The Adventure Of The Incredible Sparking Car

摘要

Back in the early '80s I was an electrical design engineerforan automobile manufacturer. One day the experimental engineering garage called on me to diagnose and remedy a strange, periodic snapping noise that surfaced during the development of a new vehicle.rnPeering down into the dark, I confirmed that the noise was emanating from a large, arcing spark down low in the engine compartment. The arc was crossing between a small, metal in-line oil filter can and the vehicle's grounded chassis frame some distance away. The spark was big,fat and loud. It was at least two inches long and occurred about once a second whenever the engine was running.rnIn place of a conventional, vacuum-boosted brake system, this particular vehicle incorporated an experimental hydraulically boosted power brake system. It required an additional hydraulic plumbing from the engine-driven power steering pump to the brake booster system. The plumbing included a fluid filter inserted in-line to the pump's rubber, high-pressure feed hose. The metal filter housing was suspended by the insulated hose a distance away from the chassis frame.