Under the Hood

I have to think of a way of measuring how much drag is pushing on my mother's car as we are driving on the highway. Do you know how I can make one?

Exhaust emissions test check for the absence of a catalytic converter or a malfunctioning one during an emissions inspection. Read on to learn how you can find out if your catalytic converter has failed.

Are you in the market for a new set of tires? Is all that confusing jargon the tire sales clerks or "experts" are using making your head feel like a tire spinning out of control? Learn all about the parts of a tire with this handy article!

By Karim Nice

Stabilizer bars are sometimes also called anti-sway bars or anti-roll bars. Find out how stabilizer bars keep a car's body from "rolling" in sharp turns.

Diesel powered Humvees are capable of running in "extreme" conditions, and these conditions can include deep submersion during river fording. Is it only possible to go underwater with a diesel powered vehicle?

I have read the articles on diesel and gasoline engines. Several of my friends drive Mercedes turbodiesels and I have seen several diesel hummers. I was wondering that if diesel engines are more efficient and use cheaper fuel why don't all cars use diesel?

There are many different ways to create more horsepower from a stock engine. Learn about the different ways to make your engine more powerful.

Will we ever have spaceships parked in our garages so that we can fly to the moon whenever we feel like it?

I notice that there are certain cars whose headlights seem to have a blue-ish or green-ish tint. A lot of times these headlights are on expensive cars. Are these headlights different from normal headlights?

So why does a diesel engine with huge torque and low maximum RPM get a low horsepower rating compared to a low torque, high revving race car engine? Find out why in this article.

The goal of a carburetor is to mix just the right amount of gasoline with air so that the engine runs properly. Learn more about how a carburetor in a gasoline engine works.

By Zach Taras

It's the reason you can put the pedal to the metal and go from 0 to 60 in seconds. But to the uninitiated, an engine can look like a jumble of metal and wires.

By Marshall Brain & Kristen Hall-Geisler

Mazda has been using this type of engine in some of its cars for several years. Learn what a Miller-Cycle engine is and how it works.

If you're planning to make more power from your engine. Switching to hi-performance exhaust headers are a good idea. Find out how exhaust headers work to improve engine performance.

By Sascha Bos

Glare-resistant rearview mirrors can be useful when the vehicle behind you has extra bright headlights. Find out how simply flipping the rearview mirror can block out the bright light.

If you need a steady supply of power, you may be in the market for a deep cycle battery. But what is a deep cycle battery, and what makes it unique from a normal lead-acid car battery? Read on to find out!

Japanese automaker Honda is best known for their VTEC system. Almost all of their newer vehicles are equipped with VTEC engines. But what does it actually do and how does it maximize engine performance?

How does the thermostat in a car's cooling system work? I had to test my thermostat today and was amazed as I watched it!

An oxygen sensor in a car is a very important part of making your engine run smoothly. Learn what it does and what can happen if your oxygen sensor fails.

I'm always hearing people talk about pumping nitrous oxide into an engine. How does nitrous oxide help an engine perform better?

I see many dump trucks with wheels on two rear axles on the ground and a third axle with elevated wheels that can be lowered. These seem to be used when the truck is full -- but why include what must be expensive hardware to raise and lower the wheels? Why not just keep them down at all times?

I would really like to know how people can make their cars jump up and down with their front wheels like they do in movies like "Boyz in the Hood."

If the battery light stays on when you're driving your car, does that mean you need a new battery?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

What does the computer in a car do? What was the Y2K scare about our cars starting?

Forced induction systems are one of the best ways to make lots of power, so which system is better? Turbochargers or Superchargers? Read on to see who comes out the winner of the "turbo vs supercharger" title fight!