The two main working parts of an engine are the engine block and the cylinder head. Oil and coolant passages run between the two, and the combustion chamber also lies in between. The cylinder head gasket seals the oil and coolant passages and the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is defined by the pistons and … Read more
One of the characteristics of a cooling system is that it has to operate close to the boiling point of water. The cooling system uses a mixture of water and coolant designed to be resistant to boiling, but the system also operates under pressure to further raise the boiling point. To maintain the system under … Read more
An active secondary air injection system uses an electric or belt-driven pump to move air for injection into the exhaust stream. Most of the time, the system consists of a pump and a check valve. Other times, it consists of electrical controls such as relays and sensors, and connecting hoses and pipes. Usually, there is … Read more
As an engine runs and transfers power to the wheels it vibrates and twists forcefully. Every engine has an arrangement of strong mounts to hold it in place in the frame and to absorb vibration. Most of the time, the mounts are made of rubber held in a steel cage. Some use oil-filled or hydraulic … Read more
An idle air control valve controls the idle speed of an engine by managing the amount of air allowed into the engine when the throttle is closed. Typically, it is a simple solenoid that opens and closes a needle valve; blocking and unblocking an air passage. IAC valves lie in the middle ground of modern … Read more
If your engine overheats or is in the red area on the temperature gauge, your cooling fan may not be working properly. Cooling fans are fairly easy to test as all you have to do is start your engine and turn the AC on. With the AC on both cooling fans, if your vehicle has … Read more
The front crankshaft seal holds oil in at the front of the engine. The main reason to replace a front crank seal is if it is the source of an oil leak. The cost to replace the crank seal can vary depending on several factors such as the type and model of vehicle, whether you … Read more
An engine pulls air in through the air filter, flowing through the intake tube and then, the throttle body. From there, it goes into the intake manifold which splits it into separate streams for each cylinder in the cylinder head. At the point where the intake manifold meets the cylinder head, there is a gasket … Read more
All engines, regardless of type, must use oil to keep all the contact points lubricated inside the engine. The oil also helps, to some degree, cool down certain components inside the engine. The purpose of the oil pan is to hold all of the engine’s oil; both while running and when turned off. The pan … Read more
The oil pressure sensor tells the PCM how much oil pressure the engine has. There are two main types of sensors. The first measures the pressure on a graduated scale – whether it operates a gauge or simply informs the PCM. This is usually used on vehicles that run a higher oil pressure to operate … Read more