Checking Car Fluid Levels
This article used in it's entirety is written by Kevin Schappell
The Car Cooling System
As petrol is burned in the engine, about one-third of the energy in the fuel is converted into power. Another third goes out the exhaust pipe unused, and the remaining third becomes heat energy.
A cooling system of some kind is necessary in any internal combustion engine. If no cooling system were provided, parts would melt from the heat of the burning petrol, and the pistons would expand so much they could not move in the cylinders (called "seize").
Burning of fuel in an engines produce very
large amounts of heat and pressure;
temperatures can reach up to 4,000 degrees F
in the engine when the air/petrol mix is in
certain proportions correctly. Under normal
operating conditions the temperature is
about 2,000 degrees F. The cooling system
removes around 1/3 of all the heat that is
produced in the engine combustion chamber.
The exhaust system also takes away much of the heat, but parts of the engine, such as the cylinder walls, pistons, and cylinder head, absorb large amounts of the heat. If a part of the engine gets too hot, the oil film will burn away and thus fail to protect it. This lack of lubrication can quickly destroy a car engine.
On the other side, if an engine runs at too low a temperature, it loses efficiency, the oil starts to get dirty (adding wear and reducing power output), deposits form, and fuel mileage is poor-- not to mention poor exhaust emissions! For these reasons, the cooling system only comes into action when the engine has heated up to its optimal temperature.
There are two types of cooling systems; liquid cooling and air cooling. Most auto engines are cooled by the liquid type; air cooling is used more frequently for airplanes, motorcycles and lawnmowers.
Liquid cooled engines have passages for the liquid, or coolant, through the cylinder block and head. The coolant has to have indirect contact with such engine parts as the combustion chamber, the cylinder walls, and the valve seats and guides. Running through the passages in the engine heats the coolant (it absorbs the heat from the engine parts), and going through the radiator cools it. After getting "cool" again in the radiator, the coolant comes back through the engine. This business continues as long as the engine is running, with the coolant absorbing and removing the engine's heat, and the radiator cooling the coolant.
A cooling system pressure tester is used to check the pressure in the cooling system, which allows the mechanic to determine if the system has any slow leaks. The leak can then be found and fixed before it causes a major problem.
Usually towards the front of the engine and marked "OIL" Always check your oil level with the engine OFF. Remove the dipstick and wipe the oil off with the rag or towel then put the dipstick back into the hole. Now pull out and get a reading. You might have to hold the dipstick to the light to get a good reading as fresh oil can sometimes be hard to see. On the dipstick there will be two marks indicating a maximum and minimum level for the oil. Make it a habit of checking your oil every two weeks.
If you have an automatic transmission then you will have a dipstick to check the fluid level. It is most commonly found towards the back of the engine compartment or towards the passenger side. You should find out how to check the fluid by looking at the owner's manual or on the dipstick itself. Most cars have to be running with the transmission in park or neutral. Also the transmission should be warmed up to give a true reading. Make sure the car has been driven for a short distance to make sure everything is up to operating temperature. Checking the level is just like checking your oil, wipe off dipstick, replace, pull out again and check level. If you have a manual transmission there is no dipstick and to check the fluid level you must crawl under the car and remove a fill plug. I would have your mechanic check this for you once a year if you do not feel comfortable doing this.
- -- CAUTION -- Never open your radiator cap when the engine is hot ! The pressure in the system can send hot coolant splashing out on to you. Most cars have an overflow bottle, which will have level markings. Keep the coolant between these markings. If you have to open the radiator, make sure the engine is cold.
Your car uses oil to assist in steering the car. The fluid is usually checked at the pump, but can be away from the pump in a separate reservoir. Like the transmission, this fluid should also be checked when up to operating temperature. Most commonly the level is measured by a small dipstick attached to the cap of the reservoir.
On most newer cars you can check brake fluid level without removing the cap on the master cylinder. There will be level markings on the side of the plastic reservoir. If you have to remove the cover to check the fluid level, be careful not to spill any fluid on the surrounding paint. Brake fluid makes a nice paint remover :-)
That's the magic blue liquid that squirts out of your
hood. Most reservoirs have the level marked on the side
but some newer cars have them buried underneath
everything so you can not see. Just fill to the top,
there is no harm in overfilling.
If you need to add any fluids to bring the levels up, a
funnel is helpful to avoid spills. Keep track of how
often you add oil, and transmission fluid. Frequent
additions can point to leaks and engine wear.
Give your car a quick check up and ensure that all of its fluid levels are at the correct level. Including oil, engine coolant, brake fluids, power steering and even the window washers.
