How it works car engine

The four-stroke cycle

The four-stroke cycle is the most common type of engine cycle used in car engines. It consists of four strokes: intake, compression, power, and exhaust.

1. Intake stroke: The intake valve opens, allowing air and fuel to enter the cylinder. The piston moves down, creating a vacuum that draws the air and fuel into the cylinder.
2. Compression stroke: The intake valve closes and the piston moves up, compressing the air and fuel mixture. This creates a high pressure and temperature in the cylinder.
3. Power stroke: The spark plug ignites the air and fuel mixture, creating a controlled explosion. This explosion forces the piston down, creating power.
4. Exhaust stroke: The exhaust valve opens, allowing the burnt gases to escape from the cylinder. The piston moves up, pushing the burnt gases out of the cylinder.

The components of a car engine

A car engine consists of many different components, including:

• Cylinder block: The cylinder block is the main structural component of the engine. It houses the cylinders, pistons, crankshaft, and other components.
• Cylinder head: The cylinder head covers the top of the cylinders. It contains the intake and exhaust valves, spark plugs, and other components.
• Pistons: The pistons move up and down inside the cylinders. They compress the air and fuel mixture and create power.
• Crankshaft: The crankshaft converts the up-and-down motion of the pistons into rotary motion. It is connected to the transmission, which sends power to the wheels.
• Valves: The valves control the flow of air and fuel into and out of the cylinders.
• Spark plugs: The spark plugs ignite the air and fuel mixture in the cylinders.

How a car engine works

When you turn the key in your car, the starter motor engages the flywheel, which is connected to the crankshaft. The starter motor spins the flywheel, which in turn spins the crankshaft. This starts the four-stroke cycle.

As the crankshaft spins, the pistons move up and down inside the cylinders. The intake valve opens, allowing air and fuel to enter the cylinder. The piston moves down, creating a vacuum that draws the air and fuel into the cylinder. The intake valve then closes.

The piston then moves up, compressing the air and fuel mixture. This creates a high pressure and temperature in the cylinder. When the piston reaches the top of the cylinder, the spark plug ignites the air and fuel mixture, creating a controlled explosion. This explosion forces the piston down, creating power.

As the piston moves down, the exhaust valve opens, allowing the burnt gases to escape from the cylinder. The piston moves up, pushing the burnt gases out of the cylinder. The exhaust valve then closes.

The four-stroke cycle then repeats itself, creating power that is used to drive the car.

Troubleshooting car engine problems

If your car engine is not running properly, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot the problem.

• Check the spark plugs: The spark plugs may be fouled or worn out, which can prevent the engine from starting or running properly.
• Check the fuel filter: The fuel filter may be clogged, which can prevent fuel from reaching the engine.
• Check the air filter: The air filter may be clogged, which can prevent air from reaching the engine.
• Check the battery: The battery may be weak or dead, which can prevent the starter motor from engaging the flywheel.

If you are unable to troubleshoot the problem yourself, you should take your car to a mechanic for further diagnosis.