How It Works
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We've all been there. You walk out to your car, eager to get moving and begin your day. Your key slides into the ignition and you give it a quick twist. It starts to make that expected noise as it cranks over, but then it doesn't continue on its journey. Your car isn't starting. You pause, confused as to the lack of internal combustion unfolding just ahead of your feet, and give it another shot. Nothing. Your car isn't starting, and now you have to figure out why. This recently happened to Engineering Explained, but the situation unfolded while the car was moving. The host's Acura Integra...
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Here's how you double clutch
Double clutching: It's one of those terms car enthusiasts often use to describe both what they've done in their own cars and what makes a good clutch. But how many of us really know what double clutching actually means? Jason Fenske over at Engineering Explained has a knack for making things clear...
Andrew Ganz -
Should you be using the button on your parking brake?
The Parking Brake. The E-Brake. The Drift Wand. There are plenty of names we use to refer to the parking system that keeps our vehicle in place when you need it to stay still. If your car has a mechanical parking brake then you also have the lever that operates the brake, unless your car has one of...
Jeff Glucker -
Here are 5 things to never do with an automatic transmission
You saw the five things you shouldn't be doing with a manual transmission. Now it's time to learn about five things you should avoid doing when you're driving a vehicle with an automatic gearbox. Engineering Explained is back at it, this time showing us how we're abusing our auto cog-swapping...
Jeff Glucker -
Piston rings and blowby explained
Yesterday, we turned to the folks from Engineering Explained to examine five things you should not be doing with a manual transmission. Today we're heading back to that fountain of knowledge for another lesson. The topic this time? It's all about piston rings. This video serves as a great primer on...
Jeff Glucker -
Here are 5 things to avoid doing with a manual transmission
For the average enthusiast, the manual transmission is love. It is life. It is the giver of all that is good with the automobile. Still, there are many who worship at its alter, yet probably practice a few bad habits. It's understandable that these habits could manifest over the years. We get lazy...
Jeff Glucker -
A subsidiary of Swedish supercar marque Koenigsegg has been working on a new type of valve system for engines that does away completely with the camshaft, hence the descriptor “camless” is often used. That subsidiary is FreeValve (previously Cargine), which has published a video that shows the inner workings of its revolutionary engine. ALSO SEE: Lamborghini Drivers Still Fearless When It Comes To Fording: Video The engine relies on pneumatic valve actuators to open valves, which are then closed by air pressure or springs. Each of the valves can be controlled individually, which...
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Learn How A Gas Pump Nozzle Actually Works
It's a daily task that most of us probably take for granted. You pull up to a gas station, grab the pump, and fill up your vehicle with fuel. There's a good chance you have no idea of how that fuel goes from the pump through the nozzle and into your car. ALSO SEE: How Does A Differential Work?...
Jeff Glucker -
The Inner Workings Of The Turbocharger Explained
In our continuing efforts to educate you on how things work, we find ourselves staring down a new automotive subject. It's time to understand what's going on under the hood of a turbocharged car. You already understand the manual gearbox, and you're now an expert on the inner workings of the...
Jeff Glucker -
How a dual-clutch transmission works
Manual transmissions seem to be disappearing from options lists across the automotive landscape, even for performance brands such as Ferrari and Lamborghini. One of the biggest reasons for this trend is the dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which not only shifts faster than any driver on a manual...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
This Is How A Manual Gearbox Works
You. Yes, you there. You're clearly a man or woman who knows everything there is to know about the inner-workings of the automobile, correct? Of course you are. Well, what if you have to explain something to, oh a friend or family member that might not fully understand the combustion engine and all...
Jeff Glucker -
Thinking Inside The Gearbox: How A Manual Transmission Works
The future of the stick shift looks dim. Performance icons like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren no longer offer traditional manuals. Even on enthusiast models like the Corvette, less than half of buyers opt for a third pedal. But all is far from lost. Alfa Romeo's new Giulia will allow drivers to...
John Coyle -
You love cars. That's why you're here, right? Well just because you love the automobile, it doesn't mean you completely understand how one works. Yes you get the basic concepts of spark, combustion, the transmission altering gear ratios, and the difference between all and four-wheel-drive. Do you know how many of the individual parts actually do their job? If not, today is your lucky day for at least one of those parts. It's time to learn how a differential keeps your car moving forward. ALSO SEE: Man Sets Guinness World Record With Homemade Hoverboard: Video This video from 1937 does an...