The trend of recent years in the automotive industry is the gradual removal of the driver from the process of driving. Designers and marketers have not yet reached the point of losing the connection between arms and legs with turning wheels and braking, but everything is moving towards this. Not a single modern car is supplied to the market without an electronic throttle and an electronic accelerator.
Electronics are reliable things, but sometimes they fail.
Electronic gas pedal device
The pedal portion of the accelerator, more commonly referred to as the throttle pedal, is the means that directly controls the position of the throttle valve. Thanks to it, a certain amount of air is supplied to the engine intake manifold.
The turning ability of the crankshaft becomes higher when oxygen is supplied in greater quantities. The drive for the damper is acted upon by a pedal device when pressed. Thus, the effort to press the pedal is noticeably lighter.
The principle of operation of the electronic pedal helps to greatly facilitate the control of engine speed. It is usually installed on injection vehicles, taking into account the fact that its work is directly related to the operation of electronic devices.
The accelerator consists of:
- Pedal module;
- Block influencing the position of the throttle valve;
- Module for signal conversion.
The value of acceleration
Jed Christensen's research noted that when choosing accelerator programs, startup founders focus on long-term interests and the benefits that participation can bring. Their priority is building relationships with future investors and the reputation of the program, which contributes to additional attention from journalists and users.
Seed funding
Although the amount of seed funding provided by the accelerator is rarely a determining factor, it is important because it allows the team to focus on the project. It also covers the startup’s basic expenses for moving the team to the city where the program is being held and hiring outside specialists to develop the product.
Reputation
Well-known accelerators that have produced multimillion-dollar startups (for example, Reddit, Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe in the case of Y Combinator) attract special interest from journalists and investors. Participation in such a program helps residents build their own reputation, facilitates communication with the media and attracting early followers (English)Russian..
Feedback
Participation in the accelerator allows a startup to receive expert assessment from experienced entrepreneurs and investors (whether they are the founders of the accelerator, presenters of lectures and seminars, and other guests), invited specialists and other teams.
Training and mentoring
As part of their training, residents receive knowledge in the fields of law, finance, marketing and sales organization, learn to negotiate, and receive assistance in technical development. Accelerators train residents in the best market practices for business development (for example, lean development, which helps to avoid mistakes in company development.
Reaching investors
Accelerators select promising projects and talented entrepreneurs, and thereby attract investors and business angels
At meetings and events and during the “Demo Day” that concludes the acceleration program, residents present projects and can attract the attention of investment funds or receive recommendations and valuable contacts among venture capitalists
Operating principle
When the pedal device is pressed, the modular part ensures the transmission of information about what exact angle of inclination is reported by the lever part to the modular part for signal conversion.
From the transistors there is a stronger transmission to the block part to control the throttle valve. When the signal supply is coordinated with the electronic control, the modular part of the throttle valve must determine at what angle it should open. This is exactly how you can ensure the opening of the throttle module using electronics.
Ease of operation, along with savings, are the basis for the use of this type of pedal devices. At the same time, the effort that must be applied in order to provide a comfortable feeling while driving a vehicle is significantly reduced.
The main “miscalculations” of VAZ
Of course, no matter how much VAZ praises e-gas, this mechanism also has serious drawbacks. For example, if it fails, this device cannot be repaired. A complete replacement will be required, which will be very expensive. Although today there are “traditional craftsmen” who have adapted to repair the device themselves, this is not always effective - driving with such e-gas is even dangerous.
As for the responsiveness of the car, not everything is clear here either. Many motorists claim that the old Kalinas were much easier to pedal and responded better to pressure. E-gas responds to them with a delay, and this can become a critical problem, especially if you need to quickly avoid a collision or simply quickly overtake.
Thus, the famous e-gas Lada Kalina is not a panacea for poor car handling, but rather another unfinished system in the car that engineers will have to improve.
Possibility of electronic pedal adjustment
There are times when it becomes necessary to adjust the electronic gas pedal. If there is a failure in the electronic settings, such measures are required.
This is caused by the car’s lack of response to how the position of the throttle valve has changed. This usually happens when the position simply does not change at all.
All electronic pedals have their own free play, during which the voltage value supplied to the transistor circuit changes. The response to the pedal position changes with the change in voltage, and the vehicle behaves inappropriately when operating the throttle.
