Ô DRIVABILIT Y

Figure 1
Ô ELECTRICAL

TIMING IS EVERYTHING!
BY BERNIE THOMPSON | CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

A
s one goes through life, it is known, as well as their relationship to physical quantity or shaft position of
said that timing is everything. one another. So the physical position the crankshaft and camshaft will be
In the case of the internal com- of the crankshaft and camshaft must determined with sensors that send
bustion engine, this could not be known. an electrical output signal. This out-
be truer. In order for the engine In order to determine where in put signal will be produced with the
to operate correctly, the event timing space these shafts’ physical positions interaction between the trigger wheel
and event sequence must be correct. are a sensor will be used. A sensor and the magnetic field of the sensor,
This means the location of the crank- reads the physical quantity and con- as seen in Figure 1. This type of sen-
shaft and camshaft positions must be verts this to an electrical signal. This sor is known as a variable reluctance
Photos: Bernie Thompson
42 JUNE 2015 [Link]
POWERTRAIN PRO ELECTRICAL

sensor, but sensors that rectify this analog voltage will also
be used; rectification of an analog signal means that it is Figure 2
converted to a digital signal or square wave. The trigger
wheel is mounted on the shaft and will have some type
of indexing means, such as a missing tooth, so the shaft’s
orientation can be calculated. If the engine is rotating, the
interaction between the trigger wheel and sensor will pro-
duce a waveform or a voltage that changes over time.

The internal clock

The voltage change produced from a sensor is just that, a volt-
age change. In order for the Engine Control Module (ECM)
to be able to interpret the voltage change, a program must
be written. The ECM microprocessor uses an internal clock
to run with the software so that the shaft’s position can be
calculated. This clock produces pulses that set up the rate
at which tasks can be carried out. Each clock pulse sets up a
machine cycle that caches the registers that carry out the pro- Figure 3
gramming tasks. Clock speed refers to the number of pulses
per second generated by an oscillator that sets the tempo for
the processor. Clock speed in the automotive computer is usu-
ally measured in megahertz (MHz), or millions of pulses per
second. In order for the microprocessor to work accurately, the
clock will need to have a high oscillator stability, so a quartz
crystal oscillator circuit is used.
The quartz crystal used in a quartz crystal oscillator cir-
cuit is a thin, small piece of cut quartz. At the ends of the cut
quartz, the surfaces are metallized in order to attach elec-
trical connections. When producing the quartz crystal, the
size and thickness are important because it affects the fun-
damental frequency of oscillations. Once the quartz crystal
is cut and shaped, the crystal cannot be used at any other
frequency. In other words, its size and shape produce an Figure 4
oscillation frequency that is directly proportional to it size.
When a voltage source is applied to the quartz crystal, it
begins to change shape, producing a characteristic known
as the Piezoelectric Effect. This Piezoelectric Effect is the
property of a crystal by which an electrical charge produces
a mechanical force by changing the shape of the crystal
and vice versa; a mechanical force applied to the crystal
produces an electrical charge. This Piezoelectric Effect pro-
duces mechanical vibrations or oscillations that will directly
change the voltage. It will be necessary to maintain a very
accurate constant supply voltage on the quartz crystal so
that the frequency output is maintained. This quartz clock
circuit will send a continuous stream of square waves that
will set the master clock and system timing within the
microprocessor. the crankshaft. Additionally, using the clock and the sensor
This master clock is built into the hardware of the micro- to monitor the rate at which the crankshaft is changing will
processor. The program that runs the engine is part of the provide the velocity or speed that the crankshaft is rotating.
software that is running on the hardware of the micropro- On a four-stroke engine, the crankshaft rotates two times to
cessor. The software uses this hardware clock to carry out complete a fire cycle. This means that the piston is at Top
the instructions that will allow the microprocessor to set Dead Center (TDC) and Bottom Dead Center (BDC) twice
up the timing sequence for the internal combustion engine. for each fire cycle. By using the crankshaft position sensor,
This is accomplished by the crankshaft position sensor’s one can calculate the position of the crankshaft and know
electrical signal. The signal is monitored by the software so if the piston is at TDC or BDC. However, with this limited
the crankshaft position and velocity can be calculated. By information, one cannot calculate which of the four strokes
having the crankshaft sensor indexed, the position of the (intake, compression, power, exhaust) the crankshaft is on.
No. 1 piston can be calculated, and this will allow all of the Since the piston is at TDC on compression and exhaust,
piston positions to be set by the mechanical configuration of it will be difficult to calculate which of these strokes the

44 JUNE 2015 [Link]

POWERTRAIN PRO ELECTRICAL

engine is currently on. In order to calculate the crank angle

space, a second sensor will be needed; this sensor is the Figure 5
camshaft position sensor. The camshaft position sensor will
allow one to calculate which stroke the crankshaft is cur-
rently on. By using the software to compare the crankshaft
to camshaft position, a timing sequence can be calculated.