Your Cars Electrical System
The first major component in the car electrical system is the battery. The battery is used to store power for starting, and for running auxiliary devices such as clocks, radios and alarms when the engine is off. Another major component is the starter motor, which is used to start the engine (obviously). The third component is a charging device powered by the engine, known as the car alternator. This devices powers the electrical system , and charges the battery, but only when the car is running. With these basic components, the car maintains its supply of electricity. The voltage regulator keeps the voltage at the correct level and the power level stabilised, and the fuse box ensures that any minor electrical faults do not develop into major problems such as damaged components, or even worse, an electrical fire. Many different auxiliary electrical devices are used in modern cars, such as: radios, cellular phones, rear window defrosters and electric door locks, as well as a vast array of motors powering everything from the moon roof on down.
If one part of the electrical system not working like the interior lights or dash lights, then the first thing to check is the fuses. Check for the fuse panel under the dash, in the glove box, or maybe even in the engine compartment in some more modern cars. Most fuse boxes will be labeled with a circuit diagram. Modern cars use a blade type fuse which is rectangular in shape and transparent. Look for the wire, which runs through the fuse, and see if it has burned through. Any discoloring of the fuse is a good indication that the fuse has blown. If you are in any doubt, replace with a new fuse and test the system which is not working.
Does your car start ok, but your headlights become dim when idling? It could be a bad alternator. When the alternator cannot produce enough electricity to keep the electrical systems running and the battery will have to be used to take up the slack. This will eventually wear down the battery and not allow your car to start.
There is no tougher a system to troubleshoot on your car than the charging/starting system. This is due to the fact that there are a large number of things that can go wrong and it's difficult to test some components without special equipment. Let's go over some possible situations and their possible causes.
Grinding noises point to the starter not properly meshing with the flywheel. This can be caused by a bad solenoid or a bad spot on the flywheel.
I have also seen starters loosen up so they no longer contact the flywheel at the proper distance. While not common, it is something to keep in mind.
Jump-starting your car is not a difficult task. First lay out the cables on the ground between the two cars. Make sure that the cable is not twisted or tangled and none of the end clamps are touching each other. You should make sure that the car with the good battery is running.
Step 1: Take the positive (red) clamp closest to the car with the good battery and hook it to the positive terminal of that car. The positive terminal will have a + sign on it and usually a red wire running to it.
Step 2: Repeat this step on the car with the bad battery, hooking up the positive clamp to the positive terminal on the battery. Make sure the clamps are contacting well and can not fall off.
Step 3: Take the negative cable (black) closest to the car with the good battery and hook it to the negative terminal of the battery. The negative terminal will have a - sign and usually a black wire running to it.
Step 4: This is the last step and the most important. Take the negative clamp closest to the car with the bad battery and attach it to a bare metal part of the engine. DO NOT hook it to the battery negative terminal as there maybe hydrogen gas present from the battery and a spark from the connection could cause an explosion.
That's it...... turn the key on the dead car and the car should start. If it does not, try revving the engine on the good car to boost the pwer coming from the alternator. If this does not work, try wiggling the cables to assure you have a good connection. GOOD sets of jumper cables are a necessity. I have had cheaper sets not jump-start a dead car. I actually had to double up two cheap sets to get enough current to start my car. The cheaper sets will have thinner cables, which have a higher electrical resistance and cannot carry enough current to start some stalled cars. I would suggest buying a cable, which has 4,6 or 8-gauge wire.
A guide to the electrics in a car, how to look after your car battery, includes a guide on what to do if your car wont start, including how to jump start your car
The Car Engine Explained
Most common engines have 4, 6, or 8 pistons, which move up and down in the cylinders. On the upper side of the piston is what is called the combustion chamber where the petrol and air mix before ignited. On the other side is the crankcase, which is full of oil. Pistons have rings which serve to keep the oil out of the combustion chamber and the fuel and air out of the oil.
The crankshaft is connected to the pistons via a connecting rod. As the piston moves up and down in the cylinder it rotates the crankshaft and converts the straight line motion into rotary motion.
The valve train consists of valves, rocker arms, pushrods, lifters, and the camshaft. (shown in above picture in blue, yellow, and green) The valve train's only job is that of a traffic cop. It lets air and petrol in and out of the engine at the proper time. The timing is controlled by the camshaft, which is synchronized to the crankshaft by a chain or belt.
Now that we have a general overview of the parts involved let's talk about what happens. Most automotive engine today are 4-stroke (or 4-cycle) engines, meaning they have four distinct events which make up the cycle.
