Cheat sheet: Cars
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Date Posted:
June-9-2010 16:28
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Our new bluffer's guide to the world of men. This month: motors.
Essential terminologyAlternator: Recharges your battery while you’re driving. If your lights dim while the engine’s running, the alternator could have gone.
Starter motor: Pistons need to be moving before a motor can be started. Instead of cranking the engine by hand, a starter motor turns the flywheel, so the pistons move. It’ll screech like a swung cat when it’s on the way out.
Distributor: Provides electricity to each spark plug at timed intervals, so they can fire at exactly the right moment for each cylinder. “Advancing” the distributor speeds up the timing, and “retarding” it, slows it down – commonly known as a tune-up.
Head gasket: Typically made from steel or copper, the head gasket seals the gap between the cylinder block and the head of the motor. If you “blow” a gasket, the engine will lose compression (reducing power) and, typically, overheat, while oil and coolant leak into the cylinders, destroying the motor.
Expert terminology and the jaw-droppingly awesome fact...