We’ve shipped more auto computers — powertrain control modules (PCMs), engine control modules (ECMs), and transmission control modules (TCMs) to California than any other state in the country!
If you’re from California, or have ever driven around the L.A., San Diego, or Bay Area in times of heavy traffic (which is pretty much all the time) you know that cars are big business in the state. As of 2016, there were 14.7 million registered cars in California, and there have been over two million new car and truck sales each year for the past three years. Put simply, there are a ton of cars in this state.
Not only are there a lot of cars, but cars in California take a beating. The diversity of terrain, altitudes, and climates—from desert to Alpine, Mediterranean to temperate rainforest—means that your vehicle has to be ready for anything. Driving through snowy mountain passes, through the desert heat, up and down hills and mountains, and even sitting in traffic in the L.A. heat all take a large toll on your car and can be dangerous if your car is not functioning properly.
Demand for PCM Units in California
Your car’s powertrain control module (PCM) is one of the most critical components of your engine. It is your car’s main computer—basically its brain. In most models it is the combination of your vehicle’s engine control unit (also called engine control module) and transmission control unit. What it does is take in information from the hundreds of sensors within your car and engine and optimizes performance.
Essential functions of car computers:
- Air to-Gas Ratio – The PCM adjusts the air-to-gas ratio being pumped into the cylinders of the car, which saves fuel.
- Ignition Timing – The PCM can control the speed of spark plug firing, helping the engine deliver an optimum amount of power per RPM.
- Idle Speed – The PCM ensures that your car’s idle speed is not revved up to a higher than necessary RPM to manage any ancillary activities, such as air conditioning.
- Performance Monitoring – Using sensors such as temperature, oil and fluid level, air intake, emission level, camshaft angle, or throttle position, the PCM can monitor the car’s performance. When the PCM can’t restore them to ideal levels, the check engine light will appear.
Driving in a state like California that can have very extreme temperature, elevation, and weather conditions, it is even more important that your car’s PCM is functioning properly. Your car needs a working PCM in order to adjust engine function to match those extreme conditions so that your engine is able to operate safely and efficiently at all times