Engineering Explained

Air filters are one of the easiest and quickest components to swap out for an aftermarket part, and plenty of companies claim their design will increase horsepower, torque, and improve acceleration. Do they? Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is here to answer that question. For the test, he...

As we're all well aware of by now, the 2020 Toyota Supra uses a lot of BMW engineering and components. One of the main elements borrowed from BMW is the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine. Engineering guru and explainer extraordinaire Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained dedicated an entire...

After years of Subaru treating the world to special, more-powerful WRX STI models, the Japanese automaker finally delivered one to the U.S. The Subaru WRX STI S209 debuted in January at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit with the company's most potent production engine so...

If you've ever wondered what makes up the famed rotary engine from Mazda, now is the chance to dive in. Engineering Explained showed off an incredible 3D-printed rotary engine scale model, and host Jason Fenske walks us through what makes the peculiar powertrain tick. Specifically, this is a...

Valve Timing Electronic Control, better known to enthusiasts as VTEC. We hear a lot about the system, but what is it exactly and how does it work? Jason Fenske, engineering mastermind behind YouTube's Engineering Explained, has tackled the system in one of his latest episodes. As usual, he breaks...

Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to tell you all about what happens as your tires wear down. While you think it's a simple reduction in grip, there's a whole lot more to process. In fact, certain tires can see an increase in grip as the tire wears down. Confused? You won't be for...

V-8 engines are one of the most common styles of engine across the entire automotive industry, especially when the goal is to produce a lot of power with a smooth delivery. So, how does such an engine work? Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is here to shed light on how a V-8 engine operates...

The pushrod engine is a rather archaic piece of engineering, but automakers have stuck by it to this day. Notably, Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles and General Motors still shove pushrod V-8 engines under the hoods of hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Why has the pushrod engine failed to die, especially...

When most of us pull up to the pump, we are in vehicles that require gasoline. A portion of us sidle up to diesel pumps. In the future, maybe we'll we'll drive vehicles with RCCI engines and we'll need to hit both pumps. The Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI) engine is a concept...

While the engine of your car might be its heart, it's the battery that provides the juice to get that engine moving. By now, you probably know plenty about how your engine works. Do you know anything about your battery, though? If not, you're going to need to watch this video from Engineering...

When you think about expensive automobiles, there's one data point that doesn't often enter into the discussion. That would be reliability. It seems the more you spend on a car, the less reliable it becomes. But is that truly the case? Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to examine this...

Mazda hasn't been shy about its dedication to the internal combustion engine. After all, the Japanese company will likely arrive first to market with a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine (HCCI), which will provide tremendous fuel economy improvements without the loss of performance. But...

Pushrod engines may not be high-tech by today's standards, but they soldier on and have benefits of their own. One downfall, however, is their ability to rev. Pushrod engines tend to have rather low redlines. You won't find a GM small-block V-8 revving to 9,000 rpm, but there's a reason for it all...

You pull up to the pump and you are presented with a few choices, and we're not talking about different fuel types here. We're talking, of course, about octane ratings. Those are large figures at the fueling station, and you know if you press the higher one you're going to spend more money. Why is...

Ford's famed flathead V-8 was revolutionary when the automaker put the engine into production in 1932. It brought the V-8 to the mass market and ready power to hot rodders for decades to come. But its design would eventually make it outdated. After more than two decades of service, the flathead V-8...

The dynamic skip fire system developed by Silicon Valley startup Tula Technology is set to make its debut in the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra, promising big fuel economy improvements for the big trucks. While normal drivers may never even realize the system is hard at work, Jason...

Drivers have various reasons for starting in second gear, especially with a manual transmission. Perhaps first gear is too short, or snowy road conditions require lighter acceleration to avoid spinning the tires. But is that a good idea? Never fear because Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is...

Too much body roll is never a good thing. To tighten things up further, Audi has introduced a system featuring two electronic sway bars to nearly eliminate body roll. And who would be better to give us a walkthrough on how the system actually works than Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained. In the...

Your car arrives from the factory. Bolted under the hood is an engine that makes modest power, and it does so by breathing just fine on its own. It could make more power though and that extra motivation could easily come by way of a bit of forced induction. It's time to supercharge your ride. But...

Every media outlet in the world covered Volkswagen's tangled web of lies and deceit as "Dieselgate" opened up and spewed the truth nearly three years ago. Its consequences are ongoing today, and VW's future trajectory has been changed forever. But, how exactly did VW's "defeat device" work? Jason...