Essentials of Cylinder Deactivation Technology

For years, automobile manufacturers have been trying to find new ways to make their vehicles’ work more efficient. One such solution is the cylinder deactivation technology.

One of the major components of a working engine is the cylinder. The cylinders are essentially chambers inside which the fuel is ignited, and power is generated. They consist of pistons that move up and down, thus generating power that leads to cars coming into motion. These cylinders need to be deactivated after their work moves the car. New technology has been developed to make this process more efficient.

What is cylinder deactivation?

CDA or cylinder deactivation is when engines with multiple cylinders get their cylinder deactivated systematically. That reduces the engine’s displacement and increases the efficiency and fuel economy of the engine.

How does cylinder deactivation work?

When the cylinder is being deactivated, the intake valves (which take in air) and the exhaust valves (which release air) are closed. The fuel injector comes to a halt. The piston still keeps moving due to its connection to the crankshaft.

The engine control unit controls this system. When the cylinders need to be used again, the ECU brings the cylinder back online. One of the major reasons why cylinder deactivation is done is to reduce the wastage of extra power that the car doesn’t need.

Advantages of Cylinder deactivation

There are several advantages of this technique that include the following: –

• Increased fuel economy: Fuel gets lost when the pistons move up and down. The pumping motion leads to the fuel economy getting reduced. Cylinder deactivation preserves fuel.
• Increased engine efficiency: One of the best things about cylinder deactivation is that it increases the engine’s efficiency. Since the fuel economy is optimized, the fuel is not wasted, and the engine works perfectly.

• Airflow: One of the most overlooked parts of moving engines is the airflow. The entry of the air and exit of the exhaust gases is crucial. They need to work smoothly. Cylinder deactivation ensures that the processes are optimized. The deactivation allows the engine to make the airflow faster to get mixed with the air more quickly.

Disadvantages of Cylinder deactivation

One of the major problems with cylinder deactivation is the output. Although fuel is saved and preserved, the actual efficiency isn’t changed drastically. This is something that companies are focusing on to improve.

Cars that use cylinder deactivation

• Chevy Avalanche
• Camaro
• Silverado
• Mazda
• Volkswagen
• Honda
• BMW
• GMC
• Sierra

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The question that remains is whether customers should buy cars with this technology. The answer – yes. Even though the technology is not perfect, it has been shown to work well and reduce the load on the engine. Improving efficiency can’t hurt right? Afterall, who would not like to ensure that the car drives like a dream on all types of surfaces!

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