How Much Do You Know About Car Engines?

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Engines are complex, yet ingenious, pieces of machinery that enable us to get to our destination in the blink of an eye. While many people own cars, the majority of drivers know little to nothing about the inner workings of their vehicle’s engine. Do you have an understanding of how your vehicle works? Well, take this quiz about car engines and find out.

What is the difference between gasoline and diesel engines?

0%

Retry Correct Incorrect Diesel engines use compression heat to ignite the fuel. So, they need a heating element, or glow plug, as a way to help start the process on a cold day.

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What is the difference between gasoline and diesel engines?

Gasoline engines use a spark plug, diesels use compression to ignite the fuel
Gasoline is two stroke, diesel is four
Gasoline engine pistons are shaped in a square, diesel pistons are in a circle
Gasoline engines need cooking oil, diesel engines can only use diesel

Which is the minimum number of valves per cylinder in a four-stroke engine?

3%

Retry Correct Incorrect A four-stroke engine must have at least two valves per cylinder, and two valves are considered standard. Three or more valves make the engine more efficient and give the engine a “multi-valve” designation.

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Which is the minimum number of valves per cylinder in a four-stroke engine?

2
3
4
6

Cars with fuel injection don’t need which device?

5%

Retry Correct Incorrect A fuel injector atomizes fuel in the air stream, so it no longer requires the suction of a carburetor to draw the fuel into it. All of the other answer options are very much needed.

Cars with fuel injection don’t need which device?

Valves
Fuel filter
A carburetor
Catalyst converter

What does the gas pedal really control?

8%

New Volkswagen ID.4 Electric Car Takes Aim at SUV Buyers

Retry Correct Incorrect The gas pedal actually regulates the amount of air being delivered into the engine, which controls the vehicle’s speed.

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What does the gas pedal really control?

Amount of fuel being fed into the engine
Intake valve
Spark timing
Amount of air being fed into the engine

Why would your spark plugs be covered in oil when changing them?

10%

Retry Correct Incorrect If there is oil on the spark plugs, it’s usually because the piston rings or valves are leaking. This can cause the engine to end up misfiring or have a weak spark.

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Why would your spark plugs be covered in oil when changing them?

The valves or piston rings are leaking
The crankshaft is leaking
There’s a hole in the engine
The camshaft is leaking

Which is a likely reason an engine is overheating?

13%

Retry Correct Incorrect If a car engine is overheating, it’s most likely due to a bad thermostat. If your car happens to be overheating, turn off the car immediately in order to prevent permanent damage.

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Which is a likely reason an engine is overheating?

It’s too cold outside
It’s too hot outside
The thermostat is bad
The air conditioning is broken

What does a spark plug do?

15%

Retry Correct Incorrect A spark plug is a device that delivers electric currents from an ignition system to the combustion chamber of a spark-ignition chamber. This then ignites the compressed fuel and air mixture with am electric spark.

What does a spark plug do?

Injects the fuel and air mixture into the combustion chamber
Supplies the engine with energy
Ignites fuel and air mixture to create energy
Injects air into the intake valve

What does the intake valve do?

18%

Retry Correct Incorrect The intake valve is a valve in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine. It’s purpose is to open at the appropriate moment to allow the fuel air mixture to be drawn into the cylinder.

What does the intake valve do?

Gets rid of exhaust
Supplies the combustion chamber with air and fuel
Supplies water to the engine
Releases fuel from the combustion chamber

What is the typical order of a four-stroke engine cycle?

21%

Retry Correct Incorrect Intake is the first stroke which brings the fuel-air mixture into the chamber. The second stroke compresses the mixture with the piston driving downward in the power stroke. The final stroke then releases the exhaust from the chamber.

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What is the typical order of a four-stroke engine cycle?

Power, compression, intake, and exhaust
Intake, exhaust, compression, and power
Intake, compression, power, and exhaust
Intake, power, compression, and exhaust

What is the benefit of a Turbocharge over a Supercharge?

23%

Retry Correct Incorrect Turbochargers work using the exhaust fumes and Supercharges are powered by the crankshaft. Therefore, Supercharges actually take horsepower from the engine which isn’t as effective as Turbocharges which do not.

What is the benefit of a Turbocharge over a Supercharge?

