Parts Encyclopedia

What the camshaft does. The camshaft is the conductor of your engine’s valvetrain orchestra. Its precisely shaped lobes open and close the valves in perfect sync with the pistons, letting air and fuel in and exhaust out at just the right moments. Without the camshaft, your engine would just be a chunky paperweight. How to tell […]

What the balance shaft does. If you’ve got a four-cylinder engine, chances are it has a balance shaft inside. This clever bit of engineering helps cancel out some of the vibrations that are inherent to a four-cylinder design, making for a smoother-running engine. How to tell if the balance shaft is faulty. A bad balance […]

What does the air filter in diesel engines do? Diesel engines are a bit different than gas engines, and so are their air filters. Diesel engines need a lot more air to run than gas engines, so their filters are usually bigger and beefier to handle the extra flow. How to tell if the air […]

What the air filter does. The air filter’s job is pretty simple but super important – it keeps dust, dirt and debris out of your engine as it sucks in air. Just like you wouldn’t want to breathe in a bunch of crud, your car’s engine needs clean air to run its best. How to […]

Hey there, let’s talk about your vehicle’s accelerator cable. This little part plays a big role in getting your car moving! The accelerator cable connects your gas pedal to the throttle body, controlling how much air and fuel enters the engine. The more you press the pedal, the more the cable pulls on the throttle, […]