Bosch Automotive Handbook [Paperback]

Robert Bosch (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0837612438 | ISBN-13: 978-0837612430 | Publication Date: January 2005 | Edition: 6

For years, the Bosch Automotive Handbook has set the standard for practical, concise and illuminating explanations of the design and operation of automotive systems. This indispensable reference book has now been almost completely revised for the 6th edition. New and updated topics in the 6th edition include aerodynamics, emissions reduction systems and multimedia systems. Additionally, over fifty subjects from the previous edition have been either completely updated, revised or extended. This new edition adds over 270 new pages to the previous 5th edition.

Do you want to know how electronic fuel injection works? The Automotive Handbook will tell you. How to calculate the factors affecting tire adhesion and braking distance? The different testing methods for material hardness? Again, the Automotive Handbook will tell you. With more than one thousand cut-away illustrations, diagrams, tables and sectional drawings, the Automotive Handbook makes even sophisticated automotive concepts easy to visualize and understand. This Bosch Automotive Handbook, a reliable guide full of up-to-date and concise information, has grown over a period of six decades from a calendar supplement of 96 pages to a 1232 page reference work. In that time, over a million copies have been produced worldwide and the text has been translated into numerous languages. In the realms of technical literature, the Bosch Automotive Handbook has long since established itself as a source of precise information on the subject of automotive technology.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Automotive Subjects included for the first time:

# Aerodynamics

# Analog and digital signal transmission

# Coating systems

# Commercial-vehicle braking management as the platform for commercial-vehicle driver assistance systems

# Development methods and application-engineering tools for electronic systems

# Diagnostics

# Emissions reduction systems

# Engine lubrication

# Environmental management

# Fleet management

# Friction-engagement connections

# Hydrostatics

# Mechatronics

# Mobile information services

# Multimedia systems

# Positive-engagement connections

# Sound design

# Vehicle wind tunnels

# Workshops technology

Product Details

• Paperback: 1232 pages
• Publisher: Robert Bosch GmbH; 6 edition (January 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0837612438
• ISBN-13: 978-0837612430
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.7 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,742,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference book for any engineer, September 27, 2006

By 

Reviewer (Near Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bosch Automotive Handbook (Paperback)

I bought this book because I am nuts about cars, but in addition to that, I am also a professional in a technical field. I used this book as a reference during the writing of my doctoral thesis. I found that the Bosch Automotive Handbook had a very comprehensive section on hardness testing, which I used extensively in my research at that time. I am also using this book in calculating the suspension geometry for a car project at home - I use it at work so much that I'm considering the purchase of a second copy for home use.

The book is full of topics that are useful to anyone with a technical background who is interested in the general construction of complex things with moving parts. There is a section devoted to the "tightening of threaded fasteners", where all of the specifications of fasters are described and the forces that are involved are written out. There are fairly detailed sections on welding and other joining methods. There are sections on wheel offset, tire construction, NVH measurements (noise, vibration, and harshness), wear testing, fuel efficiency, coatings of surfaces, vehicle dynamics, the balance of forces in a piston engine, and fuel injection. There are a great couple of pages on "empirical values and data for calculation" which compares parameters between engine types, such as Diesel, gas, Stirling, and rotary engines. There are many pages dedicated to the calculation of engine parameters such as displacement, compression ratio, final compression temperature, piston acceleration, fuel supply, and piston pressure. I have actually used some of these once or twice and I love the fact that I have them on hand, even if I don't really need them.

Ever wonder what the difference between a screw-type and Roots-type supercharger is? It's in this book. Ever wonder how a wastegate works? It's right here. Fuel injector design, spark plug gaps... all of it is in here.

The best thing about the book is that even if it does not offer a lot of detail on a particular topic, there is at least a paragraph devoted to the subject with enough information and context so that the reader is armed with the tools to search for more meaningful literature on the topic.

Edit: 12/5/08
One gripe: at least in this edition, I don't see anything useful on controller area networks (CAN) or how one goes about programming them or controlling them. CAN is becoming an essential part of automotive manufacturing and I would expect that someday Bosch will cover this topic more thoroughly.

With that said, I consider this book to be one of the "must haves" for technical reference books. With a recent edition of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Perry's Chemical Engineer's Handbook, Mark's Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, Machinery's Handbook, Metals Handbook, and the Bosch Automotive Handbook, one person has an excellent overview of the entire Industrial Revolution. I call this library of books the "Build-Your-Own-Civilization Library". If you like handbooks (I cherish them), get this one, then go buy the others.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Overview for Gearheads, April 29, 2000

By 

David Eilers (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Automotive Handbook (Paperback)

This book is an excellent overview of all aspects of vehicle design theory, basic principles, and reference information. It is NOT a guide to auto repair and is NOT for someone who is only interested in fixing and/or improving auto performance. The best description is to say it is the one single most useful book a newly graduated engineer should have and read upon entering the field of vehicle engineering and engine design. This is not to say it is beyond non-engineers, but only to say that if you are not interested in the theory and principles of automotive design and operation, this book is not for you.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Automotive Mechanical Engineering Reference, January 20, 2005

By 

John Woolfrey (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Automotive Handbook (Bosch) (Paperback)

This book is not for someone looking to learn about automotive mechanics or how to fix and repair cars. This book contains a fair amount of formulas and tables that are useful to those who work in the area of automotive design. It does describe briefly all aspects of the automoble such has how an ignition, starter, steering, fuel management, braking system, etc. work but not to the point that it would be useful for someone trying to troubleshoot automotive problems. If you're looking for your first automotive textbook to learn about the systems on your car then this book is not it. If you're looking for an indepth HANDBOOK for a quick reference for any automotive aspect (that you once knew but now forgotten) then it's worth every penny. The book fits in the palm of your hand and is 1-inch thick. Like a bible in many respects.