The performance of your automobile engine is measured in several ways. Fuel efficiency is one of the important parameters. It refers to the capacity of the engine to completely burn fuel. It also refers to the ability of the engine to effectively convert the chemical energy of the fuel into mechanical output. Fuel efficiency also means that no pollutants will be produced. Your engine will have clean emission. In reality, however, 100% fuel efficiency is seldom achieved. No matter how superbly engineered an engine maybe, it will not be able to perform as completely efficient all the time. Other factors may interfere with its performance.
Some factors that may affect fuel efficiency include contaminants, spark plug timing, and air intake rate. Contaminants, such as dust, moisture, and rust chips, can affect fuel efficiency by competing with fuel. These contaminants can ruin the chemical reactions between the hydrocarbon molecules and oxygen molecules. This results in incomplete chemical reactions. The molecular bonds of some hydrocarbons will remain intact. Hydrocarbon residues will be left and energy will not be efficiently released. The residues may also clog the sensitive components of the engine such as the valves and pistons. They may also ruin the internal wall surface of the combustion chambers.
On the other hand, spark plug timing and air intake rate are closely related factors that can affect fuel efficiency. The spark plug timing determines the rate of combustion while air intake rate determines the amount of oxygen present during combustion. Since the both the distributor and air intake valves are powered by the camshaft, they can be both simultaneously affected. The two factors are independent from each other but they can simultaneously influence fuel efficiency. For instance, if the camshaft malfunctions, firing of the spark plugs will suffer. At the same time, the intake rate will also be ruined. Maintaining fuel efficiency entails regulating the different factors of combustion.
