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 Transmission Works, Step by Step A transmission takes the engine’s rotating power and, step by step, matches it to road speed by selecting a gear ratio, then sends that torque through shafts to the differential and wheels. In practice, this means the engine’s output first passes through a coupling device (a clutch in …
What Is the Primary Function of a Cam? A cam’s primary function is to convert continuous rotary motion into a precisely timed reciprocating or oscillating motion of a follower. In practice, this lets machines execute exact motion sequences—such as opening and closing valves or driving automated mechanisms—based on the cam’s profile and rotation speed. How …
What a Steering Pump Does and Why It Matters A steering pump pressurizes power-steering fluid to assist your turning effort, making the wheel easier to rotate—especially at low speeds or when parking. In practice, the pump draws fluid from a reservoir, builds hydraulic pressure, and sends that pressure to the steering gear so you don’t …
Is Replacing a Car Battery Easy? Often, but not always. On many conventional gasoline cars, swapping a 12‑volt battery is a moderate, do‑it‑yourself task that takes 15–45 minutes with basic tools. On newer vehicles with start‑stop systems, intelligent battery sensors, or specific battery types (AGM/EFB), the job may require electronic “registration” or coding. For hybrids, …
What Are Car “Blinkers” Called? They are formally called turn signals or indicators. In North America you’ll most often hear “turn signals,” while in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and much of the Commonwealth they’re called “indicators.” “Blinkers” is a common colloquial term, and the same lamps flash together as “hazard lights” when used for emergencies. …
What Is the Average Cost to Repair Power Windows? In the U.S. as of 2025, the average cost to repair a power window typically runs $250–$450 per door for the most common fix (replacing the regulator and/or motor). Simpler issues like a bad switch or fuse can cost $75–$150, while complex or luxury-vehicle repairs can …
What Is the Most Sought-After Vintage Car? The Ferrari 250 GTO (1962–1964) is widely regarded as the most sought-after vintage car, combining unmatched rarity, blue-chip auction results, racing pedigree and global cultural cachet. While definitions of “vintage” can vary and a few prewar icons are revered, market data and collector behavior consistently place the 250 …
What Engine Powered ZZ Top’s “Eliminator” Hot Rod ZZ Top’s iconic red Eliminator coupe was powered by a naturally aspirated Chevrolet 350-cubic-inch small-block V8 with a single four-barrel carburetor. Built for reliability and cruise-ready performance rather than all-out racing, the small-block Chevy made the car drivable for video shoots, appearances, and touring, while still delivering …
How to Tell If Brake Caliper Pins Are Bad Bad or sticking brake caliper guide pins typically show up as uneven pad wear, the car pulling to one side under braking, overheating smells or smoke from a wheel, clunks over bumps, and pins that don’t slide freely by hand; you can confirm by inspecting pad …
What Is an Automatic Gearbox? An automatic gearbox is a self-shifting vehicle transmission that selects gear ratios without the driver operating a clutch pedal, using hydraulics and/or electronics to manage gear changes. In practical terms, you move the selector to Drive and the system handles take-off, upshifts, downshifts, and often “creep” at idle. Modern automatics …
What Order to Connect Cables: The Safe Sequence You Should Follow For car jumper cables, the correct order is: red clamp to the dead battery’s positive (+), red clamp to the donor battery’s positive (+), black clamp to the donor battery’s negative (−), and black clamp to an unpainted metal ground on the disabled vehicle—then …
What size socket do you need for oil? You’ll need the socket that fits your specific vehicle’s oil drain plug or oil-filter housing; for most cars, drain plugs use 13–19 mm sockets (often 14, 15, or 17 mm), while filter housings commonly take 24–36 mm sockets or a cup-style wrench such as 64 mm/14-flute. Because …
What “Automotive Job” Means in Today’s Industry An automotive job is any paid role involved in designing, building, selling, repairing, operating, regulating, or supporting motor vehicles and their ecosystem. It spans hands-on technician work, engineering and software development, supply chain and manufacturing, customer-facing sales and service, and emerging roles tied to electric and connected vehicles. …
Which is safer: driving on the left or the right? The short answer: neither side is inherently safer worldwide. Modern evidence from the WHO and OECD/ITF shows that countries with the lowest road-death rates include both left- and right-driving nations; what matters far more are speed management, road design, vehicle standards, enforcement, and post-crash care. …
What “200 lbs tongue weight” means It refers to 200 pounds of downward force at the hitch: either the actual vertical load the trailer places on your tow vehicle’s hitch, or the maximum tongue-weight capacity the hitch/vehicle is rated to carry. Knowing which meaning applies is essential for safety and to avoid overloading. Definition and …
