You’re A Mechanic If You Can Pass This Essential Car Maintenance Quiz

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Owning and driving a car is excellent, but whether or not you qualify to be called a car person depends on how well you can maintain your vehicle and how aware you are of the common maintenance facts. While it is true that you can take your car to a mechanic any time, where’s the fun in that?

Proper and timely maintenance can help you avoid many problems down the road of car ownership and can also become a fun and productive hobby. Let’s see how many of these car maintenance questions you can answer… don’t worry; you’ll learn the correct answers too.

How much should you warm up your car in the morning?

0%

Retry Correct Incorrect Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to warm up your car at all. Just make sure that the engine oil has started circulation (which takes less than 30 seconds), and you are good to go.

Yassine Mahjoub/NurPhoto via Getty Images

How much should you warm up your car in the morning?

As long as indicated on the owner’s manual
Until the heat gauge reaches the middle
Less than 30 seconds
1-3 minutes

What is the first thing you need to do when changing a flat tire?

3%

Changing tires for upcoming winter conditions

Retry Correct Incorrect Loosening the lugs is important BEFORE lifting the car on a jack because if you lift the car first, the wheel will start rotating, and you’ll not be able to loosen them.

Picture alliance via Getty Images

What is the first thing you need to do when changing a flat tire?

Turn off the engine
Lift the car on a jack
Check the engine temperature
Loosen the lug nuts

Which of the following engine oil grades would be great for an old car?

5%

A man changing the oil on a vehicle at Jiffy Lube.

Retry Correct Incorrect As a general rule of thumb, the bigger the number on the grade of engine oil, the thicker it is. Older engines need thicker oil as the clearances between piston rings and cylinders have increased due to wear.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Which of the following engine oil grades would be great for an old car?

5W-30
0W-20
10W-30
20W-50

Which of the following does not improve fuel efficiency?

8%

Retry Correct Incorrect Even though the air conditioner takes significant power from the engine, if you turn it off and open the windows, the increased aerodynamic drag will lead to even more fuel burn.

FRED TANNEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Which of the following does not improve fuel efficiency?

Keeping the air conditioner off
Using the recommended engine oil
Keeping the air conditioner on
Using the recommended tires

Why do we use the colorful engine coolant instead of plain water?

10%

A mechanic working on a Buick automobile, pouring green engine coolant into a yellow funnel

Retry Correct Incorrect The colorful engine coolant is called antifreeze because it decreases the freezing point of water and prevents it from freezing in the coolant lines, which can cause them to rupture.

HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Why do we use the colorful engine coolant instead of plain water?

It doesn’t freeze as easy
It improves fuel efficiency
It prevents rusting
It is better at heat dissipation

Where can you use ceramic coating on the car?

13%

Retry Correct Incorrect Ceramic coating creates a thin layer that protects the surface it is applied to. You can use it on any part of the car to make it shine and protect it against the elements.

Where can you use ceramic coating on the car?

On plastic trim pieces
On the paint
All of these
On the wheels

Which of the following is a real car part?

15%

Sectioned oil axle box for railway carriage

Retry Correct Incorrect The Journal bearing is the bearing where the crank rests. It is the simplest and the most fundamental part in any engine with pistons. All the others are trolls created to tease people who know nothing about cars.

SSPL via Getty Images

Which of the following is a real car part?

Piston Return Springs
Journal Bearing
Mufler Bearing
Blinker Fluid

Which of the following should not be done if the car overheats?

18%

Retry Correct Incorrect If the engine has overheated, DO NOT turn it off. Decrease the load on the engine by stopping the car but letting it run and trying to cool it down to acceptable operating levels before you shut down the engine.

Spencer Platt via Getty Images

Which of the following should not be done if the car overheats?

Turn on the cabin heater
Stop the car and turn off the engine immediately
Stop the car but keep the engine running
Shift to a lower gear

What is the benefit of using premium gas in a car rated for regular?

20%

Retry Correct Incorrect Using premium will do no good if a car is rated for regular gas. That’s because premium gas has a higher octane number and is meant for cars with higher compression ratios, typically turbocharged ones.

Andre Malerba/Bloomberg via Getty Images

What is the benefit of using premium gas in a car rated for regular?

It will clean carbon from the cylinders
It will clean the injectors
Nothing
It will help the throttle body run smoother

Which of the following is NOT a sign of worn out brake pads?

