Notices
General Automotive Discuss all things automotive here other than the RX-8

Why don't more companies offer cylinder deactivation

Thread Tools
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:25 PM
  #1  
BlueEyes's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,887
Likes: 2
Why don't more companies offer cylinder deactivation

While shopping for pickups, looking at 5L+ V8's, I can't help but wonder this. Yeah, a 5L V8 would be awesome when I am towing a car, or boat, or whatever behind me. But, the rest of the time I could do without it. SUV/Truck's in my mind would best suit the cylinder deactivation technology like in the 300C. Anyways, why do you think they don't offer this? I would think at least Toyota would do something like this.

As well, does the 300C shut down a bank of cylinders or the 4 front/rear cylinders?
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:32 PM
  #2  
guy321's Avatar
Humpin legs and takin nam
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,433
Likes: 0
From: Clearwater, Fl
I had all the cylinders in my 8 deactivated!!
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 12:32 PM
  #3  
BlueEyes's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,887
Likes: 2
haha, I knew someone was going to say something like that!
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:09 PM
  #4  
babylou's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Houston
It is significantly cheaper to offer cylinder deactivation systems in pushrod engines.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:09 PM
  #5  
expo1's Avatar
He's as bad as Can
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,309
Likes: 3
From: Manchester, NJ
Because it's taken this long to recover from GM attempt at it in the early 80's
Google "Cadillac V-8-6-4"
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:19 PM
  #6  
globi's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
Have they entirely solved the vibration problems that come with it?

The Honda Accord Hybrid shuts off one cylinder bank as well (including the camshafts), but it uses the electric motor to take care of the vibration that would normally arise. http://www.hondanews.com/CatID1000?m...48444&mime=asc

Last edited by globi; Sep 12, 2005 at 01:21 PM.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 01:26 PM
  #7  
Ike's Avatar
Ike
Blue By You
 
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 8,717
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee
Originally Posted by globi
Have they entirely solved the vibration problems that come with it?

The Honda Accord Hybrid shuts off one cylinder bank as well (including the camshafts), but it uses the electric motor to take care of the vibration that would normally arise. http://www.hondanews.com/CatID1000?m...48444&mime=asc
In my dad's Magnum RT there is no noticeable vibration. In fact you can't even really tell when the cylinders are deavtivated.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:09 PM
  #8  
babylou's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Houston
Originally Posted by globi
Have they entirely solved the vibration problems that come with it?

The Honda Accord Hybrid shuts off one cylinder bank as well (including the camshafts), but it uses the electric motor to take care of the vibration that would normally arise. http://www.hondanews.com/CatID1000?m...48444&mime=asc
I'm not finding any mention in that article of the electric motor reducing vibration.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:11 PM
  #9  
BlueEyes's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 4,887
Likes: 2
It's good to know the vibration isn't noticible in the magnum. That was one of the things I was concerned about.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:12 PM
  #10  
babylou's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Houston
Originally Posted by IkeWRX
In my dad's Magnum RT there is no noticeable vibration. In fact you can't even really tell when the cylinders are deavtivated.
All 8 pistons are still moving so all balance forces should be the same. The only difference will be the torsional acceleration frequency will be cut in half. I'm confused as to the earlier post mentioning the Honda hybrid electric motor reducing vibration during cylinder deactivation.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:22 PM
  #11  
globi's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
You're right it doesn't but I read it somewhere. The electric motor accelerates the flywheel when one of the 3 deactivated cylinders doesn't provide any torque (and/or brakes it when the 3 others provide torque).
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:26 PM
  #12  
globi's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
Here's a link:
http://www.insightcentral.net/encycl...vibration.html

The Accord V6 Hybrid uses the same trick.
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 03:55 PM
  #13  
truemagellen's Avatar
Attracts tree branches
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 5,940
Likes: 3
DAMN...I was just about to post a thread on Cylinder deactivation

the simplest tech to save boatloads of Gas on any vehicle

reach cruising speed in that V8...turn off 4 and you have a 4banger sipping away

how did it take so long for such a simple technology change to be realized?????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??//
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 04:16 PM
  #14  
globi's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 664
Likes: 0
There have been threads about rotor deactivation as well.
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ighlight=rotor

RG actually tried it, but I think you'd need 2 throttle bodies in order to cut off the air supply to the deactivated rotor. (Otherwise the unused rotor has to compress and pump air for nothing).
Reply
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 10:43 PM
  #15  
LycosV's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
I think the problem is that you can't just turn off the other cylinders.
*Now I'm just going on what I remember here, so if I'm totally off on something, meh*
I think the new ones turn off fuel injection to some of the cylinders and seal them off so they just compress air. I think gasoline helps lubricate/clean the cylinders slightly when the car is running, so with no gas entering the chamber for combustion you're just spinning empty cylinders. Remember, cylinder engines don't inject oil into the combustion chamber like rotaries (at least not on purpose, my parents have a truck that does. )
Anyway, bottom line is I think it increases wear on the unused cylinders. I'm sure my mechanical engineer brother knows more but I'm too lazy to ask him.
Reply
Old Sep 13, 2005 | 12:00 PM
  #16  
rx8wannahave's Avatar
Follower of CHRIST!!!!!!!
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,241
Likes: 0
From: Planet Earth
SUV/Truck's in my mind would best suit the cylinder deactivation technology like in the 300C.

