Alternative Fuel & Hybrid Vehicles

The level sensor in a vehicle’s fuel tank is actually a combination of three components; a float, an actuating rod and a resistor. This combination of components sends a variable signal to the…

Because built-in ovens are fitted into enclosures beneath work surfaces or into wall-mounted cabinets, they should be vented to the outside of the building for both safety and proper function. Used to…

Diesel engines may just be gas engines with high compression and no spark plugs, but they live on a whole different planet in terms of tuning and function. Diesel engines have hypothetically unlimited…

PZEV cars are Partially Zero Emission Vehicles. These vehicles have “zero evaporative emissions” in their fuel systems and feature a 15-year and/or 150,000-mile guarantee for all emission…

The 1999 Chevy S-10 pickup truck with a 4.3-liter model 220 engine utilizes a throttle body injection system, or TBI. In this type of system the throttle body is positioned on the top center of the…

Acids in ash produced by burning waste oil can corrode a boiler and keep it from burning cleanly. Frequent cleaning prolongs the boiler's life and helps prevent soot fires. Most manufacturers suggest…

Rotary engines feature a radically different construction than piston engines. In lieu of reciprocating rods and pistons, rotary engines utilize triangular rotors that complete the four phases of the…

Fuel injectors act like electrically controlled firing nozzles that receive a pulse signal to inject and fire a precise amount of fuel into the intake manifold. Multiport fuel injectors deliver…

Setting an engine’s idle speed too high consumes fuel needlessly and generates unwanted emissions; allowing it to idle too slowly risks stalling if the air conditioning or some other unexpected…

John Deere is a well-known name in the world of large and small lawn equipment. With everything from small lawn trimmers to large tractors, John Deere products are used for many different jobs. For…

Low sulfur diesel is in many ways an improvement of old high-sulfur diesel, but it isn't free of problems. The sulfur in older fuels combines with nickel in the engine to create a molten alloy that…

Home construction and repair projects may go on well into the cold months. It’s at these times that the use of a construction heater can keep work going instead of coming to a halt until the…

Electric cars are, mechanically speaking, much simpler than cars that utilize an internal combustion engine. In a regular gas or diesel engine, there are hundreds of moving parts. Any of these can…

The Jake Brake is the name for the Jacobs Vehicle Systems' compression release braking system. The system utilizes the high compression nature of diesel engines by using that compression to create an…

The term organic light-emitting diode refers to technology that changes the way consumers view display screens. "OLED TVs drop jaws," notes Taylor Buley in a Forbes.com article about OLED…

Gravity furnaces, sometimes called “octopus furnaces,” are an old type of gas-burning heater. These furnaces were used during the 1800s and 1900s. They’re referred to as octopus…

Fuel injectors in the Mazda 626 vehicles connect to pressurized fuel lines to spray fuel into the combustion chamber. A solenoid is charged with electricity to briefly open a valve allowing the fuel…

The leftover soot from combusted diesel fuel oil can, if left unchecked, form abrasive clumps that rub against a vehicle’s engine. Side effects such as thickening oil from the soot can lead to…

Oil stoves and furnaces rely on oil combustion to provide heat. A heating element ignites the oil fumes in a chamber and the heat is then pushed out of the chamber by a blower. Oil stoves are safe…

Diesel engines are increasing in popularity, particularly in domestic-made light trucks. Modern diesel engines have more power and quieter operation than some of the older models and are more…

A cooktop stove doesn't typically run on diesel fuel. If your stove is producing a smell similar to diesel or other oil-based fuel, you're probably smelling the cooktop stove's actual fuel source --…

The diesel engine traces its history to 1892, when German engineer Rudolph Diesel filed a patent for an engine run on a stable byproduct of the petroleum refinement process dubbed diesel fuel. After…

Diesel fuel is rated by different criteria used to measure its overall quality, which can affect how well the fuel burns in a diesel engine. The cetane number is an important measurement because fuel…

Knowing the input and output of your boiler will help you to determine the boiler's efficiency. Armed with this knowledge, you can assess if the boiler is still functioning at optimum levels, or if it…

