The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve, better known as the PCV valve, is associated with the crankcase ventilation system. After the internal combustion process in the engine occurs, there are exhaust gases created which get redirected into the exhaust system by … Read more
During the development of the automobile, several different methods to control engine speed were utilized. Hand throttles were initially popular, but this method faded over time. Eventually the engine speed and car speed control became the work of the driver’s … Read more
While it’s unlikely that you’ve intentionally poured bleach into your own gas tank, it’s not unheard of for people to try and get back at someone they don’t like by mixing things into their gas tank. But what do you … Read more
For automobiles, the electric starter is a boon to easily getting on the road. It was invented by Clyde J. Coleman and first patented in 1903. Coleman soon sold his patent rights to Delco which was subsequently absorbed by General … Read more
The fuel injectors are the parts of the engine which are responsible for spraying fuel into the intake valves of the engine from where the mixture goes into the piston cylinders for the combustion. The ECU (engine control unit) determines … Read more
Vehicle exhaust emissions have been a contributor to air pollution since the automobile first appeared on the dirt roads of the early 1900s. But it was not until the mid 60’s that efforts were initiated to reduce those emissions. By … Read more
Almost every vehicle with an internal combustion engine uses either a timing chain or timing belt. These are critical components which over the life of a vehicle CAN fail. This article will cover timing chains in particular. See “Symptoms of … Read more
Decades ago, my dad taught me a great deal about automobile problem diagnosis and repair. One thing he repeated time and time again: “For an engine to run it must have three things: fuel, spark and compression. And these three … Read more
While it can be a pretty straightforward process to diagnose an engine that’s running rich, accurately diagnosing an engine that’s running lean can be a little trickier. But just because it’s harder to spot the culprit doesn’t make it any … Read more
You’re thrumming along a long country road, of course, and you can’t really tell what’s going on in your engine bay. That’s because everything is so quiet nowadays. But you do see a check engine light that wasn’t there before … Read more