KNOW YOUR CAR

How A Car Works

Engine

The following is a brief course in how a car works.

It is well worth the reading before you get into the "HOW-TO" Instructions
pertaining to specific maintenance and repair jobs.

Knowing how your car runs can make the difference between a fair repair and a
royal ripoff.
Mechanics have been known to take advantage of a customer's lack of knowledge,
inventing expensive solutions where there is no problem.
Finding a qualified and honest mechanic doesn't require luck,
it requires a basic understanding of how cars run.

This section of
FUNdamentals of Auto Maintenance & Repairs
explains what each system does, what its component parts are called,
where to look for them in your car, and how they relate to one another
to make the vehicle run.
Don't worry about what model you own; every vehicle with an internal
combustion engine works on the same principles.

By observing your vehicle as a series of simple systems,

each with a specific job to do, it may not seem as scary as a dismaying
collection of wires, hoses, and gadgets.

Once you've gotten a general idea of how things work, we will explore
each system in detail.
Then when you've become familiar with how a system functions,
it will make "The How To Sections" alot more understandable!

Every car manufacturer makes sure to do things a little bit differently

than their competitors do in order to get patents and say that their
vehicles are the best.
 Also, the location and looks of the engine and transmission in rear-engine
cars and front-wheel drive vehicles are different from those with
traditional front engines and rear-wheel drive.
Therefore, if any part of your vehicle is not exactly where it is in the
pictures on this site,
don't panic!
Believe me, the part is in there someplace, or your car wouldn't go.
If you have trouble finding something, your owner's manual
(which all seemed like a foreign language to you
until you came across this Site)
should have a diagram
showing the location of each principal part.
You could also ask a friend who has a similar vehicle, or your friendly
automotive technician, to point out these "missing" parts. However, I'm
pretty sure, that if you read this section carefully with an eye on your
own vehicle, you can locate almost all the parts yourself.

It is always a good idea to have both an owner's manual and a service

manual (Chilton and Haynes are your best bets) for every vehicle you own.

What is the difference between an Owners Manual and a Service Manual?

Owners Manual is factory printed literature that comes with All new vehicles which is
specific to that car or truck

Service Manual is literature which can be purchased that is specific to your make and
model vehicle

If you don't have an owner's manual, ask your car dealer if they can get
one for you or if they can tell you where you can get one. Service
manuals are also available for every vehicle, and I strongly suggest that
you get one of these as well. Every auto repair facility cannot stock a
service manual for each year, make, and model of every vehicle, and if
you lend your service manual to an independent service facility that is
working on your car, you can save money by reducing the time it would
take them to figure out the proper way to repair it. Also, if you get to
the point where you want to do more than basic repairs, one of these
manuals will be indispensable. The drawings in service manuals show you
where every little nut and washer fits so that you won't end up with a
couple of "extra" parts at the end of the job, and they show you how to
do each job in the most efficient manner.

You can obtain a service manual at the parts department of your local
dealership, or write to the company that made your vehicle and print
"Service Manuals" on the envelope.
The car manufacturer will be very happy to sell you one.
If you have an older vehicle, you can find new or used service manuals or
instruction books for it in bookstores.
Public libraries often have surprisingly large collections of service
manuals, too.

To find the page on which instructions for a repair job appear within
this site, look in the table of Contents found in the left hand column of each
page, the individual table of Contents which precedes each chapter located below
the TITLE of each Page,or the ‘SITEMAP of This Site.
You may at times encounter an unfamiliar term within this Site and more
than likely it will be a term that I placed a link to describe it.
Example:
. . . motion of the piston into the rotary motion of the crankshaft.
Crankshaft is highlighted with a link - Click It.

NOTE: You can always come back RIGHT where you were by clicking
the icon on your right of each page.
Included in this Site is a Glossary of automotive terms, if you want to
learn the meaning of a technical word in non technical language.

What Makes A Vehicle Start?

Some people like to think that vehicles are totally powered by gasoline,
and parts such as the radio, headlights, clock, and so on - actually
function on electricity, but did you know that it also takes electricity to
get your vehicle to start?

An ignition system works in conjunction with your car's electrical system

to provide the power that allows your starter to make your engine turn
over.
Once your engine turns over, it can begin to run on gasoline,
just as you expected it to.

The following is an in-depth explanation of what happens when you start

a car.

Most vehicles still have traditional gasoline-powered engines;

if yours doesn't,
you can find information about alternatively powered vehicles here.

1.When you turn the key in your car's ignition switch to Start, you close a circuit
that allows the current to pass from your battery to your starter via the starter solenoid
switch.
2.The starter makes the engine turn over
(that's the roaring sound you hear before the engine starts running smoothly).
In the section of this site titled The Electrical System tells you exactly how it does this.

3.Once the engine is running, (gasoline) fuel flows from the fuel tank at the rear of the
car, through the fuel lines, to the fuel pump under the hood.

The section of this site titled The Fuel System explores it in detail, and shows you how
to keep it in tune.

4.The fuel pump pumps the gasoline through a fuel filter into the intake manifold.
(In carbureted cars, the gasoline is pumped into the carburetor, but nearly
everything else is similar in cars with fuel injection.)

5.Each pound of fuel is mixed with 15 pounds of air to form a vaporized mixture,
like a mist. Because fuel is much heavier than air, this mixture works out to
something like 1 part of fuel to 9,000 parts of air, by volume. In other words, your
engine really runs on air, with a little fuel to help it!
6.This fuel/air mixture (above #5) passes into the cylinders in your engine. A cylinder
is a hollow pipe with one open end and one closed end. Inside each cylinder is a
piston, which fits very snugly and moves up and down.

The piston moves up, trapping the fuel/air mixture in the upper part of the cylinder
and compressing it into a very small space.

7.A spark from a spark plug ignites the fuel/air mixture, causing an explosion.

8.The explosion forces the piston back down again, with more power than it went up
with.

9.Attached to the bottom of the piston is a connecting rod, which is attached to a

crankshaft, which leads, eventually, to the drive wheels of your car. As the piston and
the connecting rod go up and down, they cause the crankshaft to turn.
This is pretty much the same motion you use to pedal a bike:

Your knee goes up and down while your foot pedals 'round and 'round.

10.At the other end of the crankshaft is a box of gears called the transmission.
If your car has a conventional engine with rear-wheel drive,
the transmission is under the front seat.

If it has a transverse engine and front-wheel drive,

the transmission is under the hood of the car.
On rear-engine cars, both the engine and the transmission are under the rear deck
lid, where the trunk would ordinarily be found.

11.If your car has a manual transmission, you'll also find the clutch located between the
crankshaft and the transmission. The clutch tells the transmission when to connect
or disconnect the engine from the rest of the drive train.
In a car with an automatic transmission, this is done automatically.
12.When you shift into Drive (or First, if you have a manual transmission),
a set of gears causes the rest of the crankshaft (which is called the drive-shaft after it
leaves the transmission) to turn at a particular speed.

13.The driveshaft runs to the rear wheels of conventional rear-wheel-driven vehicles

and ends in another set of gears called the differential. The differential turns the
power of the engine and the transmission 90 degrees into the axles that connect the
drive wheels of the car. Because on most vehicles, the axle is set at right angles to
the driveshaft, you can see that the differential is really changing the direction of the
power so that the drive wheels can turn. You can see more on drive trains and
transmissions in detail in the Transmission Section of this Site

Cars with front-wheel drive or with rear engines do not require driveshafts because
the power source is located right between the wheels that are going to drive the car.
On these vehicles, the transmission and the differential are combined into a single
unit called the transaxle, which connects directly to provide power to the drive
wheels.

14. The drive wheels turn and push the vehicle forward or backward, and off you go.
 Th
he
A omo
Auto obile
e's
E ine
Engi
n. A compound
c machine
m by which
w any phhysical poweer is
applied to producee a given phyysical effect.
How too Turn Off annd On Anim mated Imagess

Intro

What iss an Engine

How ann Engine Wo

orks

The Fouur Stroke Co

ombustion Cycle
C
(The Ottto Cycle)

REVIEW of
THE IN
NTERNAL COMBUSTI
C ION ENGIN
NE

Types of
o Engines
In-line engines V-Type
V Engines Flat (H
Horizontal-O
Opposed) Enngines Rootary Engine
Overhead Camshafft (OHC) Double
D Overrhead Camshhaft (DOHCC) Overheaad Valve (OH HV)
Multivaalve Enginess

Engine Componentts
Pistons The Valv ve Train Connecting
C R
Rod Conneecting Rod Bearings
B C
Crankshaft
Flywheeel
Main Bearings
B The
T Cylinderr Head Dissplacement
Intake Compresssion Poweer Exhaustt
Combuustion Chamb ber Pistonn rings Wrrist Pin Timing Chain//belt Sparrk plug Gaaskets
The Engine's Lubrication Systeem Push Rods
R Serpeentine Belts Engine Cooling
C Haarmonic
Balanceer
Engine Balance
Engine Problem Soolver
Check your
y Engine Condition ono a Regularr Basis
What's Needed to Keep
K the Enggine in Goodd Condition??
Charless and Frank Duryea designed and buuilt the car together,
t shoowing off theeir inventionn on the
streets of
o Springfielld, Massachuusetts, on Seeptember 22,, 1893.
See moore Automob bile History here
h

Underr the hoo

ods of ourr cars can
n be a my
ysterious,, confusin
ng jumble of
metal, tubes and wires to the inexperienced.

They start when we turrn the key in the ignition which

w triggers a co
omplex
seque
ence of evvents tha
at gets ou
ur car movving and take
t us where
w we want
to go..

First,, the batttery comppletes an electricaal circuit,, and thatt activate

es the
electrronic conttrol unit, the fuel pump, an
nd the fue el injecto
ors. At thhe
same time - ne ext powerr flows frrom the battery
b too the starter, which
crank
ks the eng gine. The starter turns
t e crankshaft, the driving
the d fo
orce
of thee whole engine,
e and it is ke
ept turnin
ng by the pistons, which
w are
e like
the peedals on a bicycle..

All pe
erformed by the heart
h of the
t autom mobile, the engine .
It connverts fuuel into th
he energyy that pow wers the automobile.
perate, itt requiress clean airr for the fuel, watter for co
To op ooling,
electrricity (wh
hich it gen
enerates) for ignitiing the fuuel, and oil
o for
lubric
cation.
A batttery and electric starter get
g it goin ng.
What is an
Engine
An engine is a machine that converts energy into mechanical work.
An engine may get its energy from any of a number of sources, including
fuels, steam, and air or water under pressure.

An external combustion engine is an engine which burns its fuel outside

of the engine as a steam engine does.

An Internal Combustion Engine is any type of machine that obtains

mechanical energy directly from the expenditure of the chemical energy
of fuel burned in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the
engine.
Four principal types of internal-combustion engines are in general use:
the Otto-cycle engine, the diesel engine, the rotary engine, and the gas turbine.

The Otto-cycle engine, named after its inventor, the German technician
Nicolaus Otto in 1876 , is the familiar gasoline engine used in automobiles
today because it’s efficient, relatively inexpensive and easy to refuel. ;
the diesel engine, named after the French-born German engineer Rudolf
Christian Karl Diesel, operates on a different principle and usually uses oil
as a fuel. It is employed in electric-generating and marine-power plants,
in trucks and buses, and in some automobiles.
Both Otto-cycle and diesel engines are manufactured in
two-stroke and four-stroke cycle models.
How
w an
n Engiine Works
W s
The purpose
p of a gasoliine car en
ngine is to
o convertt gasoline
e into mottion so
that your
y car can
c move.

Curreently the easiest wayw to cre eate motiion from gasoline is

i to burn
n the
gasoliine inside e an engin
ne.
Therrefore, a car engin ne is an in
nternal co
ombustion
n engine
- combustion takes
t plac
ce interna ally.
(explossion insidee!)

Contaaining the Explosion

n

Since
e the auto
omobile engine is ana "internnal" combustion en ngine, a
conta
ainer mustt be founnd to keep p the exp
plosion on the insid
de, this would
w
be the combusttion chambeer, which consists of a Cyliinder.

Think
k of it like
e this!
Put the gasolinne in a stu
urdy meta
al can andd press do
own a tight-fitting lid.
Find a way to in
ntroduce a lighted match insside that can, and bam!
A contained exxplosion.
Well, nearly co
ontained. The
T lid wiill blow of
ff.

So the engine isn't

i perffect just yet,
y but the
t "meta al can" ideea is an ex
xample
of howw an automobile cy ylinder works.
Insteead of a can
c with the lid sea aling the opening
o frrom the outside,
the cyylinder is a "can" coonstructeed of thic
ck and stu urdy alloyss, with the lid
sealing the mou uth of the
e cylinderr from the e inside, like the lid
d on a sou
up can.
That way,
w when n the gaso
oline explodes
(the spark
s plug provides
p t match
the h-like spaark),
the liid moves straight
s u in the identical
up i line of mootion everry time.
A good example would be an old war cannon,
where the soldiers load the cannon with gun powder and a cannon ball
and light it.
That is internal combustion.

Internal combustion gasoline engines run on a mixture of gasoline and air.

The ideal mixture is 14.7 parts of air to one part of gasoline (by weight.)
Since gas weighs much more than air, we are talking about a whole lot of
air and a tiny bit of gas. One part of gas that is completely vaporized into
14.7 parts of air can produce tremendous power when ignited inside an
engine.

Two problems must be solved to make our engine work.

First problem:
After the explosion, the exhaust must be siphoned off and a new supply
of fuel must be introduced.
After all, one explosion won't propel a car very far.

At the top of the cylinder is a pair of valves.

(Okay, so many modern engines have tweaked this basic arrangement by adding
additional valves,
but the principle is still the same.)

The valve that lets the fuel in is called the "intake" valve.
The one that lets out the exhaust, the by-product of
the explosion, is called the "exhaust" valve.

A cylinder and its valves manipulate pressure in two

ways that are no more sophisticated than what a small
child at play might do.
Have you
y ever su ucked on thhe end of a Coke bottlee until all the
t air insidde was gone and
your liips were pu
ulled into thhe opening??
All at once,
o a smaall leak devveloped andd a tiny streeam of air would
w rushh in, makinng a
squeakky noise and tickling your
y lips.

What you did by y drawing all

a the air ouut of the boottle was too create a vacuum. Whhen the
small leak
l aroundd your lips inevitably developed, it wasn't thet empty bottle
b draw
wing air
back inn, it was the normal pressure of the
t air arouund us (15 pounds
p perr square inch)
pushinng its way back
b in.
And evvery child ata some timme discoverrs the joys ofo blowingg up a balloon and releeasing
it with the end unntied.

Did yoou ever leav ve a covereed pot of coooking rice or spaghettti unattendded? As thee water
heats up,
u gases orr steam buiild and expand, creatinng pressuree and eventtually pushhing the
top offf.
In carss there is a great
g deal more
m pressure, and onnly an airtigght engine and cylindders can
trap this pressure for its pushing abilitiies.

The coompressed air

a forces itts way out of the openning, the arrea of least resistance. Part
of the genius
g of th
he four-strooke engine is its use of
o pressure and vacuum. Pressure and
vacuumm are keys to the succcess of the engine's foour strokes: intake, commpression, firing
(powerr), and exhaust.

And the
t secon nd problem m, a problem of a differentt sort:
The explosion
e n sends en nergy in a linear (rrelated to a straight line)
l motio
on,
but tires
t spin around.
To re
estate the e tire pro
oblem the e way Henry Ford might have e said it:
The reciprocat
r ting (up and down motion)
m energy prod duced by the gaso oline
explossion has to
t be con nverted innto rotary y (round and
a round motion)
m ennergy.

Withiin the cyllinder, usually fixe

ed, that iss closed at
a one end and in which
w
a closse-fitting
g piston slides.
Pistons are the main factor in carrying out this task as they move
back and forth within the cylinder (this is called reciprocating).

The in-and-out motion of the piston varies the volume of the chamber between the
inner face of the piston and the closed end of the cylinder.

The outer face of the piston is attached to what is known as the

crankshaft by a connecting rod.
All the pistons share this same crankshaft.

At the end of the crankshaft is a gear and on the other end a heavy
flywheel with counterweights, which by their inertia minimize irregularity
in the motion of the shaft.
That gear meshes with a gear on another shaft called a camshaft.
On the camshaft and beneath each valve is a teardrop-shaped cam lobe.

The piston turns (powers) the crankshaft with every firing stroke
transforming the reciprocating motion of the piston into rotary motion.

In multi-cylindered engines the crankshaft has one offset portion, called a crankpin,
for each connecting rod, so that the power from each cylinder is applied to the
crankshaft at the appropriate point in its rotation.

The crankshaft not only powers the car, it also powers the camshaft.
And the cam lobes, positioned above each valve, push the valves open
each time the camshaft rotates and the cam lobe touches the valve
stem.
The proper alignment of the gears keeps the engine firing to provide
maximum power.

The fuel supply system of an internal-combustion engine consists of a

tank, a fuel pump, and a device for vaporizing or atomizing the liquid fuel.
In Otto-cycle engines this device is either a carburetor or,
more recently, a fuel-injection system.
In most engines with a carburetor, vaporized fuel is conveyed to the
cylinders through a branched pipe called the intake manifold and, in many
engines, a similar exhaust manifold is provided to carry off the gases
produced by combustion. The fuel is admitted to each cylinder and the
waste gases exhausted through mechanically operated poppet valves or
sleeve valves. The valves are normally held closed by the pressure of
springs and are opened at the proper time during the operating cycle by
cams on a rotating camshaft that is geared to the crankshaft.

By the 1980s more sophisticated fuel-injection systems, also used in

diesel engines, had largely replaced this traditional method of supplying
the proper mix of air and fuel. In engines with fuel injection, a
mechanically or electronically controlled monitoring system injects the
appropriate amount of gas directly into the cylinder or intake valve at the
appropriate time. The gas vaporizes as it enters the cylinder. This
system is more fuel efficient than the carburetor and produces less
pollution.

In all engines some means of igniting the fuel in the cylinder must be
provided.
For example, the ignition system of Otto-cycle engines described below
consists of a source of low-voltage, direct-current electricity that is
connected to the primary of a transformer called an ignition coil.
The current is interrupted many times a second by an automatic switch
called the timer. The pulsations of the current in the primary induce a
pulsating, high-voltage current in the secondary. The high-voltage current
is led to each cylinder in turn by a rotary switch called the distributor.
The actual ignition device is the spark plug, an insulated conductor set in
the wall or top of each cylinder. At the inner end of the spark plug is a
small gap between two wires. The high-voltage current arcs across this
gap, yielding the spark that ignites the fuel mixture in the cylinder.

Because of the heat of combustion, all engines must be equipped with

some type of cooling system. Some automobile engines are cooled by air.
In this system the outside surfaces of the cylinder are shaped in a
series of radiating fins with a large area of metal to radiate heat from
the cylinder.
Other engines are water-cooled and have their cylinders enclosed in an
external water jacket.
In automobiles, water is circulated through the jacket by means of a
water pump and cooled by passing through the finned coils of a radiator.

Unlike steam engines and turbines, internal-combustion engines develop no

torque when starting, and therefore provision must be made for turning
the crankshaft so that the cycle of operation can begin. Automobile
engines are normally started by means of an electric motor or starter that
is geared to the crankshaft with a clutch that automatically disengages
the motor after the engine has started.

The Four Stroke Combustion Cycle

Almost all cars currently use what is known as the four-stroke

combustion cycle to convert gasoline into motion.
The four-stroke approach is also known as the Otto cycle,
in honor of Nicolaus Otto, who invented it in 1867.

To complete each cycle, a four-stroke reciprocating engine uses four

movements of the piston, two toward the head (closed head) of the
cylinder and two away from the head.

The four strokes are:

Intake, Compression, Power and Exhaust.
The piston travels down on the Intake stroke, up on the Compression
stroke, down on the Power stroke and up on the Exhaust stroke.
How
w The Piston
P W
Works

1.
The First
F Stro
oke:
The Intake
I Sttroke

The first
f strokke of the cycle is the
t
e stroke. The crankkshaft, loc
intake cated
directtly below the cylindders on some
cars and
a below w and betwween the
cylind
ders on otthers, turns and be egins
to pulll the pistoon down the lengthh of
the cyylinder. We'll
W start with the e
piston
n at its hiighest poiint, referred
to as top-dead-center. FromF thiss
point the pisto on begins traveling
t down
the cyylinder, itt forms a vacuum. The
T
intake
e valve (se ee intakee system))
openss when the e piston begins
b its
downwward move ement, an
nd air and fuel are drawn intto the void.

The engine
e is designed
d t time th
to he intake with the downward d travel of the
piston
n so that the
t whole e time thee piston moves
m dowwnward, th he air/fue
el
mixture is fillinng the vaccuum in th
he cylinde
er. The inttake valvee shuts when
the piiston is att the botttom of the cylinderr. This is called the
e intake stroke.
s
2.
The Second
S Sttroke:
The Compressi
C ion Stroke
e

The crankshaft
c continuess to spin, forcing the
t
piston to rise, again
a throough the connectingg
rod, compressin ng the particles off gasoline and
air noow in the cylinder
c frrom the inntake strokke.
This compress
c ion of thee air and fuel
f mixtu ure
will crreate a more force eful explo
osion. Thiss is
calledd the compression stroke.
s The
comprression sttroke ends when th he piston has
returned to itss position at the to op of the
cylindder.

The amount
a th
hat the mixture
m is compresssed
is dettermined by the coompressioon ratio off the engiine. The
compr
pression raatio on th
he averagee engine iss in the raange of 8:1
8 to
10:1.

This means
m tha
hat when the
th pistonn reaches the
t top ofo the cyliinder, the e
air-fuuel mixturre is sque
eezed to about
a one tenth off its originnal volume
e.
3.
The Third
T Stro
oke:
The Firing
F Stroke or Th
he Power Stroke

At thhe finish of
o the com mpression stroke
s ,a
pulse of high voltage
v (se
ee ignition system m) is
t the spaark plug (lo
sent to ocated nea
ear the topop of
the cyylinder), caausing a spark
s to jump acrosss
the ga ap betwee en the eleectrodes. This sparrk
ignitees the air--fuel mixtture. The fuel
explodes and thet hot ga ases expan nd, forcinng
the piiston down nder (the
n the cylin e path of
leastt resistancce). This turns
t the crankshafft
and gives the carc the po ower to move
m forwaard

The timing of the

t combu ustion is such
s that the explo
osion of the
t air-fuel
mixture lasts for
f approx ximately the
t same amount of o time that it take
es for
the piiston to re
each the bottom of its travvel.

