Steyr Mechanical Emergency Drive System - No Electricity Required

No matter how sophisticated electronically controlled diesel injection systems get, they will still always have a weakness. Their Achilles' heal has to do with electricity itself, and the fact that if the electrons stop flowing, the engine totally fails. On any given electronically controlled engine, there are an infinite number of possible failure points. For example, if any of the circuits, sensors, wires, switches, fuses, or the processor shorts, overheats, or becomes exposed to certain radio frequencies or lightning-the outcome may be failure.   |   steyr Mechanical Emergency Drive System cable Activation Steyr's EDS is activated by a cable attached to a series of linkages that switches the unit injectors from being electronically controlled to mechanically controlled. In other words, the fuel rack that was controlled by the ECU and its governor solenoid is now manipulated using the accelerator. The engine is designed to make less than peak horsepower in this fail-safe mechanical mode because the sensors monitoring engine operations no longer function. Distributors who work with Steyr engines have fun with rookie mechanics when they disconnect the ECU and watch the face of the new guy who can't believe the engine is still running. For those who cannot except failure but still like to benefit from the control and speed electricity offers, there is the Steyr diesel engine. These high-horsepower, lightweight mills are found in extreme purpose-built vehicles for the military and marine sectors (for more information about its monoblock design see our "Hummer Killer" [Dec. '08]aritcle where we feature the RG32M vehicle). Since these customers demand a higher level of safety, reliability, and performance, they get it with Steyr's Mechanical Emergency Drive System (EDS).   |   steyr Mechanical Emergency Drive System backup Battery The Steyr EDS system comes with a backup battery that powers the glow plugs and second fuel pump in case the rest of the vehicle has an electric failure. Don't you wish your truck had the redundancy of marine and military equipment? Although, if you own a totally mechanically injected engine, you're one step ahead of the game when it comes to reliability, since your fuel system is also mechanically driven. Steyr's Unit Injector 1. Plunger guide
2. Quantity-adjustment gear
3. Control gear rod
4. Fuel rack
5. Adjustment lever
6. Plunger
7. Spill bore
8. Fuel supply line
9. Fuel return line
10. High-pressure duct
11. Injector nozzle
12. Copper seal ring
13. Spring step 1
14. Spring step 2
15. Pressure valve
16. O-ring oil/fuel
17. Deflector O-ring   |   steyr Mechanical Emergency Drive System unit Injector