Knowing the basics of what’s going on inside of your engine makes it a whole lot easier to understand why something has gone wrong. While you still might have to take your mechanic’s word when it comes to how to fix your car, at least having some understanding of engines and engine repair can make the entire process much easier and give you some confidence when handing your keys over. Here are some of the basics parts of your engine, which can help you better understand what goes into engine repair in Conway, AR.
- Pistons, whether your car has four, six, or eight, may not be the heart of the engine—that is the engine block—but they are where most of the action happens inside of your motor. Basically, pistons work by moving inside of cylinders. When they move to the upward position it creates a combustion chamber. Air and fuel enters, a spark ignites it and the explosion pushes the piston downward. What’s very important here are the oil, which ensures the piston can move up and down smoothly, and the rings to create an airtight seal for combustion to occur.
- The crankshaft is on the other side of the pistons. Each piston is connected to the crankshaft. The downward motion of the pistons turns the crankshaft, ultimately producing power. Everything else in your engine, and your car for that matter, is powered from the rotations of the crankshaft.
- The valve train allows air and fuel to enter the combustion chamber and makes a spark that creates the explosion at just the right time and enables exhaust to escape. Valves, rocker arms, push rods, lifters and the camshaft are all part of the valve train. As you can probably guess, having a properly timed drive train is crucial for the engine to operate correctly.
In essence, quality oil and proper timing are the most basic necessities of any well operating engine. Poor quality oil produces friction. Given the number of parts moving at extremely high speeds and under incredible heat, friction can easily destroy internal engine parts. Timing is also critical. Within a flash, air and fuel enter the combustion chamber, the valves close, the spark plug ignites and the exhaust opens. This happens over and over again in a meticulously timed chain of events. Any problems with timing will throw everything off and can result in severe damage to the inside of your engine.
By using quality oil and having your timing belt changed at the manufacturer’s recommended mileage, you should actually be able to expect the inside of your engine to last a very long time. Also important are quality spark plugs and a good engine air filter. Many engine repairs in Conway, AR are made not to the inside of the engine, but to other components like the battery or the cooling system, or are reliant upon figuring out why the check engine light is on. With proper maintenance, most of your engine repair will not be on pistons or crankshafts; it will be on sensors, thermostats or starters. While these types of repairs often can’t be avoided, you can keep your internal engine parts operating smoothly with routine preventative maintenance, such as oil and spark plug changes and having your timing belt routinely checked. Visit Riverdale Automotive to learn more about your engine and how to keep it running properly.