1. The oil pan
   The oil filter
2. The dipstick
   The oil temperature sensor

The oil filter can hold about a quart of oil on its own, so when the vehicle's oil is changed, this part needs to be changed out as well; otherwise, a sizable amount of dirty oil will contaminate the nice, clean lubricant that was just put in.

1. Reciprocating cam
   Motivator
2. Piston
   Pushrod

The pistons travel up and down the cylinder shaft, driven by the internal combustion process. They are forced down the cylinder by the explosion, and then compress the fresh fuel/air mix as they return up toward the cylinder head.

1. Fuel pump
   Oil pump
2. Water pump
   Air pump

Although modern cars are much more likely to use antifreeze than water in the coolant system, the water pump is the device that keeps things moving. If the water pump — which can be either electrical or mechanical — goes out, your car is about to heat up in a bad way.

1. The exhaust manifold
   The muffler
2. The outgassing control port
   The EPS conduit

After the internal combustion process, the spent gases must be removed to make room for the fresh fuel/air mixture. These gases go through the exhaust valve(s) of the cylinder and then leave the engine by flowing through the exhaust manifold.

1. The Multi-Velocity Processor (MVP)
   The Neural-Net Processor (NNP)
2. The Isolinear Core Processor (ICP)
   The Engine Control Unit (ECU)

The Engine Control Unit, or ECU (also known as the DME, DDE and by other names), is the computer that your car uses to maintain proper working order. This processor takes information from various sensors around the engine and the rest of the car to make decisions about fuel allocation and other factors.

1. The clutch
   The camshaft
2. The Johnson rod
   The connecting rod

When you shift gears in a car with a manual transmission, you are using the clutch to disengage the engine from the transmission while you change which gear the transmission is using. This is a smooth process for experienced drivers. With drivers who are just learning to use the clutch, however, you're going to get jerked around a bit until they get the hang of it.

1. Fuel injectors
   Ignition coil
2. Lithium-ion batteries
   Superchargers

Each cylinder in your modern car has its own ignition coil, which sends the necessary electricity to each spark plug to ignite the fuel/air mix and drive the pistons. This job used to be accomplished by the distributor cap and points. Time, however, marches on.

1. Piston guard
   Cam chain
2. Timing belt
   Synchronizing sensor

The timing belt connects the camshaft and the crankshaft to keep the two elements in sync. The crankshaft rotates twice for every time the camshaft rotates, and they must work in harmony so that the valves open and close at the right moment in the four-stroke cycle.

1. Exhaust, power, compression, intake
   Intake, compression, power, exhaust
2. Intake, power, compression, exhaust
   Power, exhaust, compression, intake

The four-stroke internal combustion engine first takes in the fuel/air mix, then compresses it. The compressed mixture is then ignited, releasing its power and moving the piston. Finally, the exhaust gases are removed and the process starts again.

1. The battery
   The flywheel
2. The lithium-ion storage unit (LiSU)
   The alternator

Since the internal combustion process is uneven, stored rotational energy can be a huge help in evening out the ride. In a car's engine, this is accomplished by the flywheel, which spins with the crankshaft and aids in keeping the spinning going at a more consistent rate.

1. It can maintain top speed for longer.
   It can accelerate quickly.
2. It can drift easily.
   It's faster than a car with lower torque.

Torque is a measure of turning power and is usually measured in foot-pounds (or Newton-meters). Just as horsepower is a measure of engine power, torque is a measure of how quickly the vehicle can accelerate.

1. Distributors
   Overhead cams
2. Sodium Filled Valves
   Fuel injectors

In older vehicles, the carburetor was in charge of creating the fuel/air mixture necessary for the internal combustion process. In modern cars, this duty is filled by the fuel injectors, which keep the fuel and air separate until they enter the cylinder chamber, giving it a more consistent flow.

1. Crankshaft motor
   Cylinder motor
2. Blower motor
   Starter motor

The starter motor is an electric engine that gives the initial boost that causes the automobile's engine to turn over for the first time and get the internal combustion process started. Before they became a standard part of the car, drivers had to use a crank to get the engine started.

1. Crankshaft
   Camshaft
2. Flywheel
   Transmission

Connected to the pistons by the hinged — and logically named — connecting rods, the crankshaft is rotated by the pistons' linear motion and transmits this motion to the transmission, which ultimately moves the wheels.

1. Evaporation
   Refrigeration
2. Sublimation
   Heat exchange

The radiator operates by allowing hot engine coolant to flow through small tubes and come into contact with moving air (from the car being in motion and/or the radiator fan). The air cools the fluid, drawing away some of the engine's heat, and keeps the engine from overheating.

1. The exhaust process
   The combustion process
2. The compression process
   The intake process

The Mass Air Flow sensor reads how much air is flowing into the engine at any given moment and helps the car's onboard computer determine how much fuel is needed to achieve the desired level of power. The computer will start throwing warning lights and the car will not run smoothly if this part gets contaminated or its electronics fail.

1. The fuel injection system
   The cooling system
2. The exhaust system
   The air intake system

Exhaust headers are one of the most common aftermarket accessories used by people who want to get some extra pep out of their engine. They work by giving each cylinder its own exhaust system rather than using a common exhaust manifold. This helps to eliminate backpressure and ups the engine's horsepower and torque capabilities.

1. The radiator
   The A/C compressor
2. The engine block
   Underneath the passenger compartment

Freeze plugs are usually found on the back, the side or underneath the engine block, and help to relieve pressure inside the block in freezing conditions. When water freezes and expands, the freeze plugs give the pressure a safe place to go.

