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About This Quiz
There are so many parts to an engine, we can't even begin to count them. What we do know is that even a failure in a small part that may seem insignificant can cause your car to grind to a halt, or perhaps not start at all.
So how does it all work? Well, the engine provides the power. This is fed through the transmission, either manual or automatic, to the differential which, in turn, will turn the wheels of the car. Sounds simple enough but it isn't, really. How those engineers worked this all out all those years ago still boggles the mind, don't you think?
All those parts have to work in perfect harmony. Pistons moving, valves opening at the right time, spark plugs firing at the right instance, gases moved out of the engine. One little problem, and the engine might still run, but not efficiently.
So just how much do you know about the internal combustion engine and car engines, in particular? Do you know your exhaust manifolds from your mufflers, your oil pump from your fuel pump, or your spark plug from your glow plug? Want to test your knowledge? Then you have come to the right place!
A true classic, which motor would you find in a 1959 Mini?
898 cc gas engine
In 1959, the Mini Mk 1 was introduced to the world. And what a popular car it proved to be. The first Minis had a range of motors, with the smallest a mere 848 cc petrol engine.
1.5-liter diesel engine
3.0-liter water-cooled engine
None of the above
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In which order does an engine fire in terms of strokes?
Intake, exhaust, compression, power
Exhaust, intake, power, compression
Compression, power, exhaust, intake
Intake, compression, power, exhaust.
The intake stroke brings the fuel/air mixture into the cylinder. It is then compressed and combusted by the piston and spark from the spark plug which pushes the piston back, generating the power stroke. Lastly, gases are released from the cylinder thanks to the exhaust stroke.
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When a car shoots flames out of its exhaust pipe, what is the likely cause?
The fuel/air mixture is too rich.
If the fuel/air mixture is too rich, excess fuel does not get burnt during the combustion process. This escapes, together with exhaust gases down the exhaust system and ends up burning due to the heat which leads to flames out the exhaust pipe.
A faulty turbocharger
A faulty catalytic converter
The muffler needs replacing.
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A powerful engine can cause torque steer in what kind of vehicles?
Rear-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Torque steer happens under intense acceleration which sees the car pull to one side. This is a problem in front-wheel drive cars.
All-wheel drive
None of the above
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Unwanted crankshaft vibrations are stopped by this engine shaft, which is counter-weighted. Do you know what it is?
Glow plug
Balance shaft
The balance shaft is a counterweighted engine shaft. It offsets unwanted crankshaft vibrations.
Cambelt
Fan
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When a car starts, what is the first stroke of the engine?
Intake stroke
The intake stroke brings the air/fuel mixture into the combustion chamber within the engine. This is the first part that is necessary for an engine to run.
Power stroke
Compression stroke
Exhaust
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What is the name of the engine part that helps keep impurities out of the lubricant that moves around the engine?
Thermostat
Fuel filter
Oil filter
Oil keeps all the moving parts of an engine lubricated. An oil filter helps to remove impurities in the oil that might damage the engine.
Oil sump
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Can you name the engine part that allows the gas/air mixture to come into the cylinder?
Air sensor
Air filter
Air intake manifold
The air intake manifold allows the gas/air mixture into the cylinders and distributes it to the intake ports equally.
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What is the main visual characteristic of a supercharger known as a "blower"?
A massive air intake sticking out the car hood
You seen them before, on cars with a massive air intake coming out the hood. This is often called a "blower" but its proper name is a Roots-type supercharger.
Side exhaust pipes
It's painted pink.
None of the above
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How is a four-wheel drive car different from an all-wheel drive car?
It has different tires.
You can select when to drive all wheels in a four-wheel drive car.
In an all-wheel drive car, all the wheels are receiving drive all the time. In an four-wheel drive car, you can select when you want the wheels that are not always powered by the engine to receive power.
Four-wheel drive is more economical.
None of the above
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What is the purpose of the oil sump, also called the oil pan?
It heats the oil before it travels through the engine.
It moves oil through the engine.
It is the reservoir where the oil is kept when the engine is not running.
When an engine is not running and oil is not pumped through it, it needs to be stored. This is the job of the sump/pan.
None of the above
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Can you name the engine part that moves up and down within the cylinders?
Camshaft
Crankshaft
Connecting rod
Piston
Attached to a connection rod, the piston is found in the cylinder where it fits tightly. It moves up and down, compressing the air/fuel mixture which is then combusted.
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When coolant flows through your engine, it does so through certain passages. What are these called?
Furrows
Veins
Grooves
Water jackets
A running engine will naturally get hot and needs to be cooled. Coolant is taken from the radiator and passed through the engine through paths known as water jackets.
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The explosion created by the air/fuel mix burning is called the ______?
Exploding stroke
Combustion stroke
When the fuel/air mixture is compressed and spark from the spark plug applied, it combusts. This is known as the combustion stroke.
Kerpow stroke
None of the above
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An Italian-designed sports car, the Pagani Zonda derives its power from which engine unit listed here?
Hybrid engine
Electric motor
1.0-liter EcoSport
7.3 liter M120 AMG V12
Built by Italian firm Pagani, the Zonda sports car had a unique look when introduced in 1999. A number of models followed over the years with a range of power plant options, including a 7.3 liter M120 AMG V12 motor.
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Do you know which engine you would find in a GMC Typhoon performance truck?
4.3-liter turbocharged V6 gas engine
Take a 4.3-liter turbocharged V-6 as well as the transmission of a Corvette and couple that with an all-wheel-drive truck and what do you have? A GMC Typhoon, that's what. The Typhoon was faster than many sports cars of the time and easily raced to 60 mph from a standing start in fewer than five seconds.
