Why you must take care of your engine

The engine turns the fuel into heat and locomotive energy and in so doing, it allows the car to move. At the bottom, is the cylinder head. Photo by Rachel Mabala.

What you need to know:

A car has several components that are important to its functioning. But even these rely on the engine as it supports most parts of the car. Edgar R Batte spoke to a number of mechanics to explain why the engine is considered as the heart of a car.

Just like the human heart, the engine is an important part of a car because its proper functioning gives the car life. Engines turn energy locked in liquid fuel into heat and locomotive energy and to do this, three engineers concur that a number of parts contribute to the process.
Vicent Lutaaya, the managing director Triangle Auto Repairs Garage in Makerere Kavule, explains that each of the following parts play an important role.

Engine parts

Oil pump
This one plays an important role of pumping oil in the engine, which eases supply of oil to lubricate your engine. If the oil pump is not in good condition, this will lead to loss of oil pressure in the car and ultimately damage the engine. Lutaaya explains, “This sometimes results in an engine failing to ignite.” He, therefore, advises drivers to look out for the low oil pressure warning light.
According to motor website, www.carsdirect.com, some common failure symptoms include the oil light indicator on the dashboard coming on to alert you there is a problem.
“Oil reduces the friction on the parts in your vehicle, which in turn keeps temperatures regulated while the vehicle is in operation. When the flow of engine oil is reduced, the parts don’t remain properly lubricated and thus heat up,” the site explains.

Spark plugs
Eric Amadi, a technical consultant at Dalas Auto, lists spark plugs as another vital part of the engine. He says they supply the spark that ignites the air-fuel mixture so that combustion can occur. “The spark must happen at just the right moment for things to work properly,” he explains.

Valves
Valves are also found in the engine. Amadi explains that the intake and exhaust valves open at the proper time to let in air and fuel and to let out exhaust.
“Note that both valves are closed during compression and combustion so that the combustion chamber is sealed,” the technical consultant adds.
Additionally, Vicent Lutaaya, the managing director of Triangle Auto Repairs Garage in Makerere Kavule says it is important to be keen when buying plugs as there are many fake types or clones on the market.

Cylinder head
Another mechanic, Suleiman Kiliman, lists the cylinder head for housing the nozzle, holding the plugs and controlling combustion. He explains that it provides space when mechanics or drivers are feeding air and fuel into the cylinder. It is also where the spark plugs, valves and fuel injectors are mounted.

Piston
A piston is another part of the engine. It is a cylindrical piece of metal that moves up and down inside the cylinder. Amadi says piston rings provide a sliding seal between the outer edge of the piston and the inner edge of the cylinder. The rings serve two purposes.
“They prevent the fuel/air mixture and exhaust in the combustion chamber from leaking into the sump (the base of an internal combustion engine, which serves as a reservoir of oil for the lubrication system) during compression and combustion. They also keep oil in the sump from leaking into the combustion area, where it would be burned and lost.”
According to Lutaaya, pistons account for much of the car’s friction and in a way determine the car’s cylinder’s size. A connecting rod connects the piston to the crankshaft. It can rotate at both ends so that its angle can change as the piston moves and the crankshaft rotates.

Crankshaft
The crankshaft,on the other hand, as Lutaaya further explains, turns the pistons up and down motion into circular motion just like a crank on a jack-in-the-box does.
Amadi explains that the sump surrounds the crankshaft, and contains some amount of oil, which collects in the bottom of the sump or the oil pan. Care needs to be taken to keep the engine and its parts in good condition as there are a number or irregularities that can affect them.

Signs of a faulty engine

White smoke
Lutaaya cautions that when a driver realises that their car is giving off white smoke, it is a sign that the engine is in bad condition. “This is sometimes caused by the fact that either the piston rings or valve seals are worn out. When this happens, the engine’s oil consumption goes up as a result,” he observes. When the car gives off smoke repeatedly, the engine needs to be overhauled.
Kiliman says the warning signs to look out for include a car popping and jerking. If the fuel lines or filter clog, then the main computer could be faulty or worn out.

