Besides keeping the outside of your vehicle looking like brand new you also want to make sure you periodically clean the engine compartment. There are many reasons for doing this, including helping prevent rust, to check for oil or fluid leaks and to detect belt wear. To soften the grease and grunge that collects in the engine compartment you should start the engine and let it run for a few minutes and then shut it off. If you can just hold your hand on engine without burning, then it is warm enough to clean. The proper temperature for cleaning the engine is warm but not hot.
While the engine is cooling down you will want to cover the openings on the motor that you do not want to get water in. These include the air intake/ air filter, the distributor, the coil and the oil dip stick/breather. You can use baggies and rubber bands to cover the openings. You also want to check the tightness of the oil filter cap, power steering cap, windshield washer fluid cap, battery filler caps and all other caps.
Now that you have the engine warm and everything is sealed you then spray the engine and engine compartment with a high quality non petroleum based degreaser. You should start at the bottom and work up, that way you won't be getting your face covered with degreaser.
Allow the degreaser to set for about three to five minutes and then use a 100% cotton towel or a soft brush to start removing the heavily soiled areas. You then re-spray and re-brush any areas that need additional cleaning. Once the entire engine and engine compartment have been cleaned you rinse it thoroughly with water. You don't have to use a high pressure sprayer a gentle spray will work just as well and you won't have to worry about getting water in sensitive spots.
Once the engine compartment is clean you can remove the plastic bags and rubber bands. You then dry any puddles and aluminum parts with a soft towel. Use paper towels to thoroughly dry the battery. You now start the engine and allow it to warm up. This will dry the rest of the engine and will evaporate any moisture that has collected.
Once everything is dry and completely cooled you should wax the painted areas of the engine compartment, but not the engine. If the undercoated aluminum areas are dull or have whitish corrosion you can use a mild metal polish to help restore the finish. At this time you should check the battery terminals to make sure they are clean. If they are not clean you can disconnect the cables and clean both the cable terminals and the battery posts with a wire brush.
Then you should check all hinges, throttle cables and shocks to see if they need a thin coating of non silicone lubricant. Then check all fluid levels and remove any stray baggies and you have completed cleaning your engine.
Ryan Draving is the VP of Empire Covers, a leading provider of car mats, motorcycle covers, car covers, and other vehicle covers and accessories. Empire Covers can be found online at: EmpireCovers.com or at their blog EmpireCovers-Blog.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ryan_Draving
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Letting Your Engine Idle and Why It's Bad
How often do you allow your engine idle while you are in the car? Most people will let their engines idle or "run" due to cold weather or due to the fact that they are listening to the radio. However, letting your engine idle is not good for your car or for the environment.
When you let your engine run, you are wasting gas. A few years ago, a couple of friends and I were sitting in my car on a cold night and I had the engine running so that we wouldn't be sitting there freezing. The weather was cold, and by allowing my engine to run while I was in the parked position, I was still able to run the heat in my car (which was the whole point because this was during the winter time). Suddenly, I remember one of my friends telling me that I shouldn't really run my car like that because it was "bad for my car."
There are many people who speculate that allowing your engine to idle is bad for your car, though it is up in the air for debate. When your car is idle, it is going 0 mpg. You aren't moving; you are simply burning fuel. When you are sitting at idle for long periods of time, it can actually do bad things for your car. Keep in mind that vehicles were designed to move, not to just sit and run. Often you might hear people say that turning off you car at idle won't actually save any gas. But with fuel injection technology, if you are going to have your car idling for more than 10 seconds, you will save fuel by turning it off. Depending on where you live, you might notice that someone is stopped at a light and their car is apparently inoperable. However, just before the light turns green, you'll suddenly hear them turning the ignition to put the car into 'drive' again.
Again, this is not recommended if you live in a high-traffic area such as New York or Atlanta.
When I was in the police department, during the summer when we were out on long calls- often we would leave the engines running in the event that we needed to get out to get to another call in a hurry. When this was the case, sometimes we would prop open the hoods on our police cruisers. We would do this because when you leave your car running, the engine is running. As a result of the engine running in hot weather, it is extremely easy for the engine to overheat.
Therefore, when you open the hood up, it allows more air to get in so that the engine stays a little cooler. Again, this is not recommended for regular people. If you know that you are going to be somewhere for longer than 10 minutes, then it is best to turn off your engine. If you leave your car running, your engine will eventually overheat and will stop running anyway!
car shipping
auto transport company
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
When you let your engine run, you are wasting gas. A few years ago, a couple of friends and I were sitting in my car on a cold night and I had the engine running so that we wouldn't be sitting there freezing. The weather was cold, and by allowing my engine to run while I was in the parked position, I was still able to run the heat in my car (which was the whole point because this was during the winter time). Suddenly, I remember one of my friends telling me that I shouldn't really run my car like that because it was "bad for my car."