23%

Deutsche Bahn Makes Its Freight Trains Quieter

Retry Correct Incorrect A spongy brake paddle is caused by air entering the brake lines and can be fixed by bleeding the lines and filling them with new brake fluid. All others indicate you need new brake pads.

Carsten Koall via Getty Images

Which of the following is NOT a sign of worn out brake pads?

Increased Braking Distance
Squeaking Sound
Spongy Brake Paddle
Reduced Steering Control

Which of the following fluids is red?

25%

Federal Minister of Finance Scholz visits Golm Science Park

Retry Correct Incorrect Transmission fluid is a lubricant just like engine oil, but it uses different additives that make the color bright red. In fact, one of the indicators of transmission oil is bad is that the color is not red.

Soeren Stache/ Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Which of the following fluids is red?

Engine Oil
Transmission Oil
Brake Fluid
Engine Coolant

What does a clogged air filter affect the most?

28%

Woman topping up windscreen washer bottle

Retry Correct Incorrect If the air filter is clogged, it can reduce the amount of air flowing into the engine, resulting in a significantly decreased power output and misfiring.

Universal Images Group via Getty Images

What does a clogged air filter affect the most?

Cabin Air Quality
Engine Power
Fuel Economy
Engine Life

In which of the following cases, you should NEVER drive a car?

30%

A woman inspects her car in the Kiev region...

Retry Correct Incorrect While all of these faults are critical, the total loss of coolant is the worst. In that case, the car will rapidly heat up, causing irreparable damage to engine components.

Sergei Chuzavkov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

In which of the following cases, you should NEVER drive a car?

The engine oil is below maximum level
The engine coolant has totally leaked
The brakes make squeaking noises
The tires are worn out

What is the sign of worn off windshield wipers?

33%

SUV with several parking tickets in windshield wipers

Retry Correct Incorrect When the wipers get worn out, the first sign is the cleaning not being good enough. The streaks will come later, and if you ignore even that, the metallic part of the blade can permanently etch the screen.

Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

What is the sign of worn off windshield wipers?

The windshield is not properly cleaned
All of the above
There is an etching in the shape of the wiper path on the screen
Wipers leave streaks on the windshield

What does polishing the paint of a car do?

35%

Retry Correct Incorrect You can think of vehicle polish as a very fine sand paper that removes an extremely thin layer of the clear coat and makes the paint shinier and smoother on the body.

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What does polishing the paint of a car do?

Makes the paint water repellant
Makes the paint scratch resistant
Adds a thin layer on top of the paint
Removes a very thin layer to make the paint shiny

If the fuel filler cap is not screwed in, what can happen?

38%

Retry Correct Incorrect If the fuel filler cap is not properly screwed in, the pressure in the fuel system can get disturbed, and that leads to the ‘check engine light’ being shown in the dash.

Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly via Getty Images

If the fuel filler cap is not screwed in, what can happen?

The fuel tank might blow up
The fuel pump can fail
Fuel will evaporate faster
The check engine light might turn on

When do you need to get new tires?

40%

Retry Correct Incorrect The rubber that makes up vehicle tires gets slowly denatured by air, sunlight, and other elements, leading to it not being structurally strong enough. Even if you don’t drive at all, you need new tires after three years. The other two are pretty self-explanatory.

Wolfgang Kumm/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

When do you need to get new tires?

Every 3 years
Every 100,000 miles
Any of the above
When the wear bars are apparent

Which of the following is the correct tire air pressure?

43%

Retry Correct Incorrect The value indicated on the tire is the absolute maximum the tire can handle. The correct pressure for your specific car is the one that is recommended by the manufacturer and indicated inside the door jamb.

Marijan Murat/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Which of the following is the correct tire air pressure?

Any pressure that makes the tire hard
The value indicated on the tire wall
35 psi works for all cars
The value written inside the car’s door jamb

What will happen if the alternator is not working?

45%

Volkswagen Said to Manage Faked Test Results From Germany

Retry Correct Incorrect The alternator is there to make sure that the battery remains charged. If it goes bad, the accessories will eventually deplete the car’s battery, and it will not be able to run.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

What will happen if the alternator is not working?

The engine will have catastrophic damage
The battery will run out
The car will stop and engine won’t crank
The engine will overheat

Which of the following causes headlamps to turn yellow over time?

48%

Retry Correct Incorrect Oxidation is the phenomenon where the plastic that makes up the headlamps is denatured by atmospheric oxygen in the presence of sunlight. Headlamps made of glass do not turn yellow over time.

Which of the following causes headlamps to turn yellow over time?

