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How It Works

• Tough-Driving Oil

  Proper nutrition is an essential element to every athlete's training regimen to stay ahead, or at least keep up with the competition. Nutrition, however, changes depending on the athlete and sport.... Read More

• Synthetic Oil

  Today's highly sophisticated engines are overriding one of the longest standing paradigms of automotive design by offering increased power along with increased fuel efficiency. Pumping out as much as... Read More

• Automotive Terms Explained

  "What's a carburetor?" My teenager's question shocked me. Didn't he learn anything from all that time he spends on car websites? Then it struck me: He was an infant when the last carbureted new car... Read More

• Off-Road Tire Tech, Part II

  Just as a good tracker can tell a lot from a trail of footprints, the tread design of a tire reveals much about its traits. You don't have to be Tonto, though, to figure out what the trail signs... Read More

• Off-Road Tire Tech, Part I

  Strangely enough, when you buy a rugged new 4x4 from a dealer, often the tire installed by the vehicle manufacturer is for street use. Designated as a "P" (for passenger, not pavement) rated tire,... Read More

• Body Lifts for Trucks & SUVs

  Bigger always seems to be better. Truck and SUV owners in particular seem to like their vehicles to ride higher than stock. The most affordable way to do this is with a body lift, which raises the... Read More

• How OnStar Works

  You've probably seen or heard the advertisements for OnStar—the General Motors communication system that alerts emergency services if you've broken down or had an accident. Not only that, it... Read More

• Cummins On Strong

  Since the advent of the automotive age, diesel-powered vehicles have been considered by many to be noisy, dirty and underpowered. While Americans have viewed the diesel engine as the redheaded... Read More

• Variable Valve Timing

  In an internal combustion engine, optimizing the airflow in and out of each combustion chamber is a key to just about every aspect of performance. Power, emissions, fuel economy and other critical... Read More

• Rear-View Relief

  Have you ever tried to hook up to a trailer without someone spotting for you? If you avoided scratching your paint or dinging the hitch, consider yourself a talented estimator of distance. For the... Read More

• How Hybrids Work

  It's no secret that hybrid electric vehicles get pretty incredible fuel economy. In fact, the top three vehicles in EPA fuel economy ratings these days are hybrids, topped by the Honda Insight with... Read More

• A Diesel in Your VIN?

  It's the 8th digit. No, we don't mean some new movie, starring actor Vin Diesel, or the name of a new line of designer clothing. We're talking about cars, and the VIN is an acronym for Vehicle... Read More

• How Sway Bars Work

  Whatever type of vehicle you have, excessive body roll can interfere with its performance—if not make you carsick. Selecting the right sway bars (also called stabilizer bars or anti-roll bars)... Read More

• How Continuously Variable Transmissions Work

  First there were manual gearboxes, then automatic transmissions. Now here comes the latest—the CVT.... Read More

• How Cruise Control Works

  Driving is not always the delightful and entertaining treat we'd like it to be. Sometimes it's downright boring. When the road stretches on to the horizon and traffic is nil, cruise control is one of... Read More

• Drivetrains Explained

  Just about every vehicular drive system imaginable is currently in production—each touted by its manufacturer as the obviously superior choice for you. With conflicting claims and confusing... Read More

• Brake Fluid

  Like every race driver, I’ve experienced the heart-stopping feeling of failing brakes. When you’re going 145 and the next corner can be negotiated no faster than 47 mph, a racer must know the brakes... Read More

• Motor Oil Specifications

  To many consumers, motor oil seems like the most over-certified product on the market. Some bottles of motor oil bear certification from the American Petroleum Institute (API), the European... Read More

• How Brakes Work

  To paraphrase the writer Gertrude Stein, “I've had brakes. I’ve had no brakes. And it's better to be rich.” When your brakes fail, I’d gladly trade riches for stopping power.... Read More

• Perfect Timing

  Pistons traveling up and down inside an engine are only half of the internal combustion story. While the pistons are responsible for the grunt work of spinning the crankshaft, it is the intake and... Read More

• Run-Flat Tires Help Keep You Rolling

  Decades ago, the steel belt tire revolutionized the auto industry by making tires and cars safer than ever thanks to their increased resistance to puncture. Despite this giant leap forward, thousands... Read More

• How Clutches Work

  Clutch is one of those words that sounds more or less like what it means. Onomatopoetic, such as it is. Linguistically we'll be dealing with its noun form here. While one can certainly be caught in... Read More

• Tie Score

  In a classic "foot bone connected to the leg bone connected to the hip bone" scenario, the front end in your vehicle not only handles steering chores, it also absorbs bumps, chuckholes, and other... Read More

