Tune Ups

Do-it-yourself engine tuneups are a good way to save money on maintaining your car if you have the tools and skills to do the work. Modern car tuneups usually only involve replacing spark plugs,...

The ignition timing of modern cars is not adjustable, as it is controlled by the vehicle computer. Owners of older cars with adjustable timing who desire to do their own tune-ups will need to...

The gasoline engine needs three things to function correctly: air, fuel and spark. If one of those three things is missing, then the engine will run poorly until the situation is corrected. The...

The shock absorber is designed to dampen and control your ride quality as well as the handling of your vehicle. If you're building a performance vehicle that drives on the track and the street, a...

Computer chips run everything these days, including car engines. Upgrading a car engine with a specially designed performance chip can improve gas mileage.

Depending on the year of your S-10 pickup, you typically want to replace the ignition wires on your engine every 50,000 miles or so. This is because over time the wires can corrode and experience...

Chevrolet has been producing the 350 small-block engine since 1968. Known for its simple design and durability, many 350s produced decades ago are still on the road today. Like any other engine,...

Four-stroke engines are gasoline-only and require no oil additives like a two-stroke engine. Four stroke engines are commonly used on newer metric and American-made motorcycles, scooters, mopeds,...

The spark plugs in a car's engine will determine how well your car performs. Each manufacturer provides a maintenance manual to purchasers of its vehicles that states how often you should change...

The fuel system in your Dodge Ram truck is a series of hoses, filters and a pump. Fuel is pumped from the gas tank through a hose and into a fuel filter before entering the combustion chamber. It...

A depth gauge is a useful tool for determining how deep a hole or object is. It's more accurate than a tape measure or a ruler, plus it can give you the exact depth of the part you're looking at....

Upgrading your diesel to provide more horsepower does not have to be costly. Performance can improve greatly if you change a few parts. Modify components by changing out intake assemblies or the...

An engine's sparkplug is an essential part of the ignition system. At the end of the plug is a small gap between the plug and the electrode. Spark jumps across this gap and provides the engine's...

The fuel you buy at gas stations is filtered, but some deposits get past the oil refineries' filters. That's where your vehicle's fuel filter comes in. However, over time, microscopic deposits...

Cleaning the Mazda Miata throttle body should be done once every 20,000 miles. This will increase engine performance and drivability. If your engine stumbles, hesitates, idles rough, or stalls, it...

People talk about your gas mileage all the time, but how do you figure out what the average gas mileage you get is? Over time, gas mileage can fluctuate depending on how well the vehicle is taken...

The starter is a compact, high-torque electric motor used to spin the engine up to a high enough RPM that it will start. Though model specifics will vary, the starter on any car, including a Ford...

Motor oil lubricates the moving parts inside an internal-combustion engine. Organizations in Europe and the United States set different standards for motor oil.

Proper tuning and maintenance are vital to the longevity and efficiency of any vehicle. Performing appropriate maintenance can increase a car's lifespan, along with preserving the actual...

"Timing" refers to the time when the engine's distributor sends an electrical current to the engine's number one spark plug wire. If the engine is not timed correctly, performance and fuel millage...

Ford's 289-cubic-inch small block engine was one of Ford's most popular engines of the 1960s and was commonly used in the Mustang, Falcon, Fairlane and Cougar. Due to is relatively basic design,...

An electric fan shroud is part of an automobile engine's cooling system. To understand the fan shroud's role, you have to understand how a car's cooling system works.

The carburetor is a mechanical device that meters and controls air/mixture in a car's engine.

The Chevy Beretta spark plug wires are in the back of the car due to the fact that the Beretta uses a mid-mount engine design. After 30,000 miles, the spark plugs in the Beretta should be changed....

Automobile starters are precision machines, designed to ignite a small amount of fuel so that the engine can be cranked with the smallest amount of work possible. The timing of the ignition must...

A gearbox is a collection of mechanical components that deliver maximum power from an engine by managing a series of gear ratios that in turn operate a transmission. These components include: a...

Feeler gauges have multiple uses from automotive work to manufacturing. Many machinists use these types of gauges daily and a mechanic just cannot be without a set for tune ups. Whether you are...

The Ford Mustang is the dream car of many muscle car enthusiasts. In the hands of a proper mechanic, the Ford Mustang engine has almost infinite upgrade capabilities. When tuning up a Mustang,...

Alternators are devices that are responsible for charging a battery and keeping a car running. Alternators also help charge boat batteries and any other vehicle or machinery that runs off battery...

Snowy roads and parking lots create dangerous driving conditions and increase the likelihood of traffic accidents. Maintaining safe driving conditions on the parking lot and driveway of a home or...

Getting a regular tune up of your car is vital to an automobile's long life. Neglecting even one tune up can have disastrous results. At the very least your car will perform badly. Getting a tune...

Spark plugs are one of the most important components within any Chevrolet engine, as they are responsible for igniting the air/fuel mixture. Not all spark plugs are manufactured the same way...

Although every engine must be "timed," the 289 is actually one of the easier engines to make timing adjustments. "Timing" refers to the point in time when the spark plugs deliver the spark...

In their most basic form, gas springs are essential simple mechanical systems. The main components of a gas spring---rods, pistons, tubes and gas---interact with one another to absorb shocks and...

Tuning your car may include checking a few systems and replacing a few parts or a major inspection and main parts replacement, depending on engine mileage and your type of driving. Consult this...

There is a movement now that encourages people to buy hybrid cars to reduce carbon emissions and help save the environment. For those that can afford hybrid cars this is not a problem, but what...

The arrival of the oxygen (O2) sensor opened the door for advancements in fuel injection and emission control systems. Since the 1980s, automobiles have relied more and more on the oxygen sensor...

There is a common misconception in the world of automobiles that spark plugs --- the very things that bring life to your engine --- come from the factory ready to be put into the car. The truth...

One of the easiest ways to find wiggle room in a tight budget is increasing the gas mileage on your car. It doesn't take much, but it can translate into significant savings, especially during...

When a forklift runs out of propane, most people forget and leave the key on while they are getting a new tank. Leaving the key on with the engine not running, will burn the points. Therefore,...

A fuel additive is an alcohol-based substance that helps clean internal engine and engine-related components. Because some additives can mix or "bond" with water, they are used to clean out any...

The gap on the spark plug of your vehicle is the distance between the center and side electrodes. This gap needs to be calibrated to manufacturer specifications for your own particular car model....

Lawn Mower won't start? Maybe your having some trouble with your weed eater. Either way you should always check your spark plug and keep it clean.

A car tune-up is a necessary part of a good vehicle maintenance program. By ensuring the proper function and performance of a vehicle engine and all of its supporting systems, a good car tune-up...

The positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valve for your Lincoln Town Car is designed to recycle partially burned gases from the crankcase back in to the combustion chamber. It is a very important...

The fuel filter on the Chevrolet Tahoe is a small metal canister that is connected to the fuel line and has a fiber-based membrane inside the canister that acts to screen any foreign particles in...

Cylinder heads are the top part of the combustion cylinders of an internal combustion engine. In some cases, cylinder heads are just flat plates of metal, but usually they are concave and sculpted...

A gasoline engine uses oxygen to help burn gasoline for fuel. The car must perfectly balance the mixture between gas and oxygen to ensure that no fuel is left over once the gasoline has been...

A shock absorber is a device designed to absorb vibrations and jolts and dissipate energy. Although shocks are usually associated with cars, they are used on many industrial machines and even...