While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important.  It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter.  The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.) Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road.  If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components. There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics.  The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface.   Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of ... read more

You may have heard about an important part of your vehicle's engine called a timing belt, and many know that if that belt breaks, it can cause some very serious engine problems.   Not all vehicles have them, and the ones that do generally have smaller engines.  The timing belt keeps the engine synchronized so that every time a spark plug fires, the crankshaft, camshaft, pistons, and valves are all working together.  Timing belts will eventually have to be replaced, and most vehicle manufacturers recommend when that should be.  Typically, it's around every 60,000-100,000 miles, or 100,000-160,000 km. It's a good idea to stick to your vehicle's schedule or be alert for signs that the timing belt may be failing prematurely. Some of those symptoms? Maybe your engine won't even turn over when you try firing it up. You might hear a ticking or banging sound under the hood.  Perhaps you spot an oil leak or notice the engine misfiring.  If any of those are happenin ... read more