Often, such a problem is detected thanks to a certain indicator on the instrument panel, as well as using electronic diagnostics, which are provided using the car's on-board computer device.
Correct setting
Setting up the electronic gas pedal on different car models is different, since although the same principle is used, the design is different. Therefore, it is better to search for information on the Internet about your model. Let's take an example of how this is done for Lada cars; the differences are small:
- Remove the pedal from the bracket.
- Loosen the screws that hold the cover. One of them fixes the position of the cover; it must be completely unscrewed.
- Turn the cover clockwise until it stops and tighten the screws again.
This makes the pedal more responsive. Some note that it starts to work almost as quickly as a mechanical one. Engine performance as a whole may improve, and the car starts to move away without jerking. Other improvements are also noted. If, on the contrary, it is necessary to reduce the sensitivity, the cap must be turned counterclockwise. The car becomes more “thoughtful”. The gas pedal of many other models is adjusted using the same principle, but they have their own design features. There are tips on the Internet for upgrading the internal structure - placing different gaskets under the lever, etc. This cannot be done, as these gaskets may fall off and get on the contacts or jam the lever, causing the car to lose control.
Regulation procedure
The algorithm looks like this:
- The pedal device is removed from its place. In addition to it, the modular part of the angle measurement must be dismantled. When carrying out regulation, a power supply will be required, so the plug element must be left in its original position;
- After releasing the pedal, the screw located on the surface of the cover is simply unscrewed. Thus, the cover is released relative to the pedal part, which allows it to spin easily. After this, you will need to use the supplied reference documentation for the device;
- A voltmeter device is connected between the connectors, after which it is necessary to adjust the measuring range. The ignition must be turned on after this. The reference documentation provides standards for values. They are different for each engine type. As the pedal cover surface rotates, the voltage value changes. This value must be adjusted similarly to the characteristics given in the documentation, after which the fastening screw is tightened;
- The pedal part is installed in the seat and then tested. When the behavior of the vehicle noticeably improves, it follows that the pedal adjustment was carried out correctly.
Also, changes in voltage may be due to environmental conditions. Thus, during seasonal maintenance, it is also necessary to carry out such actions in relation to the pedal device.
A change in such a parameter can be directly related to the fact that the resistance value changes inversely.
Model features
The US Department of Commerce has designated business accelerators
as incubator support institutes and incubation programs for investment-ready companies. The main focus of accelerators is technology, in particular software startups: the cost of launching and developing these companies has decreased significantly. The role of accelerators in venture financing is to select promising startups for funds and prepare teams to attract investment rounds.
In the absence of a generally accepted definition, the characteristic features of business accelerators allow us to draw a line between them and traditional incubators. Summarizing thesis from Jed Christensen's MBA thesis, "Copying Y Combinator"
(2009), research from The Startup Factories
authored by Paul Miller and Kirsten Bound (2011) and published by Susan Cohen in the journal
Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (December 2013), key features of the model can be noted.
- The composition of accelerators is formed on a competitive basis. Teams go through a rigorous selection process, interviews, and interviews. The number of applications to well-known accelerators (such as Y Combinator) reaches thousands, but only a few dozen teams are accepted into one set.
- Qualifying teams are trained simultaneously as part of a stream (also called a roster, set, or cohort). Constant communication promotes the exchange of experiences and mutual support.
- Most accelerators provide seed funding to residents and receive income from the growth in the value of their shares in the capital of invested startups.
- Acceleration programs are limited to several months, during which teams undergo training in areas close to entrepreneurship, communicate with well-known entrepreneurs, investors and niche specialists, and work with mentors. The development of a business model plays a major role in the learning process. Upon completion of acceleration, teams present their projects to investors and have the opportunity to attract the next round of funding.
Repair work
When malfunctions are detected, the accelerator is repaired. It will not be possible to prevent existing wear and tear in the system. Therefore, in the event of a malfunction of the electronic gas pedal device, you must be able to cope with the following problems:
- No prolonged refusal to respond to the command “transfer to another position”;
- In general, the pedal part fails regardless of what angle of depression is set.
The occurrence of this type of malfunction is usually explained by a lack of power to the performing elements. The reason may be that the signal from the modular part of the pedal device is not being supplied.