• How to Pass a Smog Check

  Like it or not, more and more states are starting to adopt California's stringent smog check standards as part of their own pollution control efforts. In theory, smog check programs are designed to... Read More

• Gauging Interest

  The average driver could really care less about what's going on under the hood of whatever they're driving. Around they drive, oblivious to their engine's operation. Enthusiast drivers, however, want... Read More

• Torque Converters and Fluid Dynamics

  While not at all new technology, the automatic transmission is the stuff of miracles. Step on the gas and engine energy is converted into forward motion, just like that. No clutch. No fuss. ... Read More

• Do-It-Yourself Bedliner

  Everyone who uses their pickup bed realizes the value of protecting the box against dings. For years, the only solutions were drop-in plastic bedliners or cut-your-own rubberized mats. The main... Read More

• Hitch Your Wagon to a Star

  Tow vehicles and trailers are like marriages—if they're not well-matched you can expect trouble. What constitutes a good match between your rig and what you're towing? Proper weight is a... Read More

• Higher-Mileage Tips

  Since prices at the pump have escalated to record heights, it's worth every penny we spend on gas to try and maximize the mileage we get with each fill-up. While some of us choose to drive full-sized... Read More

• Sensitive Position

  Although there are literally dozens of sensors that provide critical data to the engine management computer of a modern, fuel-injected engine, few are actually adjustable, or can be affected by... Read More

• Housekeeping Hints for the Road

  Life is messy, but that doesn't mean we have to tolerate it. Just as we're sometimes dealt disorder, we're also able to take charge and organize the chaos, so we can manage the mess — and move... Read More

• THE ABCs of EGR, Part II

  In part one of this feature on the EGR system, we covered both the development and the basic theory behind its operation. Now we'll get into some important information you'll need to know in order to... Read More

• THE ABCs of EGR, Part I

  Unless your vehicle fails an exhaust emissions test due to a high NOx reading, you probably haven't needed to know much about your vehicle's EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system. That's... Read More

• Chip Service

  In the good old days, car buffs could fiddle with their carburetors, make a few adjustments and end up with improved performance. The power increases focused on the enthusiast's particular... Read More

• Windshield Wipers & Washer System

  It's such a simple thing: flip on the windshield wiper switch and you assume the wipers will do their job. Press the button for the washer fluid and it sprays out, dissolving dust and bug anatomy, so... Read More

• Bed Extender Installation

  If you have more stuff to contend with than your truck can carry, a bed extender may help to increase your cargo capacity. This cargo system is ideal for when you have to haul motorcycles, personal... Read More

• Selecting a Battery

  What's the best battery? Ask a dozen different experts and you'll receive a dozen different answers. Some will simply recommend a DieHard. Others swear by immobilized-cell, no-maintenance models.... Read More

• Ignition Timing Adjustment

  Regardless of make or model, basic automotive engine maintenance is generally divided into four categories: lubrication, fuel, intake/exhaust, and ignition. Most do-it-yourself enthusiasts have no... Read More

• How Gasoline Engines Work

  Gasoline is incredibly powerful stuff. Just a single soda can of it packs enough energy to blast a typical car close to three miles. Not in one huge explosion, of course (that would definitely spill... Read More

• How Air Conditioning Works

  There was a time not all that long ago when automotive air conditioning was considered something of a luxury. Today's drivers don't share that view. Now standard on just about every make and model of... Read More

• How Suspension Works

  Ask two drivers—a regular driver and a racer—to explain the purpose of suspension, and you may get two different answers. The regular Joe says it's easy: suspension keeps your teeth from... Read More

• The Cooling System

  When you consider that the typical six-cylinder engine has something in the neighborhood of 6,000 fiery explosions inside it every minute when operating at typical cruising speed, it's a wonder... Read More

• How Steering Works

  Back when we were kids, we were happy to steer our home-built go-karts with a piece of rope. Add a few decades of personal driving experience, a few thousand pounds of metal and a lot more speed, and... Read More

• How Transmissions Work

  Transmissions have a tough job. They must help keep the engine in its powerband (usable rpm range) and transmit that power to the drive wheels over a huge speed range. Pulling power must be available... Read More

• Choosing a Vehicle Rack

  It's winter. It's snowing. You've got your car, your friends, everybody's stuff, and you're ready to roll. Except that you can't see out the back of your car because the gear is piled so high. And... Read More

• How Transmissions Work

  Transmissions can be a bit baffling. That's understandable, since your vehicle's transmission must convert the engine's power (which is delivered over a fairly narrow range of rpm) into something... Read More

• How Brakes Work

  Your vehicle's brake system is one of those things you only think about when it fouls up (or you do). Like when the service guy says, "You need your rotors ground and it's gonna cost $200," or you're... Read More