Rev Up Your Engines!

What is the difference between a 4 and 6 cylinder engine and what are the benefits of each?

A car has an engine which converts fuel into a forward motion. In a 4-cylinder engine, a car has 4 pistons that rise and fall which, through a series of events, ultimately drives the car forward. A 6-cylinder engine has 6 of these pistons that rise and fall. In the most simple terms, the more pistons a car has, the more powerful the car is. A 6-cylinder engine, which is usually found in larger cars, small SUV’s and small trucks, is, in theory, 50% more powerful than a 4-cylinder engine. And an 8-cylinder engine, which is usually found in standard trucks and SUV’s, is, in theory, 100% more powerful than a 4-cylinder engine (We will come back to the “in theory” part after the explanation of the benefits).

The benefit of a 4-cylinder engine is that it is normally less expensive, lighter and will get better gas mileage. However, if you’re going to be going on long commutes, up a lot of hills, or want a car that has a bit more pick-up when the gas is pressed, you want an engine that is stronger than a 4-cylinder, ie. the 6-cylinder. Going back to the equation of more cylinders = more power, if you’re going to be hauling a lot of heavy things all the time, you’re going to want to buy something with 8-cylinders, like a standard truck or SUV.

Now, to touch on the “in theory” aspect. The reason why a 6-cylinder engine is “in theory” 50% more powerful than a 4-cylinder engine, and an 8-cylinder engine is “in theory” 100% more powerful is because of the advancement of technology. The advancement of technology has lead us to 4-cylinder engines that are far more powerful than they used to be, as well as 8-cylinder engines that are way more gas efficient. An 8-cylinder engine of a 2013 SUV may have better gas mileage than a 4-cylinder engine of the 1980’s, and a 6-cylinder engine of the 1980’s may be less powerful than a 4-cylinder engine of 2013.

13 Weirdest Ways to Clean Your Car

 

As a car owner, you want to treat your car similarly to how you would treat your own body. A car has a skeleton and an entire system of interconnecting pipes and motors that, much like your own body, you want to keep clean and running smoothly. Additionally, a car has a superficial layer that, as an owner, you want looking nice since that is generally what others will see. Besides for these two aspects, however, is a car really that much like a person? Well, according to Reader’s Digests, “13 Weird Tricks to Clean Your Car,” it might be way more like us than you would think. For instance, did you know that using hair conditioner with the ingredient lanolin to clean your car will keep it looking waxed and even repel rain water? How about the fact that a jug of cheap vodka mixed with water and liquid detergent is a way to make your own windshield wiper fluid? And we won’t even go into what they recommend you do with Maxi Pads, but you can surely check it out for yourself by clicking on the link here: 13 Weird Tricks to Clean Your Car

Car Care: Spring Maintenance Check List

It’s officially the Ides of March, so beware! You and your car may be excited to hit the road again in the nice weather, but over 9 million people break down and have to call AAA each summer. What can you do to help your car recover from the winter, and get ready for the nicer weather?

“If, like most Americans, you're not driving a fresh-from-the-showroom ride - the average age of passenger vehicles in the U.S. is just over 10 years old - it's time to give your car a little springtime TLC.
"Drivers often overlook their cars when it is spring cleaning time," says Shawn Hoelzer, master technician for CarMax, the largest U.S. chain of used car dealerships. "Following a few easy steps to spruce up your vehicle helps avoid costly repairs."
So take your car to a dealership to get checked out. Use this spring maintenance checklist to make sure your car is reliable and running efficiently.
Check the battery: You can't get where you are going if the car won't start. "Winter is tough on all the starting components like the starter and alternator. The battery works harder and can get drained," says Jimmie Swims, a specialist at the auto parts chain Auto Zone. Signs of a weak battery: dimming headlights or interior lights; power windows that take longer than usual to go up and down.”

