Category: Education
What is a sway bar and how does it work?
When you hear sway bar, you assume it has something to do with swaying. You’d be on the money. Also known as an ‘anti-roll bar’, it helps to distribute weight transfer and reduce body roll during cornering. It is a fairly simple idea but the engineering boffins make it an excellent one. A sway bar
Expert’s guide to dashboard warning lights
Here at My Auto Shop, we like to face the facts when it comes to all things automotive. Whether it’s making it easy to see a mechanic, or handy hints to de-stress while you’re on the road, we’ve got you covered. Today we thought it’d be useful to cover off what it means when your
Is a mobile mechanic the same as a workshop?
If you’ve got a million things on the go and zero time to make it happen, then the convenience of a mobile mechanic can’t be understated. In fact, they’re a lifesaver. If you’re in need of some basic servicing, a mobile mechanic works a treat. They’re able to work to the exact same standard as
Expert’s guide to handy car tools and accessories
One of the exciting things about heading out on a road trip is the idea of being in uncharted territory, responding to the conditions and circumstances as they arise. Part of being a smart driver is having your bases covered if anything goes awry. You wouldn’t be the first person to be caught out in
Do airbags have an expiry date?
Thankfully, I’ve never been in a situation where airbags have been needed, although it’s reassuring to know I’m always equipped if there is an accident. I had a guy bump his SUV up against the back of our little hatchback last week, and it got me thinking, do airbags have any expiry date? So I
What is a mass airflow sensor and how does a maf work?
To keep your engine running you need air to combine with your fuel, at the set air fuel ratio. This mixture is what gives your engine the potential energy to combust. What amount of air and what amount of fuel though? Well you have a fuel injection map to scale up and down depending on
What is a muffler and what does a muffler do?
Your internal combustion engine does many interesting things. Most noticeably, it powers your car. To do this it needs fuel and air. When it has combusted the mixture, it needs to get rid of the byproduct – exhaust gas. These exhaust gasses are passed through the exhaust valves when they open, through exhaust pipes to
What’s a crankshaft and how does it work?
Your car’s wheels spin around, the pistons go up and down. So the question is how you take the lateral movement of your pistons and turn it horizontal to make it rotational energy? The answer is your crankshaft. It takes all the energy from the pistons and sends it to the transmission. This is super
What’s a camshaft and how does it work?
Your car idles at about 750-900 revolutions per minute, rpm, this requires the valves to open and close 750-900 times a minute. Without the camshaft you wouldn’t have a working engine. It is what allows air into, and exhaust out of, the engine via the intake and exhaust valves. What is a camshaft? What a
What happens if I put the wrong fuel in my car?
Your car needs a certain kind of fuel to run smoothly. If your car requires premium fuel, that usually means above 95 octane. If it needs diesel then it needs, well, diesel. What it doesn’t need is petrol when it runs on diesel. That is not an ideal situation to be in. DO NOT PUT