There are many people who speculate that allowing your engine to idle is bad for your car, though it is up in the air for debate. When your car is idle, it is going 0 mpg. You aren't moving; you are simply burning fuel. When you are sitting at idle for long periods of time, it can actually do bad things for your car. Keep in mind that vehicles were designed to move, not to just sit and run. Often you might hear people say that turning off you car at idle won't actually save any gas. But with fuel injection technology, if you are going to have your car idling for more than 10 seconds, you will save fuel by turning it off. Depending on where you live, you might notice that someone is stopped at a light and their car is apparently inoperable. However, just before the light turns green, you'll suddenly hear them turning the ignition to put the car into 'drive' again.
Again, this is not recommended if you live in a high-traffic area such as New York or Atlanta.
When I was in the police department, during the summer when we were out on long calls- often we would leave the engines running in the event that we needed to get out to get to another call in a hurry. When this was the case, sometimes we would prop open the hoods on our police cruisers. We would do this because when you leave your car running, the engine is running. As a result of the engine running in hot weather, it is extremely easy for the engine to overheat.
Therefore, when you open the hood up, it allows more air to get in so that the engine stays a little cooler. Again, this is not recommended for regular people. If you know that you are going to be somewhere for longer than 10 minutes, then it is best to turn off your engine. If you leave your car running, your engine will eventually overheat and will stop running anyway!
car shipping
auto transport company
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Understanding Your Car's Engine Control Unit (ECU)
These days, you will find new cars with the latest incorporated engine technology. The engine of a car has undergone a massive change, right from the age old carburetor to the Engine Control Unit (ECU). In the 19th century, when the first single-cylinder petrol engine driver car came into force, it was the "Carburetor" that came into existence. Later on, multi cylinder engines were considered as a new thing. Finally, in the early 80's we got a new car system, consisting of controlled - feeding of fuel, air and ignition spark to the ICE cylinders. It was the fuel-injection system that was born, which replaced the century old carburetors. In a multi point fuel injection system, it injects fuel into individual cylinders. The injection of the fuel takes place on the basis of the commands from the "on board engine management system" computer. This computer is known as the engine control unit or the ECU.
The main process based job of an engine control unit (ECU) is to control the various features of an internal combustion engine's operation. Earlier, the ECU that was fitted in most of the cars and had their engine parameters fixed. Also, the carburetor would determine the required quantity of fuel per cylinder/per engine cycle. In other words, the simple version of the ECU'S would control only the quantity of fuel injected into each cylinder, at each engine cycle. The advanced types of engine control unit (ECU), which are fitted on most modern cars, are capable of controlling the ignition timing, variable value timing (VVT) and other peripherals.
The ECU'S (Engine control unit) monitors the engine by using sensors so that it can gather information about the cars quantity of fuel, ignition timing and other such parameters. The ECU works according to the input data that it gets from the various sensors that are located within the engine. The various types of sensors that are fitted all over the engine are MAP sensor, throttle position sensor, air temperature sensor, oxygen sensor and many more. The sensors incorporated within the engine, are basically used to determine the various "operating states of the engine and its performance. These sensors monitor's various aspects such as the ambient air temperature, engine/coolant temperature, exhaust /main fold temp, exhaust O2 content, throttle position, the rpm of the engine, the vehicle road speed and crankshaft position. The ECU (Engine Control Unit) uses the closed -loop control method, where it monitors the output of a system in order to control the inputs to a system. Since, the ECU (Engine Control Unit) gathers data from various different sensors, it knows all about the coolant temperature to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. On the basis of this available data, the ECU (Engine Control Unit) starts performing huge calculations every second. On the bases of the programmed interpretation of all the available input data, the ECU ( Engine Control Unit) will deliver the required commands to the engine's fuel intake and spark ignition timings system and thus help in bringing out a satisfactory performance of the car's engine.
Summer Road Trips And Rental Cars
Renting Cars For Road Trips
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
The main process based job of an engine control unit (ECU) is to control the various features of an internal combustion engine's operation. Earlier, the ECU that was fitted in most of the cars and had their engine parameters fixed. Also, the carburetor would determine the required quantity of fuel per cylinder/per engine cycle. In other words, the simple version of the ECU'S would control only the quantity of fuel injected into each cylinder, at each engine cycle. The advanced types of engine control unit (ECU), which are fitted on most modern cars, are capable of controlling the ignition timing, variable value timing (VVT) and other peripherals.