“Check the brakes: Winter conditions and salt on the roads can lead to corrosion of brake parts; Auto Zone's Swims also points out that anti-lock braking systems get an especially hard workout in winter's slick conditions. Nothing is more crucial to your safety than your brakes, so get them checked. Trouble signs: pulling to one side when you hit the brakes, squeaking or grinding noises and a brake pedal that feels too soft.
Tire photo courtesy of Flickr user Bryan Alexander Battery photo courtesy of Flickr user Robert Hruzek”

Full article here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-40542866/car-care-spring-maintenance-check-list/

Car Confessions Data Chart

We all have little bits of interesting information and odd behaviors somewhere in our relationship with our cars. Some people don’t mind if you smoke in their car, others don’t always wear a seat belt (though they should), and most people have even named their car! This infographic presents the results of a poll where more than 1000 people were asked a variety of questions about their cars, so check out this infographic for the results.


More here:
http://blogs.automotive.com/car-confessions-data-chart-120407.html#axzz2M7LpmIqL

20 Most Interesting Facts About Cars

“All of you guys have read certain interesting facts about animals, technology, or people at least once in [your] life. Right? And since [a] car is something you use every day, this time it’ll be facts about cars. These infotaining car facts might surprise everybody, from car enthusiast[s] to simply car owner[s]. So in the name of entertainment and because car[s] [are] the most popular type of transport, [here is a] list of great facts about automobiles and things regarding autos. Accompanied with pictures that will help you get a visual description, these great facts can change your attitude towards routine work or usual stuff. Get to know [these] top 20 interesting facts about cars!”













More here:
http://blog.carid.com/20-most-interesting-facts-about-cars

How to Jump Start Your Car

Imagine this, you walk out the door towards your vehicle, get in, and it won’t start. Oh no, maybe the battery’s dead! This can be because the headlights were left on, a door was not completely closed, or maybe just the battery is old. In any case you’ve got somewhere to go, and you’re not going to let this stand in your way. Well as long as you’ve got a friend with a charged car battery and some jumper cables, you can still get where you’re heading after a quick jump.

Put on the safety glasses and open the hoods of both cars. Make sure the battery position on each car is compatible to the length of the cables.
Attach the red clamp of the jumper cables to the working battery in the assisting car first, then attach the black clamp to the negative terminal of the working battery in the assisting car. Be sure once both of those clamps are attached to the working battery that the idle clamps on the other end of the jumper cables do not come into contact with one another, or sparks will fly.
Hold the remaining clamps of the jumper cables apart and attach the red clamp to the positive battery terminal on the dead battery. Attach the black clamp of the jumper cable to a non-moving metallic ground away from the dead battery. Use a large bolt head or metal engine bracket within reach. Make sure that there is no slack in the cable or clamp connections that can come into contact with moving engine parts when the dead car battery starts the engine.
Start the car with the dead battery. If it doesn't start, you may need to start the engine of the assisting car and allow it to run for a while, or have the engine revved to accommodate the cold cranking amps of the dead battery. It will depend on how many cold cranking amps the dead battery calls for and how dead the battery is. A rule of thumb is to find a compatible vehicle to jump start from. A small compact car with a low cold cranking amp battery may have a difficult time jump starting a 3/4-ton truck with a high cold cranking amp battery.
Remove the black clamp from the ground position on the vehicle that needed to be jump started first, then remove the red clamp from the same vehicle (once the battery starts the engine). Again, be sure not to allow the clamps of the jumper cables to contact one another. Finally, remove the black clamp from the assisting car's negative battery terminal and then the last clamp from the positive battery terminal. Close the hoods and remove the safety glasses.

For two other ways to jump your car, check out this article. http://www.ehow.com/how_4899364_jump-start-car-safely.html

How Your Car Gets Tuned Up

Every 30,000 miles or two years (whichever comes first), your car should receive a tune up. This is a good way to keep your vehicle out of the shop, by having a few parts checked and replaced that are worn down. Here’s a list of things your mechanic does to tune up your car!

• -Replace the fuel filter
• -Change the spark plugs
• -Replace the distributor cap and rotor
• -Change the points and condenser
• -Check and adjust the ignition timing
• -Adjust the valves

To get see the rest of these steps, check out the full article at:
http://www.ehow.com/how_1874_tune-car.html