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About This Quiz
How savvy are you about how your car engine works? Take this quiz to find out!
Many people know very little about how their car engine works. Other than the benefit of turning the key and pushing on the gas and making the vehicle go vroom, most of us are blissfully ignorant about what makes things work under the hood (until the check engine light comes on, of course). But as "simple" as the combustion engine is in theory, there is quite a bit going on at the front of your car every time you turn the key.
As much as you'd like to believe it's that expensive fuel that makes your car move, it's actually air. Yup, that's right. Air powers your car. What else don't we know about our cars? What does "horsepower" mean exactly? What's the deal with diesel? What do those 87 and 89 numbers mean at the pump?
So whether you like to wrench on cars or just want to learn a little bit more about this highly involved, high octane machine, we think we've got the quiz to get your motor going.
Think you've got the mechanical smarts to ace this quiz? Let's find out!
A car engine is what type of combustion engine?
Internal
The go-to example of an external combustion engine would be the steam engine.
External
Reverse
Forward
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Nikolaus Otto invented an engine with a four-stroke cycle in what year?
1208
1746
1876
As a result, the four-stroke cycle is often called the Otto cycle.
1923
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The stroke that lets in air and fuel is the _____ stroke.
Cam
Intake
During intake, air and fuel are mixed and then brought into the cylinder.
Entrance
Intro
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The stroke that makes the explosion more powerful is the _____ stroke.
Compression
During compression, the piston compresses the fuel and air.
Explosion
Blasting
Power
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During the combustion stroke, the _____ ignites the gasoline.
Radiator
Camshaft
Striker
Spark plug
The explosion from the spark plug pushes the piston down.
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The _____ joins the piston to the crankshaft.
Fork tube
Crankpin
Connecting rod
The connecting rod extends down from the piston and connects to the crankshaft.
Crankcase
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What is the final process in the four-stroke cycle?
Throttle
Exhaust
Exhaust valves release the burnt fuel via the car's exhaust system.
Ignite
Rinse
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The _____ is the part of the engine that changes the linear motion of the piston into rotational motion.
Spindle
Carburetor
Crankshaft
Rotational motion is the type needed to rotate the wheels of the car.
Gear
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The piston moves up and down inside of the _____.
Mounting
Cylinder
Most cars have either four, six or eight cylinders.
Box
Piston sheath
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The three most common arrangements of cylinders in an engine are inline, V and _____.
Flat
Inline, V and flat cylinder arrangements each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Stepped
X
Outboard
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The _____ arrangement of cylinders has all the cylinders in a line in a single bank.
Boxer
Uptime
Inline
The simple inline arrangement makes these engines easier to manufacture than V and flat types.
Straight across
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The spark plug _____ the air and fuel.
Ignites
Timing the spark plug ignition is critical for the engine to work correctly.
Mixes
Separates
Exhausts
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What moves up and down inside the cylinder?
Piston
The piston tightly fits inside the cylinder to seal air and gas and control the combustion process.
Crankshaft
Spark plug
Tail pipe
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Engines using overhead cams have their camshaft located _____ the valves.
Above
The rotating movement from the camshaft opens and shuts the cylinder's intake valves.
Beside
Below
Inside
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A timing belt or timing chain links the _____ and the _____ so valves and pistons stay in sync.
Crankshaft, camshaft
Synchronizing the crankshaft and camshaft is important for the valves and pistons to perform their best.
Camshaft, overhead cams
Timing pin, valve lifter
Rods, pistons
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A camshaft turns at _____ the rate of the crankshaft.
One-half
Gearing allows the camshaft to turn once for every two turns of the crankshaft.
One-tenth
Three-fifths
Seven-eighths
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The spark plug needs a _____ from the ignition system to work.
High-voltage electrical charge
Creating the spark to ignite the air and fuel mixture requires a precisely timed high-voltage electrical charge.
Fuel/air mixture
Boost injection
Quantum phase pulse
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Air-cooled engines are typically lighter but run _____ than liquid-cooled engines.
Cooler
Hotter
The vintage Volkswagen Beetle is a favorite example of an air-cooled engine.
More expensive
Faster
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Many cars use an air circulation technique known as _____.
Normal aspiration
Also known as naturally aspirated engines, these engines take in air without forced induction.
Quick intake
Super compression
Alternating intake vacuum
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Turbocharged and supercharged engines first do what to the air before mixing it with fuel?
Dehumidifies
Vaporizes
Pressurizes
Forced induction increases airflow to the cylinders which increases the performance of the engine.
