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.
Should You Put Your Car in Neutral at the Car Wash? Yes—in most conveyor or tunnel car washes, you should shift into Neutral and keep your foot off the brake so the system can move your car. However, for in-bay automatic (rollover/touchless) systems where the machine moves around a stationary vehicle, you typically leave the …
The world’s largest truck: BelAZ 75710 The world’s largest truck is the BelAZ 75710, an ultra-class, diesel–electric haul truck from Belarus that holds the industry’s top payload rating at 450 metric tons (about 496 short tons). Built for open-pit mining, it outclasses rivals from Caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, and XCMG on payload capacity, the benchmark most …
The most sought-after classic car The most sought-after classic car is widely considered to be the Ferrari 250 GTO, prized for its extreme rarity, dominant racing pedigree, impeccable design, and record-setting prices—despite the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupé” holding the all-time price record as a unique factory prototype. This article explains why the 250 GTO …
What the throttle system does — and why it matters across engines, vehicles, and even computing The throttle system regulates the flow of something essential—air, fuel-air mix, electrical current, or data—to control power, speed, or throughput. In gasoline vehicles it modulates intake air to command engine torque; in diesels and turbines it primarily meters fuel; …
How to Tell if Your Car’s Thermostat Is Bad If your car overheats quickly, takes forever to warm up, shows an erratic temperature gauge, blows weak heat after warm-up, or triggers a P0128 “Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature” code, the thermostat may be failing. In practice, a thermostat stuck closed causes rapid overheating and …
What a Supercharger Does in a Car A supercharger is an engine-driven air compressor that forces more air into a car’s engine, letting it burn more fuel and produce significantly more power and torque—usually with instant throttle response because it doesn’t rely on exhaust gases like a turbocharger. In practice, that means stronger acceleration across …
Windshield Wiper Control Repair Costs: What Drivers Should Expect in 2025 For most vehicles, fixing the windshield wiper control (usually the multifunction stalk on the steering column) costs about $150–$450 including parts and labor; on newer or luxury models, $300–$700 is common. If the issue is only a fuse or relay, expect $10–$50, while faults …
How to Tell If Your Alternator Is Bad If your battery warning light is on, your headlights dim or flicker with engine speed, accessories slow down, and the battery dies soon after driving, your alternator may be failing; confirm by measuring system voltage at the battery—with the engine running, it should typically hold near 13.8–14.8 …
What Burns a Clutch in a Manual Transmission? A clutch “burns” when it slips under load and generates excessive heat from friction—most often due to driving habits like riding or slipping the clutch, holding the car on hills with the clutch instead of the brakes, or aggressive launches; it can also result from mechanical issues …
How to Safely Remove Jumper Cables: The Correct Order Remove jumper cables in this order: 1) black clamp from the grounded metal on the car that was dead, 2) black clamp from the donor car’s negative terminal, 3) red clamp from the donor car’s positive terminal, 4) red clamp from the previously dead car’s positive …
What Is the Purpose of a Differential? A differential allows the left and right wheels on a driven axle to rotate at different speeds while splitting engine or motor torque between them, enabling smooth turns, better handling, and reduced tire wear. Without a differential, a vehicle would hop or skid in corners and stress its …
How Much Do Crumple Zones Reduce Injury? Crumple zones typically cut the forces on occupants by around a third in equivalent frontal crashes and are associated with roughly 20–40% lower risk of serious injury in standardized crash tests; across the real-world fleet, vehicles with modern energy-absorbing structures show tens-of-percent lower serious-injury and fatality rates versus …
Did Karl Benz invent the car? Mostly yes: Karl Benz is widely credited with inventing the first practical, modern automobile powered by an internal combustion engine, patented in 1886 as the Benz Patent-Motorwagen. However, he did not invent self-propelled vehicles in general—steam and electric road vehicles existed earlier—and other engineers, including Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm …
How Much Is a Distributor on a Car? A replacement distributor typically costs $100–$400 for the part alone, with installed totals usually ranging from $250–$700 at most independent shops; rare or import-specific units can push $800–$1,200. Many modern vehicles don’t use distributors at all, so first confirm your car actually has one before pricing the …