Each piston
p firres at a different
di t
time, dete
termined by
b the eng gine firing
g
orderr. By the time
t the crankshaf
c ft complettes two revolutions
re s, each cyylinder
in the
e engine will
w have gonego throuugh one poower strooke. 4.
The Fourth
F Strroke:
The Exhaust
E Stroke
S

Once the air-fu

uel mixture has bu
urned, the
e byproducts of the e combusttion
must be removed from the
t combustion chammber. This is handle
ed during the
ust stroke
exhau e.
As thhe rotating g crankshaaft again pushes
p th
he
piston upward after
a the power strooke, the
pens to allow the burned
exhausst valve op
exhauust gas to o be expellled to thee exhaustt
systeem, allowinng the piston to pussh the
exhauust gassess out of the combu ustion
chamb ber so tha at a freshh air-fuel mixture can
be drawn in on the nextt intake strroke. The
exhauust valve remains
r o
open until the pisto
on
again

reaches top-deead-centeer at which point it closes. The

T engine e is now re
eady
he next in
for th ntake stro
oke starting the foour strokee process over agaiin.

Sincee the cylindder contaiins so mucch pressuure, when the valve

e opens, th
he gas
is exp
pelled with
th a violent
nt force - that is why
wh a vehiccle withouut a muffl
fler
soundds so loud.
d.
This cycle
c is re
epeated over
o and over agaiin as the engine ru
uns.

Since most carrs have 4, 6, or 8 cyylinders, each

e cylind
der will goo through
h
e same 4 cycles.
these c
Normally, each cylinder is timed such
s thatt there is equal crankshaft
rotatiion betwe
een the poower strokees of eachh cylinderr, allowing
g a smooth
her
operating engin
ne.
Here''s the wh hole descrription in simple terms:
The lid of the can
c is thee piston, th
he containner itself is the engine block, and
the hoole into which
w the piston fitts is the cylinder
c . And the en
nergy
generated by the
t explossion must be converted overr and overr from the e
reciprrocating motion
m of the pistoon into thee rotary motion
m of the crankkshaft.

This is pretty much

m the same mottion you use
u to ped
dal a bike::

Your knee goess up and down

d while your foot pedals 'round an
nd 'round
d.
The rotating crankshaft of the engine transfers the linear motion of all
of an engine's pistons into a circular motion, but that motion must be
transferred from the engine to the wheels of the car.
This is dealt within the drive train.

The drivetrain is comprised of the transmission, differential, and

various axle and drive shafts, each of which has its own specific
purpose.
Each is a vital link in getting rotational energy from the car's engine to
its wheels.
If any of these fails or is omitted, the car simply would not move.

Explore The Drivetrain

How the internal combustion engine uses that energy

to make the wheels turn.

Air enters the engine through the air cleaner and proceeds to the throttle
plate. You control the amount of air that passes through the throttle
plate and into the engine with the gas pedal. It is then distributed
through a series of passages called the intake manifold, to each cylinder.
At some point after the air cleaner, depending on the engine, fuel is
added to the air-stream by either a fuel injection system or, in older
vehicles, by the carburetor.

the piston engine (which was discussed above) and the rotary engine.
Both are internal-combustion engines, which means that fuel is burned inside
the engine.

There are several piston engine types which are identified by the number
of cylinders and the way the cylinders are laid out. Motor vehicles will have
from 3 to 12 cylinders which are arranged in the engine block in several
configurations.
The core of the engine isi the cylinder, with
h the pistoon moving up and doown
inside
e the cylin
nder. A caar has mo o cylinder (four, six and eight
ore than one e
cylind
ders are common)
c .
In a multi-cylin
m nder enginne, the cy
ylinders ussually are
e arrangedd in one of
f
threee ways:

in
nline,
V
or
fllat
(also known
k as horizontallyy opposed or
o boxer)
The most
m popular of the
em are sho
own beloww.

Eng
gine Compo
C onentss

Engine
e Block

The purpose
p of the enggine block
k is to sup
pport the
e componeents of th
he
engine
e. Additio
onally, the engine block traansfers heat from friction to
the attmospherre and enggine coola
ant.
What is the difference between a small block and a big block?
How about a short block and a long block?

Short Block: An engine WITHOUT the head(s). Usually includes the

crankshaft, camshaft, and pistons.

Long Block: An engine WITH the head(s). Usually does not include the oil
pan, valve covers, and manifolds.

Small Block: The smaller of a manufacturers two series of engines. In the

case of Chevy, the small block includes the 262, 265, 267, 283, 302, 305,
307, 327, 350, and 400.

Big Block: The larger of a manufacturers two series of engines. In the

case of Chevy, the 366, 396, 402, 427, and 454.
Notice the overlap of small and big block displacements. Note also that a
small block can be a long block.
The terms define different characteristics of the engine.

Cylinder
A cylinder is a round hole through the engine block, bored to receive a piston
(See Above Image). All automobile engines, whether water-cooled or air-
cooled, four cycle or two cycle, have more than one cylinder. These
multiple cylinders are arranged in-line, opposed, or in a V.
Engines for other purposes, such as aviation, are arranged in other
assorted forms.

The diameter of the cylinder is called the "bore" while its height is called
its "stroke." The "displacement" of an engine is actually a reflection of the
total amount of volume of the engine's cylinders, and nothing to do with
the actual size of the engine itself (although the two are highly
correlated). The displacement is simply the bore multiplied by the stroke
of a single cylinder, multiplied by the total number of cylinders in the
engine. Muscle car engine displacements were usually measured in cubic
inches, while modern vehicle's are expressed in terms of liters. Roughly 61
cubic inches equals a liter of displacement. Therefore, an engine with 350
cubic inches of displacement would be the equivalent of 5.7 liters.
The Cylinder Head
The Cylinder Head is the top cap for the engine block.
The cylinder head is the metal part of the engine that encloses and covers
the cylinders.

Bolted on to the top of the block, the cylinder head contains combustion
chambers, water jackets and valves (in overhead-valve engines).

The head gasket seals the passages within the head-block connection, and
seals the cylinders as well.

Henry Ford sold his first production car, a 2-cylinder Model A, on July 23,
1903.
The cylinder head contains at least one intake valve and one exhaust valve for
each cylinder. This allows the air-fuel mixture to enter the cylinder and
the burned exhaust gas to exit the cylinder. Most engines have two valves
per cylinder, one intake valve and one exhaust valve.

Some newer engines are using multiple intake and exhaust valves per
cylinder for increased engine power and efficiency.
These engines are sometimes named for the number of valves that they
have such as "24 Valve V6" which indicates a V-6 engine with four valves
per cylinder. Modern engine designs can use anywhere from 2 to 5 valves
per cylinder.

Camshaft and Lobes

The valves are opened and closed by means of a camshaft. A camshaft is a
rotating shaft that has individual lobes for each valve. The lobe is a "bump"
on one side of the shaft that pushes against a valve lifter moving it up and
down.

See where they are found within The Engine

When the lobe pushes against the lifter, the lifter in turn pushes the valve
open. When the lobe rotates away from the lifter, the valve is closed by a
spring that is attached to the valve. A very common configuration is to
have one camshaft located in the engine block with the lifters connecting to
the valves through a series of linkages. The camshaft must be
synchronized with the crankshaft so that it makes one revolution for every
two revolutions of the crankshaft.
In most engines, this is done by a "Timing Chain" (similar to a bicycle chain)
that connects the camshaft with the crankshaft. Newer engines have the
camshaft located in the cylinder head directly over the valves. This design
is more efficient but it is more costly to manufacture and requires multiple
camshafts on Flat and V-type engines. It also requires much longer timing
chains or timing belts which are prone to wear.
 Some engines have two camshafts on each head, one for the intake valves
and one for the exhaust valves. These engines are called Double Overhead
Camshaft (D.O.H.C.) Engines while the other type is called Single Overhead
Camshaft (S.O.H.C.) Engines. Engines with the camshaft in the block are
called Overhead Valve (O.H.V) Engines.

Gaskets
Your head gasket is the gasket that separates the head of your engine
from the block.
It also separates the coolant channels from the oil channels.

The small holes that you see around the piston holes are oil and coolant channels that
allow the engine coolant to flow around the pistons for better cooling of the engine.

When the factories bolt the engine's head and block together, a small
piece of rubbery material. The gasket is placed in between for a tightly
sealed fit. Gaskets insure a firm seal. Occasionally, gaskets deteriorate to
the point where they leak, particularly on very old cars and highly stressed
racing cars. Perhaps you have heard someone say that their engine "blew a
gasket" or has a "blown head gasket."

Gaskets and seals are needed in your engine to make the machined joints
snug, and to prevent fluids and gasses (oil, gasoline, coolant, fuel vapor,
exhaust, etc.) from leaking.

The cylinder head has to keep the water in the cooling system at the same
time as it contains the combustion pressure. Gaskets made of steel, copper
and asbestos are used between the cylinder head and engine block. Because
the engine expands and contracts with heating and cooling, it is easy for
joints to leak, so the gaskets have to be soft and "springy" enough to adapt
to expansion and contraction.
They also have to make up for any irregularities in the connecting parts.

Overhead Camshaft (OHC)

Some engines have the camshaft mounted above, or over, the cylinder head
instead of inside the block (OHC "overhead camshaft" engines). This
arrangement has the advantage of eliminating the added weight of the
rocker arms and push rods; this weight can sometimes make the valves
"float" when you are moving at high speeds. The rocker arm setup is
operated by the camshaft lobe rubbing directly on the rocker. Stem to
rocker clearance is maintained with a hydraulic valve lash adjuster for
"zero" clearance.

The overhead camshaft is also something that we think of as a relatively

new development, but it's not. In 1898 the Wilkinson Motor Car Company
introduced the same feature on a car.

Double Overhead Camshaft(DOHC)

The double overhead cam shaft (DOHC) is the same as the overhead
camshaft, except that there are two camshafts instead of one.

Overhead Valve (OHV)

In an overhead valve (OHV) engine, the valves are mounted in the cylinder
head, above the combustion chamber. Usually this type of engine has the
camshaft mounted in the cylinder block, and the valves are opened and
closed by push rods.

Multivalve Engines

All engines have more than one valve; "multivalve" refers to the fact that
this type of engine has more than one exhaust or intake valve per cylinder.
Intake Port
The passage in the cylinder head which connects the intake manifold to the
intake valve through which the fuel-air mixture proceeds on its way to the
cylinders.

Intake Valve
The poppet valve that opens to permit the fuel mixture into the cylinder.
Some engines have more than one intake valve to each cylinder

Poppet Valve
The valve used to open and close the valve port entrances to the engine
cylinders.

The Valve Train

The valvetrain's only job is to let air and fuel in and out of the engine at
the proper time. The timing is controlled by the camshaft which is
synchronized to the crankshaft by a chain or belt.

Most cars built before the 1990s need to have their "timing"- the rhythm
of the cams and crankshafts-adjusted once in a while.
On some cars you need only a timing light (less than $50) and a screwdriver.
Newer cars are computer-controlled and need no adjustments

The valve train is a precisely-timed mechanism made up of valves, rocker

arms, pushrods, lifters, and the camshaft.

The function of the valvetrain is to allow fuel and air into the engine at the
appropriate time. The camshaft controls the timing but this is
synchronized to the crankshaft by the timing belt which is often referred
to as the fan belt.
Engines are constantly being redesigned so that they are lighter and have
relatively flat torque curves. Engine management systems improve engine
economy and responses. Engines have been made quieter by introducing a
torque roll axis mounting system which reduces engine vibrations.

Read More on

The Valve System

Connecting Rod

Connecting rods connect the piston to the crankshaft.

The upper end has a hole in it for the piston wrist pin and the lower end (big
end) attaches to the crankshaft.

Connecting rods are usually made of alloy steel, although some are made of
aluminum.
Connecting Rod Bearings
Connecting rod bearings are inserts that fit into the connecting rod's lower
end and ride on the journals of the crankshaft.

Crankshaft
The crankshaft converts the up and down (reciprocating) motion of the
pistons into a turning (rotary) motion.
It provides the turning motion for the wheels.
As the pistons move up and down, they turn the crankshaft just like your
legs pump up and down to turn the crank that is connected to the pedals of
a bicycle.

The crankshaft is usually either alloy steel or cast iron.

The crankshaft is connected to the pistons by the connecting-rods.

Some parts of the shaft do not move up and down; they rotate in the
stationary main bearings. These parts are known as journals. There are
usually three journals in a four cylinder engine.

The speed at which the crankshaft spins is measured in revolutions per

minute (RPMs). Most drivers run their engines at three to five thousand
RPMs. When the driver puts their foot on the accelerator, it lets more
gasoline and air into the engine. Since most cars have computerized fuel
delivery systems, instead of carburetors, the amount of air let in and fuel
released is carefully calculated.

The crankshaft is located below the cylinders on an in-line engine, at the

base of the V on a V-type engine and between the cylinder banks on a flat
engine.
Flywheel

The flywheel is a fairly large wheel (a heavy disc) that is attached to the
rear of the crankshaft. It provides the momentum to keep the crankshaft
turning without the application of power. It does this by storing some of
the energy generated during the power stroke. Then it uses some of this
energy to drive the crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons during the three
idle strokes of the 4-stroke cycle. This makes for a smooth engine speed.
The flywheel forms one surface of the clutch and is the base for the ring
gear.
Main
n Beariings
The crankshaft is held in n place by a series ofo main bearings. The
T largesst
numbe er of main n bearingss a cranksshaft can have is one more than
t the
numbe er of cylinnders, but it can havve one lesss bearing
g than the
e number of
cylind
ders.

Not only do thee bearingss supportt the crankshaft, but

b one be earing musst
ol the forrward-bac
contro ckward mo ovement of
o the craankshaft. This bearing
rubs against
a a ground
g su
urface of the main journal, and
a is callled the "tthrust
bearin
ng."

Disp
placeme
ent
The coombustion chamber is
i the are
ea where compressio
c on and com
mbustion take
t
place. As the piston move
es up and down, you
u can see that the size of the
combuustion chaamber chaanges. It has some
e maximumm volume as
a well as a
minimum volume.
The difference between the maximum and minimum is called the
displacement and is measured in liters or CCs (Cubic Centimeters, where
1,000 cubic centimeters equals a liter).

Here are some examples:

A chainsaw might have a 40 cc engine.

A motorcycle might have a 500 cc or a 750 cc engine.

A sports car might have a 5.0 liter (5,000 cc) engine.

Most normal car engines fall somewhere between

1.5 liter (1,500 cc) and 4.0 liters (4,000 cc)

If you have a 4-cylinder engine and each cylinder displaces half a liter, then
the entire engine is a "2.0 liter engine." If each cylinder displaces half a
liter and there are six cylinders arranged in a V configuration, you have a
"3.0 liter V-6."

Generally, the displacement tells you something about how much power an
engine can produce. A cylinder that displaces half a liter can hold twice as
much fuel/air mixture as a cylinder that displaces a quarter of a liter, and
therefore you would expect about twice as much power from the larger
cylinder (if everything else is equal).
So a 2.0 liter engine is roughly half as powerful as a 4.0 liter engine.

You can get more displacement in an engine either by increasing the

number of cylinders or by making the combustion chambers of all the
cylinders bigger (or both).
Combustion Chamber
As the name suggests, this is the area where the compressed air/fuel
mixture is ignited and burned.

The location of the combustion chamber is the area between the top of
the piston at what is known as TDC (top dead center) and the cylinder head.
TDC is the piston's position when it has reached the top of the cylinder,
and the center line of the connecting rod is parallel to the cylinder walls.

The two most commonly used types of combustion chamber are the
hemispherical and the wedge shape combustion chambers.

The hemispherical type is so named because it resembles a hemisphere. It

is compact and allows high compression with a minimum of detonation. The
valves are placed on two planes, enabling the use of larger valves. This
improves "breathing" in the combustion chamber. This type of chamber
loses a little less heat than other types. Because the hemispherical
combustion chamber is so efficient, it is often used, even though it costs
more to produce.

The wedge type combustion chamber resembles a wedge in shape. It is

part of the cylinder head. It is also very efficient, and more easily and
cheaply produced than the hemispherical type.

Horsepower
Horsepower is a unit of power for measuring the rate at which a device can
perform mechanical work. Its abbreviation is hp or bhp (for brake horse
power). One horsepower was defined as the amount of power needed to lift
33,000 pounds one foot in one minute.
Piston rings
Piston rings provide a sliding seal between the outer edge of the piston and
the inner edge of the cylinder. The rings serve two purposes:

They prevent the fuel/air mixture and exhaust in the combustion

chamber from leaking into the sump during compression and
combustion.

They keep oil in the sump from leaking into the combustion area,
where it would be burned and lost.

Most cars that "burn oil" and have to have a quart added every 1,000 miles
are burning it because the engine is old and the rings no longer seal things
properly.

Wrist Pin
The wrist pin connects the piston to the connecting rod.
The connecting rod comes up through the bottom of the piston. The wrist
pin is inserted into a hole (about half way up) that goes through the side of
the piston, where it is attached to the connecting rod.

Timing
Timing refers to the delivery of the ignition spark, or the opening and
closing of the engine valves, depending on the piston's position, for the
power stroke. The timing chain is driven by a sprocket on the crankshaft and
also drives the camshaft sprocket.
Timiing Cha
ain/beltt

The automobile e engine uses

u a mettal timing chain, orr a flexible toothed
d
timing belt to ro
otate the camshaftt. The tim ming chain n/belt is driven
d by the
cranksshaft. Thee timing ch t "time" the openiing
hain, or tiiming beltt is used to
and cllosing of the
t valvess. The cam mshaft ro otates onc ce for eve
ery two
rotatiions of thhe crankshhaft.

Push
h Rods
Push Rods
R attaach the va
alve lifterr to the ro
ocker arm
m. Through
h their
centers, oil is pumped
p to
o lubricate the valvves and ro
ocker arm
ms.
'
Serpentine Belts
A recent development is the serpentine belt, so named because they wind
around all of the pulleys driven by the crankshaft pulley.
This design saves space, but if it breaks, everything it drives comes to a
stop.

Harmonic Balancer
(Vibration Damper)

The harmonic balancer, or vibration damper, is a device connected to the

crankshaft to lessen the torsional vibration. When the cylinders fire, power
gets transmitted through the crankshaft. The front of the crankshaft
takes the brunt of this power, so it often moves before the rear of the
crankshaft. This causes a twisting motion. Then, when the power is
removed from the front, the halfway twisted shaft unwinds and snaps back
in the opposite direction. Although this unwinding process is quite small, it
causes "torsional vibration." To prevent this vibration, a harmonic balancer
is attached to the front part of the crankshaft that's causing all the
trouble. The balancer is made of two pieces connected by rubber plugs,
spring loaded friction discs, or both.

When the power from the cylinder hits the front of the crankshaft, it
tries to twist the heavy part of the damper, but ends up twisting the
rubber or discs connecting the two parts of the damper. The front of the
crank can't speed up as much with the damper attached; the force is used
to twist the rubber and speed up the damper wheel.
This keeps the crankshaft operation calm.

Engine Balance
Flywheel A 4 cylinder engine produces a power stroke every half crankshaft
revolution, an 8 cylinder, every quarter revolution. This means that a V8
will be smoother running than a 4. To keep the combustion pulses from
generating a vibration, a flywheel is attached to the back of the
crankshaft. The flywheel is a disk that is about 12 to 15 inches in
diameter. On a standard transmission car, the flywheel is a heavy iron disk
that doubles as part of the clutch system. On automatic equipped vehicles,
the flywheel is a stamped steel plate that mounts the heavy torque
converter.
The flywheel uses inertia to smooth out the normal engine pulses.

Balance Shaft Some engines have an inherent rocking motion that

produces an annoying vibration while running. To combat this, engineers
employ one or more balance shafts. A balance shaft is a heavy shaft that
runs through the engine parallel to the crankshaft. This shaft has large
weights that, while spinning, offset the rocking motion of the engine by
creating an opposite rocking motion of their own.

Heat
Heat is the unwanted byproduct. Engineers design a car to diffuse the
heat quickly and efficiently before it damages or melts the engine. Coolant
(also known as antifreeze), stored in the radiator, flows through passages in
the engine around the cylinders where it absorbs heat from the combustion
mixture. Coolant is part water, and part pure coolant (ethylene glycol), a
chemical makeup allowing optimum heat absorption. The coolant carries this
heat through hoses to the radiator where flowing air removes the heat,
restoring the coolant to its original temperature, and leaving it ready to
absorb more heat. This continuous closed cycle of heat transportation
prevents the engine from melting together or seizing up due to the
extremely high temperatures produced from combustion (1,000 degrees F+).
The water pump, running from the belt system, helps circulate this coolant.
When you need heat in the passenger area, you are asking that some of
this same heat be diverted to your space.
(By the way, coolant retains its "antifreeze" name because it also prevents
this water mixture from freezing up into an ice cube in the winter time.)

Oil, stored in the oil pan below the engine, flows through its own passages
in the engine's block absorbing and transferring heat. More importantly, oil
prevents heat buildup by reducing friction. If you rub your hands together,
note how quickly they generate heat and become warm. Friction produces
heat. If you were to cover your hands in vegetable oil first, the result of
rubbing would be little or no heat because direct contact between your
hands is reduced.

Vacuum
Engines run on a vacuum system.

A vacuum exists in an area where the pressure is lower than the

atmosphere outside of it. Reducing the pressure inside of something
causes suction.
For example, when you drink soda through a straw, the atmospheric
pressure in the air pushes down on your soda and pushes it up into your
mouth.
The same principal applies to your engine. When the piston travels down in
the cylinder it lowers the atmospheric pressure in the cylinder and forms a
vacuum. This vacuum is used to draw in the air and fuel mixture for
combustion. The vacuum created in your engine not only pulls the fuel into
the combustion chamber, it also serves many other functions.
 The running engine causes the carburetor and the intake manifold
to produce "vacuum power," which is harnessed for the operation of
several other devices.

Vacuum is used in the ignition-distributor vacuum-advance mechanism.

At part throttle, the vacuum causes the spark to give thinner mixtures
more time to burn.

The positive crankcase ventilating system (PCV) uses the vacuum to

remove vapor and exhaust gases from the crankcase.

The vapor recovery system uses the vacuum to trap fuel from the
carburetor float bowl and fuel tank in a canister. Starting the engine
causes the vacuum port in the canister to pull fresh air into the
canister to clean out the trapped fuel vapor.

Vacuum from the intake manifold creates the heated air system
that helps to warm up your carburetor when it's cold.

The EGR valve (exhaust-gas recirculation system) works, because

of vacuum, to reduce pollutants produced by the engine.

