Every modern car has Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) to control the amount of fuel that is injected into the engine. The EFI system is made up of sensors ( to sense car speed, air temperature, position of crankshaft etc), and feeds that information to your car computer (the technical term is ECU – Electronic Control Unit). If a fault is logged (even an intermittent one), the car computer in your car stores that code- waiting for the mechanic to retrieve the codes with a ‘Scan Tool’. The image above is a typical car computer in your car.
– Never Jump Start a car without care computer protection, as you can destroy it.
– Apart from voltage spikes (from poor jump starting), Car Computer’s rarely fail. Sensors are usually the fault, not the computer.
– When someone says to your, “Mate you’ll have to replace the computer” without connecting a scan tool up – they don’t know what they are talking about, and are just about to spend $1200 (average price) on your behalf!
Usually if an Car Computer fails, the car will not start or run at all. If it is running poorly, it will; usually be the sensors, or something mechanical, like a vacuum leak or faulty or dirty fuel Injectors, I’m always more than happy to take a look at your car, just get in contact with me.
The ECU can also control the transmission, the spark timing. There is usually a separate computer that controls things like the A/C and security.