The ECU'S (Engine control unit) monitors the engine by using sensors so that it can gather information about the cars quantity of fuel, ignition timing and other such parameters. The ECU works according to the input data that it gets from the various sensors that are located within the engine. The various types of sensors that are fitted all over the engine are MAP sensor, throttle position sensor, air temperature sensor, oxygen sensor and many more. The sensors incorporated within the engine, are basically used to determine the various "operating states of the engine and its performance. These sensors monitor's various aspects such as the ambient air temperature, engine/coolant temperature, exhaust /main fold temp, exhaust O2 content, throttle position, the rpm of the engine, the vehicle road speed and crankshaft position. The ECU (Engine Control Unit) uses the closed -loop control method, where it monitors the output of a system in order to control the inputs to a system. Since, the ECU (Engine Control Unit) gathers data from various different sensors, it knows all about the coolant temperature to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. On the basis of this available data, the ECU (Engine Control Unit) starts performing huge calculations every second. On the bases of the programmed interpretation of all the available input data, the ECU ( Engine Control Unit) will deliver the required commands to the engine's fuel intake and spark ignition timings system and thus help in bringing out a satisfactory performance of the car's engine.
Summer Road Trips And Rental Cars
Renting Cars For Road Trips
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brenda_Williams
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Buy a Used Engine Or a New Car?
Ever got confused that what should you do? Buy a used engine for a cheap price or get a new car for much higher price. Both options are really good and the decision can be really difficult sometimes. Used engines sometimes work better than new cars in many cases. If you go out in the used engine market you will find that there are thousands of used engines available at almost free price compared to new ones. You can choose any one of them by seeing its specifications, how long it has been used in the previous car. Is the used engine you are going to buy original or is repaired?
If you have a very good budget and you are willing so spend it on your own life and comfort ability then instead of keeping the money in the bank or waste it in something else always go for a new car. At this point obviously you don't want to by a used engine because you can afford a complete brand new car. The advantage of a brand new car is that it is company fitted and you get free repair for 1 or 2 years and 2 year warranty of each auto part. You can visit the factory outlet of the company and keep your car tuned with regular tuning. New cars also give you the feeling that you are really in a new car like the new body, new interior and shining exterior. But it doesn't mean that if your budget is $5k and you go and buy a car of $10k. This will be plain mistake. If that is the case then go for a used engine.
Used engines are very beneficial in many cases. The first case is that if you want to buy the latest model of a car like model 2010 which isn't available in the market for next one or 2 years. Then why go and buy a new car and then when the 2010 model comes out you will be out of budget. Till that time you should replace the engine of your car with some good used engine and wait for the new car model to come out. Another big issue which is faced by almost everyone in this world is the tight budget. Everyone has to grow a family and fulfill the house needs. At this point there is no need to buy a new car of thousands of dollars and spend the rest of year in total tight budget and uncomfortably. Just get a new used engine for your current car and whenever you face any problem just go to the nearest mechanic and get your car fixed. Like this you will be able to fulfill every need of your family.
So the conclusion of everything is that buy a new car if you have a good budget otherwise just replace your car engine with some used engine available in market in a good condition.
You can get some idea about Used Engines from authors website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rober_Ron
If you have a very good budget and you are willing so spend it on your own life and comfort ability then instead of keeping the money in the bank or waste it in something else always go for a new car. At this point obviously you don't want to by a used engine because you can afford a complete brand new car. The advantage of a brand new car is that it is company fitted and you get free repair for 1 or 2 years and 2 year warranty of each auto part. You can visit the factory outlet of the company and keep your car tuned with regular tuning. New cars also give you the feeling that you are really in a new car like the new body, new interior and shining exterior. But it doesn't mean that if your budget is $5k and you go and buy a car of $10k. This will be plain mistake. If that is the case then go for a used engine.
Used engines are very beneficial in many cases. The first case is that if you want to buy the latest model of a car like model 2010 which isn't available in the market for next one or 2 years. Then why go and buy a new car and then when the 2010 model comes out you will be out of budget. Till that time you should replace the engine of your car with some good used engine and wait for the new car model to come out. Another big issue which is faced by almost everyone in this world is the tight budget. Everyone has to grow a family and fulfill the house needs. At this point there is no need to buy a new car of thousands of dollars and spend the rest of year in total tight budget and uncomfortably. Just get a new used engine for your current car and whenever you face any problem just go to the nearest mechanic and get your car fixed. Like this you will be able to fulfill every need of your family.
So the conclusion of everything is that buy a new car if you have a good budget otherwise just replace your car engine with some used engine available in market in a good condition.