Many air conditioning systems use the vacuum from the intake
manifold to open and close air-conditioner doors to produce the
heated air and cooled air required inside your vehicle.

Intake manifold vacuum also is used for the braking effort in

power brakes. When you push the brake pedal down, a valve lets
the vacuum into one section of the power-brake unit. The atmospheric
pressure moves a piston or diaphragm to provide the braking action.
Firing Order
Now each cylinder produces its own combustion recipe at its own separate
time dictated by the firing order. For example, my 1984 Chevy Pick Up
firing order is: 1-5-3-6-2-4.
This firing information can be found just inside the hood on one of those numerous
stickers, or in any manual specific to your vehicle.
This firing order means that cylinder one burns or fires its mixture first,
then cylinder four, then cylinder two, then cylinder five, etc. until it goes
back to cylinder one and repeats the whole process. Your car's computer
makes sure that each cylinder has the necessary mixture at the right time.

Powertrain Control Module

(PCM)

The intake valves rely on "valve timing" to open their ports at the correct
time for the air and fuel ingredients. Valve timing at this point is
mechanically controlled by the camshaft. But the spark plug needs to know
when to ignite the mixture, matching the valve openings, and so relies on
the "ignition timing" set by the car's computer.

You may not be computer literate, but your car is. All cars nowadays have a
computer tucked away under the dash or hood. Known as the powertrain
control module (PCM), this computer insists on the most precise
combustion mixture to insure the best gas mileage and reduce tailpipe
pollutants. The computer has its eyes and ears around the car via its
sensors which are strategically placed in order to capture certain data.
In this manner, the PCM controls the amount and timing of combustion
ingredients, and therefore, the final results.
This PCM
P also provides
p i
important
t data to you
y via yo
our dashboard gaug
ges,
needle
es, and lig
ghts.

There arre many variations

v among da
ashboardss-some usse a light

in place
p of a gauge and vice verrsa,
or combine the two
t into one
o generral purpose dash ind
dicator.

Che
eck with your
y drive
er's manuual for an accurate understa
anding of your
y
specific gauges an
nd lights.

The red "check

" en
ngine" ligh
ht flags an
n oil, coola
ant, or en
ngine probblem
that needs
n immmediate atttention. Treat this light ve ery serioussly!
On some older cars, thiss light maay identify
y an oil, co
oolant, orr emission
ns
em.
proble
Neweer cars usse the sep
parate,
gold/orange "service engine" light for emissions-related problems. The
golden/orange-colored "service engine" light may also illuminate if there is
a computer problem. Either is hazardous both to your engine and your
emissions system and will increase air pollution out the tailpipe. Again, this
light requires prompt attention.

The oil gauge shown above reveals oil pressure. Some gauges show oil level
instead, some show an oil can

so check your driver's manual for variations.

Your car may not have either one, relying entirely on the red engine light
for oil problems.

The battery gauge above indicates the battery charge, which should hover
between 12.6 and 14.5 volts. Anything over 14.5 volts is too much for your
car's computer.

The temperature gauge registers your engine's temperature.

The rpm needle (tachometer) measures the revolutions of your crankshaft.

If your car is equipped with an antilock brakes system (ABS),

then the ABS light may come on initially as the computer checks the
system.
It should then go out.
 The same goes for the airbag light, again,
if your car is equipped with one or more airbags.

Pistons

Pistons form a combustion seal and transmit forces from combustion to

the connecting rods. The piston is a partly hollow, cylindrical shaped piece
of metal that fits relatively tightly inside a cylinder.

Most common engines have 4, 6, or 8 pistons which move up and down in the
cylinders.
On the upper side of the piston is what is called the combustion chamber
where the fuel and air mix before ignited. On the other side is the
crankcase whic
ch is full of
o oil. Pistons have
e rings wh
hich serve e to keep the
t oil
out of
f the combustion chamber anda the fu uel and airr out of th
he oil.

All the pistons in the en

ngine are connected
c d through
h individua
al connectting
rods to
t a commmon cranksshaft.

See wh
here the pisston is loca
ated in The
e Engine
Click Heree

ENG
GINE
E SU
UBSYS
STEM
MS
An engine has a number of system ms that help it do its
i job of convertinng
fuel in
nto motion. Most of these subsystem ms can be implemennted using
g
differrent technologies, and bette
er technoologies can
n improve
e the
performance of f the engine. Here's a look at
a the diffferent su
ubsystems
used in
i modernn engines:
Ignition System
The ignition system produces a high-voltage electrical charge and transmits
it to the spark plugs via ignition wires.

The charge first flows to a distributor, which you can easily find under the
hood of most cars. The distributor has one wire going in the center and
four, six, or eight wires (depending on the number of cylinders)
coming out of it.

These ignition wires send the charge to each spark plug. The engine is
timed so that only one cylinder receives a spark from the distributor at a
time. This approach provides maximum smoothness.

Click here to explore The Ignition System.

Cooling System
Internal combustion engines must maintain a stable operating temperature,
not too hot and not too cold. With the massive amounts of heat that is
generated from the combustion process, if the engine did not have a
methood for coo
oling itself, it would quickly self-desttruct. Maajor enginne
parts can warp causing oil
o and water leaks and the oil o will boiil and bec
come
uselesss.

The cooling sysstem in most cars consists

c o the rad
of diator and
d water pu
ump.
Water circulattes througgh passages aroundd the cylin
nders and
d then tra
avels
through the raadiator to cool it of
ff.

In a few
f cars, as
a well ass most bikkes, the en
ngine is air-cooled instead. You
Y
can te
ell an air-c
cooled engine by thhe fins ad
dorning thhe outsidee of each
cylind
der to helpp dissipatte the hea
at. Air-cooling makkes the en
ngine lightter
but hootter, gen ecreasing engine lif
nerally de fe and oveerall perfo
ormance.

Click here
h to exp
plore The Cooling
C Sysstem

Air Intake
I System
Most cars are normally aspirated
a d, which means
m thatt air flowss through
h an
air filter and directly
d in
nto the cy
ylinders.

High-performaance engin
nes are eitther turb
bo charged d or superr chargedd,
which means th
hat air coming into the engin
ne is firstt pressuriized (so that
more air / fuel mixture can be squeezed into each cylinder) to increase
performance. The amount of pressurization is called boost.

A turbo charger uses a small turbine attached to the exhaust pipe to spin a
compressing turbine in the incoming air stream. A super charger is
attached directly to the engine to spin the compressor.

the Air Filter System

What Does The Air Cleaner Do?

The purpose of the engine air filter is to clean the

enormous amount of air used by the engine. It must
filter out airborne dust and dirt that would otherwise
enter the engine and cause premature wear.
Even during low speed operation, the engine pulls in a tremendous
volume of air. This air has a great deal of abrasive particles, which
must be prevented from entering the engine.
The air cleaner traps the abrasive particles before they can enter the
engine. In so doing, however, it clogs itself.

The air filter and positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve are important parts
of your vehicle's fuel system. The air filter provides clean air to a
vehicle's carburetion system, and if it becomes clogged or dirty, it can cause
your car to idle or run roughly and reduce gas mileage.

The PCV valve helps prevent the release of gas fumes from the engine. If
it becomes blocked or clogged, it can cause oil leaks and promote the
formation of sludge in the engine

The air filter should be checked every other month.

If the air filter is not changed regularly, it can become so clogged
that it limits air flow into the engine.
Why
y Chang
ge My Air
A Filte
er?
Your air
a filter performss two of the tougheest jobs for
f your car:
c proteecting
the en m contaminants and
ngine from d providin
ng clean air for the
e engine.

Contaaminants in the air can cause e serious damage

d too engine parts.
p Youur air
filter traps dirrt, dust, sand
s and microscop
m pic exhausst particle
es and pro
otects
them from entering your engine.

For evvery gallo

on of gasoline it burrns, your engine co onsumes 12,000 gallons
of outtside air. Your air filter
f musst clean all of it. Itts job is to
t allow a
suffic
cient floww of air to
o keep commbustion working
w at peak levvels to ensure
the beest performance of your engine.

Whatt does a clean

c air filter do
o for yourr car?

Ex
xtends th
he life of your engiine

ncreases gas mileage

In

ncreases horsepow
In wer

Allows easiier engine

e starts

Howw
do I change
c the
e darn tha
ang?
Air Cleaner Components
The air cleaner has two main components

The parts of a typical air cleaner.

A housing provides a container for the filter element. The housing is a

metal container that is typically mounted on top of the engine. Air is routed
into the housing through an intake tube assembly. The intake tube
assembly on the air cleaner housing shown above is a simple tube. On late-
model cars, the intake tube assembly may be very complex and control the
temperature of the incoming air for performance and emission control.
 Intake tube and duct systems are complex on late-model cars

The filter is the part inside the housing that cleans the air. The two basic
types of filters are the paper and oil-wetted polyurethane. Heavy duty
filters sometimes combine both types of filter types.

Parts of a paper filter for an air cleaner.

The filter element is made from pleated paper. The pleats provide the
maximum surface area for air to pass through. A fine mesh screen is used
to support the paper element and protect against the fire hazards of an
engine backfire. A top and bottom seal provides an airtight seal for the
filter in the housing. Sealing is important because any air that does not go
through the filter on the way into the engine could contain dirt.

Polyurethane is a flexible foam-type material. It can be used to filter air

entering the engine. It is usually wetted with oil to improve its filtering
ability. Filters used in very dirty conditions are often made of
polyurethane and paper in combination. Incoming air is routed first through
the polyurethane filter, then through the paper filter.

Replacement air filters are available for most vehicles. The filter has a
part number printed on the filter box. Application charts are available in
auto parts stores that show what number filter fits any particular car.
Application charts are often printed on the filter box, too.

Inspect The Air Filter

Cars with fuel injection typically have an air filter element located in an air
induction assembly like the one shown below
 Typical air cleaner assembly on a fuel injection system

The filter element is located in a rectangular box called the air cleaner
housing.
To find a rectangular air cleaner,
follow the large air inlet hose away from your engine.

Find the air filter housing right near the beginning of the ductwork

Air filters have always required periodic maintenance. An automotive

engine runs much smoother when the air filter is clean. If the filter is
wet, damaged, or dirty, it should be replaced with a new one designed
specifically for your engine.

Running your car with a clogged filter could result in hard stalling,
stalling and poor gas mileage. An air filter may become clogged or loaded
with contaminate quicker, depending on the nature of the area where
the vehicle is driven, such as dusty conditions.

A damaged filter can cause the engine to have excessive wear.

It's hard
h to givve a speciific time or
o mileage e figure because
b the life of
f the
filter depends on how much
m crud it ingestss. A filterr that lastts 20,000
0 or
even 30,000
3 miles on a vehicle
v th
hat's driveen mostly y on expreessways may
m
last only a month or two o in a rura
al setting where the e vehicle is driven
frequently on gravel
g roa
ads. Changging it ann
nually or every
e 15,0000 miles for
preventative maintenanc
m ce may be e a good recommendation for the city y
driverr, but not its counttry cousinn.

Regarrdless of the
t mileag ge or time e, a filterr should be
b replace ed before it
reaches the pooint wheree it createes a signifficant resstriction to
t airflow
w.
But when
w exac
ctly that point
p is re
eached is subject to t opinionn.

A slightly dirtyy filter ac

ctually cle
eans more e efficienttly than a brand neew
filter. That's because
b the debriss trapped by the filter element helps
screen out sma aller partiicles that try to ge
et throughh. But eveentually evvery
filter reaches the point where it causes en nough of a pressurre drop to o
restriict airflow
w. Fuel ecconomy, pe erformanc ce and em
missions begin to
deteriorate and d get progressively y worse until the dirty
d filter is replac
ced.

Whenn inspectin
ng or chan
nging the air filterr element,, first look up the
procedure in th
he shop se
ervice ma
anual. The e manual will
w explain n the spec
cific
procedure for removing and replaacing the element.

e whether your airr filter ne

To see eeds to be
e replaced
d, just liftt it out
(it isnn't fastenned down))

and hoold it up to
t the sun n or to a strong
s lighht.
Can you
y see th he light sttreaming through
t itt?

If it'ss really ca
aked with
h dirt, it obviously
o n
needs to be replaced.

Tryingg to shake
e or blow the dirt out
o is a waste
w of time becau
use too much
of it will
w be em mbedded inn the filte
er fibers..

Don'tt blow thr

hrough the
e filter - you cann foul it up
u that way
w
Look for the common black, semi-rectangular boxy container.
Some Chryslers have a cylindrical shape; some Chevys compact a tissue
sized box up against front wall behind one of the headlights. This type is
on a track where you must slide the box up for filter.

These are the three basic types of air filters; there are many slight
variations

Remove the lid by either prying off clips or clamps with a flathead
screwdriver; removing several large screws by hand or removing regular
sized screws with either type of screwdriver.
Again, there are three basic types of lid holders with other slight
variations out there.

Cars with carburetors or throttle body fuel injection often have a large
round air cleaner assembly mounted on top of the carburetor.
The filter is located inside the air cleaner housing.
 Remove the filter lid, and lift out the filter.
Note the corrugated Paper usually faces downward.
How often should I replace my air filter?
Air filters have always required periodic maintenance. An automotive
engine runs much smoother when the air filter is clean. If the filter is
wet, damaged, or dirty, it should be replaced with a new one designed
specifically for your engine.

Running your car with a clogged filter could result in hard stalling,
stalling and poor gas mileage. An air filter may become clogged or loaded
with contaminate quicker, depending on the nature of the area where
the vehicle is driven, such as dusty conditions.

A damaged filter can cause the engine to have excessive wear.

It's hard to give a specific time or mileage figure because the life of the
filter depends on how much crud it ingests. A filter that lasts 20,000 or
even 30,000 miles on a vehicle that's driven mostly on expressways may
last only a month or two in a rural setting where the vehicle is driven
frequently on gravel roads. Changing it annually or every 15,000 miles for
preventative maintenance may be a good recommendation for the city
driver, but not its country cousin.

Regardless of the mileage or time, a filter should be replaced before it

reaches the point where it creates a significant restriction to airflow.
But when exactly that point is reached is subject to opinion.

A slightly dirty filter actually cleans more efficiently than a brand new
filter. That's because the debris trapped by the filter element helps
screen out smaller particles that try to get through. But eventually every
filter reaches the point where it causes enough of a pressure drop to
restrict airflow. Fuel economy, performance and emissions begin to
deteriorate and get progressively worse until the dirty filter is replaced.

When inspecting or changing the air filter element, first look up the
procedure in the shop service manual. The manual will explain the specific
procedure for removing and replacing the element.
To see
e whether your airr filter ne
eeds to be
e replaced
d, just liftt it out
(it isnn't fastenned down))

and hoold it up to
t the sun n or to a strong
s lighht.
Can you
y see th he light sttreaming through
t itt?

If it'ss really ca
aked with
h dirt, it obviously
o n
needs to be replaced.

Tryingg to shake
e or blow the dirt out
o is a waste
w of time becau
use too much
of it will
w be em mbedded inn the filte
er fibers..

Don'tt blow thr

hrough the
e filter - you cann foul it up
u that way
w

DON
N'T CLE
EAN IT
T
CHA
ANGE
E IT!
It is better noot to try to
t clean the
t paper air filterr element;; instead,
replacce it with a new one e. Most paaper elem
ments are usually clleaned by y
tappinng them on the gro ound to shhake out the
t dirt orr by blowing them with
an air hose from the inside out. YouY can do o more ha arm than good
g by
attemmpting to clean
c the element this
t way, because once
o the filter is put
p
back in
i place an nd the enngine is started up, particless of dirt that
t weree
lodgedd in the element
e an
nd conseq quently loo
osened by y the tappping or airr
blowinng are succked into the engin ne. Abrasiive grit ca
an do lots of harm to an
enginee; in fact,, abrasive
e wear is the
t most common
c c
cause of engine
e failure
To heelp prevent it, DO NOTN atte
empt to cllean the air
a filter element.
e A air
An
filter element is relative ely inexpe
ensive andd is cheapp insurancce against the
ravagees of dirtt and grit..

(This advice dooesn't app

ply, of couurse, if yoou have ann oil-bath
h or an oil--
soake
ed air cleaaner eleme
ent.)
NOTE: Many filters that appear to be dirty are in fact still good and do
not really need to be replaced. So it's up to you.
If you think it's dirty, replace it.
If you don't think it's dirty enough to need replacing, then don't.

How to Change The Air Filter

Changing your car's filters on a regular basis can have a significant impact on
engine life and performance and is one of the easiest things you can do!

Pre 1990 Vehicle 1990 and Newer Vehicle

If you have an older car, the air filter is in a big round housing on top of
the engine. These are very simple to change.

Simply unscrew the wing nut holding the cover down and lift it off.
There may be three or four clips holding down the cover as well. Just
unsnap the clips as well.

There you'll find the air filter inside.

Remove the top of the air cleaner by taking off a single wing nut as shown
below
 Typical air cleaner assembly on a carburetor system

All you need do now is remove the old air filter and install the new one.
Make sure it is the right air filter for the car. If it is too big, the cover
will not go back on and if it is too small, the cover will not seal to the top
of the filter.

Now, change the breather element.

In newer cars, the air filters are generally rectangular in shape and
involve a little more work to get to. Look for a rectangular shaped
housing under the hood. It will usually be located on one of the fender
wells or over the radiator area. On most Chrysler 4 cylinder engines, it's
located between the engine and the firewall. Cover attachments vary; on
some there will be four or six screws around the outside edge.

There may be four clips or a combination of both. Use the appropriate

tools to open the cover and remove the air filter. Be careful not to let
any dirt or debris fall into the bottom of the housing. When you install
the new air filter, reattach the air filter housing and be careful not to
over tighten the holding screws.

Be patient, as this sometimes requires a bit of maneuvering and

adjusting. The filter likes to pop out here and there.
With Chevy's, getting the filter box onto the track takes more
finagling. The less patient you are, the more it hassle and resist you!

Air filters of this type do not have a breather filter since the PCV
inlet is below the air filter. You should still check the PCV and be sure
it's in good shape.

Note that a black and oily-wet air filter signifies a problem with your
positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve.
Check and remedy the situation promptly before the oil contaminates your
sensors

A light coat of grease on the air cleaner gasket of an older car can improve
the seal between the air cleaner housing and the air filter element.

A few older automobiles have permanent air filters and you will need to
clean according to the instructions found in your owner's manual.

WARNING: The air filter gasket must fit correctly and seal properly. A
leak at the gasket means that air will go directly into the engine around
the gasket without going through the filter element. Abrasives can get into
the engine and shorten engine life.
You should change your air filter once a year or every 20,000 miles,
whichever comes first.
Unless yours gets very dirty before then.

Replace the crankcase breather filter at the same time if it's dirty.

Check the PCV valve and any related hoses whenever you check or replace
the air filter.

It's also a good idea to check the fuel filter, spark plugs, points,
condenser, cap, rotor and wires.

Changing Crankcase Breather Element

This filter is located in the air filter housing and can be checked at the
same time as the air filter.
Most breather elements come in a plastic holder with a fitting that goes
through the side of the air filter housing.

"Remove lid of air filter housing and remove air filter. Disconnect
crankcase breather hose. Remove metal clip and save, unless it is supplied
with the new element.

"Normal replacement is with air filter. If dirty on inspection, replace.

Install new breather element and secure with clip. Connect breather hose.
Replace air filter and lid of filter housing, and tighten wing nut.
Starting System
The starting system consists of an electric starter motor and a starter
solenoid. When you turn the ignition key, the starter motor spins the
engine a few revolutions so that the combustion process can start.

It takes a powerful motor to spin a cold engine. The starter motor must
overcome:

All of the internal friction caused by the piston rings.

The compression pressure of any cylinder(s) that happens

to be in the compression stroke.

The energy needed to open and close valves with the cam shaft.

All of the "other" things directly attached to the engine,

like the water pump, oil pump, alternator, etc.

Because so much energy is needed and because a car uses a 12-volt

electrical system, hundreds of amps of electricity must flow into the
starter motor. The start solenoid is essentially a large electronic switch
that can handle that much current.
When you turn the ignition key, it activates the solenoid to power the
motor.
The Engine's Lubrication System
Oil is the life-blood of the engine.
An engine running without oil will last about as long as a human without
blood.
Oil is pumped under pressure to all the moving parts of the engine by an oil
pump.

The lubrication system makes sure that every moving part in the engine
gets oil so that it can move easily. The two main parts needing oil are the
pistons (so they can slide easily in their cylinders) and any bearings that
allow things like the crankshaft and cam shafts to rotate freely.

In most cars oil is sucked out of the oil pan by the oil pump, run through
the oil filter to remove any grit, and then squirted under high pressure
onto bearings and the cylinder walls. The oil then trickles down into the
sump, where it is collected again and the cycle repeats.

The Lubrication System and Facts About Motor Oil

EN
NGINE
E
LUBRIC
CATIO
ON SY
YSTE
EM

Intro
Why it Matters What W does oiil actually doo?
Oil Pummp Oil Seaals Oil Diip Stick Oil O Filler Capp Oil Filter Oil Passsages Oil Pan
P
Choosinng The Righ ht Oil for Yoour Vehicle
Which Oil Do I Ch hoose? Whhich One is Better?
B
Why arre there diffe
ferent weightts of motor oil?
o
What abbout own-brrands?
Why Soo Many Oilss?
What iss the differennce between synthetic annd regular motor
m oil?
Premium m Conventio onal Oil Full
F Synthetiic Oil Synnthetic Blendd Oil Highher Mileage Oil
O
Viscosiity Index
Flushinng oils
Engine Additives
Should I use an oil additiveServvicing and chhecking
This image above shows the route taken by the oil within an engine. The oil
pump draws oil from the oil pan, then forces it through the filter, into the
crankshaft passage, through the connecting rods to the pistons and rings. Oil is
pushed through the lifters and pushrods, and covers the rocker arms.
It then flows back down into the pan to complete the cycle.

Why it Matters
Keeping your engine properly lubricated reduces friction, heat buildup, and
wear.
This means that good engine lubrication maintenance will help your engine run
better and last longer.

What price do you put on the oil in your car's sump?

After all, it is the lifeblood of your car's engine.

Is oil really the lifeblood of an engine?

That's a long-popular analogy, but it's really not an accurate description.
Blood carries nutrients to cells, but it's air that carries fuel - the
"nutrition" - for an engine.
However, without oil to lubricate and cool moving parts, keep them clean
and help to seal the pistons in the cylinders, the engine would run for only a
matter of seconds . . .

then seize!
So, yes, oil is important.