Initially, the electrical wiring is inspected. It could have crumbled, and the cause could be damage to the insulation, which is why there is no contact connections. Quite often, the pedal does not work precisely in the event of a malfunction of the wires, which simply need to be replaced.
Another type is a breakdown of the electric drive in the throttle valve, which is displayed by the code combination “022”. After its dismantling, a connection to the source is made directly. The rotation of the motor indicates its serviceability, but this is a rare case. Basically it will have to be replaced with a new one.
Symptoms of a problem
Among the main signs of problems are:
- Absence of any reaction to the accelerator after starting the vehicle’s internal combustion engine;
- Dips, loss of throttle response while driving;
- Floating idle speed;
- Sharp jumps in speed when you gently press the accelerator;
- Idle speed too high.
The device contains movable electrical contacts, as well as conductive tracks - these elements are subject to wear during operation. In the operation of the engine, you can observe dips when picking up speed, unstable idling.
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If there is a malfunction in the unit, the driver can see this by a warning light on the dashboard. In such a situation, the ECU will switch the engine to standby mode.
In this mode, you can observe a slow increase in speed, even if you press the accelerator sharply. In addition, the vehicle's fuel consumption may increase significantly.
If two sensors in a unit fail at once, the ECU will switch the operation of the internal combustion engine to emergency mode - the driver will not be able to influence the operation of the engine, the speed under any conditions will be slightly higher than the idle speed.
Photo of the electronic gas pedal
History of the approach
The business accelerator model was formed based on the experience gained by entrepreneurs and investors during the dot-com boom. Market practice at that time implied large investments in individual companies - and it was on this principle that startup incubators for information technology companies that existed in the late 1990s worked. The crisis of technology companies demonstrated the inadequacy of this model, and the financial losses of incubators earned them the sarcastic name “incinerators” (play on words: incubator and incinerator, lit. waste oven
).
With the renewed interest of venture capitalists in the Internet market, a model has emerged that takes into account the growth characteristics of startups from this industry. The pioneer among accelerators was Y Combinator, opened by Paul Graham, Trevor Blackwell, Robert Morris and Jessica Livingston in Boston in 2005. Instead of lengthy “incubation” of projects, Y Combinator offered three-month group training programs and small seed investments. The second Y Combinator intake took place in Silicon Valley. Following him, other well-known accelerators opened - Plug and Play and Techstars (English) Russian. The first European accelerator - London-based Seedcamp - began work in 2007, and by 2013 their number reached 50. A study of the startup support industry in Europe, conducted in 2014, demonstrated activity commensurate with the American startup ecosystem. According to various estimates, by 2014 there were from 300 to 400 accelerators operating in the world.
Among the first to use the Y Combinator model in Russia was the AddVenture accelerator, which opened in the technopark of Troitsk near Moscow in 2008. Two years later, the Bricolage accelerator, created by people from KupiVIP and its holding company Fast Lane Ventures, owned by the management company of the Bright Venture fund, opened by the founder of Price.ru Arkady Moreinis, Glavstart, Techdrive and Yandex.Factory, began recruiting for their programs. According to a joint study conducted by Firrma.ru and the Russian Venture Company in 2013, Fastlane Ventures, like Farminers, which opened a year later, remained among the most active Russian accelerators. In addition to them, the list includes the Internet Initiatives Development Fund, GenerationS, Pulsar Ventures, API Moscow, Global TechInnovations, iDealMachine, MetaBeta.
Feedback on the E-Gas modification
Car enthusiasts who have already completed the adjustment note that if you move the pedal assembly cover clockwise, the car becomes a little more lively. If you press the pedal as before and the car starts to move, you have to get used to it and not press the gas so hard. When you press the pedal to the floor, you can't feel the difference.
Those who adjusted the E-gas for a quieter ride noticed that driving on the highway became more comfortable. Now, to maintain speed, you need to press the gas pedal a little harder, which allows your leg to not be as tense as before.
Other motorists do not believe in the positive effect, saying that it is all self-hypnosis. The operation of the electronic gas pedal is based on changing the resistance difference. And even if you move the cover, when the engine starts, the ECU will still consider it to be zero and adjust the throttle from this point. And if you increase the sector stroke, the E-gas error “signal outside the permissible limits!” will appear.
