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.
The function of a catalytic converter—and why it’s essential to cleaner air A catalytic converter is an emissions-control device that uses precious-metal catalysts to convert harmful exhaust gases—carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx)—into less harmful substances such as carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapor (H2O), and nitrogen (N2) before they exit a …
What Car Are Lowriders? The Vehicles, Craft, and Culture Behind Rolling Art Lowriders are cars—most often classic American sedans and coupes—modified to sit low or use adjustable suspension, with popular platforms including the Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo, Caprice, Bel Air, and pre-1949 “bombs,” as well as later Cadillacs, Buicks, trucks, and even some imports. They’re …
How to Tell If Your Master Cylinder or Brake Booster Is Bad If the brake pedal is rock-hard and stopping requires unusual effort, the brake booster or its vacuum supply is likely bad; if the pedal slowly sinks under steady pressure, the master cylinder is usually at fault. Determining which part has failed comes down …
2025 Cars With Manual Transmissions: What’s Still Available For 2025, the manual transmission lives on in a focused but healthy mix of sports cars, performance sedans, and a few off-roaders in the U.S., including the Acura Integra, Honda Civic Si and Type R, Toyota GR86 and GR Corolla, Subaru BRZ and WRX, Mazda MX-5 Miata, …
How a Manual Transmission Works A manual transmission works by letting the driver control a clutch that connects or disconnects the engine from the gearbox and by manually selecting gear ratios that are always in mesh; synchronizers inside the gearbox match shaft speeds so a sliding sleeve can lock the chosen gear to the output …
Cool Car Nicknames: Fresh ideas, classics, and the stories behind them Quick ideas include: Beast, Ghost, Rocket, Shadow, Bluebird, Night Fury, Tank, Phoenix, Godzilla (GT-R), Bug (Beetle), Vette (Corvette), G‑Wagen (Mercedes G‑Class), Stang (Mustang), Landy (Defender), and Sparky for EVs. Car nicknames often blend personality, color, heritage, and humor—and they stick because they tell a …
What Do Camshafts Do? Camshafts open and close an engine’s intake and exhaust valves at precisely timed moments, converting the crankshaft’s rotation into the linear motion that controls airflow through the cylinders. In practice, camshafts set when, how far, and how long valves move—governing power, efficiency, drivability, and emissions across the engine’s operating range. How …
What Happens If a Brake Vacuum Pump Fails If a brake vacuum pump fails, the brake pedal becomes very hard to press, stopping distances increase, and warning messages may appear; the base hydraulic brakes still work, but you lose power assist. In practice, that means you can still stop the vehicle, but it takes much …
How to Tell If Your Fuel Pump Is Failing If your fuel pump is going out, you’ll typically see hard starting or a crank-no-start, sudden loss of power under load, sputtering at highway speeds, and sometimes a high-pitched whine from the tank; the quickest confirmation is checking for proper fuel pressure and listening for the …
What an Ignition Coil Looks Like: A Visual Guide An ignition coil typically looks either like a small metal cylinder with two small terminals and one tall high-voltage “tower,” or like a compact molded-plastic module with a multi-pin connector and one or more rubber boots that plug directly onto spark plugs. In modern cars, you’ll …
American Car Manufacturers in the 1950s In the 1950s, U.S. carmaking was dominated by General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, while independents such as American Motors (from 1954, merging Nash and Hudson), Studebaker and Packard (merged as Studebaker-Packard in 1954), Kaiser-Frazer/Kaiser-Willys/Willys-Overland, and smaller firms including Crosley, Checker, Muntz, Cunningham, and Dual-Ghia also built passenger cars. The …
What Brake Parts Are Called: Key Components You’ll Hear About Common brake parts include rotors (discs), pads, calipers, master cylinder, brake lines and hoses, brake fluid, booster, ABS module and wheel-speed sensors, as well as drums, shoes, and wheel cylinders on vehicles with drum brakes. These components work together to convert pedal pressure into friction …
What Is Chase Elliott’s Salary? As of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, industry estimates place Chase Elliott’s base salary from Hendrick Motorsports in the range of $8–$10 million per year (USD). Including race winnings, bonuses, and endorsements, his total annual earnings commonly land in the mid- to high-teens, depending on performance and sponsor activations. …
Can You Drive a Truck with Air Brakes Without a CDL? Yes—if you are in the United States and the truck does not otherwise require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) by weight, passenger capacity, or hazardous materials, you can legally drive a truck equipped with air brakes using a regular driver’s license. Air brakes alone …