In the mid-80's to mid-90's there was a mini revolution in car engine oil. All oils are
no longer the same. Thanks to the increased popularity of sporty GTi's, 16 valve
engines and turbos, the days of one oil catering for everyone are over.

Take Castrol for example. They led the field for

years with GTX. This was surpassed a few years back
by semi-synthetic and fully synthetic oils, including
GTX2 and GTX3 Lightec. Now, that's been surpassed
by Formula SLX. And most recently, Castrol GTX
Magnatec which is muscling in on the hitherto
separate world of friction reducers.

(we'll discuss them later, 1n the additives section)

What does oil actually do?

An engine oil's job is primarily to stop all the metal surfaces in your
engine from grinding together and tearing themselves apart
(and that's the last thing we'want!).
But it has to dissipate the heat generated from this friction also.
It also transfers heat away from the combustion cycle. Another
function is that a good engine oil must be able to hold in suspension
the nasty by-products of fuel combustion, such as silica (silicon
oxide) and acids, while also cleaning the engine of such mean,ugly,
nasty things.
And it must do all of these things under tremendous heat and
pressure without succumbing to fatigue - the ultimate engine
destroyer.
The primary functions of oil are listed below:

1. Provide a barrier between moving parts to reduce friction, heat

buildup, and wear.

2. Disperse heat. Friction from moving parts and combustion of fuel

produce heat that must be carried away.

3. Absorb and suspend dirt and other particles. Dirt and carbon
particles need to be carried by the oil to the oil filter where they
can be trapped.

4. Neutralize acids that can build up and destroy polished metal surfaces.

5. Coat all engine parts. Oil should have the ability to leave a protective
coating on all parts when the engine is turned off to prevent rust and
corrosion.

6. Resist sludge and varnish buildup. Oil must be able to endure

extreme heat without changing in physical properties or breaking
down.

7. Stay fluid in cold weather; yet remain thick enough to offer

engine protection in hot weather.
It is a good habit to keep engine running at
idle for few minutes after it is started.
NEVER rev the engine.
Letting it idle allows the oil to flow all over
the moving parts before any load is placed on
the engine. Remember, the maximum wear and
tear of the engine takes place when it is
started for the first time of the day.
Oil Pump
The oil pump is mounted at the bottom of the engine in the oil pan

and is connected by a gear to either the crankshaft or the camshaft. This

way, when the engine is turning, the oil pump is pumping.

There is an oil pressure sensor near the oil pump that monitors pressure
and sends this information to a warning light or a gauge on the dashboard.
When you turn the ignition key on, but before you start the car, the oil
light should light, indicating that there is no oil pressure yet, but also
letting you know that the warning system is working. As soon as you start
cranking the engine to start it, the light should go out indicating that
there is oil pressure.
What if It Does Not Go Off?

The oil pump is used to force pressurized oil to the various parts of the
engine.
Gear and rotary pumps are the most common types of pumps. The gear
pump consists of a driven spur gear and a driving gear that is attached to a
shaft driven by the camshaft. The two gears are the same size and fit
snugly in the pump body. Oil is carried from the inlet to the delivery side
of the pump by the opposite teeth of both gears. Here it is forced into the
delivery pipe. It can't flow back, because the space between the meshing
gear teeth is too tight.

The rotary pump is driven by the camshaft. The inner rotor is shaped like a
cross with rounded points that fit into the star shape of the outer rotor.
The inner rotor is driven by a shaft turned by the camshaft. When it
turns, its rounded points "walk" around the star shaped outer rotor and
force the oil out to the delivery pipe.

Oil Seals
Oil seals are rubber and metal composite items. They are generally
mounted at the end of shafts. They are used to keep fluids, such as oil,
transmission fluid, and power steering fluid inside the object they are
sealing. These seals flex to hold a tight fit around the shaft that comes
out of the housing, and don't allow any fluid to pass. Oil seals are common
points of leakage and can usually be replaced fairly inexpensively. However,
the placement of some seals make them very difficult to access, which
makes for a hefty labor charge!

Engine Oil Dip Stick

The engine oil dip stick is a long metal rod that goes into the oil sump.
The purpose of the dip stick is to
check how much oil is in the engine.

The dip stick is held in a tube; the end of the tube extends into the oil
sump. It has measurement markings on it. If you pull it out, you can see
whether you have enough oil, or whether you need more by the level of oil
on the markings.
How to correctly find the dipstick and what it's markings mean
Oil Filler Cap
The oil filler cap is a plastic or metal cap that covers an opening into the
valve cover. It allows you to add oil when the dipstick indicates that you
need it. Some cars have the crankcase vented through the filler cap. Oil
which is added through the filler passes down through openings in the head
into the oil sump at the bottom of the engine.
How to locate the Oil Fill Cap

Oil Filter
Oil filters are placed in the engine's oil system to strain dirt and abrasive
materials out of the oil.

The oil filter cannot remove things that dilute the oil, such as gasoline and
acids. Removing the solid material does help cut down on the possibility of
acids forming. Removing the "grit" reduces the wear on the engine parts.

Modern passenger car engines use the "full flow" type of oil filters. With
this type of filter, all of the oil passes through the filter before it
reaches the engine bearings. If a filter becomes clogged, a bypass valve
allows oil to continue to reach the bearings. The most common type of oil
filter is a cartridge type. Oil filters are disposable; at prescribed
intervals, this filter is removed, replaced and thrown away.
HOW TO CHANGE YOUR OIL FILTER
Most states now require that oil filters be drained completely before
disposal, which adds to the cost of an oil change, but helps to reduce
pollution.

Oil Passages
Within the engine is a variety of pathways for oil to be sent to moving
parts. These pathways are designed to deliver the same pressure of fresh
lubricating oil to all parts. If the pathways become clogged, the affected
parts will lock together. This usually destroys parts that are not
lubricated, and often ruins the entire engine.
The oil passages are cleverly drilled into the connecting parts of the
engine, which allows the highly mobile ones (like the pistons) to have ample
lubrication. Originating at the oil pump, they flow through all of the major
components of the engine. In the case of the pistons and rods, the
passages are designed to open each time the holes in the crankshaft and
rods align.

Oil Pan
At the bottom of the crankcase is the container containing the lifeblood of
the engine. Usually constructed of thin steel, it collects the oil as it flows
down from the sides of the crankcase. The pan is shaped into a deeper
section, where the oil pump is located. At the bottom of the pan is the
drain plug, which is used to drain the oil. The plug is often made with a
magnet in it, which collects metal fragments from the oil.
Choosing The Right Oil for Your Vehicle
Many people don't know how to select motor oil that will help them get
optimum performance out of their car.
Some people often simply select the oil their father used, others may take
the suggestion of a counter person at an auto parts store who may not
know any more about cars than you do and the majority of others simply
grab any ol' quart(s) of oil on the shelf without thinking or knowing any
better.

There are meaningful differences in motor oils and choosing the right one
can have a major impact on how well your car runs. Selecting the right oil is
often the quickest and cheapest way to improve your car's performance
and reliability.

Which Oil Do I Choose?

Which One is Better?

USE the type of oil specified by the vehicle

manufacturer
in your owner's manual.
The company that built your car wants it to run reliably for hundreds of
thousands of miles. Therefore, the carmaker is going to recommend the
kind of oil that is best for its engine.

You are not going to save money by using an off-brand oil because your
engine will wear out sooner. Use oil that meets the American Pertroleum
Institute (API) classification SL. .

If you are changing your oil just before winter, use SAE 10W30 weight oil.
This number means the oil will have a thin 10 weight viscosity when the
engine is cold, helping the engine to start easier, and then the oil will
thicken to 30 weight viscosity when the engine warms up, protecting the
engine better. If you are changing oil just before summer, use SAE 10W40
weight oil. The extra 40 weight viscosity will protect your engine better
when it's hot.

Engines need oil that is thin enough for cold starts and thick enough when
the engine is hot. Since oil gets thinner when heated, and thicker when
cooled, most of us use what are called multi-grade, or multi-viscosity oils.
These oils meet SAE specifications for the low temperature requirements
of a light oil and the high temperature requirements of a heavy oil. You will
hear them referred to as multi-viscosity, all-season and all-weather oils.
An example is a 10W-30 which is commonly found in stores. When choosing
oil, always follow the manufacturer's recommendation.
For most passenger car and light truck gasoline engines today,
it's any oil that meets the American Petroleum Institutes "API" rating.

Quality Counts!

It doesn't matter what sort of fancy marketing goes into an engine oil, how many naked babes
smear it all over their bodies, how bright and colourful the packaging is,
it's what's written on the packaging which counts.
Specifications and approvals are everything.
The API (American Petroleum Institute) an established testing body, will have their stamp of
approval to be seen on the side of every reputable can or bottle of engine oil.

Grade counts too!

The API/ACEA ratings only refer to an oil's quality.

For grade, you need to look at the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) ratings. These
describe the oil's function and viscosity standard. Viscosity means the substance and clinging
properties of the lubricant. Motor oil is classified in two ways by the
American Petroleum Institute (API) and by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The API
created and maintains a series of "service classifications" for motor oil, based on the oil's
performance in certain types of engines. The API service classification is listed on each container
of motor oil, and it's easy to match it to the recommendations in your owner's manual.

API Service Classifications: Briefly, the API service classifications are a 2-letter
rating, beginning with the letter "S" or the letter "C" and followed by a letter from "A"
through "J." "S" stands for "service" and designates an oil primarily for gasoline
engines. "C" stands for "commercial" and indicates an oil for diesel engines. Many oils
meet the requirements of both series and have a dual service classification, such as
SH/CD.
The seervice classification raating system
m began in the early 1970s.
1 The earliest S-
fication oilss were SA, SB, SC, annd SD. Youu can think of the succcessive seccond
classifi
letters--A, B, C, D,
D and so onn-as indicatting increasingly highher quality. In fact, each
successive service classificaation has beeen an improvement on o previouss classifications
and exxceeds the earlier
e perfo
formance reequirements. Althoughh some low w-cost oils rated
r
SA or SB can stilll be found in some stores, servicce classificcations SA through
t SFF are no
longer recommen nded for usee by most vehicle
v mannufacturerss. SG, SH, and SJ oilss can
be usedd in older engines
e andd should bee used in all late-modeel engines because
b theey
lubricaate and prottect better under
u T SJ classification is
all opperating coonditions. The
recomm mended forr 1996 and newer gasoline enginnes and cann be used inn any earlieer
enginee.

a CB, aree obsolete, as are the older

The older API dieesel servicee classificaations, CA and
S-classsification oils.
o The CC C and CD classificatio
c ons are stilll current, but most latte-
model diesel engiines use thee newer CF F-4 or CG-44 classificaations.

The AP PI also classsifies somme oils as "eenergy consserving," which

w indicaates that thhe oil
reducees friction enough
e to im
mprove fueel economyy by at least 1.5 percennt. If the oiil
reducees fuel conssumption byy 2.7 perceent, it may beb called "eenergy connserving II."

SAE Viscosity
V Ratings: Viscosityy refers to how
h "thick"" or "thin" a liquid is, or how
easily it pours.

Viscossity also is commonlyy referred too as "weighht," as in a light-weighht

or heavvy-weight oil. Viscossity is reallyy a bit
more complicate
c d than simpply "thick" or
"thin" or "weightt," but the Society
S of
Autommotive Engiineers has organized
o v
viscosity
ratingss in a seriess of numbeers that is eaasy to
undersstand.

Oil visscosity is afffected by temperatur

t re. A heavyy oil that staays relativeely thick at high
temperratures wou uld have a high-viscos
h sity rating of
o 30, 40, or
o 50. A thiin oil that flows
f
freely at low temp peratures would
w havee a lower nuumber. Beccause tempeerature affeects
how well
w any liqu uid flows, motor
m oil viscosity
v is rated at booth high andd low
temperratures. Thee lower visscosity nummbers of 20, 15, 10, annd 5 are acccompaniedd by a
"W" foor "winter."" Some motor oils todday have a single
s viscoosity ratingg, such as SAE
S
30, butt many are designed to work in a wide rangge of tempeeratures. Suuch oils havve a
dual viiscosity rating, such as
a 5W-20 or 15W-30.

When an oil is co old its viscoosity increaases, and it does not fllow easily. If you use high-
viscosiity oil in lo
ow-temperaature weathher, heavilyy loaded enggine parts willw not recceive
oil until the engine warms and the oil thins. Hot oil, on the other hand, is thin and flows
easily. Low-viscosity oil in an engine running at very high temperature may break
down and allow moving parts to rub against each other. This can cause rapid engine
wear and possible damage. Today, most carmakers recommend multi-viscosity oils
such as 5W-30 and 10W-30. Check your owner's manual to see what's recommended
for your car.

Very few manufactures recommend 10W-40 anymore, and some threaten to void
warranties if it is used. 20W-50 is the same 30 point spread, but because it starts with a
heavier base it requires less viscosity index improvers (polymers) to do the job.
Follow your manufacturer's recommendations as to which weights are
appropriate for your vehicle.

Modern metallurgy allows engineers to build engines with tighter clearances between
moving parts than was possible in the past. These modern engine designs offer
improved fuel economy, emission control, and performance, but they require motor oil
that provides immediate lubrication to close-tolerance parts. High-viscosity oil may
delay critical lubrication right after startup, even in hot weather. This can lead to
premature engine wear and reduced operating efficiency. The best advice for selecting
a motor oil that is right for your car is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations
for the general climate in which you drive.

The Starburst Symbol: A new motor oil rating system was introduced in 1993 by
the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC). Oils
that meet the ILSAC standards for gasoline engines in cars and light trucks may display
the ILSAC starburst symbol on the container. The ILSAC starburst does not replace
API and SAE ratings. It is intended to help car owners select oil that meets all of the
operating requirements for vehicles built since 1993. Many owners' manuals for 1993
and later cars and light trucks list the ILSAC starburst symbol along with the
recommended API and SAE ratings.

Why are there different weights of motor oil?

(And which one is right for my car?)

Monograde oils (SAE 30, 40, etc.)

Multigrade oils (5w20, 5w30, 10w40, etc.)

Have you ever wondered what all the letters and numbers on an oil bottle
mean? They stand for different oil weights. For example, a bottle that
reads "SAE30W", assures that the oil conforms to the SAE's (Society of
Automotive Engineers) oil weight or viscosity standards. The "30W"
represents the oil weight, and the lower the number, the thinner the oil.
Use low numbers in cold weather, higher numbers in warm climates.

Oils meeting the SAE's low temperature requirements have a "W" after
the viscosity rating (example: 10W), and oils that meet the high ratings
have no letter (example SAE 30).

You can buy oils in single grades for warm or cold weather driving.
However, most people prefer multigrades which suit your car during all
seasons.

Multi-viscosity grades (for example, SAE 10W-30) will provide a wider

range of use and permit you to drive from one climate extreme to another.
They are also insurance against sudden temperature change in your own
area.

At cold temperatures, the polymers are coiled up and allow the oil to flow as their low
numbers indicate. As the oil warms up, the polymers begin to unwind into long chains
that prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is that at
100 degrees C, the oil has thinned only as much as the higher viscosity number
indicates. Another way of looking at multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20
weight oil that will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot.

It is important to use the correct motor oil weight to reduce wear on your
engine. The optimum oil weight for your car depends on the climate you live
in, your vehicle manufacturer's recommendations, your driving conditions
and the maximum fuel economy you want out of your car
(the lower the weight of the oil, the greater the fuel efficiency).

You can determine the best oil weight for your vehicle
by checking your owner's manual.
Choosing the right oil for your vehicle is easy.
Just ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of oil does your owner's manual recommend? Is your

vehicle still under warranty? Be sure to use whatever weight of oil
the owner's manual recommends; the manufacturer knows what's
best for each vehicle it produces. Using something other than the
recommended oil may invalidate the warranty on a new vehicle.

• What kind of oil have you been using? If you have an old vehicle
that's been running on single-weight oil for most of its life, it's built
up quite a bit of sludge because some single-weight oils don't have
detergent in them. If you suddenly switch to a multi-viscosity oil, the
detergent in it will free all that gook in your engine, and the gook will
start to slosh around and really foul things up. It's better to let
sleeping gook lie unless you want to invest in having your engine
cleaned. The engine would have to be taken apart and put back
together again, and you could start trouble where none existed
before. If your car is running well, don't switch to another oil. Stick
with the same old stuff you've been using.

• How old is the oil in your car? How many miles have you driven
it? If your car has been logging a great many miles and has been
running on 30- or 40-weight oil, multi-weight oil is not going to be
consistently thick enough to lubricate the worn engine parts, which
have become smaller while wearing down, leaving wider spaces
between them. To keep the oil thick enough to fill these gaps, switch
to heavier single-weight oil as your car gets older and starts to run
more roughly or to burn up oil more quickly. If you've been running on
30-weight oil, switch to 40-weight, at least during the summer, when
oil tends to thin out.
 • Do you live where it's very cold? Hot? Is it mountainous? Are
there sharp changes in temperature where you live or where
you're going? Multi-weight oils cover a range of temperatures.
Consult a viscosity chart to be sure that the oil you use will flow
properly under extreme conditions.

• Whenever you buy oil, look for major brands, such as Pennzoil,
Quaker State, and Valvoline, or check Consumer Reports. Good
brands of oil are often on sale in supermarkets and at auto supply
stores, so if you want to save money and you spot a sale, buy a case
and stash it away.

• If I buy it now, how long can I keep if before I use it?"

• In general, liquid lubricants (ie. oils, not greases) will remain intact for a number of years.
The main factor affecting the life of the oil is the storage condition for the products.
Exposure to extreme temperature changes, and moisture will reduce the shelf life of the
lubricants.
- for example: don't leave in the sun with the lid off. Best to keep them sealed and
unopened.

• Technically, engine oils have shelf lives of four to five years. However, as years pass,
unused engine oils can become obsolete and fail to meet the technical requirements of
current engines. The specs get updated regularly based on new scientific testing procedures
and engine requirements. But this is only really a concern if you've bought a brand new car
but have engine oil you bought for the previous car. An oil that is a number of years old
might not be formulated to meet the requirements set for your newer engine.

What about own-brands?

If you can't afford the big-name players such as Pennzoil, Quaker State,
and Valvoline, you could look at own-brand oils. These are usually badged
oils from one of those larger companies but sold without the name, they
are cheaper.
Check the standards and grade ratings on the pack first!!!

And just make sure it isn't a 20W/50 oil (which a lot are because it's
cheap) unless your car is old enough to warrant it.

No matter how crazy about recycling you are, NEVER

put recycled oil in your precious car.
You don't know where that stuff has been.
Why So Many Oils?
Look on the shelves in auto parts stores and you'll see oils labeled for all
kinds of specific purposes: high-tech engines, new cars, higher-mileage
vehicles, heavy-duty/off-road SUVs. In addition, you'll see a wide
selection of viscosities. If you read your owner's manual, you'll know what
the car manufacturer recommends for a brand-new vehicle. The manual
may include a reference to Energy Conserving oils, which simply means that
the oil has passed a lab test against a reference oil. It's no guarantee of
better fuel economy, but most of the leading brands have at least some
viscosities that are so labeled. Let's take a look at the different types.

What is the difference between

synthetic and regular motor oil?
The first difference is the source. Regular oil is prepared from the
separation of the components in crude oil. Synthetic oil is manufactured in
a chemical plant.

Many synthetic oils are silicon based polymers rather than carbon based.
Silicon has similar properties to carbon in these systems, but sometimes
provide better properties at high temperatures such as in a car. Silicone is
used on many substitutes for carbon such as in glues, caulks and gaskets.

Both methods take energy to give the final product. Synthetics are
probably more expensive based on the cost of the raw materials. Crude oil
is cheap. Also note that regular motor oil can have synthetic components
added. The term synthetic is used when the major component is synthetic.

Premium Conventional Oil

This is the standard new-car oil. All leading brands have one for service
level SL, available in several viscosities. The carmakers usually specify a
5W-20 or 5W-30 oil, particularly for lower temperatures, with a 10W-30
oil as optional, particularly for higher ambient temperatures. These three
ratings cover just about every light-duty vehicle on the road. Even more
important, though, is changing the oil and filter regularly. A 4000 miles/4
months interval is good practice. The absolute minimum is twice a year. If
your car has an electronic oil-change indicator on the instrument cluster,
don't exceed its warning.

Full Synthetic Oil

The oils made for high-tech engines, whether in a Chevy Corvette or
Mercedes-Benz, are full synthetics. If these oils pass stringent special
tests (indicated by their labeling), it means they have superior, longer-
lasting performance in all the critical areas, from viscosity index to
protection against deposits. They flow better at low temperatures and
maintain peak lubricity at high temperatures. So why shouldn't everyone
use them? Answer: These oils are expensive and not every engine needs
them. In fact, there may be some features that your car's engine needs
that the synthetics don't have. Again, follow your owner's manual.

Synthetic Blend Oil

These have a dose of synthetic oil mixed with organic oil, and overall are
formulated to provide protection for somewhat heavier loads and high
temperatures. This generally means they're less volatile, so they evaporate
far less, which reduces oil loss (and increases fuel economy). They're
popular with drivers of pickups/SUVs who want the high-load protection.
And they're a lot less expensive than full synthetics, maybe just pennies
more than a premium conventional oil.

Higher Mileage Oil

Today's vehicles last longer, and if you like the idea of paying off the car
and running the mileage well into six figures, you have another oil choice,
those formulated for higher-mileage vehicles. Almost two-thirds of the
vehicles on the road have more than 75,000 miles on the odometer. So the
oil refiners have identified this as an area of customer interest, and have
new oils they're recommending for these vehicles.
When your car or light truck/SUV is somewhat older and has considerably
more mileage, you may notice a few oil stains on the garage floor. It's
about this time that you need to add a quart more often than when the
vehicle was new. Crankshaft seals may have hardened and lost their
flexibility, so they leak (particularly at low temperatures) and may crack.
The higher-mileage oils are formulated with seal conditioners that flow
into the pores of the seals to restore their shape and increase their
flexibility. In most cases, rubber seals are designed to swell just enough to
stop leaks. But the oil refiners pick their "reswelling" ingredients carefully.
Valvoline showed us the performance data of one good seal conditioner
that swelled most seal materials, but actually reduced swelling of one type
that tended to swell excessively from the ingredients found in some other
engine oils.

You also may have noticed some loss of performance and engine
smoothness as a result of engine wear on your higher-mileage vehicle.
These higher-mileage oils also have somewhat higher viscosities.
(Even if the numbers on the container don't indicate it, there's a fairly
wide range for each viscosity rating and the higher-mileage oils sit at the
top of each range.)
They also may have more viscosity-index improvers in them. The result?
They seal piston-to-cylinder clearances better, and won't squeeze out as
readily from the larger engine bearing clearances. They also may have a
higher dose of antiwear additives to try to slow the wear process.

