If you've ever driven a car into water that was deeper than you expected, you might have suffered the consequences of a submerged engine. While getting a car engine wet is no big deal, getting water ...

Pop the hood on a classic Mazda RX-7 or RX-8 and the engine bay looks oddly empty. That is the charm of the rotary engine: a compact lump of metal that trades pistons and valves for a spinning ...

The first three articles in this series on the basic operation of the internal combustion engine dealt with the theory of such a mechanical device, the identification and the function of the primary ...

Because internal combustion engines operate under such high pressures, it's tough to get their inner workings on camera. Usually the whole process is shrouded by thick metals to contain all of that ...

Last month's "How It Works" story gave you the basics of the four-stroke cycle, describing the motion of the intake and exhaust valves in relation to the piston moving up and down in the cylinder.

How Does an Engine Work? Before digging into this significant expense, it’s important to outline how an engine works. The engine is the heart of the car, truck, or SUV. The vehicle’s full function is ...

Any certified gearhead knows that diesel engines do not use spark plugs. But why not? If power in an engine is created by combustion or explosion of flammable liquids, won't a spark plug in a diesel ...

Regardless of whether it burns gasoline or diesel, your internal combustion engine works by igniting a mixture of fuel and air to create power. To do so effectively, it must reduce the detrimental ...