There is nothing worse than having your car engine suddenly stop while you’re driving. If this ever happens, you’ll want to immediately pull off to the side of the road before the wheels stop completely. It’s important not to confuse this situation with one where you experience a loss of electrical power in your vehicle … Read more
A cylinder head is the “top end” of the engine. It mates to the engine block to seal off the combustion chamber, which is where the engine burns fuel to make power. Cylinder heads also house the valves that direct airflow. Intake valves draw in fresh air, combustion occurs, then exhaust valves allow the burnt … Read more
A smooth-running engine is the foundation of a well-maintained vehicle. When your car starts to shake and shudder at a stoplight or maintains high RPM while stationary, it’s more than just an annoyance, it’s a warning sign. These symptoms can indicate a variety of issues, from minor maintenance needs to serious mechanical problems. Let’s look … Read more
The two main parts of any engine are its cylinder head and engine block. The block contains the pistons and cylinders, while the cylinder head contains the rocker arms and valves. In between the block and cylinder head is the cylinder head gasket. This gasket serves as a seal for all the cylinders inside the … Read more
Most car owners don’t understand the difference between the serpentine belt and the timing belt. Sometimes these two names are used interchangeably by people. However, the serpentine belt and timing belt serve two completely different purposes. But they both are important parts of the internal combustion engine. In fact, the engine must be running for … Read more
While there are many fluids a vehicle needs, the two most important ones are gas and oil. The gas is the fuel which you pump into your fuel tank at the gas station. The internal combustion engine depends on a mixture of fuel and air to generate power for the wheels below. Since the engine … Read more
The fuel system is responsible for supplying fuel to the internal combustion engine. The fuel mixes together with air and then the spark plugs ignite the mixture to create the combustion power which moves the vehicle. After you fill up your gas tank with fuel, there is a system in place which transfers that fuel … Read more
The internal combustion engine has explosions inside of it regularly. Think about when you’re stepping on the gas pedal to accelerate quickly. How is the engine creating all that power for your vehicle to move faster? There are an estimated 4,000 explosions taking place inside your engine every minute if you have a 4-cylinder engine … Read more
The internal combustion engine is comprised of many small moving parts. Some of these parts rub together and create friction. With all this activity going on, an excessive amount of heat is generated inside the engine. Because of this, the engine needs a lubricant to ensure these components are cooled down and running smoothly. Engine … Read more
The valve shim of a car is a hardened metal disc responsible for the clearance adjustment between the camshaft-lobe and the corresponding valve it controls. Whenever a cam-lobe exists within a vehicle, it controls the valve directly. There is no rocker arm needed like in other vehicles which don’t have a cam-lobe. It is important … Read more