1.2-liter diesel engine
495 cc gas motor
None of the above
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Which part mixes the fuel/air mixture in a car without valves?
Carburetor
The carburetor is crucial to the whole process. It needs to mix the right amount of fuel and air, otherwise the engine runs to lean or too rich.
Distributor cap
High-Tension leads
None of the above
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What is the task of engine valves?
Open and close to let the gas/air mixture into the cylinder, then seal to allow combustion
It's all about timing! Valves must open to let the gas/air mixture into the cylinder and then close to allow combustion to happen. Finally, they open to release the gases that are left over after the combustion process.
Allow coolant to flow in the engine when needed
Release oil from the sump
None of the above
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Only 448 Ferrari 500s were ever made. What powered them?
5.0-liter diesel engine
5.5-liter V12 gas engine
Launched in 1996, only 448 Ferrari 500s were ever made. This timeless design was powered by a 5.5-liter V12 capable of producing 485 brake horsepower.
Wankel engine
None of the above
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Do you know the name of the part of your engine that charges the battery while the car is driving?
Rotor
Alternator
Not only does an alternator charge your battery, but​ it also powers most of the electrical systems on a vehicle. If it is faulty, your battery will quickly run flat.
Distributor
Carburator
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Name two parts that are found in the exhaust system of your car.
Muffler, tailpipe
The tailpipe is at the end of the exhaust system and lets the gases formed by combustion out of the engine. The muffler helps to keep the sound the engine produces muffled.
Muffler, connecting rod
Tail pipe, fuel line
Catalytic converter, push rod
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The fuel system in your car's engine has one main job? What is that?
To get fuel from the tank to the engine
The fuel system ensures that the correct amount of fuel is sent from the tank to the engine where it is mixed with air for the combustion process to begin.
To clean the fuel going to the engine
To keep the fuel at the right temperature
None of the above
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Which of these engines do you think relates to the Porsche Macan?
1.0-liter diesel engine
2.4-liter straight six engine
3.6-liter V6 gas engine
Another model from Porsche as they branch out into other markets, the Macan is a 4-door compact luxury crossover first introduced in 2014. The top of the range model is driven by a 3.6-litre V6 twin-turbo engine with a 7-speed transmission.
Rotary engine
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Changing your car's oil is a must. But how often should you do it?
Every 1000 miles
Every six months
Follow the guidelines of the manufacturer
Trust the people who made your vehicle when it comes to time to change the oil. They know exactly how long oil will last and do an effective job within the engine.
None of the above
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Before starter motors, how did people start their cars?
Jump start
They had to manually crank the engine to turn it over.
The starter motor was invented in 1912, but only really became standard on cars in the 1920s. Until that point, the engine was turned over and started using a hand crank. This led to plenty of injuries as compression could shoot turn the crank backward if the operator was not careful.
Push start
None of the above
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Do you know the name of the part that moves coolant through the engine when it's hot?
Fuel filter
Water pump
A water pump moves coolant from the radiator through the engine, where the excess heat is transferred to it. It then returns to the radiator.
Oil pump
Rotor
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Can you name the part of the ignition system that makes sure the spark plugs fire in the right order?
Manifold
Distributor
Part of the ignition system, the distributor fires the spark plugs in the correct order. It is connected to them by high-tension leads.
Glow plug
None of the above
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This tiny part helps keep the piston pin in place. What is it called?
Balancing arm
Piston pin clip
Piston pins are held in place on the piston by the piston pin clip. If these fail, it could cause some serious damage to the engine.
Rotor
None of the above
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What is the purpose of a glow plug in a diesel engine?
Prevents oil leaks
Provides light
Heats up to ensure proper air/gas mixture combustion from a cold start in a diesel engine
Without the heat from a glow plug, a cold start in a diesel vehicle might mean the engine does not run efficiently, which would lead to increased exhaust emissions.
None of the above
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Which of these parts is found only on a diesel-powered vehicle?
Exhaust valve
Cambelt
Glow plug
All the other parts will be found on a gasoline-powered vehicle except a glow plug. That is just found in diesel-powered cars
Solenoid
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Gases that form as a result of the burning of the fuel/air mixture are released into the exhaust system through this. What is it called?
Exit valve
Exhaust valve
An exhaust valve is found in the cylinder head. It is driven by the camshaft and releases exhaust gases after combustion.
Inlet valve
None of the above
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From the options below, which engine powers the Nissan Leaf?
1.2-liter turbo engine
80 kW synchronous electric motor
An all-electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf went into production in 2010. Of course, perhaps the most important thing with such a car is the range. Today, a fully charged Leaf has a range of 107 miles with the larger 30 kWh battery and is powered by an all-electric engine. No hybrid technology here!
Hydro engine
None of the above
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What makes an opposed piston engine different?
It has no pistons.
It has two pistons per cylinder.
An opposed piston engine has no cylinder head and two pistons in the same cylinder. Not only does the engine retain heat more effectively, the intake and exhaust valves are found at opposite ends of the cylinder.
There are no valves.
None of the above
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What part of the engine opens and closes the valves?
Crankshaft
The rotation of the camshaft will open and close the valves of the engine. This allows combustion to take place within the cylinder (on closure) and releases the gases formed afterward (on opening).
Camshaft
Radiator
None of the above
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When cylinders are arranged in a single bank, it is called a what?
Inline arrangement
The most common configuration for the cylinders in an engine is inline. For example, the engine that powered the Ford Model T was an inline four cylinder.
V arrangement
W arrangement
None of the above
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You Got:
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