Running in harmony
The microprocessor and software work together to oper-
ate the internal combustion engine. It is critical to have
these two components work together to set up the tim-
ing sequences. These timing sequences will provide the
operation of the ignition coils and the operation of the fuel
injectors. The ignition spark event will need to be timed
to the crankshaft rotational position and crankshaft rota-
tional velocity. This spark event will ignite the air/fuel
mixture within the cylinder. Since hydrocarbons comprise
Figure 6
the fuel stock, there is a set amount of time to burn these.
This burning of the fuel stock is a chemical reaction occur-
ring between the hydrocarbons and oxygen. The reaction
between these components will take a set amount of time
to complete. It will be important to start the reaction at
the correct time so that the majority of the reaction is com-
pleted by the time the crankshaft reaches the 90-degree
point after TDC. This is the point at which the piston has
the best leverage position to push the crankshaft around,
thus producing the best torque. As the crankshaft velocity
increases, the reaction start time between the hydrocarbons
and oxygen will need to happen earlier. This in turn will
allow the maximum pressure from the reaction to be built
by the 90-degree point. This is why the ignition timing is
advanced as the engine speed increases. If the spark event tors are on channels 5 (white), 6 (purple), 7 (orange), and
is too early or too late, the engine efficiency will drop. 8 (brown). It can be determined that the timing sequence
The operation of the fuel injectors is also a timed event. events are occurring in order. The ignition coil packs are
On the port fuel injection system, the injector is opened a waste spark system and are firing in sequence one after
when the intake valve is in the closed position. This usually another in order, each coil firing on one crankshaft revolu-
occurs when the engine is on the exhaust stoke. The injec- tion. The camshaft and crankshaft signals are in time and
tor spray is directed at the back of the intake valve since have no breakdown occurring. The fuel injectors are firing
this is the hottest part of the induction system. When the in sequence with the proper injection on time.
injector is opened, it sprays the fuel in an aerosol format, or In Figure 3, the same engine is having a drivability issue.
as small liquid droplets suspended in the air. These small The oscilloscope capture was taken during an intermit-
droplets can take heat energy on more rapidly from the tent failure. This vehicle had to be driven for 30 minutes
intake valve, thus flashing the liquid fuel into a fuel vapor. to an hour before a “very brief” cut out occurred. As can
If the injector delivers the fuel too early, the fuel vapor at the be determined, the timing sequence events are not occur-
intake valve pocket can be pulled to another cylinder that is ring in order. The ignition events at the top on channel 1
currently on an intake stroke. This will allow an imbalance (yellow) and channel 2 (red) have multiple ignition events
of fuel from one cycle to the next cycle, which can affect the missing. The camshaft position sensor on channel 3 (green)
combustion efficiency and emissions of the engine. If the and the crankshaft position sensor on channel 4 (blue) are in
injector delivery is too late, all the fuel may not vaporize, time and have no breakdown occurring. The fuel injectors
which may also affect the combustion efficiency and emis- on channels 5 (white), 6 (purple), 7 (orange) and 8 (brown)
sions of the engine. are no longer in sequence. These fuel injector events are
aligned and the injection on time is commanded for a longer
Putting it to work time interval.
Now that an understanding of the engine timing events The question now is what is occurring with these tim-
has been established, let us look at Figure 2. This is an ing sequence events. Perhaps the most important part of
oscilloscope reading of a good 4-cylinder port-injected these sequences are the fuel injectors. These fuel injector
engine where the ignition events are shown at the top of events are timed sequence events, but during the failure,
the screen, channel 1 (yellow) and channel 2 (red). The cam- these events have lost their sequence. The injector events
shaft position sensor is on channel 3 (green), and the crank- are occurring in a bank fire mode where all the injectors
shaft position sensor is on channel 4 (blue). The fuel injec- are command on at once. Additionally, the fuel injection on

