{"id":4389,"date":"2020-05-08T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/?p=4389"},"modified":"2026-02-27T21:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T21:08:32","slug":"how-car-engines-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/how-car-engines-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Car Engine Works &#8211; The Simple Answer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">5<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Learn how car engines work from start to finish all with one easy, simple guide from the experts. Car engines are the fundamental powerhouse of driving, and how they work is something that should be understood by everyone. They are one of the most practical inventions of mankind, and most of us take them for granted in some form or another every single day. They are extremely complex mechanisms at a glance, but realistically, learning how to understand them is a lot more simple. You just need to understand a few key principles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-fundamentals\">The fundamentals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before we go and dive right into how engines function from\nthe inside, let&#8217;s have a quick whistle-stop tour at the generic working of an\nengine. It all happens in the blink of an eye, but it\u2019s pretty impressive\nstuff. Remember though, this is a generalisation of how an engine works, and it\ndoes differ for different engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the most general point that we can possibly find, your internal combustion engine works by burning fuel to create a small explosion. This then creases a force to turn a crankshaft that we use to turn your axels. That&#8217;s how we create the power to push us forwards. Different forces are created through this happening at different speeds, and in different engines, by how many times this can happen all at once.<a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/how-to-check-a-cars-cambelt-see-if-it-needs-changing\/\"> See how to check cambelt.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-stroke-engine-system\">4 Stroke Engine System<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting more granular with how car engines work, we need to look more into the process we just glanced over above. All of that is happening, but it goes to a much more specific level when we look at each area of operation. Generally, we call each part of this process a stroke, and most internal combustion engines operate on a 4-stroke system<a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/what-car-engine-size-is-right-for-you\/\"> and view  what engine size is right choice.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Intake<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compression<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Power<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exhaust<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Each of them has a vital role to play in the working of your\nengine and also helps to maximise efficiency and stability too. Let\u2019s dig a\nlittle bit deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-intake\">Intake<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First of all, to get all of this to even happen in the first\nplace, we need the intake stroke. This is how we get enough air into the\ncylinder to start the whole thing going. This is done by an intake valve\nopening and pulling in air as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Air is essential to the workings of a car engine, as it is essential for how combustion works. Without it, we wouldn&#8217;t get very far. It&#8217;s all about getting the best burn that we can. That is why <a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/carburettor-vs-fuel-injection\/\">fuel injection systems or carburettors<\/a> are important too, as this is the other half of combustion \u2013 fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-compression\">Compression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Stroke number two is with compression. Having a load of air floating around isn\u2019t much good after all. We need to get it into a state where we can really use it to build up some power. To allow it to do that, we need to make sure that it is compressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the air is pulled in and the shaft turns with counterweights\nand other reactions, the piston head moves upward into the chamber, redoing the\nspace that the air was in. As a result, the same amount of air in less space\nresults in more pressure building up. This is compression, and we need it to\nget to the really exciting part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-power\">Power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Stroke 3 is finally igniting the air we have now taken in\nand compressed. To do that, we mix it with fuel using the systems we mentioned\nabove like fuel injection in most modern cars, and then we light it. A spark\nplug is located in the cylinder too, and this creases as part to light the\nmixture of air and fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The result is an explosion that creates a huge force. This force forces the piston head down the cylinder, and this is what is turning the crankshaft. That&#8217;s arguably the most important stroke. There&#8217;s a huge amount of work going on, and it&#8217;s a massive movement of energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-exhaust\">Exhaust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, we need to get the whole things ready to start\nagain. The leftover gasses and any fuel or air leftover are still sitting in\nthe cylinder, taking up space. That\u2019s where we need our exhaust system to come\nin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An exhaust valve opens to expel everything that was left. It all leaves through your exhaust system until it comes out of your exhaust pipe. The more efficient your car engine is, the less this happens. It&#8217;s also a good time to note that <a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/what-is-turbo-and-how-does-it-work\/\">a turbo system fits in here perfectly too<\/a>, as it helps put this expelled air to better use and makes the whole thing more efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-conclusion\">The Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All in all, that is the whole process of how a car engine works. The air and fuel are brought together, ignited, and expelled. Along the way, they build power with pushed down the piston in the cylinder that turns a crankshaft. This has a counterweight to help move things back up again, as well as the same thing happening in other cylinders at different times to keep it going in one smooth motion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also makes sense to mention now that this is why bigger engines have more power too and <a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/what-car-engine-size-is-right-for-you\/\">why it&#8217;s essential to find the best fit<\/a>. The more cylinders available in an engine, to more times this happens all at the same time. The result is the potential for significantly greater power output and a much larger speed and <a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/what-is-horsepower-and-why-does-it-matter\/\">horsepower<\/a> as a result. That&#8217;s how bigger vehicles and performance-based vehicles operate as well<a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/understanding-the-inner-workings-of-a-starter-motor\/\">. See how starter works.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-if-you-need-a-hand\">If you need a hand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Car engines and how they work is complicated, so remember that there&#8217;s only so much you can do without getting the professionals involved. With so many moving parts, there\u2019s always room for wear and tear and other things to go wrong. Every single part has a huge role to play, and it\u2019s an extremely delicate balance to get the whole thing to operate and stay that way too. <a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/\">Car inspections<\/a> are a great way to make sure you know what you\u2019re getting and that everything is working as it should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want our advice, get in touch today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"wp-block-post-template is-layout-flow wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-3981 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-car-buying\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><figure 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\/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/will-a-car-fail-mot-with-the-glow-plug-light-on\/\" target=\"_self\" >Will a Car Fail MOT with the Glow Plug Light On?<\/a><\/h2><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how car engines work from start to finish all with one easy, simple guide from the experts. Car engines<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4390,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-problems-and-repair-costs","category-driving-articles"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How a Car Engine Works - The Simple Answer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how car engines work from start to finish all with one easy, simple guide from the experts. 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Check it out here.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/how-car-engines-work\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Used Car Buying Guides and Inspection Advice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CarExamer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ks.fox.7\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-08T18:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-27T21:08:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/carexamer.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/photo-of-a-clean-car-engine-3689314.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Klavs Simkus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@CarExamer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@CarExamer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Klavs Simkus\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Klavs Simkus\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/0ddd3d3e9114979292a90817c0bd1fc5\"},\"headline\":\"How a Car Engine Works &#8211; The Simple Answer\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-08T18:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-27T21:08:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1071,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/photo-of-a-clean-car-engine-3689314.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"car problems\",\"Driving Articles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/\",\"name\":\"How a Car Engine Works - The Simple Answer\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/how-car-engines-work\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carexamer.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/photo-of-a-clean-car-engine-3689314.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-08T18:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-27T21:08:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn how car engines work from start to finish all with one easy, simple guide from the experts. 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