What is a piston and what does it do?
Pistons have been used in internal combustion engines for more than 150 years, but what are they made from and how do piston rings work?
Engines Tips and Tutorials Archive
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Head gasket guide: can a blown gasket be fixed and does sealer work?
Head gasket blown? Here's all you need to know about head gasket repair cost, whether head gasket sealer is any good and how long it takes to replace a gasket...
13 new online Techbooks launched!
Haynes has launched 13 new Online Manual Techbooks that focus on particular engines and transmissions, as well as brakes, air-con and ATVs. See them all - and buy them - here.
7 different ways a head gasket can fail
Head gaskets are the most stressed gaskets in an engine, because they have to deal with multiple tasks at the same time. They simultaneously seal oil, coolant, and engine compression, therefore when they fail, they can fail in a number of different ways. Each failure will result in different...
What is an engine block & what does it do
An engine block - also known as a cylinder block - contains all of the major components where the combustion process takes place in a reciprocating engine. Usually made from an aluminium alloy (cast iron in older engines), it houses the cylinders and their components, the water cooling system and...
What are Diagnostic Trouble Codes?
Modern cars are very clever, and most of them will actually be able to tell you what’s wrong if they have a problem.
What is your car's radiator (and what does it do)
A radiator is just one part of a complex cooling system that’s designed to keep a car’s engine operating at just the right temperature.
What is a car's accessory belt?
Accessory belts are used to drive the air-conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump and the alternator. In more modern cars one or two belts - known as the serpentine belt because of the way they twist around multiple pulleys - do all of these jobs.
What is a car's inlet (intake) manifold?
On modern engines, an inlet manifold, sometimes known as an intake manifold, distributes air to the engine’s cylinders.
5 things that go wrong with turbochargers (and how to prevent them)
Turbochargers are very delicate things. They spin at over 100,000rpm and operate to incredibly tight tolerances, so have the potential for catastrophic failure. That said, a well-maintained and healthy turbocharger should be able to last the life of the engine without any troubles.