Foul smell
If there is a foul smell, Amadi warns, it may signal oil or coolant leaking from their normally closed systems, or it may indicate dangerous exhaust gases invading your car’s interior.
He expounds, “Car exhaust contains toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, so if the inside of your car smells as if you were standing behind your car, get out and get it fixed.”
How Stuff Works website warns that the smell of burning rubber could be telling you that drive belts or accessory belts beneath the hood are damaged, loose, or worn out. It could also mean that a rubber hose carrying important fluids is touching something that it shouldn’t -- something that’s too hot and is melting the rubber.
To get many of these anomalies fixed, mechanics will charge different professional fees. Technicians averagely charge a flat fee of Shs50, 000 for computerised diagnosis, to determine the next move as regards vehicles repairs. Prices on genuine parts vary according to vehicle type and year of manufacture. Amadi advises to desist from buying used parts as these create more problems in terms of engine health.

Engine safety tips

Change oil regularly
Changing the oil regularly is one of the most important things you can do for your engine. Oil keeps vital engine parts well lubricated so that they won’t overheat. Your engine can’t function without it and if you go too long between oil changes it can cause permanent damage to your engine over time.
Keep it cool
You also need to keep your engine cool and the system that does this is radiator, thermostat, water pump and coolant. The easiest way to protect your engine from overheating is by making sure you have the proper amount of coolant (radiator fluid) circulating throughout your engine.
Change air filter regularly
When you change your oil, take a look at your air filter and see if it looks clean. Replace it if necessary to keep that engine running smoothly and protect it against all those bugs and other road debris that ends up on your front bumper.
Check for leakages
It is a good idea to check under your car to see or smell anything leaking from the engine. If you can stay ahead of a minor leak and have it taken care of before it turns into a major problem, you could save yourself a big headache later on.

What could affect your engine

According to Amadi, three major things can affect the engine. One of such anomalies is a bad mixture of fuel. Lack of compression or lack of sparks is another reason.

Bad mixture of fuel
He explains, “A bad fuel mix can occur in several ways: when a driver is out of gas, the engine gets air but no fuel. Another could be that the air intake might be clogged, so there is fuel but not enough air. So the engine will be affected if the fuel system is supplying too much or too little fuel. Meaning combustion does not occur properly,” the technical consultant explains.

Lack of compression
He adds that lack of compression can also affect the engine’s proper functioning. “If the change of air and fuel cannot be compressed properly, the combustion process will not work as it should.”
“For the lack of compression, it could be as a result of piston rings being worn out, thereby allowing air or fuel to leak past the piston during compression. Another reason is that the intake or exhaust valves might not be properly sealed, again allowing a leakage during compression,” Amadi explains.

Hole in the cylinder
If there is a hole in the cylinder, it will affect the engine’s power. Amadi adds the engine’s functionality can also be affected by the lack of spark plugs.
If your spark plug or the wire leading to it is worn out, the spark will be weak. When the wire is cut or missing, or if the system that sends a spark down the wire is not working properly, there will be no spark.

Faulty crankshaft
“Many other things can go wrong. For example, if the battery is dead, you cannot turn over the engine to start it. If the bearings that allow the crankshaft to turn freely are worn out, the crankshaft cannot turn so the engine cannot run,” he adds.

Faulty valves
Kiliman also points out that if the valves do not open and close at the right time or at all, air cannot get in and the exhaust cannot get out, so the engine cannot run.
When faced with engine problems, the three vehicle mechanics advise that drivers should always consult a technical person to assess the problem and find a solution, however simple a problem might seem.
Amadi also advises that if there’s any corrosion, a driver can clean that off with a metal brush. “Unbolt the negative terminal first, then the positive. If this fails, then look for jumper cables and jumpstart the vehicle. It is also key that a driver keeps an eye on the temperature gauge.
An increase might mean there is a problem with the radiator hence the car is not cooling well,” he advises. The driver needs to park the car, wait for the engine to cool then add water into the radiator and drive to a mechanic to check it out.