Denaturing of plastic
Wax and polish build up
Scratches
Oxidation

Which of the following is an indicator of a car that needs alignment?

50%

Retry Correct Incorrect If the car does not go in a straight line even when you are not touching the steering wheel, it might need alignment – a procedure where the wheels are aligned to the center and with the steering wheel.

Which of the following is an indicator of a car that needs alignment?

The engine runs rough at idle
The engine struggles holding RPM at freeway speeds
It does not handle rough roads well
It does not go straight when you let go of the steering

Why should you not carry around excessive load in your car when not needed?

53%

Retry Correct Incorrect While all others are true to a lesser degree, the suspension gets affected the most when the car is driven with a lot of weight inside it, making “It causes premature suspension wear” the correct answer.

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Why should you not carry around excessive load in your car when not needed?

The engine will have to work more
It causes premature suspension wear
The tires will not last as long
The car will not be easy to drive

Which of the following can be used to lubricate squeaky car door hinges?

55%

Retry Correct Incorrect White lithium grease is the best option to lubricate squeaky car door hinges because it will stay in place for a long time, prevent corrosion, and not cause staining of clothes.

Which of the following can be used to lubricate squeaky car door hinges?

Kerosene
Engine Oil
WD-40
White Lithium Grease

Why you should never use wipers on a dry screen?

58%

Inside A Hyundai Motor Factory And Port Ahead Of Earnings Announcement

Retry Correct Incorrect When the screen is dry, the dirt and grime on the blades and the screen are rubbed into the glass and can leave permanent scratches. That’s why you should only use wipers on a wet screen.

SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Why you should never use wipers on a dry screen?

It can scratch the screen
It can cause the wipers to wear out
It makes no difference
The wiper motor can burn out

What is the sign of a burnt clutch?

60%

Retry Correct Incorrect The clutch transmits torque from the engine to the transmission and then to the wheels. If it is burnt, it cannot do that… and the wheels don’t get power even if the engine is working fine.

Car Treatments

What is the sign of a burnt clutch?

RPM increases but the car doesn’t move
You can’t press in the clutch paddle
It is harder to shift gears
The car has poor fuel efficiency

Which of the following is NOT the benefit of using good engine oil?

63%

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Retry Correct Incorrect Engine timing is maintained by the timing chain/belt and timing pulleys. While there are a lot of benefits to using good engine oil, it cannot help with timing at all.

Machinery Lubrication

Which of the following is NOT the benefit of using good engine oil?

It can help maintain proper engine timing
It absorbs some of the engine heat
It will help the engine be more fuel efficient
It can help clean up engine internals

What is the sign of worn out piston rings?

65%

Retry Correct Incorrect Piston rings are there to make sure that the engine oil does not leak into the combustion chamber and get burnt. If they go bad, you will notice all of the above signs.

Peter Finn via YouTube

What is the sign of worn out piston rings?

All of the above
White smoke coming from the exhaust
Engine loses power
Engine oil is below the minimum level without leakage

What is the best lubricant for malfunctioning door locks on a car?

68%

speed-sensing-door-locks-car-feature-of-the-month-5d24375156865

Retry Correct Incorrect For this application, you need something that will stay there for a long time and need no repeated applications… and graphite is the only lubricant in the list that fits all of those criteria.

Auto Deal

What is the best lubricant for malfunctioning door locks on a car?

Dry Graphite Lubricant
Engine Oil
White Grease
WD-40

What is the best tool to unclog car windshield washer jets?

70%

Retry Correct Incorrect The windshield washer nozzles are extremely fine and can easily get clogged. If that happens, use a needle to gently clean them out. Using harsher tools can damage the washer.

What is the best tool to unclog car windshield washer jets?

Wire Brush
Compressed Air
Needle
Screw Driver

Which of the following should not be opened when a car has come from a drive?

73%

Retry Correct Incorrect The radiator has pressurized boiling water inside it when the car is at operating temperature. Unless you want to be sprayed with that, NEVER open the radiator until the car is cold.

Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Which of the following should not be opened when a car has come from a drive?

Radiator Cap
Engine Cover
Fuel Filler Cap
Oil Filler Cap

When do you need to adjust the gap of an EFI car’s spark plugs?

75%

Retry Correct Incorrect Spark plugs, once gapped, do not need gapping again. Just when you get new ones, you need to make sure the gap is same as the requirement of your engine.

When do you need to adjust the gap of an EFI car’s spark plugs?

