How to Make Your Car Last Forever: Avoid Expensive Repairs, Improve Fuel Economy, Understand Your Warranty, Save Money

Tom Tom, Q Is it true that the Toyota Prius requires car maintenance every 30,000 miles at the cost of $3 ...

Tom ...

SECTION 1 VEHICULAR SYSTEMS INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTERS 2–9 If you want to make your car last forever, ...

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Chapter 2 The Engine Today there are more powertrain choices on the market than ever before. Because of the ...

GASOLINE ENGINES Most automobiles use a four-stroke internal combustion gasoline engine. How do these engines ...

The four-stroke cycle begins with the intake stoke. This is where proper timing chain and belt alignment ...

The next stroke in the cycle is the compression stroke. The air-fuel mixture fed into the combustion chamber beco ...

The previous two strokes have set everything up for the coup de gras or power stroke. The air-fuel mixture ...

Now that the power stroke has done its job, there are noxious byproducts in the form of burned gases that ...

the piston moves upward in the cylinder, the camshaft turns again (opening the exhaust valve) and the waste ...

MAINTENANCE TIP It’s vital that you change the oil according to the manufacturer’s suggested schedule. If oil ch ...

The engine block is cast of aluminum or iron. All the necessary holes for internal components such as ...

ENGINE COMPONENTS Engine Block As you can see by the illustration, the engine block is the housing for the pistons, cra ...

The crankshaft is the mechanical wonder by which rotational movement is translated into the up-and-down movement ...

Pistons are made of steel or aluminum. Made in different shapes and sizes, pistons are fashioned for each eng ...

MAINTENANCE TIP The signs of negligent maintenance first show up in the cylinders and pistons. It’s common ...

Connecting rods are cast out of steel or aluminum. Just like the crankshaft, they are weighed and balanced ...

Oil pumps vary in size, oil delivery capability, and overall design. Typically oil pumps are made of steel, ...

Oil pans are usually fashioned out of steel or aluminum. They vary in shape and size depending on engi ...