What’s sad…is that even with it the 300C get’s nasty fuel economy. When looking for great fuel economy in a V8, go no place but to the good old Chevy V8. I wonder what cylinder deactivation on the Chevy's V8 could do. A V8 with 30+ mpg city....no way!!!!

RG actually tried it, but I think you'd need 2 throttle bodies in order to cut off the air supply to the deactivated rotor. (Otherwise the unused rotor has to compress and pump air for nothing).
I’ve thought about this before also, I’ll have to PM RG about it I would love to hear the details on his attempt.
Reply
Old Sep 13, 2005 | 12:30 PM
  #17  
jefferrari's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
From: Portland, OR
the fuel consumption and emission jumps up when reactivate those cylinder.
Reply
Old Sep 13, 2005 | 01:48 PM
  #18  
KYLiquid's Avatar
Oil Injection
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,672
Likes: 2
From: Orlando, FL
The following is spoken from my understanding of the system, and may or may not be correct.

The current american push-rod motors that have cyl deactivation simpy have a 'colapsable' push rod, so that when you turn those 4 cyl off, the motor stops dumping in fuel and camshaft is still turning but it doesnt move the valves since the pushrod had 'colapsed' so that it isnt moving up and down.....

now in the motor you have 4 sealed chambers, the air that was in there acts like a spring to push the piston back down....you dont turn on one side of the motor (also called a bank of cyl) you turn off one on each side, so you turn a v8 into a v4.....turning off one side would lead to major vibration problems, There is still some 'wasted' energy moving the pistons up and down when only half of them are making power...so its not a cure all, but it does help use less fuel and boost economy.

The reason the 'sealed' chambers the 4 unused pistons have air in them rather than no air :

If there was no air, there would be a vacume as the piston moved down...this would rob power from the engine, as its haveing to work to pull the piston down, they chose to have air traped in there, while it takes force to compress the air on the upstroke, the compressed air pushes the piston back down like a spring....so you get a little bit of tq added to the crank....

The C6 corvette was supposed to offer 'displacement on demand' but they ran into problems with vibration and trying to get a smooth transition from 8 to 4 cyl.....in the end they ran out of time...so it wasnt included as a feature on the car, but they are still working on it.

Honda will be able to corner the market on SOHC and DOHC (non-pushrod) motors with the ability to shut off cyl. The reason is becuase they are the pro's at cams, their VTEC system already switches the cam to a 2nd profile....while most of its cars with VTEC and iVTEC use the system for more power....you could easily tune the 2nd cam for less power/cruising and make it load dependant vs rpm dependant....letting less air in, means you can also let less fuel in without running too lean.

You could also easily make the 2nd profile on the cam have no lift at all....so that you seal the chamber off, then also turn the fuel injector off and youve got the same thing as chrysler.....

it is a system that you will see on more cars in the future....

The I motor (inline) is a better platform from a vibration stand point.
Reply
Old Sep 13, 2005 | 03:54 PM
  #19  
Mikelikes2drive's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,553
Likes: 0
i know the new m5 has it and i think the maseratis have this feature as well
in the m5 you can use 400hp when cruising and 500hp when you're racing... thats just chump change i guess though
Reply
Old Sep 14, 2005 | 02:01 PM
  #20  
rx8wannahave's Avatar
Follower of CHRIST!!!!!!!
 
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,241
Likes: 0
From: Planet Earth
Nice post KY
Reply
Old Sep 14, 2005 | 02:34 PM
  #21  
babylou's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 567
Likes: 0
From: Houston
Here is a nice article on GM's DOD: http://www.popularhotrodding.com/eng.../0405sc_gmdod/
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
gwailo
New Member Forum
38
May 14, 2024 06:57 AM
RX-Tuner
RX8Performance
196
Apr 16, 2023 02:19 AM
ableobject
RX-8 Parts For Sale/Wanted
5
Mar 22, 2016 11:37 PM
J2daG1990
Series II Wheels, Tires, Brakes & Suspension
8
Sep 24, 2015 09:20 AM
RZ1
Canada For Sale/Wanted
3
Aug 24, 2015 01:04 PM



You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:54 PM.