When getting new spark plugs
At every oil change
Every 50,000 miles
Never

What is the name of the device used to diagnose car warning lights?

78%

Retry Correct Incorrect The OBD2 scanner is the industry standard and is mandated by the EU, the US, and many other governments to be used for emissions measurements, diagnostics, and clearing error codes.

Amazon

What is the name of the device used to diagnose car warning lights?

OBD2 Scanner
ECU reader
Brand Specific Diagnostics tool
CAT Scanner

What is a clay bar used for in car maintenance?

80%

Retry Correct Incorrect A clay bar can be used to make a car’s paint look newer by lifting the contaminants off it. You just have to wet the surface and rub the clay bar lightly over it to get it done.

Detailing Garage

What is a clay bar used for in car maintenance?

Polishing the paint
Removing contaminants from the paint
Polishing the headlamps
Resurfacing coolant hoses

Which of the following is a benefit of a coolant system flush?

83%

How-to-Flush-a-Radiator-with-a-Garden-Hose-1024x512

Retry Correct Incorrect The coolant in your car’s engine can get contaminated with a number of things over time, and its efficiency can decrease. Replacing it with a new one can get you all of the above benefits.

Yard and Garden Guru

Which of the following is a benefit of a coolant system flush?

It replaces inefficient fluid with new coolant
It prolongs the life of the coolant system
All of the above
It reduces chances of corrosion

Which of the following is not replaced during a standard oil change?

85%

Retry Correct Incorrect The oil pan is a permanent part of the engine and not a consumable. It never gets replaced unless it is damaged or leaking. Normally, you just pour the oil out of it and put in a new one.

Camerique/ClassicStock via Getty Images

Which of the following is not replaced during a standard oil change?

Engine Oil Filter
Oil Pan
Engine Oil
Engine Air Filter

If the exhaust bracket fails, what is the best short-term solution to avoid dragging the exhaust on the ground?

88%

Retry Correct Incorrect The exhaust can get really hot, rendering any of the other fixes useless. A metallic hanger can work, but only to get you to the mechanic, and you’ll have to drive very carefully.

E46 Fanatics Forum

If the exhaust bracket fails, what is the best short-term solution to avoid dragging the exhaust on the ground?

Electric tape
Metallic Coat Hanger
Duct Tape
Nylon rope

Where does the OBD2 scanner plug in to scan codes for check engine light?

90%

blog-what-is-obd-II-gettyImages-1200297557-hero@2x

Retry Correct Incorrect Almost all modern cars have an OBD2 port under the steering wheel where the scanner can be plugged in to read and clear error codes and interact with the ECU.

Geotab

Where does the OBD2 scanner plug in to scan codes for check engine light?

Under the hood
Inside the glove compartment
Under the steering wheel
Into the engine control unit

How to tell where is the fuse for a specific thing?

93%

Retry Correct Incorrect The fuse box cover has a diagram indicating the rating, location, and function of all the fuses inside it. Some cars might even have a couple of replacement fuses and a fuse replacement tool in there.

Carfax

How to tell where is the fuse for a specific thing?

A quick Google Search
It’s in the owner’s manual
On the cover of the fuse box
Only mechanics can tell

If the thermostat valve is broken, what would happen?

95%

Retry Correct Incorrect The thermostat valve prevents hot water from the engine from circulating through the radiator until it reaches a certain temperature. If it goes bad, the water will never get hot, and you’ll have no heating in the cabin.

Auto Chimps

If the thermostat valve is broken, what would happen?

The cabin heater won’t work
The coolant pump will fail
The engine will overheat
The coolant will evaporate

A failure of which part can cause catastrophic engine damage?

98%

Retry Correct Incorrect While you don’t want any of those to fail while driving, if the timing belt goes, it will cause the pistons to bang into the valves, causing catastrophic damage to the engine.

Dodge Dart Forum

A failure of which part can cause catastrophic engine damage?

Tie Rod
Coolant Pump
Alternator
Timing Belt

Congrats, you finished! Here are your results:

100%

Congrats, you finished! Here are your results:

Retry You need to up your car game! You should increase your knowledge of car maintenance… It can save you from serious trouble at some point in your life! You did okay! You have some car knowledge, but not enough to help yourself against being ripped off by mechanics. You do know your cars! Your knowledge of the subject indicates that you know a fair bit about cars. There are more things you could learn, though. You gotta be a mechanic! You know things no ordinary man knows. If you are not a mechanic, consider becoming one, seriously.

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