You can get some idea about Used Engines from authors website.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rober_Ron
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Optimized Car Engines - A V6 That Performs Like a V8 and Curbs Pollution
When it comes to cars the raw horsepower is everything. Without that it is as good as riding a bicycle. A V4 or a V6 is definitely no match for the brute force of a V8. And every time you go past a V8, rather a V8 passes you by; you wonder why you opted for a beauty queen over smart and smooth performance.
Not that a six cylinder engine is worse than an eight cylinder, but if you're a power addict, a V6 might be a dampener. But not any longer! A new technology is in the market that has been designed to combine the feeling of power with fuel efficiency-a light weight six cylinder engine performing like an eight cylinder and simultaneously downsizing on the usage of gas.
Wondering how does that works? This new engine combines turbo charging, direct fuel injection and variable timing in the valves that control fuel and exhaust flow to make this a reality. In other words, the engine uses the turbo charging to let more air flow to the fuel burning chamber.
The variable valve then times it accordingly to flush out the exhaust gas completely from the fuel chamber after combustion has occurred. And finally the direct fuel injector ensures that any knocking issues are taken care of. And less fuel consumed would result in considerably lower emission of carbon monoxide, which means relatively less pollution.
Do not mistake for a tamed version of an eight cylinder done in a hotchpotch manner. It is a known fact that supercharging a six or for that matter even a four cylinder engine to the power levels of an eight cylinder engine would only add more to the existing complexity of the design of the engine and would weigh bulkier than needed. Thankfully, this new hybrid technology has been designed in such a way that it maintains the light weight of a V6 and yet manages to perform powerfully.
What is essentially going to be a matter of debate here is why go for a V8's power when a V6 or a V4 is equally manageable and meets the needs of the masses. Unless one likes the adrenalin rush of driving a powerful brute, a V8 is not something what one would buy, besides the fact that a V8 is expensive than a four or a six.
But with rising fuel prices and the threat of over pollution looming large (oh yes, the US is the highest global emitter of the greenhouse gases and that includes automobile emissions), alternative fuels and hybrid engines become the need of the hour.
This new technology introduced by motor giant Ford, has its eyes more on being fuel efficient than matching any performance levels. That it does, is just an added plus point of this engine. The slightly expensive price tag may make this multi displacement systems may not go down too well with many.
What may work to its advantage is the fact that it eliminates the gas guzzler effect of a V8 but gives a similar performance and yet retains the compactness of a six cylinder.
New Orleans auto repair shop guarantees a comprehensive checkup and solutions for all your car troubles through an extensive network of automobile experts and easy availability of choice products for all types of vehicles. Get all your car care needs met at http://www.neworleansautorepair.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
Not that a six cylinder engine is worse than an eight cylinder, but if you're a power addict, a V6 might be a dampener. But not any longer! A new technology is in the market that has been designed to combine the feeling of power with fuel efficiency-a light weight six cylinder engine performing like an eight cylinder and simultaneously downsizing on the usage of gas.
Wondering how does that works? This new engine combines turbo charging, direct fuel injection and variable timing in the valves that control fuel and exhaust flow to make this a reality. In other words, the engine uses the turbo charging to let more air flow to the fuel burning chamber.
The variable valve then times it accordingly to flush out the exhaust gas completely from the fuel chamber after combustion has occurred. And finally the direct fuel injector ensures that any knocking issues are taken care of. And less fuel consumed would result in considerably lower emission of carbon monoxide, which means relatively less pollution.
Do not mistake for a tamed version of an eight cylinder done in a hotchpotch manner. It is a known fact that supercharging a six or for that matter even a four cylinder engine to the power levels of an eight cylinder engine would only add more to the existing complexity of the design of the engine and would weigh bulkier than needed. Thankfully, this new hybrid technology has been designed in such a way that it maintains the light weight of a V6 and yet manages to perform powerfully.
What is essentially going to be a matter of debate here is why go for a V8's power when a V6 or a V4 is equally manageable and meets the needs of the masses. Unless one likes the adrenalin rush of driving a powerful brute, a V8 is not something what one would buy, besides the fact that a V8 is expensive than a four or a six.
But with rising fuel prices and the threat of over pollution looming large (oh yes, the US is the highest global emitter of the greenhouse gases and that includes automobile emissions), alternative fuels and hybrid engines become the need of the hour.
This new technology introduced by motor giant Ford, has its eyes more on being fuel efficient than matching any performance levels. That it does, is just an added plus point of this engine. The slightly expensive price tag may make this multi displacement systems may not go down too well with many.
