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Is my car's computer similar to my home PC?
You probably have a computer at
home. It's the one that is shooting aliens down from the
sky or viewing this page. What you may not be aware of are
the other computers in your home. You may have an auto
focus camera that uses a small computer to adjust focus and
exposure. Or you could have a thermostat that is
controlled by computer to provide heat at certain times of the
day or to certain areas. However the most sophisticated
computer you own is not on your desk or in your home, it's on
your car.
Controlling virtually all the
critical elements of your car, the computer, or ECM (electronic
control module), is making hundreds of decisions every second
while your car is running.
What makes this computer different
from your home PC is how it gets input. On your PC you
provide input through the keyboard or mouse. On the car's
ECM, it receives input through multiple sensors located
throughout the car. These sensors monitor almost every
function of the car including: temperature, speed, fuel
mixture, timing, spark, braking, and much more.
The ECM monitors these sensors and
then makes adjustments to the vehicle to optimize
performance. This scenario is played out hundreds of times
every second; input, analysis, output, and then input,
analysis, etc.
Subjected to constant vibration,
grease, dirt, flying debris, not to mention extreme heat, the
ECM has to overcome an unfriendly environment to perform.
That is why it is so important to have it serviced at regular
intervals.
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