Most of you know that your particular car’s engine is designed to operate with a specified minimum Octane Rating (it’s in the Owner’s manual!), but wonder why. The answer is all about engine knock. Combustion Knock The source of power in a gasoline engine is burning of a mixture of gasoline and air. Some might…
Using a remote starter is a convenience if you really don’t want to wait for heat on a cold morning, but it is tough on the engine in the long-run, and of course it wastes gas. When an engine is running, every power-stroke of every cylinder lets a little bit of combustion gasses get past…
“Torque wins races” is a very often repeated but inaccurate saying, even though it seems right and is very often repeated in the popular press. The equation of motion of a vehicle is: Acceleration is proportional to [power at the wheels] / [(vehicle speed) x (vehicle mass)] This is just physics and is derived from…
There is no one correct answer to what rpm you should upshift. It all depends on what you want to do with the car in the next seconds of driving. If you want more power, then you might want to downshift or stay in your current gear. If not, upshift to keep the engine revs…
