Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [car]

A car is a wheeled, self-propelled vehicle. Normally, a car has 4 wheels and is designed for the transport of passengers. Depending upon locale, cars may also be called 'autos.'

While the definition of a car may seem mundane, care for definition must be taken when one considers that a car may have three wheels (such as the first car developed - below). First automobile by inventor Karl Benz

Another distinctive feature of the car, at least within the US, is that a car generally builds a cockpit-type frame that protects the driver (also cage). Contrast that with the "cage-less" design of three-wheeled motorcycles such as the Can-Am Spyder.

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Are classic cars safe?

Are classic cars safe? I am interested to know the differences between modern vehicles and vehicles of old from the 1960s. In the event of an accident, how does a classic vehicle compare to a modern machine? Are safety features on new vehicles…
Jonathan Musso
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How slow ( not zero) can a car engine run without hurting engine and saving on fuel

New cars have stop-start system (even though this has been available for a long time). My question is: why are car companies emphasizing shutting the engine down at a traffic light, rather than making the engine run at close to zero RPM (but…
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If I am just replacing the car engine, do I need to replace the odometer as well?

I am considering getting a new engine for one of my cars and I was wondering if I'll have to change the odometer too. Since the car already has 220,000 miles on it, it would become a huge number if I used the same odometer on a new engine.
Atticus Denewmont
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What is the small metal square attached to the wheel or tire?

I found that this small metal square labelled "1/4 FE" had come off my car's wheel yesterday. I am wondering what it could be, and whether it's important to put it back on.
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How exactly does a differential work?

I understand that the differential (or "diff") is the thing that allows the drive shaft to transfer its rotational velocity to the front or rear axle in order to move the car. As far as I know, the diff is the part that also allows each wheel to…
Max Goodridge
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Adding a additional battery to car

I have purchased a brand new Toyota Innova. I need to install a a mac mini, 2 laptops and make this car a mobile office. I need to know if I can install another car battery in parallel, and will there be any negative side effects ? I know that a…
Siddharth
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Why do car starter motors draw so much current?

I understand that most car starter motors' power is rated between 0.5kw to 1.5kw. Doesn't that mean that they are supposed to draw 40-120 amps? (500 w / 12 volts etc.. )? Yet when they start, they draw hundreads of amps for the split second they…
Andrei Grigore
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Why don't I get shocked constantly?

Noobie question here; NOTE: I don't understand electrics much. If a car's electrical system grounds to the bodywork (usually to the negative terminal) so that the electricity flows through the metal of the car, why don't I get shocked whilst…
yollooool
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Are trims (Hubcaps) on a car tires necessary?

Are there any mechanical / safety issues arise when you do not put trims on car tires? Even when using the car in winter temperatures? (Say -15C to -20C)
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How does the tachometer on my dashboard actually work?

Recently, I asked a question about the speedometer, how it works and how accurate it is. But that got me thinking... how does the rest of the dash actually work? I understand that the RPM measurement is a measure of the rotational speed of a…
Max Goodridge
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Should I fill my tire?

I measured the PSI on my rear driver tire (using a gauge pin - push it into the needle and a stick pops out with a reading), and I got a reading of 22 PSI. My tires are supposed to be anywhere from 30-34 PSI. The thing is, the rear driver tire (the…
semore_1267
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How much does a driver weigh?

I was amused when I saw one of the statistics for my VW Passat B5.5 car, which stated as follows: Kerb weight with driver - 1425kg I know this is a very weird question and I hope its not too inappropriate to ask here on a "Maintenance & Repair"…
Max Goodridge
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Losing coolant fast after just fixing radiator

I have just got my coolant tank and radiator replaced after a leak in the radiator and a cracked coolant tank. I filled the coolant tank last month and now it is nearly empty. I am just wondering if it is normal to lose a lot (like is it getting…
Cameron
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Peculiar Interior Lighting Issue

Recently a friend of mine was driving a VW Fox (not new, I'm not sure what year but it was certainly 5+ years old) home in the dark with the lights on. Strangely, after a minute or two of driving all the interior lights turned off. The headlights,…
Max Goodridge
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Why does my RPM drop when sitting idle at traffic lights?

While I'm sitting idle at traffic lights I put the car into neutral. The engine stays idling at about 1000 RPM. However every now and then it drops down to about 500 RPM and then quickly back up to about 1200 then goes slowly down to 1000 and stays…
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