Where to Find the Ignition Coil in a Car In most modern cars, the ignition coil sits on top of the engine directly above each spark plug (coil-on-plug), while slightly older vehicles often have a coil pack mounted on or near the valve cover, and classic/distributor-based systems use a single coil near the distributor. The …
Why It’s Called a “Freeway” The term “freeway” refers to a road that is free from at-grade crossings and direct property access, allowing traffic to flow freely at higher speeds; it does not mean the road is free of tolls. In other words, the “free” describes freedom from interruptions—stoplights, driveways, and cross traffic—not freedom from …
How many countries in the world are left-hand drive? About 141 of the world’s 195 sovereign countries are left-hand drive—meaning they keep to the right side of the road and use vehicles with the steering wheel on the left. If you instead meant “countries that drive on the left,” there are 54 sovereign countries. The …
Are Automated Car Washes Good for Your Car? Generally yes—modern automated car washes are safe and effective for most vehicles if you choose the right type and follow a few precautions. Soft-cloth or touchless systems can keep paint, sensors, and wheels in good condition, especially when the equipment is well-maintained. That said, poor-quality or poorly …
How Much Does a Car Transmission Cost in 2025? The price of a car transmission typically ranges from about $800 to $8,000 for the part alone, and roughly $1,800 to over $10,000 installed, depending on vehicle, transmission type, and whether you choose new, remanufactured, rebuilt, or used. Prices vary widely: manual gearboxes tend to be …
Does the RAC fix your car? Yes — RAC patrols aim to repair your car at the roadside and succeed in most callouts, then recover you to a garage or destination if a fix isn’t possible. In practice, they handle many common faults on the spot, and with the right level of cover they’ll also …
Is It “an engine” or “a engine”? The Rule, the Rationale, and the Real-World Use It’s “an engine.” Because “engine” begins with a vowel sound (/ˈɛn-dʒɪn/), the correct indefinite article is “an.” This piece explains the sound-based rule for “a” vs. “an,” shows practical examples and edge cases, and briefly clarifies how “engine” differs from …
How effective is paintless dent repair Paintless dent repair (PDR) is highly effective for many dents—especially hail damage and parking-lot dings—when the paint is intact and the back side of the panel is accessible. In ideal cases, it can restore a panel to near-factory appearance quickly and at lower cost than conventional bodywork, while preserving …
How Much Does a Camshaft Cost in 2025? In 2025, a camshaft typically costs $150 to $700 for common OEM or aftermarket replacements; performance, billet, or multi-cam sets often run $700 to $1,500 or more. Installed, the total job usually ranges from $1,200 to $3,500, and can exceed $5,000 on complex DOHC engines. Actual pricing …
Will Headers Make a Car Faster? Yes—exhaust headers can make a car faster by modestly increasing horsepower and torque, which improves acceleration more than top speed. On a naturally aspirated engine, expect roughly 2–5% gains with the right design and tuning; long-tube headers on V8s commonly add 10–25 horsepower at the wheels, while smaller gains …
How Effective Is the Crumple Zone? Crumple zones are highly effective at reducing injury and death in crashes by intentionally deforming to slow the vehicle more gradually, lowering the peak forces on occupants. In modern cars, these engineered “sacrificial” structures work with a rigid safety cell, seat belts, and airbags to prevent cabin intrusion and …
How a Car Thermostat Works A car’s thermostat is a temperature-sensitive valve that keeps coolant inside the engine while it warms up, then opens progressively—typically beginning around 85–95°C (185–203°F)—to route coolant through the radiator so the engine stays near its ideal operating temperature. By modulating coolant flow, it stabilizes engine temperature for performance, efficiency, emissions, …
What Are the Benefits of a Cold Air Intake? A cold air intake can deliver modest horsepower gains, sharper throttle response, a richer induction sound, and, in steady cruising, minor fuel-economy improvements; it may also reduce intake temperatures and pressure drop versus some factory airboxes. Benefits are most noticeable on turbocharged engines (especially with a …
Is a Radiator a Cooler? Yes—sometimes. A radiator is a heat exchanger that moves heat from a fluid to the surrounding air. In cars and computer liquid-cooling systems, it functions as a cooler by shedding heat. In home heating systems, however, a radiator releases heat into a room, so it is not a “cooler” in …
Is Gas With Ethanol Better for Your Car? For most modern gasoline cars, gas with ethanol (like E10) is fine and often advantageous for emissions and octane, but it usually reduces fuel economy slightly; whether it’s “better” depends on your vehicle, how you drive, and the blend. Ethanol blends vary from E10 (10% ethanol) to …
Will insurance cover sugar in a gas tank? Generally yes, if you carry comprehensive coverage, most auto insurers will treat sugar in a gas tank as vandalism and cover the resulting damage, minus your deductible. If you only have liability or collision, there is typically no coverage. Claims are more likely to be denied if …