Supercharges use a lot of battery
Supercharges don’t work on diesels
Turbocharges don’t take horsepower from the engine
Turbocharges are only legal in some states

What is a piston?

26%

Retry Correct Incorrect The purpose of the piston is to transfer force from the expanding gas in the cylinder to the crankshaft with the help of a connecting rod. It also acts as a valve covering and uncovering the cylinder ports.

What is a piston?

A piece of metal that charges the spark plug
A valve that transfers fuel to the combustion chamber
Cylindrical piece of metal that moves up and down with the help of the combustion process
A tube that cools down the car engine

Which is the best air/fuel ratio for a gasoline engine?

28%

Retry Correct Incorrect 14.7:1 is the best stochiometric AFR or air/fuel ratio for a gasoline engine for it to perform at its best. However, some people manipulate the ratio depending on how they want their vehicle to perform.

Which is the best air/fuel ratio for a gasoline engine?

15.3:2
2:1
14.7:1
6.4:1

What is the purpose of piston rings?

31%

Retry Correct Incorrect The piston ring is a split ring that fits onto the outer diameter of a piston in a reciprocating engine. It also helps regulate engine oil consumption by scraping oil from the cylinder walls.

What is the purpose of piston rings?

Keep the oil fresh
Keep the cylinder sealed
Help with the brakes
Keep the piston heads sealed so fuel and air doesn’t leak to the crank case

What is a connecting rod?

33%

Retry Correct Incorrect A connecting rod is a mechanism that connects a piston to the crank or crankshaft in a reciprocating engine. Connected to the crankshaft, it converts reciprocating motion into rotating motion.

What is a connecting rod?

Connects the piston to the header
Connects the fuel tank to fuel cap
Connects the piston the the cylinder
Connects the piston and crankshaft

What is the crankshaft?

36%

Retry Correct Incorrect In order to convert the the motion, the crankshaft has one of more offset shafts. the pistons are then connected it by these offset shafts/ When the piston goes up and down it also pushes down the offset shaft, rotating the crankshaft.

What is the crankshaft?

A rod that turns the piston’s up and down motion into a circular motion
Supports the wheels of the car
A gear that holds the headers together
A screw that holds the entire engine togther

What is the sump?

38%

Retry Correct Incorrect Also known as the oil tray, the sump is a reservoir that contains engine oil when it is not circulating through the engine. It is usually bolted to the bottom of the lowest point of the engine below the crankcase.

What is the sump?

Where air is stored until needed
Section of oil under the piston that keeps the piston and crankshaft lube
Where fuel and air are burned
The gas tank

What does the timing belt control?

41%

Retry Correct Incorrect The timing belt keeps the camshaft and crankshaft in sync so that the intake and exhaust valves open accordingly and on time. The belt is also referred to as timing chains or timing gears.

What does the timing belt control?

All of the available choices
The synchronization of the camshaft and crankshaft
The opening and closing of the intake valves
The opening and closing of the exhaust valves

Vehicles in the US were required to have OBD-II systems in what year?

44%

Retry Correct Incorrect Although a form of them was being used in 1988, they weren’t required in the United States until 1996. The device allows owners or technicians to have access to the status of the vehicle’s subsystems.

Vehicles in the US were required to have OBD-II systems in what year?

1996
1991
1986
1989

What does the camshaft do?

46%

Retry Correct Incorrect The camshaft in internal combustion engines is an elliptically shaped lobe that controls when the inlet and exhaust valves open and close. This determines the engine’s performance, peak horsepower, and more.

What does the camshaft do?

It ignites the compressed air/fuel mixture
It opens the inlet and exhaust valves
It sprays fuel into the intake manifold
It lets air into the combustion chamber

Car engine maintenance is structured around what?

49%

Retry Correct Incorrect The reason you have to get your car checked after reaching a certain amount of miles is because engine maintenance depends on the distance driven. Similarly, jet engines maintenance is structured around hours flown.

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Car engine maintenance is structured around what?

Distance driven
Tire condition
Time driven
Fuel used

Once your car is started, what supplies the car’s electricity?

51%

Retry Correct Incorrect The alternator is a piece of equipment in an engine that is used to charge the battery and power the electrical system of a car when its engine is running.

