Automotive Engines ,
Need To Know Basics

Author

Javaughn Barrow

Automotive engines are systems of moving parts that all work together to create what we call mechanical Power, which is used to put things in motion. Engines have been the driving force of mechanical technology for years now. There are so many types of car engines like, inline 4’s, 5 cylinders, 6 cylinders, V8’S , V10’s, V12’s just to name a few. We even call systems engines because of how reminiscent it is of an actual engine. We have Jet Engines, Car Engines, Motorbike Engines and even something called Search Engines…but that’s a topic for another time. Today we’re going to focus on Car Engines because duh…this is an automotive blog.

What you will learn:

What are 3 types of Automotive engines ?

They’re three types of engines in production today; Internal Combustion Engine, Full Electric Systems and a Hybrid System which uses both Electric and Combustion Engines. In a traditional sense electric cars don’t have traditional engines. They are what we call “battery powered” ,which can be a type of engine but operates very differently from traditional combustion engines. Traditional engines burn fuels which generate heat which is then converted into motion. This gets things going…pun intended.

Batteries however, work with chemical reactions which are turned into electricity. This is then used to power and move. Two very different operating systems such as electric and combustion can also work together in unison. This is where hybrid engines come into play. Both systems can be combined together in one vehicle, pushing the limits of efficiency within a unit.

What is an Internal Combustion Engine ?

Combustion simply is the process of burning fuel. Internal combustion engine is as it says, it burns fuel internally such as gas or diesel to generate heat, then motion as I mentioned above. They’re a host of moving parts in an engine, but let’s zoom in on the part where the burning of the fuel happens. Pistons move up and down a cylinder via a crank shaft below and mini explosions above the piston head. That motion is called a power stroke which is made up of 4 steps S.S.B.B.

Suck, Squeeze, Bang & Blow. In the Suck and Squeeze step, air is getting sucked into a chamber and compressed to a point with a mixture of gas and a spark creating the next process Bang and Blow. At this point the mixture of compressed air gas and a spark generates a mini explosion pushing the piston down. This causes the crankshaft to rotate and send the piston back up, blowing/pushing the exhaust gasses from the explosion upward through the cylinder. Moving through the cylinder the exhaust gasses then exit toward an escape valve creating the process of internal combustion. All engine sizes from 4 cylinders to V12 engines, just to name a few, go through this process.

What are the different types of Automotive Engines layouts?

Combustion engines have different types of layout. These layouts are just an arrangement of how the pistons are laid out within the engine block. We use letters and descriptive terms like “straight/Inline” & “flat” to closely relate the shapes we see, when viewing the engine layout from a certain angle. A few examples are Straight Engines, “V” Engines, Flat Engines, “U” Engines, “H” Engines and “W” Engines.

We are just going to use the main three which are “Straight/Inline”, “V” & “Flat” to explain what it means. Straight engines have the pistons of the engines aligned one after the other in a straight line. For example a straight 6 or inline 6 engine. “V” Engines have the pistons at an angle, side by side like the shape of the letter V. This is where the “V” in V8 engines comes from. Flat engines have the piston laid flat on opposite ends of each other. So when thinking of other layouts, for example the W engine, you can think of it as two V Engines put together creating that W shape.

What Engine do most cars use?

Most cars use a Straight layout engine, particularly the I4 Engines, which stands for Inline 4. This is the industry standard for a couple reasons. Inline/Straight engines only require one cylinder head, vs multiple on other engine layouts. This just means less moving parts and the less parts required, mean less opportunity for things to go wrong. Also, 4 Cylinder cars strike a great balance between Power and Efficiency. That said, an I4 engine would be optimal across multiple vehicle platforms.

What are the most basic Automotive engines?

The most basic engine is an inline 4 (i4) engine. It’s the industry standard across multiple platforms. Its cost is cheaper, maintenance is cheaper and the best strike of balance between power and efficiency, vs bigger engines. Although it’s basic, they’re not to be underestimated. I4 engines can be one of the most fun and exhilarating experiences when driving. They are a host of sports cars that come with this engine layout, that can get you great 0-6 times and accelerations.These engines can do a lot with little, it’s basic but in a good way.

What Is The Average Life of a Car Engine?

The Average life of an engine, according to wrench.com  is ten years, which can equate to 200,000 miles. It used to be 8 years, or up to 150,000 miles but the newer cars with all the necessary upgrades are getting an extra 50,000 miles out of their motors on average. One big way to get the most life out of your engine, is well done maintenance such as oil changes. After a few thousands miles, you might be due for an oil change. You will start to notice your oil getting darker than it was originally. Oil runs through the engine, lubricating moving parts that would otherwise be metal on metal contact. Along the way it will pick up particles such as gearbox fragments , clutch particles, carbon from engine combustion.

All of these things are getting swirled around in that oil hence the darkened color. This is why oil and filter changes impact engine longevity. You want to make sure even before you do an oil change, that the dirty oil is not sitting a while getting all those particles settled at the bottom. A hot oil change is preferred. This is where you change the oil already hot and circulating. That way the hot oil  picks up all the settlements around the crevasses and is drained out at the same time. This minimizes any chances of leftover settlement, mixing with the fresh oil being added. Now Caution yourself, Hot oil can cause bodily injury, there is always a right a wrong way to do these types of procedures.

Conclusion

Automotive Engines have been one of the huge contributors to human advancement for the last century. Even before with the creation of the steam engine. The advancements are only getting better. Whether or not we’re going to be using the same components further down the line? Who knows, but the meaning of what it is to be an engine, that concept is here to stay.

Javaughn Barrow

Hello! My name is Javaughn Barrow, a young car enthusiast who writes all the articles for Karcandy.com. I’ve written over 50 articles about automobiles. With each article, I deepen my understanding and expertise in writing and the automotive world. Ever since childhood, I’ve always had a strong passion for cars. All types shapes and sizes were interesting to me. I’d spend most of my time after school researching cars and the more I found out about them the more exciting it was. In my teens, I created a fan page about corvettes posting content at least ten times a day! Yes, I was crazy about it. The page ended up garnering over 40k followers! After a while, I wanted more than a fan page. I wanted to express my passion differently. I wanted to create more helpful content, higher-quality content. My first car was a 2013 VW CC Sport. Learned very quickly car ownership wasn’t as expected. I spent a lot of time replacing control arms, cam position sensors, brake rotors, brake pads, etc. Walking away with more information than I knew before. As I was growing in my automotive journey I was learning about writing. Starting by writing a detailed outline about 300 words long then I would pay a professional to write a full 1000-word article and learn from them getting familiar with the process of writing. The moment I realized I could use my writing skills to express my passion for cars and help people simultaneously, I started Karcandy.com. I realized with my unique perspective coupled with my hard work discipline and work ethic I can create a space online to help bridge the gap between the complicated and simple in the automotive world. I’m motivated by the challenges and work it will take to create such a space. My work ethic is something I choose to refine and make better each day. I think it’s important to push myself and stay committed to my evolution as a human and this website is only one of the results of that.

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