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How a car works (2012)

howacarworks.com

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Re: How a car works (2012)

#71

Post by alexcabrera »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #34

I always feel so uncomfortable about my car considering how old it is, and I know nothing about it or how it works. Everyone around me just cracks open their hoods and fixes their car, swaps tires, etc. I can't just move stuff around without actually understanding what anything is. I honestly have been wanting to learn more about cars. It also helps keep up with mechanics when they tell me things I don't fully unders…

The single best thing you can do is buy the Bentley Repair Manual (http://www.bentleypublishers.com/) for your car. They're expensive, but will show you how to take your model apart and put it back together again. If you want to learn how a car works, the best thing you can do is take one apart and then try to get it running again.

When you're working on a car, dead tree repair guides + a beater laptop are your best friends.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#72

Post by michael_h »

bloat wrote: post #36
nicboobees wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People will always use "old tech". "Old tech" often just works. Flawlessly. I have a dumper truck I borrow from next door. Crank handle, diesel. It just works. Starts every time. No battery, no crap to go wrong. "new tech" is often designed to last 5 or 10 years maximum. After that is anyones guess as to whether it'll work.

I was going to moan at you about how an old car would produce much more pollution than a newer car. But then I looked it up: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/green-motoring/11187483/...

My first car was a 1974 VW Beetle (this was late 90's) - it got 65-70 MPG.

I loved that thing. If you turned on the original heating system, you'd die of carbon monoxide poisoning, but I loved it.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#73

Post by larrys »

AlexMuir wrote: post #19

This is my site! This was a pleasant surprise to find my own site on HN this morning! I wondered why it was getting a few more FB likes than usual today. I'm happy to answer any questions. I finished this redesign last week so any feedback is welcome. The main task was to recreate labels and annotations on the illustrations in SVG format, and to reformat the articles in a way that flows nicely and is responsive, but…

Suggest a reverse idea. Content that is on the web and then you make a deal with the site owner to create a printed copy of the material which can be postal mailed to someone. Why? Because many times I don't want to click around on links I want a "manual" that I can refer to or read like a traditional book and make notes etc. (Without forking all over the place).

Re: How a car works (2012)

#74

Post by RankingMember »

matthewrhoden1 wrote: post #55

I didn't see the article for when it's 2AM and you can't get that one last bolt off.

Propane or MAPP gas torch. Heat what the bolt goes through until it's cherry, then wail on it with an impact wrench. The torch is often referred to as "the big red wrench". Also, don't underestimate the power of soaking the stuck bolt in penetrating oil.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#75

Post by Spearchucker »

otis_inf wrote: post #37
AlexMuir wrote: post #19

This is my site! This was a pleasant surprise to find my own site on HN this morning! I wondered why it was getting a few more FB likes than usual today. I'm happy to answer any questions. I finished this redesign last week so any feedback is welcome. The main task was to recreate labels and annotations on the illustrations in SVG format, and to reformat the articles in a way that flows nicely and is responsive, but…

Great work! two points of criticism: 1) The site still talks about carburetors and has no mention about fuel injection systems, while in Europe all cars sold must have a fuel injection system for quite some time now, so this looks quite outdated 2) Diesel engines of course don't have spark plugs, but you don't mention diesel engines.

Hey I'm all for old school. Building a 1:10 scale radio-controlled replica of a Ford Bronco, and the pages on fixing window winders gave me a great example of how I can make it work for my model.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#76

Post by RankingMember »

jshelly wrote: post #53

I was disappointed to see that there is no guide on replacing brake pads for disc brakes. It seems like everyone in the world knows how to do this but me.

Youtube plus "brake pads" and there'll be some guy explaining exactly how to do it on your make and model.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#77

Post by gwbas1c »

AlexMuir wrote: post #19

This is my site! This was a pleasant surprise to find my own site on HN this morning! I wondered why it was getting a few more FB likes than usual today. I'm happy to answer any questions. I finished this redesign last week so any feedback is welcome. The main task was to recreate labels and annotations on the illustrations in SVG format, and to reformat the articles in a way that flows nicely and is responsive, but…

Don't forget the section for electric cars!

Re: How a car works (2012)

#78

Post by jokr004 »

alexcabrera wrote: post #71
giancarlostoro wrote: post #34

I always feel so uncomfortable about my car considering how old it is, and I know nothing about it or how it works. Everyone around me just cracks open their hoods and fixes their car, swaps tires, etc. I can't just move stuff around without actually understanding what anything is. I honestly have been wanting to learn more about cars. It also helps keep up with mechanics when they tell me things I don't fully unders…

The single best thing you can do is buy the Bentley Repair Manual ( http://www.bentleypublishers.com/ ) for your car. They're expensive, but will show you how to take your model apart and put it back together again. If you want to learn how a car works, the best thing you can do is take one apart and then try to get it running again. When you're working on a car, dead tree repair guides + a beater laptop are your bes…

Haynes (http://www.haynes.com/print) is also a great resource.. might not be quite as in depth as the Bentley guide, but they're a lot cheaper and more than enough info for a novice.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#79

Post by AlexMuir »

nogridbag wrote: post #64

Neat site. My father was a mechanic and thus I should know all of this stuff, but I wasted away my life behind the keyboard instead :D I often find videos do a much better job at explaining some concepts. For example, the section on differentials: http://www.howacarworks.com/basics/how-the-transmission-work... After reading this I feel none the wiser. Whereas after watching this ancient Chevrolet training video from…

I'll embed that video shortly.

Re: How a car works (2012)

#80

Post by IgorPartola »

giancarlostoro wrote: post #34

I always feel so uncomfortable about my car considering how old it is, and I know nothing about it or how it works. Everyone around me just cracks open their hoods and fixes their car, swaps tires, etc. I can't just move stuff around without actually understanding what anything is. I honestly have been wanting to learn more about cars. It also helps keep up with mechanics when they tell me things I don't fully unders…

Try listening to NPR's Car Talk. At the very least, it's really entertaining.
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