Do You Already Know the Function of the Car Intake Manifold
Cars are one of the personal transportation modes that are highly sought after by the public. Unfortunately, some of them do not fully understand each component within their vehicle's engine, leading to frequent malfunctions, including in the intake manifold section.
Here is the definition and function of the intake manifold in cars that you need to understand.
Understanding What Intake Manifold Is
Behind the grandeur of a four-wheeled vehicle, you need to know the specifications of the engine used.
Generally, every vehicle is equipped with several components that work together to ensure the vehicle can safely deliver its passengers to their destination.
Among the various components, you can find a component called the Manifold.
The manifold itself is a channel that is divided into two, namely the Intake Manifold and the Exhaust Manifold. Broadly speaking, their functions are quite similar, but specifically, they have different roles.
You can find the Intake Manifold near the heat source, but in some car types, it can be found adjacent to the exhaust Manifold.
The suction step that occurs during the engine's working cycle will automatically draw in the air-fuel mixture to be channeled into the combustion chamber.
This mixture is supplied from the carburetor. To connect these two mixtures, a device called the Intake Manifold is needed.
Based on this brief information, it can be concluded that the intake manifold is a component that channels the air and fuel mixture from the carburetor to the combustion chamber in each cylinder.
Based on its working mechanism, we can understand that this car component plays an important role.
Read also: Let's Find Out 5 Causes of Fluctuating RPM in Carburetor Cars
Intake Manifold found in EFI injection engines serves as a place for injectors, while the Intake Manifold in GDI type EFI engines acts as a channel for air from the intake air chamber to the engine's combustion chamber.
What happens if this important component experiences a leak? If this condition occurs, it can be assured that the engine will struggle to rotate in a stationary or idle state.
This is because the ratio between the air and fuel mixture becomes unstable due to free air entering the fuel channel. As a result, the engine's rotation sounds rough and uncomfortable.
Function of Intake Manifold
After understanding that the intake manifold is a connecting channel for the air and fuel mixture, it's time to understand its functions. There are at least several main functions of this important component.
1. Air Channel Before Entering the Engine Cylinder
Air obtained from outside must pass through several stages before finally entering the engine cylinder through the cylinder head.
The stages mentioned include air filtration, throttle body, and intake manifold. Air filtration is intended to maintain its quality.
Meanwhile, the throttle body functions to regulate the amount of air entering, adjusted according to the pressure applied by the driver when pressing the vehicle's gas pedal.
At the same time, the clean air that has passed through the filtration will be channeled into the engine cylinder according to the opening of the throttle body valve.
Read also: Enhance Performance, Here are 5 Important Sensors in the Fuel Injection System
2. Making Air and Fuel Mixture Homogeneous
Fuel in the form of spray will be mixed with pressurized vacuum air obtained from the piston suction. This mixture of air and fuel will then be channeled to the Intake Manifold.
This mixing process creates a balance between air atoms and fuel atoms (homogeneous).
The two mixtures that have perfectly united will impact the engine's output power to be more optimal. Therefore, ensure this component is well-maintained to minimize the risk of leaks.
3. Regulating the Flow and Volume of Air Entering the Engine Cylinder
The function of this component is only found in vehicles that use a variable Intake Manifold, as there you can find an additional valve whose operation is directly controlled by the engine's ECU.
Its main function is to equalize the volume and flow of air entering the engine cylinder at each rotation. When the engine's rotation is low, the valve will close the by pass hole.
This condition makes the flow and volume of air entering longer, so the power generated feels maximal.
This is different when the engine is at high rotation, where the valve automatically opens wide enough for the airflow to enter twice as fast into the engine.
In other words, the faster the rotation produced, the wider the valve opens to adjust the volume of air entering the engine cylinder.
4. Creating Air Turbulence Entering the Engine Cylinder
This component is equipped with several angles that function to optimize the combustion occurring within the engine. When the combustion works optimally, the output power produced becomes more maximal.
