Basic Info: Car Engines

How do Car Engines Work?

Here I am going to cover the basic ways an engine works including engine cooling, air intake and start up systems for people curious and interested in cars.

The cooling system in most cars consists of the water pump and radiator. Water circulates through passages around the cylinders and then through the radiator to cool it off. In a few cars, motorcycles and lawnmowers the engine will be air cooled instead . Air cooling makes the engine lighter but hotter and generally decreases engine life. This is why the engine stays cool but there are other reasons air circulation is so important. Most cars are normally aspirated which means the air flows through a air filter and into the cylinders. High-performance cars are either turbocharged or supercharged so the air coming into the engine is first pressurised. The amount of pressurization is called boost. Now I'm going to cover what happens when you turn the key to start your car. The starting system consists of a starter solenoid and an electric starter motor. When you turn the ignition key the starter motor spins the engine a few revolutions so the combustion process can start. It takes a very strong engine to turn a cold motor and it must overcome all of the internal friction from the piston rings and and the compression of any cylinder in the compression stroke, the energy needed to open and close valves with the camshaft and all of the other things connected to the engine. because so much energy is needed because a car uses a 12-volt electrical systems, hundreds of amps of electricity must flow into the starter motor. The starter solenoid is the big electric switch that can handle that much current and it is activated when you turn the ignition key.
 
To keep your car engine running make sure your MOT is up to date!