Diesel fuel consists of middle distillates, which are petroleum compounds. Sometimes it is combined with bio-diesel, a fuel derived from vegetable and animal fats, to produce a fuel that is cleaner…

The fuel injectors on the 2000 Ford F-150 with the 4.6-liter are all connected to a fuel rail that is routed around the intake manifold. To remove any or all of the fuel injectors, it is necessary to…

Waste oil refers to recycled or used oil that is collected and processed so it can be used in boilers to produce heat. Many different types of waste oil can be burned for fuel, but they need to be…

Surveys conducted by the Tennessee Propane and Gas Association indicate that consumers prefer cooking with gas rather than electric. The American Gas Association reports 97 percent of professional…

For many outdoor and camping stoves, the power source comes from bottled propane. Converting the stoves over to dual-fuel use requires the installation of a generator into the stove engine. Most stove…

When it's cold outside, having an efficient way to heat your home can keep you and your family comfortable. Fuel oil furnaces heat homes efficiently, and with the right oil, they will heat the entire…

Soot buildup is a common issue in boilers that use fuel sources like gas or oil. This buildup occurs beneath the boiler tank itself, around the burners that are used to heat the water. Over time,…

Filmmakers often use the "green screen" technique for special effects shots added in postproduction. By filming actors or vehicles in front of a bright green backdrop, they can use editing…

Caterpillar has been in the heavy equipment industry since 1883, though the caterpillar name originated with its first "caterpillar-style tractor" in 1908. Caterpillar continues as an…

New homeowners or those looking to purchase a new furnace for the first time in years might find themselves a little mystified by the different types available. Learning about the different types --…

Yanmar Marine International, headquartered in the Netherlands, provides a variety of diesel engines for service on the water. Yanmar marine diesels range from one-cylinder, 11-horsepower engines for…

There are two types of gas fuels used for cooktops: natural gas and propane. Many cooks and professional chefs opt for gas-fueled cooktops because they provide greater temperature control in…

Furnaces burn oil and gas or use electricity to heat your home all winter long. When you ignore the symptoms of serious furnace problems, the unit may malfunction and stop providing heat in the middle…

Every fireplace is dangerous. It is simply a matter of understanding the dangers each type of fireplace presents and taking the necessary precautions to reduce the risks to life and property. Burning…

One of the most common engine capacities -- particularly trucks made by Ford and General Motors -- is the 6.5 liter diesel, which is a lighter, less powerful alternative to the sheer torque and fuel…

Because diesel engines power trucks and buses, many of these engine mechanics are also expert vehicle technicians. These workers earn their salaries by repairing and maintaining these engines. They…

Diesel fuel injectors convert fuel that is under pressure from the fuel pump into a spray and delivers it into the engine block's cylinders, where the pistons compress the fuel and the plugs spark it.…

The fuel you add to your vehicle contains a certain amount of lubricating oil to keep your fuel injectors running smoothly. In the mid-1990s, low sulfur became the fuel of choice at gas stations…

Electrical problems may seems intractable and confusing, but they're actually fairly easy to diagnose once you know the basics. An electrical system can only fail in so many different ways; once you…

Diesel engine repair mechanics help keep America's economy going. They provide service and repair to the trucks that haul the products consumers across the country buy. According to the Bureau of…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 attempts to bolster the United States economy via a wide range of tax breaks and incentives, ranging from homebuyer credits to increased…

Electric vehicles may be far simpler in design than engine-powered vehicles, but building one is far from simple. Think of the electric car like a natural-stone building; its straightforward…

To promote a national infrastructure of recharging stations for electric vehicles, federal and some state governments offer U.S. individuals and businesses tax credits for the purchase of electric car…

By definition, hybrid cars use multiple sources of power to propel them. The most commercially accepted configuration is a gas engine combined with an electrical motor, where both mechanical and…

In an effort to maintain a healthy environment and help prevent air pollution, the United States Environmental Protection Agency passed regulations cutting the level of sulfur in diesel fuel. By…

The General Motors F9 made a pioneering and historic impact on rail history, although railways that purchased the train have labeled multiple locomotive models as "F9s." In 1924, General Motors sold…