Today, there are many drivers who never drove a vehicle that didn’t have electronic fuel injection. Carburetors, what are they? Likewise, they never had to warm up an engine, flooded an engine or used a choke. Electronic fuel injection, which is celebrating its 40th birthday, virtually eliminated these, and many other problems as well as give us cleaner air. Read More »

Even when Chrysler products suffered in build quality, MoPar engines were noted for their bulletproof reliability and durability as well as their often blistering performance. Undoubtedly, Chrysler’s best known high-performance engine is the "hemi", introduced in 1951 as Chrysler's answer to the new Cadillac and Oldsmobile V8s introduced in 1949. Read More »

Replacing the spark plugs are key part of a tune-up. Indeed, in modern vehicles with electronic fuel injection and electronic ignition systems, it may be the only procedure in a "tune-up." If your "CHECK ENGINE" light comes on, and an engine diagnosis indicates a "misfire", changing plugs is the first, and cheapest, place to start. Read More »

Today, several automakers offer supercharged engines. Others use turbocharged engines. What's the difference, why are they used, and pluses and minuses? Both superchargers and turbochargers are used to obtain increased performance , that is more horsepower and torque. Read More »

You probably heard the urban legend about the motorist who put tape over a glowing LOW OIL light, then turned up the radio to drown out the knocking rod bearings. Read More »

Today, most engines feature either a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) or, more likely, a double overhead camshaft (DOHC). In a SOHC engine, the camshaft is located directly above the valves in the cylinder head and act directly in the valve stems to open and close the valves. The camshaft is driven by the crankshaft using a long rubber belt or steel chain. Read More »

Fuel injection and computerized engine management systems have not only given us less emissions, and more mpgs, they have also vastly improved drivability. Drivability refers to engine performance problems, or hopefully the lack thereof, such as stalling, hesitation, rough idling, poor fuel economy, and hard starting. Read More »

Tips for Getting the Best Gas Mileage from Your Car Common sense and experience tell us that gas prices will continue to increase during the coming weeks and months. Proper vehicle maintenance helps your car run well and consume the least possible amount of gasoline and oil. This saves money and decreases tailpipe emmissions. Efficient internal combustion engines develop more ... Read More »

The starter is an electric motor that consists of several brushes. These brushes carry electrical current that allows the motor to spin and therefore turns over the engine. Sometimes one or more of these brushes “burn” and don’t allow any electrical current to pass thru them anymore. If the starter motor is already spinning, most likely it will continue to ... Read More »

You see billowing clouds of white smoke coming out the tailpipe. Or maybe there is a large puddle of black oil or red transmission fluid under the vehicle. In the first case, you more than likely have blown a head gasket that needs immediate attention. Read More »