What may work to its advantage is the fact that it eliminates the gas guzzler effect of a V8 but gives a similar performance and yet retains the compactness of a six cylinder.
New Orleans auto repair shop guarantees a comprehensive checkup and solutions for all your car troubles through an extensive network of automobile experts and easy availability of choice products for all types of vehicles. Get all your car care needs met at http://www.neworleansautorepair.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Stratton
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
How a Car Engine Works
The other name for a car engine is internal combustion engine; it is designed to make use of controlled explosions on smaller scale to generate power needed to operate the vehicle. Same engine is used in lawnmowers, motorcycles and other devices which use motors for their running. There have been a number of advancements to make better use of power and increase efficiency but still car engines are simple machines.
The car engines use four stroke combustion cycles, namely intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. These four steps are repeated in quick succession to generate power necessary for operation of a car and these four steps take part inside the car's engine.
Imagine a windmill, this will give you a better idea about the car engine, its arms move with the force of wind and as they move they generate energy which is then used to move the heavy grinding stones or to produce energy.
The engine of car operates on the same principle but in winds place, it uses small controlled explosions to move the pistons of the engine and when the engine runs out of energy from the explosion another explosion takes place, this forces the piston to move again and this process goes on until needed.
A small metal rod attached to a connecting rod via a crankshaft is called a piston. When the engine is going through an intake cycle the piston moves down when intake valves open, to start the process. This gives chance to air and a small amount of gas to enter into the engine.
In the next cycle namely compression cycle opposite motion of piston occurs and this thins out the air and reduces the fuel. This helps in explosion as smaller the space will be, stronger the explosion will be. To ensure no energy is lost, an airtight seal on this space is held strongly.
When the cycle is on peak the spark plug comes into action releasing a spark that explodes the gasoline. This takes the piston down again and if there is a mismatch in the time the explosion fails to take place.
The exhaust valve comes into action at the trough of the stroke to ensure no residues from waste gas are left inside the engine. At the base of the stroke, an exhaust valve unlocks so that the waste gas from the explosion can go away from the engine. The gas moves down with recurring explosions to the catalytic converter and muffler. The exhaust leaves the car through a tailpipe and air is filtered from the large pollutants before the process.
The speed of car depends on the speed of this cycle and its repetition, the piston moves faster when the driver injects large amounts of gas into the engine and this helps in the increased speed of cycle and hence faster speed of the car.
The central role is given to the spark plug that starts the explosion. The designs of spark plug have been improved over time. It is very important because the speed of car directly depends on the speed of spark issues by the spark plug.
This is how a car engine works. It is expected that you'll like the information in this article.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Usman_Ishfaq_Qureshi
The car engines use four stroke combustion cycles, namely intake, compression, combustion and exhaust. These four steps are repeated in quick succession to generate power necessary for operation of a car and these four steps take part inside the car's engine.
Imagine a windmill, this will give you a better idea about the car engine, its arms move with the force of wind and as they move they generate energy which is then used to move the heavy grinding stones or to produce energy.
The engine of car operates on the same principle but in winds place, it uses small controlled explosions to move the pistons of the engine and when the engine runs out of energy from the explosion another explosion takes place, this forces the piston to move again and this process goes on until needed.
A small metal rod attached to a connecting rod via a crankshaft is called a piston. When the engine is going through an intake cycle the piston moves down when intake valves open, to start the process. This gives chance to air and a small amount of gas to enter into the engine.
In the next cycle namely compression cycle opposite motion of piston occurs and this thins out the air and reduces the fuel. This helps in explosion as smaller the space will be, stronger the explosion will be. To ensure no energy is lost, an airtight seal on this space is held strongly.
When the cycle is on peak the spark plug comes into action releasing a spark that explodes the gasoline. This takes the piston down again and if there is a mismatch in the time the explosion fails to take place.
The exhaust valve comes into action at the trough of the stroke to ensure no residues from waste gas are left inside the engine. At the base of the stroke, an exhaust valve unlocks so that the waste gas from the explosion can go away from the engine. The gas moves down with recurring explosions to the catalytic converter and muffler. The exhaust leaves the car through a tailpipe and air is filtered from the large pollutants before the process.
The speed of car depends on the speed of this cycle and its repetition, the piston moves faster when the driver injects large amounts of gas into the engine and this helps in the increased speed of cycle and hence faster speed of the car.
The central role is given to the spark plug that starts the explosion. The designs of spark plug have been improved over time. It is very important because the speed of car directly depends on the speed of spark issues by the spark plug.
This is how a car engine works. It is expected that you'll like the information in this article.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Usman_Ishfaq_Qureshi
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