Glossary of Automobile terms Part 3

Engine

- contains all the bits and bobs that make the car go vroom

Combustion
- fuel + air + spark--> carbon dioxide + water + global warming


Cylinder
-a chamber that holds fuel and air ready to be burnt.

Piston
-a block of metal that goes up and down in the cylinder chamber.

Spark plug
- peers into the cylinder chamber igniting a spark X times per minute. X = the rpm of the engine at any particular time.

Valves
-on top of the cylinder we have two types of valves, intake and exhaust.
-the intake valve allows air to come in so it mixes with the fuel.
-exhaust valves allow carbon dioxide and water vapour to storm out of the engine.

Carburators
-see Fuel Injectors ....jeesh only old cars use carburators.

Fuel Injectors
-electronically controlled, they inject a precise (very very tiny) amount of fuel into the cyclinder chamber.

4 stroke combustion cycle
-A piston in the cylinder goes up and down up and down X times per minute where X = rpm of engine.
Stroke 1 = Piston moves downwards, intake valve opens to allow air and fuel to come in - Suck
Stroke 2 = Piston moves upwards and squeezes (compresses) the air and fuel until it cannot be compressed anymore. - Push
Stroke 3 = Spark plug does its job and produces a tiny spark. This causes fuel and air to EXPLODE!!! Creating super amounts of pressure and heat that moves the piston downwards with hellbending strength. - Bang
Stroke 4 = Piston moves upwards again and exhaust valves open. All the carbon dioxide and water get blown out. - Blow

So the 4 strokes of combustion are PUSH -- BANG --- BLOW ---- SUCK