How Stuff Works

Select a year, a make, and a model to refine this category.

Bumps, bangs and knocks

January 26, 2011: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Winter roads and colder temperatures are taking their toll on our vehicles. One of the areas where I see lots of problems is with shock absorbers: if they are working properly, your vehicle rides better and handles safely. When they wear out or fail, even small bumps in the road can feel like the Grand Canyon and ... Read Article

Vehicle headlights

January 12, 2011: Over the years, vehicle headlight technology has advanced from incandescent lights to halogen to High Intensity Discharge headlights, and recently to LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology. But you don’t have to buy a new car to improve your ... Read Article

Slippery roads

November 24, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Wet, snowy and icy roads are not far away; in fact, in some parts of the country they are already here. Traction is limited and even with winter tires, drivers need to adjust their driving style by reducing speeds, increasing following distances and avoiding hazardous conditions when possible. The auto manufacture... Read Article

Fuel quality and engine performance

November 17, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr All gasoline is not created equal. This is even more apparent at this time of year, when fuel blends are changed so they will perform better as the temperature changes. If you are still using summer blended fuels, the engine will be harder to start in cold weather. This usually isn’t a problem for most drivers, ... Read Article

A matter of balance

September 22, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr When automobile owners speak of balance, they are typically talking about their tires. Tire balance is important to vehicle ride and tire life but it is not the only balance an owner should be aware of. Vehicle balance is a key characteristic that affects both the safety and the fun we have in our automobiles. ... Read Article

Clutches and new transmissions

September 8, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr I recently drove a Porsche 911 with a six-speed manual transmission. It made me realize how much I enjoy driving manual transmissions, even though the Porsche PDK seven-speed automatic (a computer-controlled manual transmission) will provide better performance. Most drivers prefer to drive without a clutch pedal, ... Read Article

Pinstriping using the Beugler Striper

August 18, 2010: Invented by S.B. Beugler in 1933, the Beugler Striper is a tool designed to apply painted pinstripes, says Technical Editor, Jim Kerr. With a little practice, even beginners can apply pinstripes with the Beugler Striper, he says. Read Article

Instrument clusters

August 4, 2010: They may look the same, but new vehicle instrument clusters operate differently from those of 40 years ago, says Technical Editor, Jim Kerr. "Now almost everything is controlled electronically," he says. Read Article

Oils that save fuel

July 21, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr Automobile manufacturers use many methods to improve fuel economy. One that you may not have considered is the use of lighter-viscosity engine oils. Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chrysler, Mazda and Mitsubishi are some of the manufacturers that are specifying the use of 0W-20 synthetic engine oils in some of their vehicles... Read Article

Atkinson Cycle engines and Hybrids

July 14, 2010: Atkinson Cycle engines offer better fuel economy than Otto Cycle engines, but reduced low-speed torque. However, when combined with hybrids’ electric motors which have excellent torque, they work well, says Technical Editor, Jim Kerr. Read Article

Noisy mufflers

July 7, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr With summer weather, household windows are open to let the fresh air in. Unfortunately for many, it also lets in the noise of traffic, especially those loud raspy aftermarket mufflers found on tuner cars and sports motorcycles. Do these mufflers really offer any advantages, or are they there to make a statement? (... Read Article

Ford’s 2011 SuperDuty Power Stroke Diesel

June 23, 2010: The only thing that Ford’s new 6.7-litre Power Stroke V8 turbocharged diesel engine shares with the previous SuperDuty diesel is the name: everything else is new, reports Technical Editor, Jim Kerr. Read Article

Variable valve timing

June 16, 2010: Join Autos's Facebook group Follow Autos on Twitter By Jim Kerr New cars are very high tech machines. Everything from instrument clusters to automatic transmissions is electronically controlled, even on the lowest priced cars. There are many technologies that enhance our comfort or convenience, such as navigation systems or automatic climate controls, but when it comes to tech... Read Article

« Previous