Once your car is started, what supplies the car’s electricity?

Inhibitor switch
Alternator
Ignition switch
Battery

Using gas with a low octane rating can result in what problem?

54%

Retry Correct Incorrect Using gasoline with a low octane rating can make the engine knock, which is actually a premature combustion of one of the cylinders.

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Using gas with a low octane rating can result in what problem?

A broken connecting rod
The engine cracking
A blown head gasket
The engine knocking

The Atkinson cycle consists of what?

56%

Retry Correct Incorrect British Engineer James Atkinson developed three different engine designs known as the Atkinson cycle.The design features a short compression stroke and a longer expansion stroke, which improves the engine’s thermal efficiency.

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The Atkinson cycle consists of what?

Compressor, combustion chamber, turbine
Combustion chamber, gas turbine, cycle engine
Otto cycle, five-stroke engine, Scuderi engine
Differential engine, cycle engine, utilite engine

How does a heat engine work?

59%

920 Ford T-Bucket with chromed radiator, custom V8 engine on display

Retry Correct Incorrect A heat engine converts heat into motion by burning fuel, such as gasoline or coal, and expanding the gas. The gas pushes the piston, which drives the car.

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How does a heat engine work?

Heat from fuel expands, pushing down the piston
Fuel burns outside the cylinder, where it expands and pushes the piston
Fuel and air are drawn into the cylinder, where they expand and push the piston
Fuel is burned in a cylinder, and the cylinder draws in air to move the piston

How is fuel consumption measured?

62%

Operator of Petrol Pump seen refiling a Car

Retry Correct Incorrect Fuel consumption is measured by how much fuel the vehicle uses in order to travel a certain distance. Because some countries measure by km instead of mph, different countries’ cars have different fuel consumptions.

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How is fuel consumption measured?

By how much fuel it takes to push the turbine
By how much fuel is consumed when driving for a certain amount of time
By how much fuel it takes to accelerate to 50 mph
By how much fuel it takes to drive a certain distance

What is a gas turbine?

64%

The feed of natural gas is seen entering the gas turbine at the Emera Energy plant

Retry Correct Incorrect A gas turbine is essentially a rotary machine that consists of three main components: a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine. This provides the engine with continuous power using a continuous combustion system.

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What is a gas turbine?

A part that decreases the engine’s temperature
The part of the engine that burns fuel
A rotary machine
A steam turbine

What is an Otto cycle?

67%

Twin gas engine, Otto cycle, double-action, 600 hp

Retry Correct Incorrect An Otto cycle occurs when there’s a change of pressure, temperature, volume, addition of heath, or removal of heat within a mass of gas. Basically, it’s the engine’s reaction to the change in environment, keeping your car running in various weather conditions.

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What is an Otto cycle?

When the stroke is longer than the compression stroke
A thermodynamic cycle
A four-stroke cycle
An internal combustion engine

Which of these is not a fossil fuel?

69%

Man selecting petrol fuel pump nozzle at gas station for refueling his car in Europe

Retry Correct Incorrect Diesel fuel, gasoline, and petroleum gas are all fossil fuels. Uranium, however, is not a fossil fuel, and is instead classified as a nonrenewable fuel. Propane is also a fossil fuel, but is rarely used to power vehicles.

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Which of these is not a fossil fuel?

Petroleum gas
Uranium
Diesel fuel
Gasoline

Which of these vehicles does not use an Atkinson-cycle engine?

72%

interior on a Lexus GS 300h hybrid luxury sedan

Retry Correct Incorrect A modernized version of the Atkinson-cycle engine is used in many electric vehicles today. The first model to adopt it was the first-generation Toyota Prius. Now, Chervrolet, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and more automakers build their vehicles with this engine type.

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Which of these vehicles does not use an Atkinson-cycle engine?

Honda Accord Hybrid
Kia Forte
2016 Toyota Tacoma
2012 Subaru Forester

Who developed the concept of “horsepower”?

74%

Jockey Alfred Chan Ka Hei riding Majestic Endeavour

Retry Correct Incorrect James Watt lived from 1736 to 1819 and also developed the concept of units of power. He invented ‘horsepower’ while working with horses who were transporting coal from a coal mine. He measured the pounds of work they could manage per minute. He then applied those measurements to a steam engine.