If you have an older vehicle, all of these features may mean more to you
than what you might get from a full synthetic, and at a fraction the price.

Beyond that, there's plenty more to the oil story.

Read on.

Viscosity Index
Resistance to thinning with increasing temperature is called viscosity
index. And although a higher second number is good, the oil also has to be
robust. That is, it must be able to last for thousands of miles until the
next oil change. For example, oil tends to lose viscosity from shear, the
sliding motion between close-fitted metal surfaces of moving parts such as
bearings. So resistance to viscosity loss (shear stability) is necessary to
enable the oil to maintain the lubricating film between those parts.

Unlike antifreeze, 95 percent of which is made up of one base chemical

(typically ethylene glycol), petroleum-type engine oil contains a mixture of
several different types of base oil, some more expensive than others. Oil
companies typically pick from a selection of five groups, each of which is
produced in a different way and in different viscosities. The more
expensive groups are more highly processed, in some cases with methods
that produce a lubricant that can be classified as a synthetic. The so-
called full synthetics contain chemicals that may be derived from
petroleum but they're altered so much that they're not considered natural
oil anymore. Our custom blend contained 10 percent polyalphaolefins (PAO),
the type of chemical that's often the primary ingredient in a full
synthetic.

The base oil package in any oil makes up anywhere from 70 to 95 percent
of the mix, the rest comprised of additives. Does that mean an oil with
just 70 percent base oils is better than one with 95 percent. No, because
some of the base oils have natural characteristics or ones that derive from
their processing, which reduces or eliminates the need for additives. And
although some additives make important contributions to lubrication, by
themselves don't necessarily have great lubricity.

The ingredients in an additive package differ in cost, as we said, but price

is just one factor. Some work better in certain combinations of base oils,
and some of the less-expensive base oils are a good choice for a blend
because of the way they perform with popular additives. Bottom line: every
motor oil has a recipe. Refiners come up with a list of objectives based on
the needs of their customers (the carmakers, for example) and formulate
oil to meet those goals as best they can.

Now, keeping an oil from thinning as it gets hot while it takes a beating
from engine operation is one thing. But it's also important to keep oil from
getting too thick. Using premium base oils for low volatility (to prevent
evaporation) is one approach. Evaporation of the base oil package not only
increases oil consumption, it results in thicker oil (which decreases fuel
economy).

Flushing oils
These are special compound oils that are very, very thin. They almost have
the consistency of tap water when cold as well as hot. Typically they are
0W/20 oils.
Don't ever drive with these oils in the engine - it won't last.
Their purpose is for cleaning out all the gunk which builds up inside an
engine. Note that Mobil1 0W40 is okay, because the '40' denotes that it's
actually thick enough at temperature to work. 0W20 just doesn't get that
viscous!

To use them:

• Drain your engine of all it's oil, but leave the old oil filter in place.
• Next fill it up with flushing oil and run it at a fast idle for about 20 minutes.
• Finally, drain all this off, replace the oil filter, refill with a good synthetic oil.

. . . and voila

Clean engine!

In an old engine you really don't want to remove all the deposits.
Some of these deposits help seal rings, lifters and even some of the
flanges between the heads, covers, pan and the block, where the gaskets
are thin.
I have heard of engines with over 180,000 miles that worked fine, but
when flushed it failed in a month because the blow-by past the scraper
ring (now really clean) contaminated the oil and screwed the rod bearings.
Engine Additives
T.V. commercial:

Announcer: Every time you cold start your car without Slick 50 protection, metal grinds against
metal in your engine.

Video: A key turning the ignition accompanied by sound of metal grinding.

Announcer: With each turn of the ignition you do unseen damage, because at cold start-up most of
the oil is down in the pan.

Video: Shows a box of Slick 50, and then shows a bottle of Slick 50 being poured into a funnel.

Announcer: But Slick 50's unique chemistry bonds to engine parts. It reduces wear up to 50% for
50,000 miles.

[Super: Proven by Independent Lab Tests.]

Video: A large heavy ball is dropped down onto the car and demolishes it.

Announcer: So get Slick 50, while there's still time.

Video: Shows three different boxes of Slick 50 and then shows the demolished car.

Announcer: Slick 50's engine formula, the world's number one selling engine treatment.

[Super: Advanced Technology/Street Smart Science.]

Should I use an oil additive

No ,

absolutely not,
NEVER!

Lubrication system additives are never necessary as long as you are

following the manufacturer's recommendation for oil change intervals.
Additives do not provide any protection or performance improvements,
and can in some cases cause engine damage or excessive engine wear.
Engine/Oil Additives are an addition to the engine which it was not
designed to take.
Engines are designed to use engine oil,
not Teflon®.

My opinion, the majority of these are primarily a placebo to put

uneducated minds at rest while making a nice profit for the additive
manufacturer.

If you're considering Duralube, ProLong, Slick50 or any of the other

brand-name placebos, you should think twice and read further.

To illustrate the whole point about additives, consider this.

In the manufacture of synthetic oils, once the synthetic polyol ester
bases are created, anti-wear additives such as zinc dithiophosphates
(essentially combinations of zinc, phosphorous, and sulphour molecules) are
added. These combinations are extremely effective as anti-oxidant, anti-
wear, anti-corrosion inhibitors. Now look at the contents of some of the
after-market additives. Wow! Zinc, phosphorous and sulphour!
Hmmmmmmmmm!
Those aftermarket additives are in fact exactly what your oil
manufacturer has already put in .

Consider further that some oil companies actually make a point of telling
you not to use aftermarket additives with their oils.

So if these additives are so brilliant, why do the companies always seem to

end up in trouble?

Go ahead and click on a Brand below your thinking about using

and see all the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) reports pertaining to
that product . . .
Apartt from thee fact tha
at all the additive manufact
m urers havve been in
n
trouble in the past,
p and most of them
t havee lost the
eir cases
(see abbove):

My vieews on enngine oil ad

dditives are
a this:
the oiil companiies spend hundredss of millioons of dolllars on re
esearch an nd
develoopment inn order too make theeir oils su
uitable forr use in caar enginess.
Standdard off-tthe-shelf engine oiil is alreaddy stuffed with a cocktail
c of
additiives put there by the
t oil com mpany. By y contrastt, additivee companie es
spendd a couple of millionn on R&D and
a an equal amoun nt in PR an nd adverttising
to claim that thheir product (and d only the eir producct) will ennhance the e life
of youur engine.
You'ree adding an
a unapprroved additive to an n already additive--full oil.
Hmmm mmmmmm mm?

Servvicing and
a che
ecking
For thhe love of
f your vehhicle don'tt skimp onn either of
o these.
You can
c never check your engine oil too ofte en. Use thhe dipstick - that'ss what
it's th
here for - and don''t run below the 'm min' mark.. Below thhat, there e isn't
enouggh oil for the
t pump to be able to supp ply the topp of the engine
e while
keepinng a reserrve in the
e sump. All oils, no matter
m whhat their type, are e made
of lon
ng-chainedd molecule es which get
g shearred into sh horter chhains in a
runninng engine. This in turn meanss that the e oil begin
ns to lose
e its viscossity
over time,
t and it uses up
p the additives in itt that preevent scuffing between
cams and follow wers, ring
gs and cylinder wallls etc, etcc, etc.
When n this hap
ppens, freesh oil is the
t key.
And don't worry about the engine oil turning black. It will lose its golden-
brown color within a few hundred miles of being put in to the engine. That
doesn't mean it's not working. Quite the contrary - it means it is working
well.
It changes color as it traps oxidized oil, clots and the flakes of metal that
pop off heavily loaded engine parts.
Just don't leave it too long between oil changes.

How to Check & Change Your Oil

Checking your car's oil regularly is one of the most important ways to
preserve the life of the engine, and can save you a lot of money in
expensive repairs down the road.

Driving with the oil level too low can damage the engine.
An engine cannot run without oil, not even for a minute, without serious
engine damage occurring.

Checking the oil in your car's engine is the most basic AND SIMPLE under
the hood check and one of the most important.
Except for a few luxury cars with electronic oil level sensors,
checking the oil in your car's engine is done as it has been for generations:
by removing a dipstick from the engine and inspecting the oil level on the
end of the stick
(not to be confused with transmission - which also has a dipstick)

Check the engine oil on the dipstick periodically, especially if you own a late
model used vehicle. Driving even 20 - 30 miles with extremely low oil level
may result in expensive engine repair.

My Oil Light Comes On

The oil light will go on for one of two reasons:
either the oil is low or the oil pump has stopped pumping.
In both cases, the consequences are expensive if you keep driving.

1. If the oil light goes on, pull over as quickly and safely as you can.
2. Turn off the engine.
3. Put on your hazard lights and open the hood.
4. Check the oil
If the oil is not low, call a tow truck.
Do NOT DRIVE
with the oil light on!
 5. Add oil if it is low.
Add oil as specified in your owner’s manual,
or look for a tag under the hood of your car as to type of oil to use.
Oil is an important item that should be kept in your vehicle at all times - See More
6. Restart the engine and check the light.
7. It is OK to drive if the light is now off.
8. Check the oil again in a few hours and over the next few days.
If it is consistently low, there is a leak. See your mechanic!

If the engine is leaking oil, try new gaskets or seals

to fix the leak.
If the engine is burning oil, the valve guides and
seals are most likely worn out, but the rings and
cylinders could require replacement, too.
DID YOU KNOW . . .
Not replacing your head gasket when it is noted as leaking is likely to cause
severe engine damage. This is one of the many instances where sub
sequential damage may add up to being more than the cost of the original
repair. Have your vehicle inspected for fluid leaks every 3 months / 3,000
miles or 5,000 km when it is in for it's regular oil change to ensure your
safety as well as avoid any further cost.

How will I know when it's time for replacement?

• A head gasket that is leaking will quite often cause an over
heating condition in your vehicle. You will likely find that it
over heats and then cools off and over heats again.
• You may notice white smoke from your exhaust system if
the leak is internal as the vehicle is burning coolant. If it is
an external leak then you may notice a sweet burning smell
from under the hood as the coolant is burned off on the
engine block.
 Your vehicle should be inspected for fluid leaks in general at
each regular service interval when it is in for an oil change.
Have your vehicle inspected for fluid leaks every 3 months /
3,000 miles

How to Check Your Oil

11 Steps

Steps:

1. Check the oil when the engine is warm. Oil expands when it's hot and
contracts when it's cold; different temperatures will give you different readings.

Before checking the oil level, the engine has to be turned off

The oil must be given a few minutes to run off engine parts and collect back into the oil
pan. If you check the oil level just after shutdown, you could get an inaccurate oil level
reading.

A good time to check the oil is before you start the car for the day. At that time,
you can be sure that the oil has fully drained into the engine oil pan.
Remember, though, that the car must be level for an accurate check.

2. Park the car on a level surface.

3. Turn off the engine.

4. Find the dipstick (under the hood), a long piece of metal sticking out of the
engine usually with a loop at one end and is usually mounted on the side of the
engine.

Many manufacturers have the handle of the dipstick painted a bright color
(usually YELLOW) so it can be easily found.
Others may have a "T" handle, or are incorporated into the fill cap.
 CAAUTION: AlwaysA maake sure thee hood propp rod (if appplicable) is
properly seeated beforre you go under
u the hoood. If the prop
p rod shhould slip out,
o the
hood couldd fall and cause
c injuryy.

5. Pull onn the loop annd draw thhe dipstick all

a the wayy out.

CAUT TION: The oil and dippstick from

m an enginee that has juust been shuut off will be
b hot
and cann cause burrns. Avoid dripping oil
o from thee dipstick on hot enginne parts beccause
oil cann be flammaable.

6. Wipe thhe oil off thhe dipstick with a paper towel orr shop rag.
7. Replacee the clean dipstick, making
m suree to push it all the wayy in, then pull
p it
back out an
nd hold it horizontally
h y in front of
o you.

8. Look att the pointyy end of thee dipstick. Inspect

I the marks on the
t dipstickk.

There is no standdardized maarking systeem. Some have

h two liines, one marked
m "opeerating
range" and another "add." Many
M just have
h w no marrkings. Typpically the "add"
lines with
line meeans the sy
ystem requiires one quaart of oil.
You caan find out what the marks
m meann by lookinng in your owner's
o mannual.

What color is the

e oil?

Is it beetter to ma
aintain myy engine's oil
o level at the full mark
m or wait until it reaches
r
the "aadd" mark k to add oill?
Most vehicle manufacturers say it's okay to wait until the level reaches the add mark to
add oil. But considering that the crankcase capacity on most passenger cars today is
only four quarts, running the engine 25% low on oil (one quart) may not be wise.

The best advice, therefore, is to add oil whenever the dipstick reads low. Don't wait
until it is down a full quart. If it needs half a quart, add half a quart to bring it back up
to the full mark.

Always replace your oil with the same type and brand!

Your owner's manual will tell you what type of motor oil your engine requires.
If you do not have The Owners Manual:
To determine what kind of oil to use, sometimes you can read the dipstick or look at the
oil filler cap. You should see something like 5/30, 5W30, 10/30, 10W30.
You can also contact your nearest auto parts store or qualified mechanic.

Oil is an important item that should be kept in your vehicle at all times - See More

CAUTION: Do not overfill the engine.

You should not add oil unless the level is below the "ADD" or "LOW" mark
and NEVER add oil to bring the level above the "FULL" mark since too much
oil may do damage.
Adding too much oil can overfill the crankcase. As the crankshaft spins around, it can
whip the oil into foam if the level is too high. This, in turn, can cause a drop in oil
pressure and loss of lubrication to critical engine parts. Also, too much oil may cause
leaks as the extra oil is forced past seals and gaskets.

9. Add the oil by unscrewing the oil filler cap, should be a knob that says "oil.",
which is about 3 inches in diameter and located on the very top of the engine
usually found on one of the valve covers.

Unscrew it and pour in the amount and type of oil recommended for
your car. Look in your manual for the location of the knob if it's not
obvious and for what type of oil to use.

Add oil as specified in your owner’s manual, or look for a tag under the hood of your
car as to type of oil to use.
Motor oil is rated by a thickness rating (viscosity) over a specified temperature
range. Most cars will call out oil with ratings such as 10W-30.

Inappropriate Oil
could void warranty

Many new cars have certain grades of oil. Check your owner's manual for
the proper grade. If you use the wrong grade of oil, it will void your
warranty! For example, if you use 10W30 and your car requires 5W20, it
will void the warranty if any problems arise with your engine.

10. Check the oil level with the dipstick after adding oil. Add more if necessary.
It's easier to add more oil but fairly difficult to remove oil if you add too much.

11. Put the oil filler cap back on and secure it tightly.

What color is the oil?

The oil condition is very important and the color signifies potential
problems.
The oil should appear clean and translucent.

If the engine oil on the dipstick is white (or the color of coffee- with-
milk) or foamy, it means the engine coolant mixes with the engine oil, which
is evidence of an internal engine defect (such as a blown head gasket or
cracked block). Such defect is common for some V6 and V8 engines.
Also, the oil should never have a gasoline smell.

If the oil is white or has white specks in it, this means the engine coolant
is mixing with the engine oil because of an internal engine problem.
Have your car inspected.
There is evidence that more than 70% of all problems with hydraulic
systems can be traced directly to the condition of the oil.

Water in the oil

Is there is water in the oil, the oil must be replaced, as this not only
damages the ball and roller bearings but also causes corrosion of all steel
surfaces. This especially applies to those surfaces touched by the oil, for
in addition to water, oxygen is present and this promotes rust. A further
danger is the reduction of the operative area of filters and the consequent
increase in the abrasiveness of the oil.

If the oil is slightly-brown, it's O.K.

If it's dark-brown, but still transparent, it's admissible

but it would be better to change it.

If it is very thick and black,

you need to change it,
along with the filter.

If you wish to experiment a little,

You can
go here and test for contamination in your motor oil

The whole debate about exactly when to change your oil is somewhat of a
grey area. Manufacturers tell you every 7,500 miles under normal
conditions. "What the heck are normal conditions?" Your mechanic tells you
every 3,000 miles. Old man Billy Bob with the bad breath and false teeth,
who drives a 1962 Chevy pick up tells you he's never once changed the oil in
his truck and she runs great!

Consider this:
Are You a Severe Driver?

You may be surprised to learn that the vast majority of people are.

So, what exactly are severe driving conditions?

According to most vehicle manufacturers, severe conditions consist of the
following:

• Driving short trips of 10 miles or less.

• Stop-and-go driving such as rush hour commuting.
• Pulling a trailer or driving with a top carrier or camper on the
vehicle.
• Driving under hot or dusty conditions.

• Experiencing three or more cold starts per day, in which the

vehicle has been sitting for at least an hour or more between
startups.

If one or more of these conditions apply to your driving habits, then you
are a severe driver and should maintain your vehicle according to the
severe maintenance schedule outlined in your owner’s manual.
This means more frequent oil changes, usually at least every 3,000 miles.

When you checked your oil,

was it Dirty?
If it's dirty then you should probably change your oil!

In All Reality . . .
You can never change your engine oil too frequently.
The more you do it, the longer the engine will last!
Despite advances in motor oil technology, no oil will perform
indefinitely.
Motor oil becomes contaminated with combustion by-
products, dirt and water vapor, causing its chemical additives
to wear out.
Inappropriate Oil
could void warranty

Many new cars have certain grades of oil. Check your owner's manual for
the proper grade. If you use the wrong grade of oil, it will void your
warranty! For example, if you use 10W30 and your car requires 5W20, it
will void the warranty if any problems arise with your engine.

How to Troubleshoot Leaking Oil

Contrary to popular belief, cars do not use up engine oil. If your car is
consistently low on oil, you either have an oil leak or an engine that's
burning oil.
You can detect the latter condition by blue smoke coming out of the
tailpipe.
Cars that burn a lot of oil are candidates for engine rebuilding. Although
you may not be able to fix an oil leak, you can help diagnose it, saving your
mechanic's time and you some money.

Steps:

1. Open the hood and look for obvious signs of wetness. Oil leaks usually
come from a gasket: a piece of material, usually rubber, cork or silicone,
that creates a seal between two metal parts.
Look for places where different parts of the engine are bolted together.
2. Inspect underneath the car with a flashlight for signs of wetness. Oil
here could be from a leak under the engine, or it could be collecting from a
leak higher up. Wipe the suspect areas clean with a rag so you can inspect
them closely and pinpoint the leak's source.

3. Consider getting the engine professionally steam-cleaned at an auto-

repair shop if oil has leaked everywhere. This will make it easier for you or
your mechanic to locate the leak.

4. Place a large piece of cardboard on the ground under the engine. Make
marks on the cardboard to indicate its location in relation to the tires and
the car's front and rear. Leave it in place overnight. Use rocks to hold it
down if you park outside.
(Some oil leaks occur only when the engine is running, but the cardboard
method described here will still help locate these kind of leaks, because
the oil will drip down.)

5. Check the cardboard in the morning to determine the amount of leakage

and where it's dripping from.

6. You may find other types of leaks. Motor oil out of the bottle is the
color of honey. Oil that has been in the engine for a little while is dark
brown or even black.
Coolant is green and smells sweet.
Brake fluid is very light brown (almost clear) and very slippery. Automatic-
transmission fluid and power-steering fluid are usually red.

Repair leaks as they occur. It is more difficult to diagnose a leak when

everything is wet and seeping than on an otherwise dry and clean engine.

If you have a leak, be extra vigilant about checking all fluids regularly.

It's easier to just have Jiffy Lube or some other

"quick oil change shop" do it
Sure you
y can!
Let'ss look at a few of these
t facttors firstt by doing it yourse
elf:

You can
c save time and money.
m
You don't
d have
e to wait in
i line at the
t servic ce garagee or quick oil
chang
ge shop.
For ten bucks you can get
g the be est oil and
d a brand new oil fiilter.
Can you
y trust oneo of the ese placess?
And, it's so ea
asy to do that
t you could
c train a monke
ey to do itt.

Don'tt get me wrong!

w
If you fill comfortable with who you have change your oil, byy all
meanss do so, however,
h I do sugge
est you reead furtherr . . .

How
w To Ch
hange Your
Y Oiil

TIME:: About twen

nty minutes

An oil filterr wrench

A small to medium
m adjusttable wrench
NOT Vice Griips or Channel Locks
Two empty plastic milk caartons, or otherr empty container (e.g. emptyy oil bottle)
A funnel
A pair of metal
m car ramps or Jack Standss
A rag
Enough new w oil
(see your owner's manual forr recommended type and amoount)
A new oil filter
fi
(see owner's manual
m for recoommended typee)
A shallow plastic
p or metall pan that will hold
h more oil than
t your car holds
h
Wheel blocks
(Cinder Blockks, a 2X4 piece of wood, etc or o you can buy the real deal ata your local Auuto Store)
Safety or prrescription glassses

Optional:
A socket wrencch
Rubber glovess

TIP:
Befoore work begins, coat your haands with a thicck layer of liquuid dishwashingg detergent andd rub into yourr skin.
When
W the job is over, you will be amazed at how
h clean yourr hands will waash
or
Accquire a supply
y of thin latex rubber
r gloves to
t wear while you y work arouund the oil/greaase on the vehiccle.
1. Chhoose your oil - Addd oil as specified
s in your ow
wners manual, or lo
ook
for a tag underr the hood
d of your car as to type of oil
o to use.

DO NOT T USE
oil addittives!
WHY?
?

2. Possition the
e car - make
m sure that you're on levvel ground
d.

To do the job correctly, the

t car mu ust be levvel. This means
m you
u'll
have to liift the front and rear with car
c jack stands.
s

If you ca
an't afforrd or simp
ply do not wish to purchase
p a set, you can
rent them
m from se everal Autto Storess or otherr Tool Ren
ntal Deale
ers.
You can also
a make your own

Set your emergenc cy brake. If you ha

ave a manual transm mission, put
p
the car in
n first gear. If you
u have an automatic
c, set it to
t Park. Place
 the wheel blocks under the rear wheels to prevent any chance of the
car rolling back.

3. Drain the old oil - watch out for hot oil! It's not a bad idea to wear
safety glasses or even prescription glasses.

CAUTION:
Empty your oil, not your crank case

If you empty 4 to 5 quarts of "oil," and it smells funky,

you might have emptied your crank case fluid. Check
with your owners manual to be sure you are unscrewing
the right drain plug.

