Here’s what you need to know about the motor that makes it all happen.
Most car owners are familiar with a few basic repair and maintenance terms: serpentine belt, muffler, fuel filter. You likely know what an oil change is and that you need to schedule them regularly. But not everyone knows what each part does, where they’re located, or why it’s important to get them checked out regularly.
That’s okay! Chances are that auto repair isn’t your specialty—you have other important priorities, and you need your car to get you there and back reliably. At Auto Tech, that’s our priority: understanding the ins and outs of your vehicle, and making sure it’s all working together smoothly. However, if you’d like the assurance of knowing more about your car’s maintenance needs, we have the tools to help you out.
We’re proud to be a NAPA AutoCare center, which comes with advantages like our online Car Browser tool. If you have questions about a specific part or system on your car, you can use this tool to get some in-depth information. We’re going to be covering the basics here on our blog, system by system, but for more detail, the NAPA website has you covered. Today in our Auto Care 101 series, we’ll be covering your car’s engine and exhaust system.
What’s the first image that comes to mind when you imagine someone working on a car? Maybe it’s an open hood, with a mechanic leaning in to inspect the engine. There’s a reason for that: the engine is the beating heart of your car, and the fuel and exhaust systems support it and relay its power to the rest of the vehicle. The engine and exhaust systems contain a lot of moving parts—small, often inexpensive pieces that can lead to big costs if they are damaged or fail. For your car to run its best, all these components need to stay in top working condition. Here’s a breakdown of your engine and exhaust basics.
Fuel system
The fuel system funnels fuel to the engine, so that it can burn and generate power. To keep the fuel system in good shape, prevention is the name of the game. One of the biggest maintenance concerns with the fuel system is the fuel filter. Dirt gets into the fuel lines in a variety of ways, and this small and relatively inexpensive part prevents any debris—either from the gas pump or from rust or buildup in your fuel tank—from getting into the engine.
Naturally, that means the fuel filter will eventually get dirty itself, and your engine will become less efficient. When the fuel filter is clogged, not enough fuel can get through to the engine, and you may notice problems with accelerating to highway speeds. Some cars have a fuel filter bypass, meaning if the engine isn’t getting enough fuel, the car will bypass the fuel filter and provide dirty fuel directly to the engine. Grime in the engine can result in thousands of dollars in repairs. Your auto mechanic will keep track of your fuel filter changes, and can tell you when you’re due next. They can also give your fuel system a full cleaning, if it’s needed.
Timing belt
Engine performance is built on precise timing. Valves need to open and close at exactly the right moment to provide a mix of fuel and air that will give you the most bang for your buck. All these valves are coordinated into a single smoothly-running system by a key part: the timing belt. The belt is typically located at the front of the engine, beneath a cover.
If the timing belt fails, your engine might not run—or a valve could crash into a piston, bending pieces of your engine and resulting in expensive repairs. Timing belts wear out with use, so it’s one of the parts we’ll check during routine maintenance and make sure to let you know when you’re due for a new one.
Engine air filter
The timing belt drives valves that deliver a precise mix of fuel and air to the engine. That air comes from outside, and contains everything you’d expect air to contain: pollen, pollution, dust. To keep your engine running its best and prolong its life, the engine air filter exists to scrub the air of as many contaminants as possible.
Preventing this dirt from entering the engine keeps everything running as efficiently as it was designed to. A dirty or clogged engine air filter will impact your fuel economy, so it’s one thing to consider if you find yourself paying more at the pump. The air filter is part of our regular maintenance checks; we can tell when we inspect it whether it’s ready for a replacement, and will recommend one if needed.
Serpentine belt
Your engine converts fuel and air into energy. That energy does a number of things: it moves your car, yes, but it also recharges your battery and powers many of your car’s other functions. The part that transfers energy from the engine to your air conditioning compressor, your alternator, your power steering pump, and a number of other systems is the serpentine belt.
So called because it snakes around the front of your engine, the serpentine belt can also drive your radiator fan, water pump, and power brakes. Like the timing belt, serpentine belts wear down with use. A tensioner keeps the belt appropriately taut so that it doesn’t slip. Issues with the serpentine belt can result in steering and braking difficulties, which are a clear safety issue. We check the thickness of your serpentine belt during routine maintenance, to determine wear and tear and let you know whether you’re ready for a replacement.
Oil change
This service is familiar even to folks who don’t own cars, and that’s because it’s an important one. Keeping the moving parts in your engine lubricated is critical for preventing damage, prolonging the life of your engine’s parts, and maximizing efficiency. Oil eventually loses effectiveness as a lubricant: it gets dirty, and as it gets old, it solidifies into sludge, making regular oil changes a critical part of maintenance.
Your driving habits and the road conditions can both influence how often you need an oil change. Typically we recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles or six months, but if you take lots of short trips or are regularly in stop-and-go traffic, or if road conditions are tough—for example, in winter—you may need your oil changed more often. Our mechanics have the expertise to determine when you’re due for an oil change, and we’re happy to check it for you.
Check Engine light
Your car’s Check Engine light can feel like a mystery, and can generate a lot of anxiety for some people. You know it’s an indication that something is wrong, but you aren’t sure what, or how serious it is. Fortunately, you don’t need to—your auto mechanic has the expertise to diagnose the problem.
The light itself is an indication that your car’s engine management system has recognized an issue. What’s causing the problem is something that your auto mechanic will use diagnostic tools and expertise to determine. The best thing you can do is to bring your car in for a checkup—if the light is flashing, do it as soon as possible; but if the light is steady, you can bring it in at your earliest convenience.
Exhaust system
The exhaust system has three main functions: to remove exhaust gases from the car, to minimize pollution by treating the gases, and to muffle the sound of the car’s engine. Exhaust gases are a safety concern: they’re poisonous, for one thing. But they are also hot and dirty. If you ever smell exhaust inside your car, that’s a critical issue to bring to a mechanic’s attention as soon as possible.
The catalytic converter treats exhaust as it exits the car to remove pollutants. The converter becomes less effective with time, and periodically needs to be replaced; your mechanic can tell you whether you’re due. The muffler reduces engine noise, and if there’s a problem with it, you’ll recognize it quickly: the engine will be much louder than you’re used to.
There are a lot of moving parts to the central system of your car, and when one of them fails, the results can be expensive.
Your engine is a complex, tightly-coordinated system, and when one part isn’t pulling its weight, the whole system can suffer. Engine repairs are some of the more expensive costs you can expect as a vehicle owner, which is why regular preventive maintenance is crucial to avoid paying more in the future.
At Auto Tech, we’re invested in keeping your car in top condition. Our certified technicians know what to look for when they inspect your engine and exhaust systems, and will give you honest and fair service recommendations. To schedule your regular maintenance with Auto Tech, give us a call today at 734-761-1661.
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