Our general FAQ section provides clear answers to the most common automotive questions that apply to all vehicles, regardless of make or model. From understanding routine maintenance schedules and oil change intervals to learning about warning lights, smog checks, brakes, tires, and general car care tips, this category is designed to help every driver. Whether you’re new to car ownership or just want reliable advice, our general FAQs give you the knowledge to keep your vehicle safe, reliable, and road-ready.
How a Car Clutch Works, Step by Step A clutch interrupts and reconnects the flow of power between a running engine and the transmission: pressing the pedal sends force through a cable or hydraulic system to a release bearing, which unloads the pressure plate and frees the friction disc from the flywheel; releasing the pedal …
How to Tell If Your Steering Rack Needs Replacing If your steering feels loose or heavy, the wheel doesn’t return to center, you hear clunks or feel notches while turning, there’s power-steering fluid inside the rack boots, or an EPS warning light appears with assist cutting in and out, your steering rack may need replacement. …
Do Headers Increase Horsepower? Yes. Exhaust headers can increase horsepower by improving exhaust scavenging and reducing backpressure. On a stock, naturally aspirated engine, typical gains are about 2–5% at the wheels; performance builds with a tune and long-tube headers can see 5–10% or more. Results vary by engine design, header type, and supporting modifications, and …
Can you repair a seat belt pretensioner? No—once a seat belt pretensioner has deployed, it must be replaced, not repaired. Pretensioners are single-use safety devices that rely on pyrotechnic charges or dedicated mechanisms to cinch the belt in a crash. Attempting to “repair” or “reset” a deployed unit is unsafe and may be illegal for …
Using the Wrong Gas Cap: What Really Happens and How to Fix It Using the wrong gas cap can trigger a Check Engine Light, set evaporative-emissions leak codes, cause fuel-vapor smells, and lead to failed emissions inspections; on older vehicles that require a vented cap, it can even cause fuel starvation or tank damage. The …
Air Brakes vs. “Regular” Brakes: What’s the Difference? Air brakes use compressed air to apply stopping force and are standard on heavy trucks, buses, and many trailers because they scale well, integrate a fail-safe parking/emergency function, and are easier to maintain for big loads; “regular” brakes in everyday cars and light trucks are hydraulic systems …
Three Negative Effects of Biomass Energy Biomass can help displace fossil fuels, but three significant drawbacks stand out: it worsens air quality and public health through particulate and NOx emissions; it can deliver uncertain climate benefits due to carbon debt, methane and nitrous oxide; and it drives land-use pressures that threaten biodiversity, water, and soils. …
How many countries are left-hand drive? About 140 sovereign countries—roughly 165 jurisdictions in total—are left-hand-drive (they drive on the right-hand side of the road). By contrast, about 54 sovereign countries—around 76 jurisdictions when territories and special regions are included—drive on the left and therefore predominantly use right-hand-drive vehicles. This distinction matters because “left-hand drive” can …
Should Radiators Have Water In Them? Yes—most household hot‑water radiators should contain water (or a water‑glycol mix), and car “radiators” must contain coolant (a water–antifreeze blend). Steam radiators, however, are not meant to be filled with water, and electric radiators should contain no water at all. This article explains the differences across home heating, automotive …
What gears are used in recirculating-ball steering? The gearing in a recirculating-ball steering box consists of a worm gear on the steering input shaft and a sector gear on the pitman (cross) shaft, linked by a ball-nut (ball-screw) mechanism that converts the worm’s rotation into linear motion before turning the sector gear. How the mechanism …
Which Car to Hook Up First with Jumper Cables Connect the red positive clamp to the dead car’s positive terminal first, then to the donor car’s positive terminal; next, attach the black negative clamp to the donor car’s negative terminal and finish by clamping the remaining black lead to an unpainted metal ground on the …
The Two Types of Superchargers Explained The two primary types of superchargers are positive displacement and dynamic (centrifugal) superchargers. Both compress incoming air to boost engine power, but they do it in fundamentally different ways that affect throttle response, efficiency, packaging, and real-world performance. Here’s what sets them apart, where each shines, and how to …
How to Reset an Idle Air Control Valve In most older, cable-throttle vehicles with a separate Idle Air Control (IAC) valve, you reset it by cleaning the IAC and throttle body, clearing powertrain control module (PCM/ECU) memory (via battery disconnect or scan tool), and performing an idle relearn with the engine warm and accessories off. …
Which countries drive on the left side of the road? Many countries drive on the left—most prominently the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Australia, and South Africa—along with dozens of others across Asia, Oceania, Africa, and the Caribbean; in total, around 75 countries and territories (home to roughly a third of the world’s population) use left-hand …