Oil should be changed hot, which means as soon as possible after the car
has been driven at operating temperature. If the car is parked for a long
period before oil is changed, it allows the oil to cool and gives particles of
dirt and water time to stick to parts of the engine. When the oil is
drained, the dirt and water stay in the engine.

CAUTION:
Empty your oil, not your crank case

If you empty 4 to 5 quarts of "oil," and it smells funky,

you might have emptied your crank case fluid. Check
with your owners manual to be sure you are unscrewing
the right drain plug.
Oil sh
hould be changed ho ot, which means ass soon as possible
p a
after the car
has beeen drivenn at opera
ating temmperature.. If the car is park ked for a long
period
d before oil
o is channged, it alllows the oil to cool and give
es particle
es of
dirt and
a water time to stick
s to paarts of thhe engine. When th he oil is
draineed, the dirt and wa
ater stay in the eng gine.

Take off the oil

o cover that
th is on thet top ofo the eng
gine, usuallly found on
o one
of the
e valve co
overs -
then unscrew
u the
t oil plug
ug for a faaster oil flow.
f

Take yo our wrench and sha

allow pan and
a crawl under th he car. Fin
nd the
oil plug un
nder the engine blo
ock that unscrews
u on the un
nderside of
o the
oil pan.

CAUTIO ON: Do not mix up the

t transmission drain plug, which is
locate
ed in the bottom
b of nsmission, with the
f the tran e oil drain plug.
You may
m want to t check the
t ownerr's or shop service manual.

oil plug
ugs

Place oiil pan (to hold

h at le
east 6 quaarts of liqquid) under and a biit
forward ofo the oil drain plug to comp pensate fo or the forward mootion
of the oill.

Now unsc
crew the plug
p
(counter--clockwise
e)
[Righty-Tigh
hty - Lefty-L
Loosey]
with the wrench.
(If the wrench
w slip
ips and sta
tarts to roound off the
t bolt head,
h try a
socket wrench
wr inst
stead.)
 The oil will strea am out rap
pidly, so be
b careful. Chancess are, the
e plug
will fall in
nto the pa
an along with
w the oil. Don't worry
w whe
en it happ
pens.

When
n all the oil has drained into the pan, fish
f t plug (here's
out the (h wh
here
rubbe
er gloves come
c in handy)
ha

ON: OIL MAY ST

CAUTIO TILL BE H
HOT!
Now screw
s it back
b in.
Tighte
en it firmmly, but no
ot so hard
d that you
u strip the
e threadss.

The drain
d plug should be
e cleaned and inspe
ected for wear in the
t thread
d
area.
Replac
acement drain
dr plugss are availilable thatt are sligh
htly overssize with self-
s
taping
g threadss. If you find
f a drai
ain plug tha
hat has crooss threaads or willl not
tighte
en properrly, you wiill have too install ann oversize
e drain pluug. These
e come
with a gasket to
t help th hem seal anya leaks.

Originnal equipm
ment drainn plugs ha ave a sealiing washe
er that fitts on the drain
plug. The
T sealin ng washerr is made of soft metal,
m such
h as alumiinum, and may
even have
h a sea
alant applied to itss surface. The purp pose of th
he washerr is to
prevent leaks around
a the drain plug.
Alwayys install a new se ealing wassher.

Do not under any circummstances pour

p the oil
o down a drain, orr in the sttreet,
or putt it anywh
here but in a proper recyclin
ng area.
Poorly
y placed oil
o can be a serious environmmental hazzard!

To find cle Used Oiil in your city, click here

d out wherre to recyc h
4. Change the filter - Always change the filter whenever you change the
oil.

Why Change Your Oil Filter?

Even though most engines hold only 4 to 5 quarts of oil, constant re-circulation of that
oil means that approximately 15,750 gallons will pass through your car's oil filter in
3,000 miles. This is why it is so important to have a clean oil filter it extends the life of
your engine.

Oil helps to equalize temperatures in your engine by traveling from hot areas to cooler
areas. Gradually, engine heat evaporates lighter components of the oil, causing it to
oxidize and thicken. In addition, oil picks up contamination: soot from the piston rings,
metal filings, dirt and grit that get past the air filter and othercontaminants from normal
operation of your engine.

Fortunately, your oil filter acts as a second-line defense for fighting these contaminants.
It prevents dirt and other contaminants from damaging internal engine parts by
constantly cleaning the oil as it flows through your engine.

An oil filter is a low cost way to keep your engine healthy.

Consult your owner's manual for more information.
 You'll be
b able to access th
he old filtter from either
e above or be
elow
the car.

My ve
ehicle doesn't have on
ne!
Click Here

Place the e oil filterr wrench

around th he filter's body. Itt
will tightten itself up when
you turn the wrench
counter-c clockwise e to
remove the
t oil filtter.

Oil Filterr Wrench

h
 The old
d filter ma
ay stick in
nitially, bu
ut will the
en unscrew w easily.
Unscrew it comple etely and carefully
c put it aside. It will be full of
o oil
so place your
y drain
n pan undeerneath.

H
HOW TO
T REM
MOVE A STUBBORN
N OIL FILTER
R
If yoou ever changed
c yo car'ss motor oil
your il, you mayy have expperiencedd how
diffiicult it can
an be at tiimes to re
emove thee filter. It's
It oily annd slippery
ry and
the wrench
w do
oesn't gett a good grip,
g so try
ry this: Plaace a strip
ip of sandp
dpaper
(grit side againnst filter)
r) betweenn the wrenench and the
t filter to stop itt from
slip
pping. Youu'll be amaazed at hoow much easier
e andd quicker the job goes.
g

IF youu are still having

h probblems remo oving the oiil filter, try this,
but
BE CAAREFULL
not to
o slip and cut yourself f or do harrm to the engine
e
1. Usin
ng a hamme er, push in a large screwdriver into half of o the filte
er
2. Empploy the scrrewdriver as a lever and turn th he filter countercloc ckwise.
3. Take off the screwdrive
s er and spin the filter off with your
y hands..

FOR OLDER
O CARS & TR RUCKS
Older model
m carss may have a cartridgee-style filteer, contained within a metal canisster.
The caanister is heeld onto thee mount byy means of a bolt throuugh its centtre. Removve the
filter by
b loosening the bolt. Dump the old cartridgge into youur drain pann and cleann the
can thooroughly with
w solventt and a brussh. Install thet new filtter elementt in the can and
lube thhe gasket with
w engine oil. Make sure that thhe old gasket has beenn removed, and
reinstaall the filterr can
 Dip youur fingertip in the old
o oil
(convenieent) or take a few drops froom a
new quart of oil (ccleaner). Use
U it to
lubricatee the circu
ular edge of the neew
filter, wh
here it will contactt the meta
al
engine suurface.

If the fiilter mountin

ng allows, filll the filter with
w the correct type of engine
e oil beefore installinng it on
the engine. This will reduce thee period of tiime requiredd to fill the fiilter and get oil to the enngine on
start upp. This can prrevent enginne wear. Filliing the filterr is especiallyy important on cars withh
turbochhargers. The turbochargeer bearings are a subject too oil starvatioon problemss if the oil dooes not
get to thhem quicklyy.

With yoour hand, install th

he new oil filter. If
f it seems even slig
ghtly
hard to turn,
t back
k it out! You
Y are crrossing th he threadss. Most fiilters
have instructions printed
p on
n them to
o give the filter onee more tuurn
e gasket has
after the h made contact.

Neverr
u a filterr wrench too put one on
use o

5. Ad
dd New Oil
O -

On top of the en ngine you'll find a knob

k that says "oil..", usually
y found
on one of
f the valve
e covers. See Abovee

Unscrew it and pour in the amount and type of oil

recomme ended for your car.. Look in your
y manu ual for the
e
location of
o the knoob if it's not obvio
ous and foor what tyype
of oil to use.
u
Save the e bottles for
f the diisposal of f the old oil.
o
If you
u don't kn now the oil capacity y of the engine,
e ad
dd four qu
uarts, then
checkk the oil le
evel, if it's a quart low add another
a quart.

Avoid overfillin
ng and bu
urst sealss

To reffill, subtrract one quart

q from
m what th he manual specifiess because you
can ne
ever get it all out. Run the engine
e 10 minutes and
a check k level with
dipstick.
Add more
m in pin
nt increm
ments to ra
aise level, it takes about 1 quart
q to raise
the le
evel from E to F.

Screw the
t knob back on anda wipe the
t area clean
c with the rag. Close
the hood and startt the engiine.

With thhe engine running, carefully

c check aro
ound the filter forr any
leaks. A leak will appear
a as some seepage at th he oil filter connec ction
e filter. If
or on the f there iss a leak, tiighten up the oil filter a litttle
more. If no leaks are
a found d, back the e car off of the raamps.

Pour the
t oil outt of the pan,
p and ussing the funnel,
f ansfer it to the em
tra mpty
oil botttles or milk
m containers. Tak ke the useed oil to the
t motorr oil recyccler
y found . . .
that you
"You did
d find one, right??"

Filterrs need to
o be recyc
cled right along witth your mo
otor oil.

To fiind out whe ere to recy

ycle To find out whe ere to recyycle
Used
U Oil in your city, Usedd Oil Filterrs in your city,
c
click here
h click here
 If used motor oil has been contaminated with other fluids such as anti-
freeze, solvents, gasoline, or water it cannot be recycled.

So please, do not mix your used oil with anything.

If your used oil accidentally gets contaminated, take it to your Community
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

Oil Change Procedure

for

The Non Do It Yourselfer

Do-it-yourself versus paying someone to
do it
Oil changes are pretty inexpensive when done at a reputable repair shop or
dealer. Most dealers offer oil change specials that cost less than the
quick-change oil places, and the dealers do a better job and use better
filters. Alot of dealers have very long service department hours including
on Saturday (some on Sunday). The dealers also offer a time guarantee,
generally that they'll get you in and out in less than 30 minutes or the next
oil change is on them. Another advantage of having it done at a repair shop
or dealer is that you have solid legal proof of the date and mileage when
the oil change took place.

Procedure

1. Call mechanic to make appointment.

2. Drive to mechanic.
3. Chat with owner while employee changes oil.
4. Pay for oil change.
5. Check the drain pug to know if it is plugged properly.
6. Drive home.
Quick-Lube
(and dealer)
Problems to Watch Out For
1. SAE30 oil. Some quick-lube places have been known to offer advertised
specials that use SAE 30 oil, as opposed to 5W30 or 10W30. Pay the extra
for the proper oil, or better yet avoid merchants that try to pull this kind
of thing because it's an indicator that they are less than honest.

2. Trying to use the wrong oil because it's what they have in bulk. Insist on
the oil that is specified on your filler cap and in your manual.

4. Selling unneeded and overpriced services such as engine flushes.

5. Selling overpriced, and often low quality, parts such as wiper blades and
washer fluid, PCV valves, thermostats, etc. Never let a quick-lube place do
any mechanical work on your vehicle.

6. Using poor quality filters. You really want to bring your own filter, from
the dealer, with you when you go to a quick-lube place. They may take $1 or
$2 off the price if you do this but don't count on it.

7. If you have a vehicle that actually still has Zerk fittings to lubricate
then be sure that they actually lubricate these fitting. Most cars no longer
require lubrication but some trucks still do.

8. Do not let a quick-lube place change or add any fluids other than oil. No
transmission fluid, no brake fluid, no power steering fluid, no antifreeze,
no oil additives, no fuel additives. It is just too easy for them to use the
wrong fluid and cause permanent damage to your vehicle.
 Click Here

You will be amazed/horrified

I think I'll pass on them!

Engine Flushes
The Latest Scam

Engine flushes pump heated solvent through your engine, supposedly to

wash away sludge. But regular oil changes with detergent oil already take
care of the sludge problem. And if you actually have an engine that is full
of sludge the last thing you want to do is do an engine flush because the
sludge can clog the oil passages and destroy the engine completely. These
flushes are completely unnecessary. All they do is wash the money out of
your wallet. As Click and Clack state: "This is what's known in the business
as a "profit center." Something the garage can use to beef up the amount
each person spends per visit. So unless you've got a very old car, and are
trying to solve a specific, sludge- or carbon-related-problem, I'd skip the
R-2000." These engine flushes usually sell for about $130. The victims are
people that think that they are doing something nice for their vehicle by
cleaning the engine. In fact a dealer or repair shop that tries to sell you an
engine flush should be avoided for all service because they are
untrustworthy.
Chec
cklist
Use only reecommendded engine e oil. It should be in the own
ners manu
ual
and if
f you are unsure
u ca
all up the manufact
m he dealer.
urer or th

M
Make a notte of yourr last oil change.
c

Always buy
y from rec
cognized dealers and outletss.

Ch t time of an oil change.

hange oil filter at the c

Never drivve your ve

N ehicle if th
he engine oil level is
i low or it
i does no
ot
have engine
e oil..
Most cars havee an indica ator for engine
e oil on the daashboard
umentation plaster.. If it indicates low
instru w oil do noot drive the car till you
refressh the en
ngine oil.

OIL RECYC
CLING
DISPO
OSING USED MOTO
OR OIL

Did yo
ou know . . .

If you recycle ju
ust two galllons of ussed oil it ca
an genera
ate enough
h electricitty to
run the average
e househo
old for almo
ost 24 hou
urs.

The catastrophhic EXXOON Valdez z spill was small com

mpared too the amouunt of
mped into
oil dum o backyard
ds, ditchees and farrm fields by do-it-y
yourself oil
o
changgers.

Each month
m mo
ore than 16
1 million gallons of
f used oil is disposeed improp perly.
It is estimated
e d that lesss than 15%
% of Do-iit-yoursellf oil chan
ngers prop perly
recycle their oil. The re
emaining 85%
8 of the people dump
d the oil into
sewerrs, on the ground, and
a into the trash.
SOME
E DOS AND DON'TS
S:

1. NEVVER dispo
ose used motor
m oil: on the grround; in a ditch, creek, rive
er, or
lake; in
i a storm
m sewer; or
o in the garbage.
g

2. DO
O NOT mix x used mootor oil with anything else, such
s as ga
asoline,
solven
nts, antifrreeze, pessticides, etc.
e

3. Tra
ansfer you
ur used motor
m oil to
t a clean leak-prooof plastic containerr with
a scre
ew-on top (milk jug, empty oil container, etc.) and
a put th he top on
firmly
y to preve
ent leaking
g or spilling.

4. Conntact a loccal gas station, garrage, or oil change station inn your city to ask
ey will take your used oil. Mo
if the ost compa anies that work witth used mo otor
fluidss will accept the used oil. Butt, always check witth them first.
f Don't
keep the
t used oil around d longer than necesssary as you
y risk pu uncturing the
container the longer you u store it..

Most of the pla

laces you''ll find willl take 2 to
t 10 gallo
lons at no charge. You
Y
must bring thee used mottor oil in closed
c con
ontainers, during buusiness hoours,
and taake the empty
em conttainers awway with you.
y

5. Prioor to disccarding yo our used oil

o filter, punch
p an air
a hole in n the dom
me end
of the e filter. You
Y may usse a screw wdriver, but
b be carreful not to punctu ure
your hand.
h Also
o, puncturre the antti-drain baack valve (if prese ent) locate
ed at
the flat end of f the filteer. Allow oil
o to drain from th he filter for
f severa al
hours. Combine e this oil with
w the rest
r of yo
our used motor
m f recycling.
oil for
When n you find a station n to disposse your oiil, ask if they
t will take
t your used
oil filtter as well.

A FEW
W FACTS
S ABOUT
T USED MOTOR
M O
OIL

Itt takes 42
2 gallons of
o crude oil to produce 2.5 quarts
q of
f motor oil, but
only one
o gallon of used motor
m oil to
t be re-rrefined in
nto the sa
ame amounnt of
reusable motorr oil.
Two gallons
g of used oil can
c provid
de electric
city to ru
un the ave
erage houssehold
for ap
pproximattely 24 hoours.

Itt only tak

kes one cu
up of used
d motor oiil to put an
a oil shee
en on a one acre
pond.

The United
T d States produces
p 1.3 billion
n gallons of
o waste oil
o each ye
ear,
of which 800 million
m galllons are recycled.
r

f all the waste

If w oil in
i the Uniited Statees where recycled in a single
year, we would save half f the outp
put of the
e Alaska Pipeline
P fo
or the sam
me
d.
period

Fo
our quarts of impro
operly dissposed oil can ruin a million gallons
g of
f
freshwater - a year's supply
s for 50 people

Oil is harm
O mful to aquuatic life.
For ex
xample, oil kills org
ganisms inn the wate
er that fish rely on
n as a foo
od
source
e.

Used oil is not remo oved from the sewaage treate

ed at wastewater
treatmment plan nts, In fac
ct, some plants
p use
e processe
es that ca an create
additiional pollu
utants froom the chemicals present in used oil.
Pourin
ng oil into a sewer is the samme thing as
a pouringg it directtly into a
streamm or riverr.

When oil is poured onto

W o the ground,
g it can conta
aminate drinking
d wa
ater
supplies.
Tossing oil into the trash is the same thing as pouring it on the ground. It
will be dumped in a landfill, where it will eventually seep into the ground
and contaminate drinking water.

Not only is recycling of oil a smart financial step in our economy,

it also lessens our dependence on foreign sources of oil and
prevents contaminants from getting into the environment.

Used Oil Filters:

Do NOT dispose of an undrained oil filter in the trash

Unfortunately, most used oil filters are not recycled, so the oil they
contain is released into the environment. Ninety percent of do-it-
yourselfers throw their filters in the trash, sending about 10 million
gallons of used oil to landfills every year.

Puncture domed part of the oil filter with a sharp tool. Drain filters on a
rack while they are "hot" for 12 hours.

Recycling oil filters saves resources and energy

Americans change over 400 million oil filters a year! These filters have a
high steel content and additional motor oil, both easily recycled. If all of
the oil filters manufactured in 1994 had been recycled, an estimated
161,500 tons of steel could have been recovered and 17.8 million gallons of
used oil would have been kept out of our fields and waterways.
 To find out where
w to re
ecycle
ed Oil Filtters in yourr city,
Use
To f
find out whhere to reccycle click here
U
Used Oil in
n your city
y,
click here

Othe
er rela
ated top
pics wh
hile serrving yo
our Eng
gine Oil
Chang
ge the breeather filter, check it often
n.
ace it every 10,000
Repla 0 to 15,00
00 miles.

Chang
ge the pcvv filter, ch
heck it of
ften;
repla
ace it everry 10,000 to 15,0000 miles.

Chang
ge the egrr valve sollenoid filtter, every
y 15,000 miles,
m or every
e tune
e up.

OTHE
ER CHECK
KS you sho
ould perfo
orm . . .

Chang
ge a fuel filter,
f eve
ery 10,000
0 to 15,00
00 miles.

ONCE
E A YEAR

Chang on filter, at least once

ge the auttomatic trransmissio o a yea
ar.

Chang
ge the cha nister filter, every tune-up.
arcoal can

While e under thhe hood an t vehicle, take a look arou

nd under the und at stu
uff,
grab things
t andd shake thhem and see
s if the eir loose. Look
L arouund for lea
aks.
Check k the fluid
d level of the radia
ator, brakkes, windsshield wassher, and power
p
steering. Check k your bellts and hooses for cracks
c or rotting. You
Y will also
need tot check your
y air filter
f ng the oil. Rotate tires and grease
while changin g
all ste
eering parrts every other oil change.
You should check the anti-freeze, or summer coolant-depending on what
time of the year it is, in the radiator or reservoir.

Personally, I'd go ahead and check the windshield washer reservoir, the
power steering reservoir, the brake master cylinder . . .if it is fluid, I'd
check it.

Lubricate The Chassis

Proper lubrication of your car's chassis insures its performance, and
should be done in conjunction with regular oil changes.

Your car's chassis provides a smooth ride, supports the weight of your car
and enables it to turn corners. In order to keep it working smoothly,
however, the chassis must be properly lubricated.

To prevent wear and binding of suspension parts, heavy grease is injected

between the moving joints and into grease fittings or "zerks". All car
models have different numbers of zerks in different locations.

Some models have a sealed chassis, which has no zerks. A sealed chassis
requires less maintenance; the joints are Teflon-coated and do not require
grease.

OIL SHORTAGE
Fuel System
The fuel system m pumps fuel
f m the fuel tank and mixes it with air
from
hat the proper air/f
so th fuel mixture can flow into the
t cylinde ers.
Fuel is delivered in thre
ee commoon ways:
carburretion,
port fu
uel injectio
on
and
direct fuel injecttion.

In carrburetion a device called a carbureto

c or mixes fuel
f into air
a as the air
flows into the engine.
e

In a fuel
f injectted enginee the righ
ht amountt of fuel iss injected
d individuaally
into each
e cylind
der eitherr right ab
bove the intake valvve (port fuel
f injecttion)
or dirrectly intoo the cylin
nder (dire
ect fuel in
njection).

Exha
aust Sy
ystem

Exhauust, the ga
arbage off the whole piston process, is
i vented out throu
ugh
the ex
xhaust poorts to the exhaustt pipes, muffler,
m an
nd tailpipe
e.

The exhaust
e sy t muffler. Witho
ystem includes the exhaust pipe and the out a
muffler what you
y would hear is th he sound of thousa
ands of sm
mall explosions
coming out your tailpipe. A muffleer dampens the souund. The exhaust
m also inc
system cludes a ca
atalytic converter.
c .

Explore on The
e Webpage covering exhaustt
 Emission Control System
The emission control system in modern cars consists of a catalytic
converter, a collection of sensors and actuators, and a computer to monitor
and adjust everything.

For example, the catalytic converter uses a catalyst and oxygen to burn
off any unused fuel and certain other chemicals in the exhaust. An oxygen
sensor in the exhaust stream makes sure there is enough oxygen available
for the catalyst to work and adjusts things if necessary.

Electrical System
The electrical system consists of a battery and an alternator.
The alternator is connected to the engine by a belt and generates
electricity to recharge the battery.

The battery makes 12-volt power available to everything in the car needing
electricity (the ignition system, radio, headlights, windshield wipers,
power windows and seats, computers, etc.) through the vehicle's wiring.

So you go out one morning and your engine will turn over but it won't start . . .

What could be wrong?