46 JUNE 2015 [Link]

POWERTRAIN PRO Ô ELECTRICAL

time has been increased as well. This the powers and grounds to the ECM calculate their position, an error within
sequence is what happens when one will need to be monitored during the the program occurs. This programming
first starts the engine. When starting failure. If no problem occurs on the error can create many different timing
the engine, the microprocessor does powers or grounds, the problem is sequence failures depending on how
not know where the crank angle space internal and the ECM will need to be the program instructions are written.
is so it bank fires all the injectors at replaced. In Figure 4, the oscilloscope In Figure 6, the oscilloscope capture
one time. This strategy insures that is connected to all the powers and is from this same 8-cylinder engine
the cylinder will have fuel in it when grounds at the ECM. The vehicle was and shows the camshaft position
the spark sequence can be calculated then driven until the problem reoc- sensors on channel 1 (yellow), chan-
by the microprocessor. Once calcu- curred. The scope capture shows the nel 2 (red) and the crankshaft position
lated, a spark can be delivered to the powers and grounds being monitored. sensor on channel 3 (green). It can be
air/fuel mixture within the combus- As can be seen, the power is failing determined that the two camshaft
tion chamber, thus igniting it. When for about 3 milliseconds on channels position sensor waveforms are not
the engine is first started, more fuel is 4 (blue) and 5 (white) to the micropro- in the same position compared to the
needed to make a combustible mixture cessor. This very quick power inter- crankshaft position sensor. The red
within the cylinder. This additional ruption affects the quartz crystal oscil- camshaft position sensor waveform is
fuel will wet the induction port, valve lator circuit causing a computer reset 3.5 teeth after the missing index tooth
and chamber and is the reason the fuel to occur. on the crankshaft position waveform.
injector on time has been increased. Now let us examine another engine The yellow camshaft position sensor
exhibiting a drivability problem. In waveform is 5 teeth after the miss-
Figure 5, an 8-cylinder port-injected ing index tooth on the crankshaft
engine injectors are shown. On this position waveform. The red camshaft
“The software timing is oscilloscope capture, the injectors at position signal at 3.5 teeth is in the

accomplished with the the left of the screen are in sequence.

The oscilloscope channel colors rep-
wrong position. This mechanical tim-
ing problem causes the program to be
crankshaft and camshaft resent the engine’s injector sequence
events. The injector sequence is
unable to correctly identify the crank
angle space, thus creating an injector
position sensors. If the green, orange, red, purple, white, timing problem.
blue, brown, yellow, and then return- It is important to understand how
sensors are not in the ing to green. As you continue across the timing sequence events are cre-
the screen you will see a break in the ated, so when a problem occurs one
correct location for the timing where the red injector event is can quick identify the cause. Pay
present followed by a pause. After the particular attention to the way these
program to calculate their pause, the purple then follows, show- output signals fail. It is not that they
position, an error within the ing the sequence is not broken. Again
the injector events continue until the
failed, but the exact way in which
they failed — did the sequence fail,
program occurs.” — Thompson orange injector event is followed by
a much larger pause. After the pause
did the commanded time fail, or was a
command issued? These are the out-
the red injector event occurs showing put commands that when incorrect
the sequence again was not broken. are caused by input errors, software
When the timing sequence events These pauses create a problem where errors or electrical supply errors. Each
occur like these, the microprocessor is no fuel is injected to the cylinder in of these different errors will change
in a reset mode. When a reset mode the engine, thus creating an engine the commands in different ways.
is activated, the program no longer cut out. By monitoring the timing sequence
knows where the engine’s crank angle The question now is what is events, some of the most difficult
space is, so it carries out the task of a occurring with these injector timing problems will become routine in your
first-start sequence. This problem will sequence events? It is clear that the service bay.
be associated with the microproces- injectors are not being activated cor-
sor’s quartz crystal oscillator circuit. rectly; it is also clear that the injec- BERNIE
When the clock goes down, the pro- tor event sequence remains intact.
This is caused by a software timing
THOMPSON
gram will restart, causing a reset to
occur. This problem can be caused by error where the algorithm written for
CONTRIBUTING
the powers or grounds to the ECM, an the sensor events does not correlate
EDITOR
ignition coil that is shorted between with the actual sensor positions. The
the primary and secondary, or can be software timing is accomplished with Bernie Thompson is an automotive diagnostician and trainer,
and co-founder of Automotive Test Solutions in Albuquerque,
an internal computer failure. Since the crankshaft and camshaft position N.M. He is an expert at diagnostics and repair strategy and
the ignition coils have already been sensors. The program uses the micro- designs award winning diagnostic tools and software for the
checked and are good, one must check processor’s clock to calculate the crank automotive industry.
the other possibilities. To determine angle space. If the sensors are not in
E-mail sales@[Link]
which of these is causing the problem, the correct location for the program to

48 JUNE 2015 [Link]