Three Common Suspension Noises When Driving The three most common suspension noises are clunking or thudding over bumps, squeaking or creaking during motion, and rattling or knocking on rough roads. These sounds usually point to worn joints or bushings, loose hardware, or tired shocks and struts, and each has distinct patterns that can help with …
Which Companies Are Using Alternative Fuel Vehicles Across sectors, many well-known companies already operate alternative fuel vehicles at scale, including Amazon, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Walmart, IKEA, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, Schneider National, NFI Industries, Maersk’s Performance Team, Waste Management, Republic Services, Uber, Lyft, Hertz, AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast. These fleets use battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, renewable natural …
How to Check Your Car’s Odometer To check your car’s odometer, power the vehicle to the ON/ignition position and look at the instrument cluster or main display for a readout labeled “ODO” showing total miles or kilometers; if you see only “Trip A/B,” press the ODO/TRIP or menu button to cycle to the total odometer. …
Understanding D3, D2, and L on an Automatic Transmission D3, D2, and L are gear selections that limit an automatic transmission to lower gears: D3 typically uses the first three gears, D2 holds to the first two (or starts in 2nd and prevents higher gears), and L locks the transmission in its lowest gear. Drivers …
How long should brake pads last? Most brake pads last 30,000–70,000 miles (about 48,000–113,000 km), but the real answer depends on what and how you drive. In dense city traffic or with aggressive braking, pads can wear out in 15,000–25,000 miles; on mostly highway trips—or in hybrids and EVs that use regenerative braking—they can stretch …
Who Has License Plate “1” in the United States? There is no single “license plate 1” holder for the entire United States. License plates are issued by states and the District of Columbia, not by the federal government, so many jurisdictions have their own plate marked “1.” In practice, that number is often reserved for …
Symptoms of a Bad Rack and Pinion Common symptoms of a failing rack and pinion include loose or wandering steering, stiff or notchy steering effort, clunking or knocking when turning, power-steering fluid leaks from the rack, uneven front tire wear, and a steering wheel that doesn’t return to center. In newer vehicles with electric power …
Why Japan Drives on the Left Japan drives on the left primarily because left-side travel became entrenched before cars—rooted in samurai-era customs and packhorse logistics—then was cemented by British-built railways in the 19th century and later codified by national traffic laws. Aside from a U.S.-administered interlude in Okinawa after World War II, Japan has consistently …
How long can you drive if the alternator is going bad? Typically, you can drive anywhere from a few minutes to about an hour once an alternator stops charging, depending on battery health and electrical load; with a strong battery and minimal accessories during daylight, you might get 30–90 minutes (roughly 10–50 miles), but at …
Why most Europeans drive on the right Most Europeans drive on the right because revolutionary-era France formalized right-hand traffic in the 1790s and Napoleon spread the practice across much of the continent; later, 20th-century cross-border standardization cemented right-hand driving, with only a few left-driving exceptions such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus. This …
What a Steering Pinion Does The steering pinion is the small gear attached to the steering shaft that meshes with the rack, converting the driver’s rotation of the steering wheel into the straight-line motion that turns the front wheels; it also sets the steering ratio and transmits road feedback to the driver. In modern cars, …
How Many Countries Drive on the Left Side of the Road? As of 2025, 54 sovereign countries drive on the left; if you include territories and dependencies, the figure rises to roughly 75 jurisdictions. Most left-side nations are linked historically to the British Empire, and together they account for about a third of the world’s …
What the Power Steering Rack Does—and Why It Matters The power steering rack converts the driver’s steering wheel rotation into the side-to-side motion that turns the front wheels, while adding hydraulic or electric assistance to reduce steering effort. In practical terms, it is the central mechanical link between your hands and the road, shaping how …
Do Modern Cars Still Use Rack-and-Pinion Steering? Yes. The vast majority of modern passenger cars still use rack-and-pinion steering, now almost always paired with electric power assist. Exceptions remain mainly in heavy-duty trucks and certain off-roaders that favor recirculating-ball systems for durability, while fully steer-by-wire setups are emerging in limited models and markets. What Most …
Can You Brake While Using Cruise Control? Yes. Pressing the brake pedal while cruise control is active will typically cancel or disengage the system immediately, allowing you to slow down or stop. In vehicles with adaptive cruise control, the car can also apply the brakes automatically to maintain distance, but your manual braking input still …
Why NASCAR Banned the Hemi — And How It Came Back NASCAR banned Chrysler’s 426 Hemi for the 1965 season because it wasn’t available in regular production cars, violating the series’ homologation rules; after Chrysler built and sold “Street Hemi” versions to the public for 1966, NASCAR reinstated the engine. The decision came amid the …