Now that you know how an engine works, you can understand the basic things that can
keep an engine from running.
Three fundamental things can happen: a bad fuel mix, lack of compression or lack of
spark. Beyond that, thousands of minor things can create problems, but these are the
"big three."
Based on the simple engine we have been discussing,
here is a quick run-down on how these problems affect your engine:

1. Bad fuel mix - A bad fuel mix can occur in several ways:

2. Lack of compression - If the charge of air and fuel cannot be compressed properly,
the combustion process will not work like it should. Lack of compression might occur
for these reasons:
The most common "hole" in a cylinder occurs where the top of the cylinder (holding
the valves and spark plug and also known as the cylinder head) attaches to the cylinder
itself. Generally, the cylinder and the cylinder head bolt together with a thin gasket
pressed between them to ensure a good seal. If the gasket breaks down, small holes
develop between the cylinder and the cylinder head, and these holes cause leaks.

3. Lack of spark - The spark might be nonexistent or weak for a number of reasons:

Other Problems

Many other things can go wrong. For example:

In a properly running engine, all of these factors are within tolerance.

As you can see, an engine has a number of systems that help it do its job of converting
fuel into motion. Most of these subsystems can be implemented using different
technologies, and better technologies can improve the performance of the engine.

DETECT ENGINE PROBLEM

Try and detect the problem - is the car not starting, running roughly, conking out, or
using too much petrol?

After you have detected it, isolate the system most likely to be its cause. If it is conking
out, the fuel system may be at fault. If it is not starting, the electrical system may be
worth looking at first. If the car is overheating, check the cooling system.

After you have isolated the most likely system, locate the weakest link in that system.
The fuel pump, for example, is often the most vulnerable part of the fuel system.

Check each successive part in the system until the problem is solved.

Get the broken part replaced or repaired. Consult your car's manual for other specific
problems you might be facing.
This will help to speed up diagnosis
REV
VIEW off
THE
E INTER
RNAL COMBU
C USTION
N ENGIN
NE
Ingreedients:
Air
Fuel
Sparkk (match)
Comprression (c
compacting
ng)

1. Air andd fuel entter the cyylinder thrrough the intake porrt opened by the
intake vallve.
The pistoon at this point is moving
m dow
wn the cyylinder, th
hus creatiing a
vacuum that
t helpss draw in these twoo ingredie
ents.

2. The piston thenn moves up

u the cyliinder, com mpacting these
t ingrredients
tightly together. This insurres a nice
e igniting of
o the ma
aterials fo
or
optimum explosivee pressure e afterwaards.

3. The sppark plug liights the air and fuel mixture.

This "ign
niting" ma
akes the spark
s plug
g part of the
t ignition system

The sparrk plug supplies the

e spark th
hat ignitess the air/
/fuel
mixture so that combustion can occu ur. The sppark mustt happen
at just the
t right moment
m f things to work properly.
for p
4. A conttrolled bu
urning tak
kes place in
i the cylinder justt above th
he
piston.

5. The exhaustt, the garbbage, leave

es through
h the exh
haust portt and
tra
avels down
n the exh haust pipe es.
Resultts:

Pressu
ure from the newly y created gases rapidly expa anding pussh down on
o the
piston
n, creatingg downward motion n. Becausee the pisttons are each conneected
to the
e crankshaaft at diff
ferent poiints, these downwa ard movemments turn this
cranksshaft.

The pisstons push the cranksshaft, and downward

d m
movement b
becomes ciircular movvement.

Note that down nward powwer has been

b changged to rottating pow
wer-a key y
technnological advance
a pa
aralleling the inven
ntion of th
he light bulb! The
numbe er of time
es the craankshaft revolves ini a minutte from thhis pushinng is
record ded by yo
our dashboard's ta achometerr in revolu
utions perr minute (rpm)
elow).
(see be
This "tach"
" nee
edle will hover
h arou und 800 when
w the engine
e is at idle, 2,000
when coasting, 2,500+ for accelerating or driving up phill.
This rotating crankshaft rotates the flywheel. The now rotating flywheel
has lots of surface area from which the transmission can physically pick up
and transmit this rotating power to the wheels.
The end result is that everything, including the wheels, rotates. And wheel
rotation moves the car. It is sort of like a domino reaction, where one
moving domino causes the next one to move. Here, the power from the
piston causes the crankshaft to move, which causes the flywheel to move,
then the transmission, then the drive axles, then the wheels.

Interestingly, by attaching a belt (NOT the timing Belt mentioned

earlier) to the end of this revolving crankshaft, this rotating movement
is utilized by other parts of the car.
For example, the now rotating belt moves the water pump, whose job
it is to circulate the coolant through the engine. The belt also turns
the alternator, which generates electricity for the battery and spark
plugs.

Rotary engines work in a different way.

The rotary, or Wankel, engine has no piston, it uses rotors instead

(usually two). This engine is small, compact and has a curved, oblong
inner shape (known as an "epitrochoid" curve). Its central rotor turns
in one direction only, but it produces all four strokes (intake,
compression, power and exhaust) effectively.
Explore The Rotary Engine
Types of Engines
There are two main kinds of automobile engines,

An inline 4 cylinder engine

In-line engines
A V-6 cylinder engine
In-line engines have the cylinders arranged,
one after the other, in a straight line. In a
vertical position, the number of cylinders
used is usually either four or six, but three
cylinder cars are becoming more common.
A flat 4 cylinder engine
V-Type Engines

The V-type of engine has two rows of

cylinders at (usually) a ninety degree angle
to each other and is commonly used in V-6,
V-8, V-10 and V-12 configurations.
Its advantages are its short length, the
great rigidity of the block, its heavy
crankshaft, and attractive low profile (for a
car with a low hood). This type of engine
lends itself to very high compression ratios
without block distortion under load,
resistance to tensional vibration, and a
shorter car length without losing passenger
room.

In 1914, Cadillac was the first company in the

United States to use a V-8 engine in its cars.
 F
Flat (Horrizontal-O
Opposed) Engines
E

A horizon ntal-oppossed engine e is like a V-type

e
engine thaat has bee en flattenned until both
b
b
banks lie in a horizzontal plan
ne. It is id
deal for
i
installatio
ons where e vertical space is limited,
b
because itt has a ve
ery low heeight.

Flat engin
F nes are lesss commo on than thhe other
t
two designs. They are used in Subaru's and
P
Porsches in 4 and 6 cylinderr arrangem
ments
a well as in the old
as d VW bee etles with 4
c
cylinders.. Flat enggines are also
a used in some
F
Ferrari's with 12 cylinders.
c

Othe
er Probblems you
y mig
ght encounter with the
t
menttioned parts
Piston
ns: The riings over time tend d to wear out. Whe en they wear
w they allow
the fuuel and airr to enterr into the
e oil and dilute it. This
T dilution reduc
ces
the oiils ability to lubrica
ate your engine
e andd can causse prematture wearr.
Also if the ring gs wear doown they can allow w oil from the crank kcase to enter
e
the coombustion n chamberrs. This will
w resultt in oil beiing burned d and exitting
your tailpipe
t ass grayish/
/white smmoke. If your
y car spews
s grayyish white
e
smoke e and it do oes not go
o stop in the
t first few minutes afterr start-up you
mightt have worrn rings. IfI the sm moke goes away aftter start-up look to o the
valvettrain secttion.

Cranksshaft: Th
he cranksh
haft ridess on bearings which
h can wea
ar down ovver
time. The bearrings supp port the crankshaf
c ft and also
o the rodss which
conne t cranksshaft. A loud medium pitched knockiing
ect the pisstons to the
noise in the eng
gine pointts to warnn bearingss most of the time.. This is
y a costly
usually y repair annd involve
es removinng the cra
ankshaft and eithe er
machining the surface where the bearings ride, or replacing the entire
crankshaft. To prevent this type of problem, use a high quality oil, change
your oil at suggested intervals (3 months or 3000 miles is a safe number)
and always maintain your oil level between oil changes.

Valvetrain: Remember the oil smoke problem mentioned above in the

piston sections. If your car only smokes grayish/white smoke at start-up
you may have leaking valve seals. Valve seals keep oil from above the valve
from leaking into the combustion chamber. When they wear, they can allow
oil to seep into the combustion chamber and collect there until your start
the engine again. You generally do not get oil leaking past the valve seals
while the engine is running since the seals expand with the heat of the
engine and plug the leak.

Another common problem is the timing chain or belt will slip or even
break causing the cam shaft to stop rotating. Remember the camshaft
tells the valves when to open and if it stops spinning then the valves stop
opening and closing. No valve moving, no engine running :-)

A term you will here when talking about timing chains and belts is
"interference engine". When an engine is an "interference engine" the
pistons and valves are so close together that if the valves were to stop
moving (broken belt or chain) and the crankshaft kept spinning they would
crash into the piston. (that's the interference) This crash tends to do bad
things to an engine, breaking valve, bending pushrods, and even cracking
pistons. This is why most manufacturers recommend changing the timing
chain or belt every 60,000 miles. timing belts dry out, stretch and
deteriorate over time so even if you do not have 60,000 miles on the car
think about changing the belt after it's 6 years old.
Chec
ck yourr Engine
e Condition on
n a Reg
gular Basis
B
Generrally, mostt of enginne breakag ges happe en as the result of the owne er's
mistakes. If yo our car ha
as run well for many years, youy might find yourrself
skipping a fluidd check orr putting longer
l perriods of time
t betwween the engine
e
cing. Toda
servic ay, with se
elf-servicce gas stations everywhere, often the e only
way yoou will inssure your car's fluiids are att proper le
evels is to
o do it you
urself.
If youu don't, you may miss a mino or defect, for exam mple, a coolant leakkage.
A feww weeks la ater, lack of the cooolant causes your engine to overheatt and
eventually you are faced d with enggine dama age. And then
t even after tha at
repairr, other small problems surf face and you
y find that your car break ks
down more ofte en.
mportant for you to
It's im t safegua ard your vehicle
v invvestment by check king
your engine
e conndition on
n a regularr basis.

Whaat's Neeeded to
t Keep
p the Engine
E i Good
in d
Cond
dition?
Actua
ally, only few
f basic condition
ns are nee
eded for long engin
ne life:

Good engine lubrication

- Perform
m timely oil Changes and
a oil filte
er changes and use on
nly high qua
ality oil
and oil
o filters

- Check your
y garage
e floor or parking
p spa
ace for visible signs of
o fluid lea
akage

Prevent th
he engine from overrheating

- Periodic
cally check
k the coolin
ng system, the coolan
nt level, and
d radiator

Perform engine
e main
ntenance and
a tune up
u accordin
ng to the owners' manual
m
dule
sched

- Provide
e necessary
y cleanings and adjusttments (drrive belt te
ension, valvve
clean
ning, etc)
 - Provide
e necessary
y replaceme
ents (timin
ng belts, air filters, spark
s plugss, etc)

Immediate
ely elimina
ate any minor engine
e defects

Starrt by Checking
C g the Engine
E Condition
Routinnely listen
n for noises when your
y enginne is running. The engine
e sho
ould
run evvenly and you shoulld not hea ar any strrong noisees, knockinng, pingingg, or
whistlling while the enginne is idling
g or durinng accelerration. After
A it's
warme ed up, tryy to presss accelerator harsh hly for a second.
s Thhe engine
shouldd acceleraate quickly, without delays or o hesitattion. Therre should be no
loud noises
n while accelerrating. Thhe idle sho ould be sttable duriing a stop
p.
Theree should beb no smok ke coming g out fromm the tail pipe (only
ly steam during
d
warmiing up or in
i cold we
eather is permissib
p ble).

Look at
a the insstrument panel.
p All the warnning lightss on the in
nstrumentt panel
for low oil presssure, che
eck engine
e, overheaating, etc should go o off afte
er the
enginee is starte
ed and shhould not come
c on while
w the engine is running.

Open the hood and look at the en ood engine should be

ngine. A go b dry. Itt may
be dussty, but itt should not
n be oily y, and it should
s nott have any
y leaks. Ch
heck
the en
ngine thorroughly fo or oil leak
ks. The mo e damage your
ore leaks,, the more
engine
e may havve.

Whenn performing routin

ne engine maintenance and tune ups, cleanings,
c
adjusttments, and
a necesssary repla or the following:
acements,, check fo

Fuel Fillter: A dirty fuel filter

f may
y cause un
nexpected
d engine
alling and loss of en
sta ngine poweer.

Air Filtter: A dirrty air filtter dirty air filter causes lo

oss of eng
gine
pow
wer, incre
eased fuel consump ption, etc

Spark Plugs: repla

acement can
c give siignificant enhancem
ment of engine
e
perrformance
e.
 B : Timing Belt da
Timing Belt amage can
n cause se
erious eng
gine dama
age,
pecially if it's a die
esp esel engine.

Engine Coolant: Old coola

ant loses its
i anticorrosive an
nd other
cha
aracteristtics.

REPLA
ACE With New
N Car
RE
EBUILD Enggine
or
Innstall REMAANUFACTU URED Enginne?
 The Transmission
Trans`mis´sion

n. (Mech.) The mechanism within a vehicle which transmits rotational power from the engine to
the axle of the wheel propelling the vehicle; it includes the gears and gear-changing mechanism as
well as the propeller shaft.

There is more to making a car go than an explosion in

the cylinder pushing a piston and turning a crankshaft as
explored in the previous section

"The Automobile's Engine" .

A vehicle needs a way to handle its rotary energy efficiently. It needs a
way to transmit the power the engine generates, and to transmit it
effectively.
A car needs a transmission.

What is a transmission?

The transmission is a device that is connected to the back of the engine

and as the name suggests, a car's transmission "transmits" or sends,
power from the engine to the drive wheels.
Essentially, a car moves forward through a combination of speed and
torque, or twisting power. The transmission sets these two
characteristics so that the driver gets the smoothest, most efficient
ride at the speed they want.
A Transmission Converts Torque
highway speeds, it requires much less torque.
The greater the torque, the greater the pulling power
of the engine. Torque is the power of the twisting action that is
sent to the wheels once the reciprocal
(up and down motion)
energy of the pistons is converted to rotary energy. What the transmission
does is increase and decreases the torque according to the demand that
the driver places on the automobile. With a manual transmission, the
driver selects the amount of torque. With an automatic transmission,
the transmission automatically shifts according to demand.
If the car is moving up a steep hill, it requires more torque. If the car is
moving on a flat interstate at
Torque, along with engine RPM (revolutions per minute), is how horsepower
is measured.

If your vehicle had no transmission system, it would be difficult for the

vehicle to make the best use of all the possible combinations of speed
and torque.
This would compromise the efficiency of the engine.

A Transmission Is a Torque Multiplier

The transmission delivers multiplied torque to the propeller shaft. The

shaft sends the power to the axle, and the axle to the tires. In low gear
and in second gear, an auto transmission is a torque multiplier.
Low gear, the gear used when climbing a steep hill, or sometimes when
pulling a very heavy load, has a torque multiple of around 3 to 1.
Second gear has a torque multiple of about 2 to 1. High gear, used at
highway speeds, is a direct drive gear, meaning that there is no torque
multiplier.
 And if you have a car equipped with "overdrive," the torque ratio is in
the neighborhood of 0.8 to 1. Every auto transmission establishes its
multiples with slight differences, depending on what the designers
determine to be the most efficient torque multipliers for a given engine
in a specific car.

Highway speeds require less torque conversion from the transmission.

If your car is equipped with overdrive, use it on the highway. Properly used, overdrive will
reduce engine wear, increase gas mileage, and promote longer engine and transmission life.

Understanding Torque Multiples

Imagine riding a ten-speed bicycle. Your legs are the pistons pumping up
and down, the sprocket converts the energy to rotary power, and the
bicycle chain and the derailleur (the gadget that moves the chain through the
gears) are the transmission. If the bike is in first gear-the chain is
connected to the smallest front sprocket and to the largest rear
sprocket- you may be able to climb even a steep hill and stay seated.
Your legs pump rapidly but without a lot of effort, and the bike moves
slowly up the hill: high torque, low speed. It is practically impossible to
start off in tenth gear and climb the hill. Tenth gear generates low
torque but much higher speed for the same amount of leg effort.

The transmission of a car does the same work, but other gears replace
the chain. The gears themselves are made of much stronger and heavier
metals, and designed to withstand the strains of the automobile's
weight and speed.

What happens when pulling a heavy load in too high a gear?

Think about peddling a bike up a hill in the wrong gear. If the gear is too high (too little
torque), a heavy load strains the engine, causes it to heat up, and over time will reduce
engine life.
So . . .
How does the transmission actually
work?
Well, with each small explosion in the four-stroke engine, a connecting rod
turns the crankshaft, sending power through the transmission to a set of
gears that adjust the speed and torque to meet the conditions of the
road.
Whether you have a manual transmission or an automatic transmission,
the principle is the same:
higher gears allow the engine to run more slowly on long or flat
stretches of road, and lower gears help the engine turn faster to
produce more power and conserve fuel.
In manual transmission, the driver has to shift gears when they want to
increase or decrease their rate of speed.
With an automatic transmission, invented in 1932, the gears are shifted
automatically.
Other popular transmission variants found on today's cars allow for
both - a manual and an automatic mode, as well as a fifth gear for
better fuel efficiency at higher speeds.

Types of Transmissions
There are two types of transmissions:
the manual transmission
and
the automatic transmission.
If you're mashing a clutch with your left foot and
changing gears with your right hand,
 Learn How
w To Drive A Stick Shift

you have
h a manual transm
mission.

If all your car

c req quires of
o your feet is that your righ ht
foott alternate bettween the
t gas pedal and the braake pedal,
yourr car is equippeed with
h an auttomatic
c transmmission..

Eve
ery car compan ny deveelops itss own transmisssions. For
tha
at reaso
on it is imposssible to offer one
o diaagram that
shows all the
t partts of evvery tra ansmisssion.
Bu
ut every
y modell of tra
ansmission usess the sa ame basic
principle
es to doo its job
b.

Automatic
c Transmisssionss
Autommatic transmission ns contain
n mechanical syste ems, hydrraulic systems,
electrrical systtems and computerr controlss, all workking toge
ether in
perfe
ect harmo ony whichh goes virttually unn
noticed until there
e is a problem.
Hopef fully in th e we will help you understand the co
his article oncepts behind
b
what goes on inside the e transmisssion and d what goe
es into re
epairing them
t
when they fail.
There are two basic types of automatic transmissions based on whether
the vehicle is
rear wheel drive or front wheel drive.

On a rear wheel drive car, the transmission is usually mounted to the

back of the engine and is located under the hump in the center of the
floorboard alongside the gas pedal position.

A drive shaft connects the rear of the transmission to the final drive
which is located in the rear axle and is used to send power to the rear
wheels. Power flow on this system is simple and straight forward going
from the engine, through the torque converter, then through the
transmission and drive shaft until it reaches the final drive where it is
split and sent to the two rear wheels.

On a front wheel drive car, the transmission is usually combined with

the final drive to form what is called a transaxle. The engine on a front
wheel drive car is usually mounted sideways in the car with the
transaxle tucked under it on the side of the engine facing the rear of
the car. Front axles are connected directly to the transaxle and provide
power to the front wheels.

In this example, power flows from the engine, through the torque
converter to a large chain that sends the power through a 180 degree
turn to the transmission that is along side the engine. From there, the
powerr is route
ed through the tra
ansmission
n to the final
f drive where it
i is
a sent to the tw
split and wo front wheels
w th
hrough thhe drive axles.
a

Theree are a nu umber of other arrangemen nts includ

ding frontt drive
vehiclles where e the engine is mou unted froont to bacck instead of sideways
and thhere are other sysstems tha at drive all
a four wheels but the
t two
systems descrribed abovve are by y far the most pop pular.
A mucch less po opular rea
ar drive arrangem
a ent has the
t transm mission
mountted direc ctly to the
e final drrive at the rear annd is conn
nected byya
drive shaft to the torque converrter whic ch is still mounted on the engine.
This system
s iss found on
n the neww Corvette and is ussed in ord
der to ballance
the weight
w eveenly betw
ween the front
f and
d rear wheels for improved
i
perfo
ormance and a handling.
Anothher rear drive
d systtem moun nts everyything, the engine, transmisssion
and final drive e in the re
ear. Thiss rear eng gine arranngement is popularr on
the Poorsche.

Autom
matic Tra
ansmissio
on Components

The main
m ponents that make
comp e up an au
utomatic transmiss
t sion include:

Pllanetary Geaar Sets whic

ch are th
he mechan
nical systtems thatt providess the
variou
us forwarrd gear ra
atios as well
w as revverse.

The Hydra
T aulic Systtem which h uses a special
s transmissioon fluid sent
underr pressuree by an oiil pump thrrough the
e Valve Bod
dy to cont
trol the
Clutches and th
he Bands in
n order to o control the plane
etary geaar sets.

eals and Gaskets

Se G are used to
o keep the
e oil wherre it is su
upposed to
t be
and prevent it from lea
aking out.

The Torquee Converterr which acts like a clutch to

T o allow th
he vehicle
e to
come to a stop
p in gear while
w the
e engine iss still run
nning.
 The Governnor and th
T he Modula ator or Thhrottle Cable
C thatt monitorr
speed
d and thro
ottle posiition in orrder to determinee when to shift.

On newer vehicles,
O v shift points are controlled
c d by Compputer which
directts electriical solen
noids to shift oil fllow to the
e approprriate
compoonent at the
t rightt instant.

Planettary Gea
ar Sets

Autom matic tran

nsmissionss contain many gea ars in vario
ous combinations. In a
manua al transmiission, gea
ars slide along
a shaf
fts as you
u move the shift leever
from one position to ano other, eng
gaging varrious sizedd gears ass required
d in
order to providde the corrrect gear ratio. In n an autommatic trannsmission
n,
howevver, the gears are never
n phyysically mo
oved and are alwayys engaged d to
the saame gearss. This is accomplis
a shed throu ugh the use
u of plan netary gear
sets.

The basic
b plane
etary gear set conssists of a sun gear, a ring ge
ear and tw
wo or
more planet ge emaining in constan
ears, all re nt mesh. The
T plane et gears are
a
conneected to each
e otherr through
h a commo on carrier which allows the gears
g
to spin on shafts called "pinions" which aree attached to the carrier.
c

One example
e of
f a way thhat this system can n be used d is by con
nnecting the
t
ring gear
g to the input shhaft coming from the t engine e, connectting the planet
p
carrie
er to the output
o sh
haft, and locking
l thhe sun gea ar so thatt it can't move.
m
In thiis scenario, when we
w turn th he ring gea ar, the plaanets willl "walk" allong
the suun gear (w
which is helld stationarry) causing g the plannet carrieer to turn the
output shaft inn the same e directio on as the input shaf ft but at a slower speed
ng gear re
causin eduction (similar
( to a car in firs
rst gear).