The camshaft opens the intake valve and the piston moves down the cylinder. This creates vacuum and sucks in air and petrol into the combustion chamber above the piston.
As the piston starts moving back up the cylinder the intake valve closes and seals off the combustion chamber. The causes the air and fuel to compress.
As the petrol is compressed and the piston nears the top of the cylinder the spark plug fires and ignites the petrol and air. This explosion pushes the piston back down the cylinder and drives the crankshaft.
After the piston reaches the
bottom of the cylinder, the
exhaust valve opens and the
gasses left over from the fuel
and air are sent out to the
exhaust system.
Put these four events together
in the above order and you have
a complete cycle. Are you asleep
yet? That's enough theory, let's
talk about the real world and
problems you might encounter
with the above mentioned parts.
Remember I talked about the rings, which seal the combustion chamber from the crankcase. The rings over time tend to wear out. When they wear they allow the petrol and air to enter into the oil and dilute it. This dilution reduces the oils ability to lubricate your engine and can cause premature wear. Also if the rings wear down they can allow oil from the crankcase to enter the combustion chambers. This will result in oil being burned and exiting your tailpipe as grayish/white smoke. If your car spews grayish white smoke and it does not go stop in the first few minutes after start-up you might have warn rings. If the smoke goes away after start-up look to the valve train section.
The crankshaft rides on bearings, which can wear down over time. The bearings support the crankshaft and also the rods, which connect the pistons to the crankshaft. A loud medium pitched knocking noise in the engine points to warn bearings most of the time. This is usually a costly repair and involves removing the crankshaft and either machining the surface where the bearings ride, or replacing the entire crankshaft. To prevent this type of problem, use a high quality oil, change your oil at suggested intervals (3 months or 3000 miles is a safe number) and always maintain your oil level between oil changes.
How Your Cars Suspension Works
Back in the earliest days of automobile development, when most of the car's weight (including the engine) was on the rear axle, steering was a simple matter of turning a tiller that pivoted the entire front axle. When the engine was moved to the front of the car, complex steering systems had to evolve. The modern automobile has come a long way since the days when "being self-propelled" was enough to satisfy the car owner. Improvements in suspension and steering, increased strength and durability of components, and advances in tire design and construction have made large contributions to riding comfort and to safe driving.
Cadillac allegedly produced the first American car to use a steering wheel instead of a tiller.
Two of the most common steering mechanisms are the "rack and pinion" and the standard (or recirculating-ball) systems that can be either manual or assisted by power. The rack and pinion was designed for sports cars and requires too much driver muscle at low speeds to be very useful in larger, heavier cars. However, power steering makes a heavy car respond easily to the steering wheel, whether at highway speeds or inching into a narrow parking place, and it is normal equipment for large automobiles.
The suspension system has two basic functions, to keep the car's wheels in firm contact with the road and to provide a comfortable ride for the passengers. A lot of the system's work is done by the springs. Under normal conditions, the springs support the body of the car evenly by compressing and rebounding with every up-and-down movement. This up-and-down movement, however, causes bouncing and swaying after each bump and is very uncomfortable to the passenger. These undesirable effects are reduced by the shock absorbers.
Remember the oil smoke problem mentioned above in the piston sections. If your car only smokes grayish/white smoke at start-up you may have leaking valve seals. Valve seals keep oil from above the valve from leaking into the combustion chamber. When they wear, they can allow oil to seep into the combustion chamber and collect there until your start the engine again. You generally do not get oil leaking past the valve seals while the engine is running since the seals expand with the heat of the engine and plug the leak.
Another common problem is the timing chain or belt will slip or even break causing the cam shaft to stop rotating. Remember the camshaft tells the valves when to open and if it stops spinning then the valves stop opening and closing. No valve moving, no engine running :-)
A term you will here when talking about timing chains and belts is "interference engine". When an engine is an "interference engine" the pistons and valves are so close together that if the valves were to stop moving (broken belt or chain) and the crankshaft kept spinning they would crash into the piston. (that's the interference) This crash tends to do bad things to an engine, breaking valve, bending pushrods, and even cracking pistons. This is why most manufacturers recommend changing the timing chain or belt every 60,000 miles. Timing belts dry out, stretch and deteriorate over time so even if you do not have 60,000 miles on the car think about changing the belt after it's 6 years old.
Give your engine a chance to warm up before driving if possible. Let the oil get into all parts of the engine before driving. This is even more critical in cooler temperatures when the oil is cold and sluggish.
