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About This Quiz
It's under the hood of every car, truck and SUV, but how many people really know how one works? Do you know a spark plug from a fuel injector?
A car uses a four-stroke engine. The four strokes are:
intake, compression, combustion and exhaust
injection, rotation, combustion and exhaust
injection, carburetion, rotation and exhaust
A device that works on the same principle as a car engine is:
a nuclear submarine
a giant robot
a spud gun
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A crankshaft's job in an engine is to:
deliver fuel to the cylinders
change linear motion into rotational motion
keep cylinder heads in place
A timing belt or timing chain links these two components together so that the valves are in sync with the pistons:
the flywheel to the camshaft
the crankshaft to the camshaft
the cylinder head to the camshaft
There are three basic failures that can happen in an engine: bad fuel mix, lack of compression and:
lack of exhaust
lack of water
lack of spark
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In a car engine's cylinder, valves let fuel in and exhaust out. The ______ moves these valves.
camshaft
timing belt
distributor
A turbocharger is:
a set of gears that makes the wheels turn faster
a turbine that compresses the air traveling into the engine
an injector that delivers fuel to the engine faster
When you turn the key to a car, the starter motor:
sends electricity to the spark plugs, starting ignition
sends electricity to the fuel pump, forcing the car to start
spins the engine a few revolutions, starting the combustion process
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When a car's engine is running, power to operate the radio, CD player, headlights and windshield wipers comes from the:
alternator
battery
spark plugs
Modern cars use internal combustion engines, but some early models used external combustion engines. What is one example of an external combustion engine?
steam engine
firecracker engine
hydroponic engine
Why don't we use steam engines for cars anymore?
They set off too many smoke alarms.
They smelled too bad.
They aren't as efficient.
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What are the three common ways to arrange an engine's cylinders?
V-6, V-8, HEMI
inline, V, flat
inline, flat, rotary
What might happen if water gets into your gas tank?
It'll make it hard for the engine to burn the fuel.
It'll help the car get better gas mileage.
It'll make the engine blow up.
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What happens if your car leaks or burns off all of its oil?
It'll start an oil fire.
The engine will seize.
It'll cause oil poisoning.
What are the two main components of the engine cooling system in most cars?
air intake and turbocharger
battery and fan
radiator and water pump
Which of these cars features a popular example of an air-cooled engine?
the Tesla Model S
the Volkswagen Beetle
the Ford Model T
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Which of the following commonly uses air-cooled engines?
motorcycles
hybrid cars
Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles
What are the three common ways to deliver fuel to an engine?
carburetion, hybridization, electrical charging
fuel injection, infusion, circulation
carburetion, port fuel injection, direct fuel injection
Why does a diesel engine get better mileage than a gasoline engine?
because of coal rolling
because it contains more energy
Actually, it doesn't.
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What is the steam engine's main advantage?
It's easy to fix.
It can use anything as fuel.
Steam pollutes less.
What are two of the main advantages to a 4-cylinder engine?
It's efficient and compact.
It's faster and makes less exhaust.
It's cheaper and can use watered-down gas.
What are two other terms for engine knock?
banging and clunking
clicking and clacking
pinging and detonation
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What is an octane rating?
a way to tell how fast a car can go
a way to tell how much the fuel can be compressed
a way to tell how much the engine will wear out
What are the three functions of engine oil?
lubrication, cooling, cleaning
lubrication, getting rid of exhaust smell, making gas more powerful
cooling, cleaning, making more money for Jiffy Lube
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Why does engine oil need to be changed?
The engine's movement compresses too much oil.
It gets too dirty to work.
The oil evaporates in the summer.
What does ECM stand for, and what does it do?
engine control module, which is the engine's computer
engine catheter manager, which controls the oil coming out of the engine
European custom mechanical, which helps race car owners keep track of their modifications
What is an engine's redline?
how much nitrous oxide you can use
an engine's maximum rpms
an equation that determines when the turbo kicks in
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