gears and speed. When the foot is off the pedal, the springs push a component called Audi Pressure Plate against the clutch disc which, in turn, presses against the flywheel. As a result, the engine is locked up to the transmission input shaft, causing it to spin at the same velocity. To release the clutch from the spinning engines, the Audi Pressure Plate has to be pulled away from the clutch disc. To achieve this, a clutch pedal needs to be released causing either the pushing or pulling of the pressure plate’s diaphragm. When this happens, a friction plate is released and allowed to rotate freely.

On the other hand, the cooling and heating process of an Audi vehicle will not be possible without an Audi Radiator Fan. The primary responsibility of a radiator -- situated behind a vehicle's grille -- is to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the process of cooling and heating. Complementing this temperature-regulating function is the Audi Radiator Fan, the only electrically controlled radiator part. Older car models, however, are manufactured with a fan driven by the engine or a fan clutch instead of an electric fan.

Source:  Amazines.com