Atomically separates
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The pressurization amount used in turbocharging and supercharging engines is called _____.
Boost
Higher pressure means a bigger boost.
Injection
Power up
Warp
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What spins the crankshaft a few revolutions so the combustion process can start?
Starter motor
Because it is electrical, the starter motor can't start the engine when your battery is dead.
Launching mechanism
Boosting engine
Primary launch device
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The fuel system of an engine takes gas from a gas tank and mixes it with what?
More gas
Electricity
Exhaust
Air
Mixing the proper amount of gas and air makes sure your engine is working efficiently.
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The device that mixes gas into air as the air flows into the engine is called the _____.
Fuel blend cyclotron
Carburetor
If the carburetor doesn’t mix air and gas in the right amount it could be wasting gas or causing the engine to produce less power.
Vortex
Cylinder centrifuge
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The exhaust pipe and the muffler are part of what system?
Propulsion system
Launch system
Exhaust system
The exhaust system removes burnt gasses from the car's combustion chamber.
Sanitation system
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The liquid used in the engine’s lubrication system is _____.
Oil
Oil helps lubricate the engine parts like pistons and bearings to help those parts move more easily and reduce wear.
Water
Fuel
Air
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The purpose of a catalytic converter is to _____.
Accelerate the car
Turn linear motion into rotational motion
Burn unused fuel and other chemicals
An emission control system helps clean harmful chemicals from the exhaust by running the exhaust through the catalytic converter before it exits the tail pipe.
Change between being gas powered and battery powered
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The battery in most cars used to start the motor, which in turn starts the engine, is typically what kind?
12-volt
The powerful 12-volt battery runs the starter motor and then is recharged by the alternator once the engine is running.
1.21 gigawatts
Electrocephalus
Disposable
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Using bigger cylinders or more cylinders increases engine displacement which results in _____.
More power
More engine displacement means you can burn more gas which means more power.
Less wasted fuel
Smaller engine size
More efficient catalytic converters
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Cooling the air entering the cylinders in some supercharged and turbocharged engines is done by the _____.
Scramjet
Hyper dewarmer
Thermodampening exchange filter
Intercooler
Cooling the air allows room for more oxygen and better combustion.
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How does a dual exhaust system help an engine run more efficiently?
Improve the flow of exhaust from the engine
Dual exhaust systems help reduce air resistance of exhaust leaving the engine’s cylinders. This helps avoid back pressure.
Provide more air to the cylinders
Increase the sound of the engine
Remove pollutants from the exhaust
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What part is not used in a diesel engine that is used in a gasoline engine?
Camshaft
Oil
Spark plug
Don't let anyone sell you spark plugs for your diesel engine! Diesel engines use the heat and pressure from compression to ignite the fuel in the cylinder.
Dual exhaust
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Internal combustion engines need pure, high-quality liquid or gaseous _____.
Oil
Fuel
Internal combustion engines can use gasoline, diesel or alternative/renewable fuel.
Nitrogen
Water
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Which fuel source, in general, is more efficient at generating torque?
Diesel
This is why diesel vehicles are largely better at towing.
Gasoline
They’re equally efficient
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Engine knock is the engine problem best described by:
Fuel being improperly ignited
Engine knock is the result of improperly ignited fuel interfering with the engine cycles.
The top of the engine banging on the hood
Fuel leaking out of the engine and exploding
The engine brackets coming lose and letting the engine move back and forth
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What does octane rating mean?
The horsepower per gallon
The tax per gallon
How much the gas can be compressed before it ignites
Using the right type of fuel for your vehicle is important. Different engines perform their best with the right octane rating.
How pure the air needs to be for the gas to work
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The electronic device that monitors and controls the fuel and air mixture and spark timing is called what?
Computer-aided fuel governor
Ignition regulator module
Detonation control rigging
Engine control module
Engine control modules use a network of sensors to make sure the right amounts of fuel and air are properly ignited.
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Which of the following does NOT describe “horsepower”?
The term was created by James Watt.
One horsepower is equivalent to 746 watts.
It measures the power an engine provides.
It’s a calculation based on how heavy a car is compared to how many horses would equal that weight.
Did you know? James Watt created the measurement of horsepower while watching ponies and horses at work.
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Which of the following is not part of a gasoline engine?
Spark plug
Exhaust port
Speedometer
The speedometer measures the velocity of the car as a whole, but it doesn’t directly measure or control the engine.
Oil pan
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The _____ contains oil that helps keep engine parts lubricated and clean.
Slickpan
Greaser
Pan
The oil pan usually contains between four and six quarts.
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You Got:
/40
n/a