Your car
needs to be constantly maintained so as to prevent sudden breakdowns and make
it more fuel-efficient. If you notice strange smells, noises or leaked fluids
under your car, have it checked with a mechanic as soon as possible. Find a reliable
and trusted mechanic to have a look at your car. Ask for recommendations from
people close to you to find a good mechanic who can deliver.
However,
it will be helpful for you to know basic information about how a car engine
works. You do not have to be an expert in automotive repairs, but it is better
to always come prepared in times of emergency.
The engine
of your car operates in such a way that it converts gasoline, so the vehicle is
able to move. It is called an internal combustion engine when it burns gasoline
inside it, enabling the car to move.
Internal combustion engines come in diesel engines and gas turbine
engines.
In an
internal combustion engine of an
Indianapolis car
, when a small amount of fuel, like
gasoline, is burned, it releases a great amount of energy in the form of gas.
Most cars follow a four-stroke combustion cycle in which gasoline is converted
into motion.
The intake
stroke is the first step in the cycle of your
Indianapolis car
. When the intake valve opens, the
piston moves down to make way for air and gasoline, which are mixed together.
This is followed by a compression in which the piston moves back up to compress
the fuel-air mixture. The piston goes up to the top of its stroke, leading the
spark plug that releases a spark to ignite the gasoline which will then explode
in the cylinder, and the piston goes down. When the exhaust valve opens, the
exhaust is released from the cylinder to the tailpipe.
There is
also another kind of engine called the external combustion engine, which your
Indianapolis car
does not use. The steam engine is a
type of external combustion engine in which the fuel burns outside the engine,
producing steam which enables motion. Vehicles that make use of the steam
engine include trains and steam boats. Compared with internal combustion
engines, external combustion engines consume more energy.