At What Speed Do Airbags Deploy in a Car? Airbags don’t deploy at a specific vehicle speed; they deploy when sensors detect a rapid change in speed (deceleration) consistent with a moderate to severe crash. In practical terms, most frontal airbags are calibrated to fire at crash severities roughly equivalent to hitting a rigid wall …
Do You Pump the Brakes When Bleeding? Yes—but only in the traditional two-person method, and even then you press the pedal slowly and hold it while the bleeder is opened and closed; you do not rapidly pump during the bleed. With pressure or vacuum bleeders you don’t pump at all, and ABS-equipped vehicles may require …
How Automatic Gear Shifts Work Automatic gear shifts work by using sensors and a transmission control module (TCM) to command hydraulic or electric actuators that engage specific clutches and brakes, changing gear ratios without driver input. In practice, most cars do this through planetary gearsets driven by a torque converter, while others use dual clutches …
The Hidden Downsides of Heads-Up Displays Heads-up displays (HUDs) can keep key information within a user’s line of sight, but they also introduce notable drawbacks: distraction and cognitive overload, attention tunneling, visibility and eye-strain issues, technical limitations like latency and parallax, and added cost, complexity, and maintenance. These disadvantages vary by context—cars, aircraft, and AR …
How a Supercharger Works, Simply Explained A supercharger is an engine-driven air pump that forces extra air into the cylinders so you can burn more fuel and make more power; it’s typically turned by a belt or gears off the crankshaft, giving instant boost with minimal lag but at the cost of some engine power. …
How to Assemble Disc Brakes on a Bicycle In brief: mount the rotor to the hub, install the caliper (with the correct adapter) to the frame or fork, route and connect the brake (cable or hose), center the caliper over the rotor, torque all fasteners to spec, then bed-in the pads. Below, we break down …
Can Stirling engines save the world? No—Stirling engines will not “save the world” on their own, but they can make a meaningful contribution in specific niches, especially by cutting methane emissions at remote oil and gas sites, turning waste heat into electricity, and supplying reliable off‑grid power. This article explains what Stirling engines are, where …
How Tesla Achieves So Much Horsepower Tesla’s high horsepower comes from a tightly integrated electric drivetrain: large, high-discharge battery packs feed powerful silicon-carbide inverters that drive ultra–high‑speed motors through efficient single‑speed gear reduction, all managed by software and robust thermal systems. In practice, that stack delivers very high peak power (measured in kilowatts/horsepower) for short …
Rack and Pinion Steering: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Dominates Modern Cars Rack-and-pinion steering is a mechanism that converts the steering wheel’s rotation into side-to-side motion using a round pinion gear that meshes with a straight, toothed rack, directly moving the front wheels via tie rods; it’s the most common steering …
Is synthetic oil good for 6 months? Yes—on most modern vehicles and under normal driving, full synthetic engine oil remains serviceable for six months as long as you haven’t exceeded the mileage limit or severe‑service conditions set by your automaker; many brands even allow up to 12 months, but some specify six months for certain …
What Is a Classic Lowrider? A classic lowrider is a vintage American car—most commonly a 1950s to 1970s Chevrolet—meticulously modified to ride “low and slow” with hydraulics, small wire wheels with thin whitewall tires, ornate paint and chrome, and a focus on cruising rather than speed, rooted in Mexican American/Chicano culture. Beyond a lowered stance, …
Can I Drive With Leaking Power Steering Fluid? Usually, you shouldn’t. A slow seep might allow a short, low-speed trip to a nearby shop if the fluid stays above the minimum mark, but an active leak—especially one that causes noise, heavy steering, or rapid fluid loss—means you should not drive and should instead arrange a …
How Much Do “Air Cars” Cost? Prices vary widely depending on what you mean by “air car.” If you’re asking about flying/road‑capable vehicles, most announced models fall between roughly $150,000 and $800,000+, with many high-profile projects listing sticker prices around $300,000–$800,000 before taxes and options. If you mean compressed‑air (pneumatic) cars, none are actually on …
Yes—the order of jumper cables matters for safety and success Yes, the order you connect and disconnect jumper cables absolutely matters. Connecting in the wrong sequence can cause dangerous sparks, damage sensitive electronics, or fail to start the car. The safest, widely recommended method is: red to dead battery positive, red to good battery positive, …
Do Turbochargers Decrease Engine Life? Usually no—when designed and maintained properly, turbocharged engines can last as long as naturally aspirated ones, but heat, pressure, poor maintenance, or aggressive tuning can shorten both engine and turbo lifespan. The question hinges on engineering margins and owner behavior: modern OEM turbos are engineered for durability, yet neglect or …