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.
Battery or Alternator? How to Tell in Minutes If the engine cranks slowly or won’t start, a quick multimeter check is the fastest way to tell: with the engine off, a healthy battery reads about 12.6 V; running, you should see roughly 13.7–14.7 V (some smart-charging cars vary 12.5–15.5 V). Low voltage while running points …
What Is the 20% Rule When Buying a Car? The 20% rule generally means putting at least 20% down on a car purchase to avoid owing more than the vehicle is worth as it depreciates; some use it to mean keeping all-in car costs at or under 20% of your monthly take-home pay. In practice, …
Do You Need a Special Windshield for a Heads‑Up Display? In most cases, yes—if your vehicle uses a factory, windshield-projected heads-up display (HUD), you need a HUD-compatible windshield to avoid double images and maintain brightness. Pop-up “combiner” HUDs don’t require a special windshield, and aftermarket HUDs can work on standard glass when paired with a …
The big downside to biofuels: land-use change that can erase climate gains A major downside to biofuels is that large-scale production often drives land-use change—clearing forests or diverting cropland—which can negate their climate benefits while increasing food prices and harming biodiversity. Biofuels can help decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors, but when they expand into high-carbon or food-producing …
What Are the Parts of an Alternator? An automotive alternator typically includes the rotor (field coil), stator (windings), rectifier/diode bridge, voltage regulator, brushes and slip rings, bearings, a pulley (often with an overrunning decoupler/clutch), cooling fan(s), aluminum end housings, and external terminals/connectors. Together, these components convert mechanical energy from the engine belt into stable DC …
Can you drive a car with a thermostat? Yes—you’re meant to. Every modern car is designed to be driven with a thermostat installed and working; it’s essential for keeping engine temperature in the safe, efficient range. If the thermostat fails, you may still drive briefly if it’s stuck open (engine runs cool), but you should …
The biggest problem with biomass The biggest problem with biomass is that many pathways are not genuinely low‑carbon on the timescales that matter for climate goals: harvesting and burning plant material creates an immediate “carbon debt,” and regrowth can take decades to reabsorb those emissions, especially when forests are involved. That time lag—combined with land‑use …
What happens to a car when the ignition coil goes bad When an ignition coil fails, the engine typically misfires, runs rough, loses power, and may be hard to start or not start at all; the check-engine light often comes on, fuel economy worsens, and driving it for long can overheat and damage the catalytic …
What NASCAR Drivers Wear NASCAR drivers wear a flame-resistant multi-layer suit, fireproof underwear, socks, gloves, and shoes; a balaclava head sock; a full-face helmet paired with a Head-and-Neck Restraint; and often a cooling shirt, radio earbuds, and a hydration tube. These items are standardized and certified for safety, help manage extreme heat and g-forces, and …
Which Vehicles Qualify for U.S. Alternative-Fuel Tax Credits In the United States, federal “alternative-fuel” vehicle tax credits primarily apply to electric vehicles: new battery electric vehicles (BEVs), plug‑in hybrids (PHEVs), and hydrogen fuel‑cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Certain used EVs also qualify, and businesses can claim credits for commercial clean vehicles, including medium- and heavy‑duty electric …
What a Car Transmission Looks Like A car transmission typically appears as a heavy, ribbed aluminum or magnesium metal case bolted to the back or side of the engine; it has a bell-shaped front section where it meets the engine and, on many automatics, a flat, usually rectangular fluid pan on the bottom. Manuals are …
What a Luxury Car Cost in 1930 In 1930, a new luxury car in the United States typically cost about $2,500 to $7,500, while ultra-luxury and coachbuilt models commonly ran from $8,500 to $20,000 or more. For example, Packard Standard Eights were roughly $2,800–$3,200, Cadillac’s new V‑16 models started around $5,350 and climbed past $9,700, …
Does the battery light mean a bad alternator? The battery warning light usually signals a charging-system problem and, in many cases, a failing alternator—but it doesn’t always mean the alternator itself is bad. It can also be triggered by a slipping or broken belt, blown fuses, wiring faults, sensor issues, or even a failing battery. …
What a Turbo Does in a Car A turbocharger uses energy from exhaust gases to spin a turbine that drives a compressor, forcing more air into the engine so it can burn more fuel and produce more power; under light loads, it can also improve efficiency. In modern cars, turbos are central to “downsized” engines …
How Nitrous Oxide Makes Cars Go Faster Nitrous oxide boosts engine power by supplying extra oxygen and cooling the intake charge, allowing more fuel to burn and increasing cylinder pressure. In practice, liquid nitrous oxide injected into the intake stream vaporizes and then decomposes under combustion heat, releasing oxygen that supports a larger, denser charge—translating …
What Happens If Your Carburetor Is Bad: Symptoms, Risks, and What to Do Next If your carburetor is bad, the engine will run poorly—or not at all—with symptoms like hard starting, rough idle, stalling, black smoke, backfiring, poor fuel economy, and fuel smells. Left unresolved, a failing carburetor can foul spark plugs, dilute engine oil, …
What Can Make a Car Catch Fire—and How to Prevent It A car can ignite due to fuel or oil leaks, electrical faults, overheated components, collisions, battery failures, arson, or environmental heat sources like hot exhaust contacting dry vegetation. While modern vehicles include safety systems to reduce risk, fires still occur when heat, fuel, and …
How Many Countries Drive on the Left? About 54 sovereign countries drive on the left, and if you include territories and dependencies, the total rises to roughly 75 jurisdictions worldwide. These are concentrated in South and Southeast Asia, Oceania, parts of southern and eastern Africa, the British Isles, and much of the Caribbean, encompassing around …
Is a Dry Sump Better Than a Wet Sump? It depends on use: a dry sump is superior for high-g performance, consistent oil pressure, packaging freedom, and sometimes small power gains, while a wet sump is better for most road cars thanks to lower cost, simplicity, lighter weight, and easier maintenance. The right choice hinges …
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 …