Sean
In a four stroke combustion engine, intake and exhaust valves play a critical role in a vehicle’s ability to turn fuel into power. What Do Valves Do? Valves control the movement of a fluid through a system. Inside your car engine, that fluid is air. On the intake stroke, intake valves must open to allow … Read more
An internal combustion engine needs four things to run: air, fuel, spark, and compression. Compression is created by spinning the engine. If the engine is off, how would you get it moving again to create this compression? Enter the starter. A starter is a big electric motor that is designed to spin your engine when … Read more
Thinking about towing or hauling a heavy load with your new truck? There are some important terms relating to weight that you should keep in mind before you set out on your next adventure. If you’re going to be buying a truck soon, it’s important to think through how you plan to drive, where you … Read more
You’re driving home from work thinking about what movie you’re going to watch when the kids go to bed when all of a sudden, you see a bright orange money light illuminate on the dash. Your heart skips a beat as you brace for the self destruct sequence. Wait… the car is still running the … Read more
Hondas and Toyotas both have an outstanding reputation for reliability. Both brands pride themselves in making vehicles that last a very long time, regardless of where or how you drive them. Which brand is the best overall? The answer really depends on the year, model, and a little bit of luck. What Makes a Car … Read more
Smart cars are a quirky brand of urban vehicles designed to be as small and affordable as possible, all while maintaining great fuel economy. You will be hard pressed to find a smaller car with a better turning radius, especially in the American market. Despite their size, they are surprisingly roomy once you climb inside. … Read more
Inside an internal combustion engine, metal components move very rapidly, with tight clearances under intense temperatures and pressures. Without a source of lubrication, these components would quickly wear each other out from metal on metal contact. Engine oil is specifically designed to prevent this catastrophic wear. Engine oil has a pretty tough job. It needs … Read more
Combustion engines operate on the principle of burning things to go faster. Ironically, you’re not supposed to smell anything burning while you’re driving down the road. If you do encounter a burning smell while in or around your vehicle, it’s important to identify the source and correct the problem. Some burning materials are very dangerous … Read more
If you’ve ever been in the situation where you wondered, “Why is my tire pressure light on when my tires are fine?”, you’re definitely not the first. The TPMS (or Tire Pressure Monitoring System) uses sensors on the vehicle to determine when a tire has low pressure and alerts the driver with a warning light … Read more
Some Subarus have a reputation for eating head gaskets at a very low mileage. Where did this reputation come from? Though there was never an official Subaru head gasket recall, the problem is pervasive enough where it can be expected that certain original head gaskets will fail between 100,000 and 150,000 miles (160-241k kilometers). This … Read more