If we unlock th he sun geaar and loc

ck any two
o elements togetheer, this wiill
cause all three elementss to turn ata the samme speed so that the
t outputt
shaft will turn at the saame rate ofo speed as
a the inp
put shaft. This is like a
hat is in third or hiigh gear. Another
car th A w that we
way w can usse a Planettary
gear set
s is by locking
l th
he planet carrier
c frrom movin
ng, then applying poower
 to the ring gear which will cause the sun gear to turn in the opposite
direction giving us reverse gear.

The illustration on the right shows

how the simple system described
above would look in an actual
transmission. The input shaft is
connected to the ring gear (Blue), The
Output shaft is connected to the
planet carrier (Green) which is also
connected to a "Multi-disk" clutch
pack.

The sun gear is connected to a drum (yellow) which is also connected to the
other half of the clutch pack. Surrounding the outside of the drum is a
band (red) that can be tightened around the drum when required to
prevent the drum with the attached sun gear from turning.

The clutch pack is used, in this instance, to lock the planet carrier with the
sun gear forcing both to turn at the same speed. If both the clutch pack
and the band were released, the system would be in neutral. Turning the
input shaft would turn the planet gears against the sun gear, but since
nothing is holding the sun gear, it will just spin free and have no effect on
the output shaft. To place the unit in first gear, the band is applied to hold
the sun gear from moving. To shift from first to high gear, the band is
released and the clutch is applied causing the output shaft to turn at the
same speed as the input shaft.

Many more combinations are possible using two or more planetary sets
connected in various ways to provide the different forward speeds and
reverse that are found in modern automatic transmissions.
Some of the clever gear arrangements found in four and now, five, six and
even seven-speed automatics are complex enough to make a technically
astute lay person's head spin trying to understand the flow of power
through the transmission as it shifts from first gear through top gear
while the vehicle accelerates to highway speed. On newer vehicles, the
vehicle's computer monitors and controls these shifts so that they are
almost imperceptible.

Clutch Packs
A clutch pack consists of alternating disks that fit inside a clutch drum.

Half of the disks are steel and have

splines that fit into groves on the
inside of the drum. The other half
have a friction material bonded to
their surface and have splines on the
inside edge that fit groves on the
outer surface of the adjoining hub.

There is a piston inside the drum that is activated by oil pressure at

the appropriate time to squeeze the clutch pack together so that the two
components become locked and turn as one.
 One-Way Clutch
A one-way clutch (also known as a "sprag" clutch) is a device that will allow
a component such as ring gear to turn freely in one direction but not in the
other. This effect is just like that of a bicycle, where the pedals will turn
the wheel when pedaling forward, but will spin free when pedaling
backward.

A common place where a one-way clutch is used is in first gear when the
shifter is in the drive position. When you begin to accelerate from a stop,
the transmission starts out in first gear. But have you ever noticed what
happens if you release the gas while it is still in first gear? The vehicle
continues to coast as if you were in neutral. Now, shift into Low gear
instead of Drive. When you let go of the gas in this case, you will feel the
engine slow you down just like a standard shift car. The reason for this is
that in Drive, a one-way clutch is used whereas in Low, a clutch pack or a
band is used.

Bands
A band is a steel strap with friction material bonded
to the inside surface. One end of the band is
anchored against the transmission case while the
other end is connected to a servo. At the
appropriate time hydraulic oil is sent to the servo
under pressure to tighten the band around the drum
to stop the drum from turning.

Torque Converter
On automatic transmissions, the torque converter takes the place of the
clutch found on standard shift vehicles. It is there to allow the engine to
continue running when the vehicle comes to a stop. The principle behind a
 torque converter is like taking a fan that is plugged into the wall and
blowing air into another fan which is unplugged.

If you grab the blade on the unplugged fan, you are able to hold it from
turning but as soon as you let go, it will begin to speed up until it comes
close to the speed of the powered fan. The difference with a torque
converter is that instead of using air, it uses oil or transmission fluid, to be
more precise.

A torque converter is a large doughnut shaped device

(10" to 15" in diameter) that is mounted between the
engine and the transmission.

It consists of three internal elements that work

together to transmit power to the transmission.

The three elements of the torque converter are the Pump, the Turbine,
and the Stator.
The pump is mounted directly to the
converter housing which in turn is bolted
directly to the engine's crankshaft and
turns at engine speed. The turbine is
inside the housing and is connected
directly to the input shaft of the
transmission providing power to move the
vehicle. The stator is mounted to a one-
way clutch so that it can spin freely in
one direction but not in the other.

Each of the three elements have fins mounted in them to precisely direct
the flow of oil through the converter

With the engine running, transmission fluid is pulled into the pump section
and is pushed outward by centrifugal force until it reaches the turbine
section which starts it turning. The fluid continues in a circular motion
back towards the center of the turbine where it enters the stator. If the
turbine is moving considerably slower than the pump, the fluid will make
contact with the front of the stator fins which push the stator into the
one way clutch and prevent it from turning. With the stator stopped, the
fluid is directed by the stator fins to re-enter the pump at a "helping"
angle providing a torque increase. As the speed of the turbine catches up
with the pump, the fluid starts hitting the stator blades on the back-side
causing the stator to turn in the same direction as the pump and turbine.
As the speed increases, all three elements begin to turn at approximately
the same speed.

Since the '80s, in order to improve fuel economy, torque converters have
been equipped with a lockup clutch which locks the turbine to the pump as
the vehicle speed reaches approximately 45 - 50 MPH. This lockup is
controlled by computer and usually won't engage unless the transmission is
in 3rd or 4th gear.

Hydraulic System
The Hydraulic system is a complex maze of passages and tubes that sends
transmission fluid under pressure to all parts of the transmission and
torque converter.

The newer systems are much

more complex and are
combined with computerized
electrical components.
Transmission fluid serves a
number of purposes
including: shift control,
general lubrication and
transmission cooling.
Unlike the engine, which uses oil primarily for lubrication, every aspect of a
transmission's functions is dependant on a constant supply of fluid under
pressure. This is not unlike the human circulatory system (the fluid is even
red) where even a few minutes of operation when there is a lack of
pressure can be harmful or even fatal to the life of the transmission. In
order to keep the transmission at normal operating temperature, a portion
of the fluid is sent through one of two steel tubes to a special chamber
that is submerged in anti-freeze in the radiator. Fluid passing through this
chamber is cooled and then returned to the transmission through the
other steel tube. A typical transmission has an average of ten quarts of
fluid between the transmission, torque converter, and cooler tank. In fact,
most of the components of a transmission are constantly submerged in
fluid including the clutch packs and bands. The friction surfaces on these
parts are designed to operate properly only when they are submerged in
oil.

Oil Pump
The transmission oil pump
(not to be confused with the pump element inside the torque converter)
is responsible for producing all the oil pressure that is required in the
transmission. The oil pump is mounted to the front of the transmission
case and is directly connected to a flange on the torque converter housing.
Since the torque converter housing is directly connected to the engine
crankshaft, the pump will produce pressure whenever the engine is running
as long as there is a sufficient amount of transmission fluid available. The
oil enters the pump through a filter that is located at the bottom of the
transmission oil pan and travels up a pickup tube directly to the oil pump.
The oil is then sent, under pressure to the pressure regulator, the valve
body and the rest of the components, as required.
 Valve Body

The valve
v body
y is the co
ontrol cen
nter of th
he automa
atic transsmission.

It conttains a maaze of cha

annels and d
passage es that direct hydraulic fluid to
the nummerous va alves whic
ch then
activatte the apppropriate clutch paack
or bandd servo too smoothlyy shift to
o the
appropriate gearr for each h driving
situatioon.

Each of the many

m valves in the valve bod
dy has a sp
pecific puurpose andd is
namedd for thatt function
n. For exaample the 2-3 shiftt valve acttivates th
he 2nd
gear to
t 3rd gea ar up-shifft or the 3-2 shift timing va
alve whichh determines
when a downshift should d occur.

The most
m important valvve, and th he one tha at you havve direct control
c ovver is
the manual
m valvve. The manual
m valvve is directly conne t gear shift
ected to the
handlee and cove ers and uncovers various
v passsages de
epending ono what
position the geear shift is placed in.
i When you place e the gearr shift in Drive,
for instance, th he manual valve dirrects fluid d to the clutch
c pac
ck(s) thatt
ates 1st gear. it alsso sets up
activa p to monitor vehicle e speed an nd throtttle
position so thatt it can determine the optim mal time and
a the fo orce for the
t 1-
2 shif
ft. On com mputer coontrolled transmisssions, you u will also have elecctrical
solenooids that are mounted in the e valve boody to direect fluid to the
appropriate clu utch packss or bandss under computer control
c to
o more
precissely contrrol shift points.
p

Computer Control
C s
The computer usesu senssors on the engine anda transsmission too detect such
s
thingss as throtttle positiion, vehiclle speed, engine sp
peed, engine load, stop
s
light switch
s possition, etcc. to conttrol exact shift points as we
ell as how soft
or firm the shift should d be. Som me computterized trransmissioons even leearn
your driving style and constantly adapt to it so that every shift is timed
precisely when you would need it.

Because of computer controls, sports models are coming out with the
ability to take manual control of the transmission as though it were a stick
shift, allowing the driver to select gears manually. This is accomplished on
some cars by passing the shift lever through a special gate, then tapping it
in one direction or the other in order to up-shift or down-shift at will. The
computer monitors this activity to make sure that the driver does not
select a gear that could over speed the engine and damage it.

Another advantage to these "smart" transmissions is that they have a self

diagnostic mode which can detect a problem early on and warn you with an
indicator light on the dash. A technician can then plug test equipment in
and retrieve a list of trouble codes that will help pinpoint where the
problem is.

Governor, Vacuum Modulator, Throttle Cable

These three components are important in the non-computerized
transmissions. They provide the inputs that tell the transmission when to
shift. The Governor is connected to the output shaft and regulates
hydraulic pressure based on vehicle speed. It accomplishes this using
centrifugal force to spin a pair of hinged weights against pull-back springs.
As the weights pull further out against the springs, more oil pressure is
allowed past the governor to act on the shift valves that are in the valve
body which then signal the appropriate shifts.

Of course, vehicle speed is not the only thing that controls when a
transmission should shift, the load that the engine is under is also
important. The more load you place on the engine, the longer the
transmission will hold a gear before shifting to the next one.
There are two types of devices that serve the purpose of monitoring the
engine load:

the Throttle Cable and the Vacuum Modulator.

A transmission will use one or the other but generally not both of these
devices. Each works in a different way to monitor engine load.

The Throttle Cable simply monitors the position of the gas pedal through a
cable that runs from the gas pedal to the throttle valve in the valve body.

The Vacuum Modulator monitors engine vacuum by a rubber vacuum hose

which is connected to the engine. Engine vacuum reacts very accurately to
engine load with high vacuum produced when the engine is under light load
and diminishing down to zero vacuum when the engine is under a heavy
load. The modulator is attached to the outside of the transmission case
and has a shaft which passes through the case and attaches to the
throttle valve in the valve body. When an engine is under a light load or no
load, high vacuum acts on the modulator which moves the throttle valve in
one direction to allow the transmission to shift early and soft. As the
engine load increases, vacuum is diminished which moves the valve in the
other direction causing the transmission to shift later and more firmly.

Seals and Gaskets

An automatic transmission has many seals and gaskets to control the flow
of hydraulic fluid and to keep it from leaking out. There are two main
external seals: the front seal and the rear seal. The front seal seals the
point where the torque converter mounts to the transmission case. This
seal allows fluid to freely move from the converter to the transmission but
keeps the fluid from leaking out. The rear seal keeps fluid from leaking
past the output shaft.
A seal is usually y made of f rubber
(similaar to the rub
bber in a windshield
w w
wiper bladde)
and iss used to keep
k oil from leaking past a moving pa art such as
a a spinnning
shaft. In some cases, th he rubber is assiste ed by a sp
pring thatt holds th
he
rubbe er in close e contact with the spinning shaft.
s

A gasket is a ty
ype of seaal used to
o seal two
o stationary parts that
t are
ned togetther. Som
fasten me common n gasket materials
m are: pape
er, cork,
rubbe
er, silicone
e and softt metal.

Aside
e from the als, there are also a number of other seals and
e main sea d
gaskets that vaary from transmisssion to traansmission. A comm mon exammple is
the ru
ubber O-rring that seals the shaft forr the shifft control lever. This
T is
the sh
haft that you move e when youu manipulaate the gear shifteer. Anothher
exampple that iss commonn to most transmiss
t sions is th
he oil pan gasket. In
I
fact, seals
s are required anywhere e that a device
d neeeds to passs through
h the
transmmission ca
ase with each
e one being
b a po
otential so
ource forr leaks.

Spottting prroblemss
befo
ore theey get worse
w
W
Watch forr leaks orr stains under
u the
e car

If the
ere is a pe
ersistent red oil le
eak that you
y are sure is coming from youry
car, you
y should d have youur shop ch ee if it is coming from your
heck to se
transm
mission orr possibly
y from youur power steering
s s
system
most power
p ste
eering sysstems alsoo use trannsmissionn fluid and
d leaks cann
appeaar on the ground
g inn roughly the
t same areas
a as transmiss
t sion leaks.
s.
If alll you see is a few drops
d on the
t ground d, you may
y be able to postpo
one
repairrs as long as you ch heck your fluid leve el often (b
but checkk with you
ur
techn nician to be
b sure.) If I transm mission flu uid levels go down below
b min
nimum
levels serious transmiss
t ion damag ge can occ cur
(the saame advice goes for poower steeriing leaks ass well.)
 heck fluid
Ch d for colo
or and od
dor

Most manufactturers req quire thatt you chec

ck transmmission flu
uid levels when
w
the veehicle is running
r an
nd on level ground. Pull the transmiss
t sion dipstiick
out an t fluid for color and odor. Transm
nd check the mission fluid is a
transpparent reed oil thatt looks som
mething liike cherry
y cough syyrup. If the
t
fluid is
i cloudy oro muddy, or it hass a burned d odor, you should have it
checkked by you ur techniccian who will
w most likely
l advise you to
o have a
transmmission drrain and refill
r or trransmissio
on tune-u
up. See the Mainten nance
sectio
on below for
f detailss on this service.

Be
e sensitivve to new
w noises, vibration
ns and shift behavvior

A moddern transsmission should

s shift smootthly and qu uietly und
der light
accele
eration. Heavier
H ac
cceleratioon should produce firmer sh hifts at hiigher
speedds. If shifft points are errattic or you hear noisses when shifting,
s y
you
should
d have it checked
c o immed
out diately. Whining
W no ming from the
oises com
floorb
board are also a cause for co oncern. If
I caught early, ma any proble ems
can bee resolved
d without costly trransmissio on overhau uls. Even if you feeel
that you
y can't afford re epairs at this
t time,, you shou
uld at leasst have it
checkked. The technician
t n may be able to giive you soome hints on what to t do
and noot do to prolong
p th
he transmission lifee until you
u can affoord the re epair.

Main
ntenanc
ce
Transsmission fluid shoulld be chan
nged perioodically. Your owner's manuual
should
d give youu the reco
ommended d intervalss which co
ould be an
nywhere from
f
15,0000 miles to
o 100,0000 miles. Most
M transsmission experts
e re
ecommendd
chang
ging the flluid and filter every 25,000 0 miles.

Few transmissiions have drain pluggs to draiin the old fluid. In

n order too get
the fluid out, the
t techniician remo oves the transmiss
t sion oil pan. This iss quite
a messy job and d generally not rec
commende ed for the e casual do-it-
d
yourselfer. Even if the transmission has a drain plug, the only way to also
change the transmission filter is to remove the pan. When the pan is down,
the technician can check for metal shavings and other debris which are
indicators of impending transmission problems.

In most cases during these transmission services, only about half the oil is
able to be removed from the unit. This is because much of the oil is in the
torque converter and cooler lines and cannot be drained without major
disassembly. The fluid change intervals are based on the fact that some
old fluid remains in the system.

When the transmission is serviced, make sure that the correct fluid is
used to re-fill it. Each transmission manufacturer has their own
recommendation for the proper fluid to use and the internal components
are designed for that specific formula. GM usually uses Dexron, Fords
prior to 1983 use Type F while later models use Mercon. Late model
Chrysler products use ATF +3 +4 (Not using the correct fluid for Chrysler
transmissions is the most common reason for their transmission problems.)
Toyota sometimes uses Type T which is only available through Toyota and
Lexus Parts departments. Honda also specs out their own formula which is
available from Honda or Acura parts departments. A transmission will not
work properly or may even slip or shudder with the incorrect fluid, so make
sure that you double check. Your owner's manual will tell you which fluid is
required. Naturally, the owner's manual will try to convince you to only use
the manufacturer's branded fluid, but they will also provide you with the
specs for the oil. If the aftermarket product indicates on its container
that they meet or exceed the specs for a particular type of transmission
fluid, it is generally ok to use that product.
Tran
nsmissio
on repa
airs
Adjustmen
nts and In
n-Car Re
epairs

There e are seve eral probleems that can be re esolved wiith an adjjustment
(A simpple adjustm
ment is one that can be made witthout removving the traansmission from
the vehhicle.)
or min nor repairr

If a la
ate modell transmisssion
compuuter-controllled transm
missions staarted becomming populaar in the eaarly '90s
is not shifting properly, it is ofte en the ressult of a computer
c sending
incorrrect signa
als due to a faulty sensor,
s orr the tran
nsmission is not rea acting
to thee compute er comman nd becausse of a ba ad connecttion or de efective
solenooid pack. These prroblems ca an be corrrected wh hile the trransmission is
in the
e car for considera
c bly less money
m theen a compllete overh haul.

If a non
n compu uter-contrrolled transmission ng too earrly or too late,
n is shiftin
it may
y require an adjusttment to the
t throtttle cable. Since throttle cab bles
rarely
y go out of adjustm ment on th o due to wear and tear, the
heir own or ese
mis-addjustmentts are usu ually due to
t other repair
r work or dam mage from m an
accide
ent. If th he vehicle
e has a vaccuum mod dulator insstead of a throttle e
cable,, there is an adjusttment thaat can be made usin ng an adjuustment screw
s
in som
me modula ator desiggns. In veehicles witth modulaators, howwever, it iss very
important thatt there arre no vacuum leaks and the engine
e is running
r att peak
efficiency. Enggine vacuuum is veryy sensitive
e to how well
w the en ngine is
ng. In fac
runnin ct, many technician
t ns use a vaacuum gau uge to diaagnose
performance problems and a state--of-tune. Many pro oblems tha at seem to
t be
transmmission prroblems disappear
d after a tune-up orr engine pe erformannce
relate
ed repair was comp pleted.

In somme older transmiss

t sions, band
ds can bee adjusted
d to resolvve "slippin
ng"
condittions. Slipping is when
w an en
ngine race
es briefly
y when thee transmisssion
shiftss from onee gear to the next. There are
a no adjjustmentss for clutc ch
packs however..
 Re
eseal job
b

A trannsmission is resealed in orde er to repa air extern

nal transmmission fluuid
leaks. If you see
s spots of red oill on the ground und der the caar, your
transmmission may
m be a ca andidate for a rese eal job. In
I order tot check a
transmmission foor leaks, a techniciian will pu
ut the car on a lift and exam mine
the unnit for sig
gns of oil leaks. If
f a leak is spotted at
a any of the exterrnal
seals or gasketts and the e transmisssion otheerwise perrforms we ell, the
technnician will most likely recommmend thatt the tran nsmission be resealled.

Most of the ex xternal se

eals can bee replaced
d while th
he transm mission is still
s in
the ca
ar but, if the frontt seal musst be replaced, the
e transmisssion mustt first
be remmoved froom the veehicle in order to gain accesss to it, ma
aking it a much
costlie
er job.

Re
eplace ac
ccessible parts

Theree are a number of parts

p thatt are acceessible without req quiring thee
removval of the complete e transmisssion. maany of the e control parts
p inclu
uding
most of
o the eleectrical pa
arts are serviceab
s le by simpply removving the oiil pan.
The parts thatt are acceessible, ho
owever, va ary from transmiss
t sion to
mission an
transm nd most transmissiion repair facilitiess would he esitate too
provid
de meaninngful warrrantees on n externaal repairs for the simple reason
that they
t cannot see if there aree any addiitional intternal problems in the
t
compoonents tha ansmission removal.
at are onlly accessiible by tra

Co
omplete Overhaul
O

In a complete
c overhaul
o (
(also know
wn as rebuuilding a transmiss
t ion), the
transmmission iss removedd from the a completely disassembled with
e vehicle and
the pa
arts laid out
o on a workbench
w h. Each paart is insp
pected forr wear and d
damagge and the en either cleaned in
i a speciaal cleaningg solution
n, or repla
aced
with another
a pa art depennding on itts condition. Parts that have e friction
surfacces, such as bands and clutc ches are replaced
r a are all seals and
as d
gaskets. The to orque connverter is also replaaced, usuaally with a
reman nufacture
ed one. Teechnical service
s buulletins arre checkedd to see if the
auto manufactu
m urer recommends any
a modifications to t correctt design
defeccts that were
w disco
overed aftter the trransmissio on was bu
uilt. Autom
mobile
manuf facturers often maake upgrade kits avvailable too transmisssion shop
ps to
resolvve these design
d def
fects.

Re
eplacement unit vss. overha
aul existin
ng unit

When n a transm
mission reqquires an overhaul,, there arre generallly two options
y may have. The first is to
that you t remove e your exissting trannsmission and
overhaul it, the
en put the
e same, neewly rebuilt unit baack in you
ur car. Thhe
second option is
i to repla
ace your existing
e unit with another
a un
nit that has
h
dy been re
alread ebuilt or remanufa actured.

The second opttion will get you out of the shop s and on
o your way much faster
f
but may
m cause you problems down n the road d. The re eason for this is that, in
some but not all cases, a particula ar transmmission mo odel can have
h dozen ns of
variattions depe ending on which mo odel car, which
w engine, which h axle ratio,
even which
w tire
e size. Th he problem ms you coould experrience cou uld be as simple
s
as a speedometter that reads r too high or too low
(the sppeedometerr is usually connected by cable too a gear in the transm
mission outpput
shaft.)
You may
m also ex xperience e incorrec ct shift pooints or even
e complete
transm mission fa
ailure bec cause yourr engine may
m be mo ore powerrful then thet
one th he replaceement uniit was orig ginally designed for. This iss not the case
with all
a transm mission models so vo oice your concerns with yourr techniciian.
Most shops will rebuild your y existting unit if
i you req quest it ass long as they
t
can af fford to have
h a liftt tied up with
w your car whilee the tran nsmission is
being rebuilt. Of course e this is only
o imporrtant if yo ou are surre that thhe
transm mission yo
ou have iss the origiinal one and has ne ever previously bee en
replac ced.

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