Change your timing belt or chain at your manufacturer's recommended interval.
Avoid "snake oil" additives as advertised on late night TV. Regular oil changes and good maintenance habits will keep your engine running it's best.
If you have a turbo charged engine, give the engine a minute or two cool down before turning it off. This cool down period allows oil to circulate and cool down the bearings. If you shut off the engine immediately after hard driving, the oil can gum up around the hot bearings and create problems down the road.
Your Car Fuel System
Basically a holding tank for your fuel. When you fill up at a petrol station the petrol travels down the filler tube and into the tank. In the tank there is a sending unit, which tells the petrol gauge how much petrol is in the tank
On newer cars the fuel pump is usually installed in the fuel tank. Older cars have the fuel pump attached to the engine or on the frame rail between the tank and the engine. If the pump is in the tank or on the frame rail then it is electric and is run by your cars battery. Fuel pumps mounted to the engine use the motion of the engine to pump the fuel
Clean fuel is critical to engine life and performance. Fuel injectors have tiny openings, which clog easily so filtering the fuel is the only way to prevent this. Filters can be before or after the fuel pump, sometimes both.
Most domestic cars after 1986 and earlier foreign cars came from the factory with fuel injection. Instead of a carburetor to mix the fuel and air, a computer controls when the fuel injectors open to let fuel into the engine. This has resulted in lower emissions and better fuel economy. The fuel injector is basically a tiny electric valve, which opens and closes with an electric signal. In the picture below you can see the injectors towards the outer part of the intake. By injecting the fuel close to the cylinder head the fuel stays atomized ( in tiny particles ) so it will burn better when ignited by the spark plug.
A carburetor takes the fuel and mixes it with air without computer intervention. While simple in operation, they tend to need frequent tuning and rebuilding. This is why most newer cars have done away with carburetors in favor of fuel injection.
I would say the most common problem is a clogged fuel filter. Make sure you follow your manufacturers recommendations as to when you should change the fuel filter. This information should be in your owner's manual. Symptoms include sputtering at high speeds or engine not starting at all. Always check the ignition system first, if that's ok then the next suspect is the fuel filter.
Next most common problem is the fuel pump failing. Most modern electric fuel pumps can be heard when you turn the key on. If you don't hear the pump running and your car will not start, it could be your fuel pump. The first thing a mechanic will check is the relay, which sends power to the pump. If this is operating correctly then the pump will have to be replaced.
Last but not least are dirty injectors. While the fuel filter does a good job of filtering the fuel, it's not perfect. Over time deposits and tiny particles lodge themselves in the injectors. This can clog and injector and prevent it from delivering the fuel the engine needs. It can also cause an injector to stick open and send too much fuel into the engine. A regular addition of fuel system cleaner like STP Injector Cleaner, or Techtron fuel system cleaner can help keep your injectors clean. Most petrol stations, department stores and all automotive parts stores will have a good cleaner available. Add it to your empty tank right before you fill up and it will clean as you drive. I recommend doing this every 3 months to keep your injectors performing like new. Mechanics also offer a cleaning service where they actually disconnect the fuel line and flush cleaner through the engine. This is only necessary when you let your injectors get to a point where they can not be cleaned by a store-bought product. Regular use of a good in-tank cleaner will keep you from having to pay for this service.
Believe it, or not, it can make a difference. Always buy from a well know national brand service station. Petrol stations, which are not affiliated with one brand of petrol, tend to get whatever is left at the end of the day from the delivery truck. One day them might get Texaco, and Exxon another. Also water mixed with petrol will cause problems with your engine. The engine will not run right, plus the water will promote rust in the fuel system. I have experienced this when I purchased petrol at some no-name petrol stations. Your car will feel sluggish and sometimes refuse to run if there is enough water in the petrol.
Putting super in the tank will not get you any more performance or petrol mileage unless specifically recommended by your cars manufacturer. If your owners manual says put in 87 octane...... DO IT. You are throwing money out the window if you are filling up on Super or Premium and you only need Regular.
If you have to replace your engine, discuss the benefits of buying used versus new. If you plan on keeping your car for some time, a new engine might be the best bet. Sometimes new engines are not much more expensive than rebuilt ones, and offer the best solution.
When trying to diagnose engine noises, be as descriptive as possible. Take note to when the noise occurs; at what throttle position, and when the noise started occurring. Sometimes changing the weight of oil being used can cause a new noise to crop up. Make sure you mechanic knows if you changed oil brands or weight recently.
A guide to what your car engine does and how to maintain it properly to prevent engine problems