THE BEECHMONT CREST AUTOMOTIVE LEARNING ZONE
ACTUATOR
Actuators are part of the car’s computer system. They allow the computer to perform actions on other parts of the vehicle. Actuators are located throughout the car: in the engine, transmission, and elsewhere.
The main types of actuators include:
Solenoid: A magnetic device that contains an iron core within a coil. When the coil is charged with electricity, the iron core is moved to the center of the coil. This releases force against whatever the solenoid is attached to, causing a resultant action.
Servo Motor: A small dc motor used to move components of the vehicle
Relay: A magnetically controlled switch. A relay produces an action by breaking or joining the current flow in a circuit.