1. Electromagnets
   The serpentine belt
2. The battery
   The engine's fan

The serpentine belt is connected to many components in your car's engine, including the alternator. By putting it in motion, the serpentine belt allows the alternator to generate electricity for the car's systems and makes sure the battery is properly charged. Older cars may have an alternator belt which just handles that part.

1. To separate the cylinder head from the engine block
   To maintain maximum compression in the combustion process
2. To keep fluids and other elements from mixing
   All of the above

The head gasket is what separates the cylinder head from the engine block, allowing the two elements to work together and form a tight combustion chamber. Water, oil, fuel and exhaust gases also flow through the proper channels in the head gasket. When there's something wrong with this gasket, the engine quickly starts to display symptoms.

1. Bait and switch
   Catch and release
2. Intake and exhaust
   Income and outgo

The intake valves allow the fuel/air mixture to be injected into each cylinder for the internal combustion process, and then the exhaust valves release the spent gases to make room for the next cycle. Each cylinder, by the way, may have more than one of each valve.

1. The struts
   The shock absorbers
2. The engine mount
   The vibrational dampeners

The engine and transmission are held in place in the car's frame by a series of mounts. These mounts are rubberized and, if they get worn and start to fail, the entire passenger compartment will start to feel the vibration of the engine, giving the riders an unwelcome massage.

1. It tells the car's computer if the camshaft is in good working order.
   It tells the car's computer where the camshaft is in its rotation.
2. It keeps the camshaft and the crankshaft in sync.
   It maintains proper airflow through the intake manifold.

The camshaft position sensor tells the car's computer when to release fuel to each cylinder by letting it know what position the camshaft is currently in. If this sensor starts to give bad readings, the spray of fuel will be incorrect and the engine will not run properly.

1. None
   1
2. 2
   3

The pistons in an automotive engine typically have three rings. The top two rings aid in compression, making a tight fit between the piston and the cylinder wall while the ring aids in controlling oil and dissipating heat generated in the combustion process.

1. Tappets
   Crankshaft
2. Camshaft
   Cylinder head

The camshaft, which rotates in time with the crankshaft, opens and shuts the valves going to the cylinders through the use of offset lobes (or cams). This keeps everything moving in the proper order throughout the internal combustion process.

1. By sending temperature information to the car's computer
   By blocking the flow of coolant when it's not needed
2. By absorbing heat generated by the combustion process
   By cooling the antifreeze when it reaches a certain temperature

The thermostat in your car's engine is actually a valve that stays closed when the engine first starts and then opens when the engine is warm enough to need the flow of coolant to draw the heat away. If this part gets stuck, the engine can easily overheat.

1. The rotational speed of the tires
   How many times a second the pistons move
2. The rotational speed of the crankshaft
   The velocity of air coming into the engine

The tachometer is a gauge that measures how many times the crankshaft revolves in a minute (revolutions per minute, or RPM). At idle, the tachometer generally reads about 1,000 RPM for most cars.

1. True — each car has its own requirements.
   False — they are pre-set in manufacturing.
2. False — there is no gap at the end of a spark plug.
   It depends — only performance cars need a precise setting.

When it comes to an internal combustion engine, timing is everything, and that includes the time it takes for a spark to travel between the electrodes of a spark plug to ignite the fuel/air mix in the cylinder. The gap at the end of each spark must be set to the exact distance specified by the manufacturer for the engine to run properly.

1. The shape of the cylinder head
   The shape of the cylinder body
2. It's an engine brand name.
   It's a diesel engine.

The top of the combustion chamber of a Hemi engine are hemispherical (rather than flat), giving the engine its name. While hemi engines are more complex and more expensive, they can generate more power than a regular engine of the same size.

1. Puts engine heat to work in the cabin
   Warms the engine on cold days
2. Dissipates engine heat to the outside air
   Warms the oil to help it flow through the engine

The heater core is an ingenious bit of engineering, taking what would have otherwise been wasted heat and putting it to work to warm the passenger compartment and operate the defroster. It does this by taking some of the heat from the engine coolant and putting it to work.

1. It injects nitrous oxide into the fuel/air mix.
   It injects extra fuel into the cylinder.
2. It enlarges the cylinder.
   It forces more air into the combustion chamber.

A turbocharger is a turbine that increases the engine's power output by forcing compressed air into the cylinder — more air means more fuel can be introduced, which leads to bigger explosions and more power.

1. You allow more air into the engine.
   You increase the fuel pressure.
2. You tell the car's computer that you want more power.
   You increase the radius of the cylinder.

The accelerator pedal actually controls the engine's throttle (the mechanism that controls how much air is entering the engine). When you allow more air in, more fuel is added to the mix, and the vehicle goes faster. The "gas" pedal is actually the "air" pedal.

1. H
   V
2. I
   W

The most common engine configurations for automobiles are inline, or I, meaning the cylinders are in a straight line, and V (V6, V8), meaning the engine has two banks of cylinders that resemble the letter "V." Less common, but still in existence, are the "W" engines, which have three banks of cylinders that resemble that letter.

1. Near the catalytic converter
   Near the intake manifold
2. Near the exhaust manifold
   Near the camshaft

The car's oxygen sensors help with the smooth operation of the car's engine, even though they are located near the catalytic converter. These sensors detect how much unused oxygen is present in the engine's exhaust and help the vehicle's computer better calibrate how much fuel is needed for the fuel/air mix.

1. Fuel regulators
   Torque restrictors
2. Transmission boosters
   Oil coolers

When an engine is going to have extra strain on it — be it pulling or carrying heavy loads or being required to go really fast — oil coolers help take some of the pressure off the motor and keep it in good working order. There are also transmission coolers designed for the same purpose.