Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [engine]

Questions about vehicle engines. Most engines in road-going vehicles are 4-stroke internal-combustion gasoline or diesel engines.

There are many different types of engines.

  • Most engines in road vehicles are four-stroke or internal-combustion piston engines.
  • Some older vehicles use engines, but these aren't used anymore because they're incapable of passing modern standards.
  • An uses electric motors (typically one per wheel) rather than an internal-combustion engine.
  • A few heavy off-road vehicles use engines, which are very powerful but slow to start and stop.
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Where does the power in an idling engine go?

When the engine is running, but the vehicle is not moving fuel is still being consumed, where does the energy go?. I am guessing that it goes in rotating the flywheel and crankshaft and stuff, but I am not so sure. Any detailed explanation would be…
Nitin Tiwari
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Car crash: when does a car catch fire?

Which kind of crash does it need for a car to catch fire? I'm asking because I was discussing about an accident where a car crashed into a full-grown brown bear. Is it realistic under normal circumstances that the car could catch fire?
abaumg
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Why smaller engines on newer vehicles

I've been searching for some cars on the internet and I've observed that newer cars get smaller engines. For instances, I've found a Ford Focus diesel 1.6, or even a Mercedess A Klass 2015 diesel has a 1.6 engine, which seem to be both good. Could…
SnuKies
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Why can some cars go through water while others can't?

Why can some cars (mostly old Russian cars on YouTube) seemingly go through water while others can't? I'm talking about situations when the water level is at half the height of the car, so the engine is under the water. What are the differences…
Buksy
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How would I go about becoming a mechanic?

So, for the most part, I know how an engine works. I understand how a car converts liquid fuel to physical power, and most of the concepts behind the operation of a vehicle. Recently, i've begun to love messing with cars, and have noticed that with…
Hellreaver
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Why did V4 engines never take off?

I read that Ford Taunus (not to be confused with Taurus, it was a small model for German market) used to be made with a V4 engine but that's about it. How come V4 never became more used in modern automotive engineering?
amphibient
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Is engine braking harmful?

Possible Duplicate: Does Downshifting (Engine Braking) Cause Extra Wear and Tear? My wife and I have a disagreement about a practice of mine--engine braking. When I'm driving her manual transmission, I make pretty extensive use of the technique,…
Ray
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Do I need to torque my spark plugs?

I have never torqued them before on several vehicles that I do tune ups on. I just apply a bit of anti-seize lube and get them "snug" and everything seems to work fine. Should I be using a torque wrench to ensure they are properly installed?
Tone
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Why don't cars use kerosene (and engines optimized for kerosene)?

On SE:Aviation, someone asked why planes don't use gasoline. A comment below stated following: A better question is why do cars run on petrol rather than kerosene. – Aron So, here I am asking the exact same thing.
Noah Krasser
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What is blow-by?

There's a term called blow-by. What is blow-by? What causes it to occur? How does it affect your engine? How do you cure it?
Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
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Put Stop leak into engine. Can I reverse the process?

I accidently poured Barsleaks stop leak for the radiator into the engine oil compartment. Is there any way I can reverse the process? The stuff is hardening already. This a 2004 Volvo S80.
J. Gibbs
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Where can I get help finding my way around the engine of my specific model of car?

After a bit of intensive study I've learned the ins and outs of how a car works, the majority of it. Not well enough to stop needing a mechanic, but well enough to understand what every component does, the basics of how it works, and how it relates…
temporary_user_name
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Why does an engine's idle RPMs take time to settle from a cold start?

I've noticed my car's (healthy) engine will idle at a slightly higher RPM for a few moments after it's been started from cold/not run for a day. I also noticed that my (somewhat less healthy) other car's engine which was left for over 6 months…
Tito
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OHV vs. OHC: which is faster in speed, horse power?

What are the main differences in OHC and OHV engine designs, and which is faster or more powerful? Also, which is more reliable?
R T
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Car temperature displaying below Cold or just above Cold always?

I've noticed on my 94 Integra (bought used about 2 weeks ago) that the thermostat is often below cold, sometimes above cold but never up to the center mark. Today I was boiling inside my car as it was a very hot day and my thermostat was below cold…
pwee92
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