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Who developed the concept of “horsepower”?

Rudolf Diesel
Nicholaus Otto
Karl Benz
James Watt

Which of these will help start a car?

77%

Retry Correct Incorrect Internal combustion engines must have their cycles started, and there are a few methods to do this. Often times people opt to have someone help them with a push-start. Pushing the vehicle while engaging the clutch is known as a “run-and-bump” start.

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Which of these will help start a car?

All of these
Pushing the vehicle
Kicking downward on a single pedal
By an electric starter

Which of these is not a measurement of engine performance?

79%

Retry Correct Incorrect Engine types vary, but there are several common methods to measure them. Thermal energy is not one of them but others include thrust-to-weight ratio, torque curves, and fuel/propellant consumption.

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Which of these is not a measurement of engine performance?

Thermal energy
Energy efficiency
Power-to-weight ratio
Compression ratio

How much fuel is left over after the combustion process?

82%

Power station of a new e.GO Life electric car

Retry Correct Incorrect Not all of the fuel is completely consumed by the combustion process. Afterward, a small amount of fuel will still be present, and some of it reacts to form oxygenates, including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde.

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How much fuel is left over after the combustion process?

Most of it
All of it
A small amount
None

What is the formula for horsepower?

85%

The Apollo IE at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018

Retry Correct Incorrect Horsepower is characterized by the power needed to lift a 550 lb object over a period of time. One horsepower measures out to 33,000 lb ft/minute. If you lift over that amount, you’ll be working at a rate of one horsepower.

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What is the formula for horsepower?

1 HP = max torque speed per minute
1 HP = power needed to reach 100 mph
1 HP = gallons consumed per minute
1 HP = power needed to lift 550 lbs

What happens when the amount of air in the engine increases?

87%

Cold air intake installed on a Dodge Charger Hemi V-8 engine

Retry Correct Incorrect The nitrogen oxides that are produced from the exhaust harm the environment and produce ozone. These hazardous air pollutants contain sulfur and other impurities in the exhaust that are harmful to people and animals.

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What happens when the amount of air in the engine increases?

Produces Nitrogen oxides
All of these
It reduces emissions of incomplete combustion products
Promotions reaction between oxygen and nitrogen

A standard car engine typically has how much horsepower?

90%

exhaust gases pourring out of from the exhaust pipe of a BMW diesel engine car

Retry Correct Incorrect Most mid-sized cars generally have 170-190HP with a 250-300HP turbo or v6 options. That’s the equivalent of a car being dragged by 230 horses.

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A standard car engine typically has how much horsepower?

100HP-150HP
150HP-200HP
200HP-250HP
250HP-300HP

Which of these is not a common cylinder layout in an engine?

92%

engineer applies lubricant oil into cylinders for pistons of 6.3 litre V8 engine

Retry Correct Incorrect The four most common types of cylinder layouts in engines are V, Inline, Straight, and Flat. Other layouts include W, X, rotary and pistonless engines.

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Which of these is not a common cylinder layout in an engine?

Diamond
V
Inline
Straight

What is the maximum amount of cylinders a car can have?

95%

An MTU employee works on a mobile 16 cylinder MTU gas engine

Retry Correct Incorrect Some commercially produced cars such as the Cizeta Moroder V16T have up to 16 cylinders. In general, racecars have over eight cylinders, and smaller cars have twin cylinders. Larger vehicles, such as tanks, can have up to 30 cylinders.

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What is the maximum amount of cylinders a car can have?

10
16
8
20

What does forced induction do?

97%

Retry Correct Incorrect Forced induction is the process of delivering compressed air to the intake of an internal combustion engine. This method uses a gas compressor to increase the pressure, temperature, and density of the air.

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What does forced induction do?

Increases power-to-weight and power-to-volume ratios
Delivers compressed air to the intake of internal combustion engine
Transports fuel from the fuel system to combustion chamber
Releases fuel in the form of heat

Congrats, you finished! Here are your results:

100%

Congrats, you finished! Here are your results:

Retry Not very good! Your best bet is to stay far away from car engines! Could have done better! You clearly didn’t take auto shop in high school. That’s pretty good! You definitely know more than most people! Incredible! What are you, a mechanic?

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