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About This Quiz
Whether you're a factory-trained, professional auto technician or a shade tree mechanic who likes to tinker with old cars, you have to know an awful lot about engines to maintain and repair them properly. And you really have to know your stuff if you're into modifying engines for more performance.
Well, if you know your wrist pins from your crank pins, this quiz is for you. If you're the one that friends and relatives call for help every time their cars' engines make funny noises, you ought to breeze through these 35 questions quicker than a Dodge Hemi V8 goes through a gallon of gas.
Now, even though piston engines work pretty much the same as they did 100 years ago, much has changed over the decades. Some young car enthusiasts today have never had the satisfaction or frustration of working rebuilding a carburetor or fiddling with a distributor to get the ignition timing just right. Meanwhile, there some "old school†enthusiasts still shake in their shoes at the sight of a fuel injection system or an engine control unit. And then, there are those who can work on any engine ever made and make it sing.
Which one are you? Take this quiz and find out!
What is the purpose of a torque wrench?
It tightens bolts to a specific pressure.
It is used to tighten or loosen "stuck" bolts.
It allows you to remove bolts that are in hard-to-reach places.
It is used to compress springs.
Cars with fuel injection no longer need which device?
Valves
A carburetor
A catalytic converter
Fuel filter
What is one difference between gasoline and diesel engines?
The gasoline engine is a two-stroke engine, and the diesel is a four-stroke.
The gasoline engine uses a spark plug, and the diesel uses a glow plug.
The gasoline engine pistons are arranged in a V-shape, and the diesel cylinders are in a line.
The gasoline engine uses a supercharger, and the diesel can only use a turbocharger.
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Thick white smoke coming out the exhaust usually means what?
The engine is on fire.
The engine is clean.
The cylinder head gasket has failed.
The air conditioning system is leaking into the exhaust.
What should you do if your car begins to overheat?
With the car off, you should immediately add more water to the radiator.
Turn on the air conditioner to make it cooler.
Pull off the road and turn off the engine as soon as possible; wait until the engine has cooled down before checking it.
Ignore the problem, and it will go away.
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The connecting rod does what?
It connects the engine to the axle.
It connects the piston to the crankshaft.
It connects the engine to the transmission.
It connects the piston the camshaft to the valve stems.
Which component did Cadillac introduce so the driver no longer had to turn a crank?
The distributor
The alternator
The crankshaft
The starter motor
If the engine is overheating, which of the following is a likely reason?
The air conditioning needs Freon.
It is too hot outside.
The oil pump has failed.
The thermostat has malfunctioned.
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Which part of the engine do you need a harmonic balancer tool to install and remove properly?
The crankshaft
The cylinder head
The oil pump
The piston
What is the most likely reason you would notice spark plugs coated in oil when you are changing them?
The crankshaft is leaking.
The engine block has a hole in it.
The valves or piston rings are leaking.
The camshaft is leaking.
What is the purpose of a fuel injector?
To inject fuel into the oil
To atomize and inject fuel
To purify the fuel
To eject used fuel from the combustion chamber
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When the thermostat is hot, what does it do?
It closes.
It turns on the radiator.
It opens.
It turns on the check engine light.
What does DOHC stand for?
Differential Oil Hardware Cylinder
Double Overhead-cam
Digital Optimal Horsepower Control
Direct Open Hydraulic Catalyst
In what way can you "tune" the exhaust system to increase engine power?
Moving the muffler closer to the engine
Installing afterburners
Installing headers
Lengthening the exhaust pipe
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An OHV engine has a camshaft located where?
In the engine block over the crankshaft
Outside the engine block under the bottom of the pistons
Inside the engine block under the crankshaft
In front of the engine
What is the order of a four-stroke engine cycle?
Intake, exhaust, compression and power
Intake, compression, power and exhaust
Intake, power, compression and exhaust
Power, compression, intake and exhaust
Which of the following tools would be used to clean debris from threaded holes?
Sprocket cleaner
Straight-edge
Calipers
Taps
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What attaches the piston head to the connecting rod?
The rocker arm
The wrist pin
The rod lobe
The flywheel
What is the purpose of a catalytic converter?
It changes harmful gasses into less harmful gasses.
It mutes the sound of the engine.
It converts compressed natural gas into a liquid fuel.
It's used by California pollution stations to test engine emissions.
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If blue smoke is coming out of the exhaust pipes, which of the following is most likely the cause?
The spark plug gap is set wrong.
The piston rings are worn.
The head gasket is cracked.
The timing is off.
Which are the two most common engine configurations in cars today?
Horizontal and inline
V and horizontal
V and inline
V and W
The Wankel engine is unique because of what?
It runs on water.
it runs on cooking oil.
It doesn't have fuel injection.
It doesn't have pistons or valves.
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What is a ring compressor used for?
Expanding piston rings to fit over the piston.
It makes it easier to place o-rings.
Compressing piston rings.
It is an air compressor used to clean small places.
Which of the following is NOT an advantage of multi-valve engines?
They usually help increase the power compared to a two-valve engine.
They can operate at higher engine speeds.
The air exchange is better.
They have a lower manufacturing cost.
A four-stroke engine with which of the following number of valves would not be considered a multi-valve engine?
2
3
4
6
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The starter starts the engine using which principle?
Converting DC to AC power
Electromagnetic principles
Converting chemical energy into mechanical energy
Nuclear power principles
Which of the following is an advantage of poppet valves over sleeve valves?
They rock back and forth, so they are less likely to get jammed.
They are compact.
They have almost zero leakage.
They are cost-saving.
Engine cylinders fire in the correct order because of what?
The distributor cap and rotor
The spark plugs
The computer and coils
1 or 3 above
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Which of the following is NOT a function of the correct firing order in an engine?
It improves fuel efficiency.
It is designed to reduce vibrations.
It ensures power flows evenly.
It maintains engine balance.
What is the purpose of a flywheel?
To maintain a steady engine speed
To start the engine
To absorb the engine sound
To change transmission gears
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What are some disadvantages gasoline engines have compared to diesel engines?
Gasoline engines have a lower power-to-weight ratio than diesel engines.
Gasoline engines produce more carbon monoxide and are less efficient.
Gasoline engines are louder than diesel engines.
Gasoline engines are more expensive to buy.