What Is a Seatbelt Pretensioner? A seatbelt pretensioner is a safety device that instantly tightens a seatbelt during a crash or near-crash to remove slack and position occupants for maximum protection. Working with the airbag control unit and crash sensors, it retracts the belt in milliseconds so airbags and load limiters can do their jobs …
The Downsides of Touchless Car Washes: What Drivers Should Know Touchless car washes are convenient and paint-safe from swirl marks, but they often clean less effectively than friction washes, rely on stronger chemicals that can strip wax, increase the risk of water spotting, and use high-pressure jets that may stress loose trim, decals, and sensors. …
How Many Styles of Cars Are There? There is no single definitive number: most automotive references recognize about a dozen core passenger-car body styles, and when you include niche variants and commercial formats, the count commonly expands to roughly 25–35. The total varies because “style” can mean body style (shape), market segment (purpose), or configuration …
How a Car Behaves When the Alternator Is Failing When an alternator is going out, you’ll often see a battery/charging warning light, dim or flickering headlights, electrical glitches (radio resets, erratic gauges), slow or surging blower fan, difficulty starting, and eventually stalling as the battery drains; you may also hear a whining or grinding noise …
What the Engine Control Module (ECM) Does in a Car The Engine Control Module (ECM) is the car’s primary engine computer; it continuously reads sensors, calculates how the engine should run, and commands actuators to control fuel injection, ignition timing, air management, emissions systems, and safety protections, while also running diagnostics and communicating with other …
Which car has a 0-star safety rating? There isn’t just one: multiple cars have received zero-star safety ratings in independent crash-test programs, depending on the market, model year, and trim. Notable examples include the Renault Zoe (2021, Euro NCAP), Fiat Panda (2018, Euro NCAP), Suzuki Swift (2021, Latin NCAP), Toyota Yaris Sedan (2021, Latin NCAP), …
How to Test If an O2 (Oxygen) Sensor Is Bad The quickest way to test an O2 sensor is to scan for trouble codes and watch live data: a healthy upstream sensor rapidly switches between rich and lean (narrowband: ~0.1–0.9 V oscillation; wideband/AFR: lambda near 1.00 with quick response). Confirm by inducing normal rich/lean events …
How Much Is Wheel Alignment at Discount Tire? There isn’t a price—because Discount Tire (also known as America’s Tire in some states) does not perform wheel alignments at its stores. If you need an alignment after buying tires there, you’ll be referred to a nearby alignment shop. Expect to pay roughly $90–180 for a one-time …
How Much Does a New Auto Engine Cost? For most passenger vehicles in the U.S., a replacement engine runs about $2,500–$10,000 for the engine itself, with installed totals commonly $5,000–$15,000; luxury, performance, and diesel applications can reach $15,000–$30,000 or more. Prices vary by engine type, vehicle make, whether the unit is new or remanufactured, and …
Is It Good to Change Oil Every 2 Months? Usually no: for most modern cars using synthetic oil, changing oil every two months is unnecessary. Automakers typically recommend oil changes based on mileage (about 7,500–10,000 miles) or time (6–12 months), or by following the vehicle’s oil-life monitor. A two-month interval only makes sense for severe …
What an Example of a Production Line Looks Like Today An example of a production line is a bottled beverage line, where ingredients move in a fixed sequence—mixing, pasteurization, filling, capping, labeling, and packing—across conveyors to produce thousands of identical bottles per hour. In practice, this setup integrates automated machinery, quality checks, and logistics so …
What Are Stage 3 Brakes? Meaning, Typical Components, Pros, and When They Make Sense Stage 3 brakes are a marketing term for an aggressive performance braking package—often aimed at track use—that typically includes high-friction pads, upgraded rotors, stainless braided lines, high-temperature fluid, and sometimes larger multi-piston calipers and rotors. There’s no industry-wide standard for “stage” …
What Stirling Engines Are Used For Stirling engines are used for quiet, fuel-flexible power generation (especially remote power and some combined heat and power), air-independent propulsion in several submarines, high-reliability cryocoolers and heat pumps (reverse Stirling), niche solar dish–Stirling systems, converting waste or flare gas to electricity, and in educational and historical demonstrations. Below is …
Where Is the Sensor for Traffic Lights? Most traffic lights detect vehicles using inductive loop sensors embedded in the pavement right at or just before the stop line; others use cameras, radar, or thermal sensors mounted on the signal mast arm or pole, and pedestrians typically use push-button units on the sidewalk. In practice, the …
What Is a Curtain Airbag? A curtain airbag is a long, roof-mounted airbag that deploys downward like a curtain to cover the side windows, protecting occupants’ heads during side impacts and rollovers and helping prevent partial ejection. In modern vehicles, it works alongside seat-mounted side airbags and seatbelts to reduce head injuries from striking the …