How To Ruin A Car Engine

The engine of a car is simply a mechanical device that is under severe stress. Failing to deal with this stress is hot to ruin a car engine whether it be new or old.

The details of the car engine have changed dramatically since the first Model Ts were introduced in mass by Henry Ford. Everything is computer controlled these days and the materials used are far superior to the old days. That being said, the actual engine process is pretty much the same.

The combustion engine works by introducing air and gas to a chamber. An electrical spark then ignites this mix. A small explosion occurs. It creates pressure. This pressure pushes a piston at the bottom of a chamber in a downwards direction. The piston them cranks a crankshaft. The crankshaft is connected to a drive train that eventually delivers the rotating energy to the wheels of the vehicle. This is obviously a simplification of the process, but accurately describes the process.

As you can see, the engine is under a lot of stress as these explosions occur over and over. Heat, friction and wear are all produced in mass. Ignore them and you will find out real quick how to ruin a car engine. They will absolutely destroy even the heartiest of engines within a matter of a couple of years. Fortunately, you can avoid running a car engine by taking some basic maintenance steps.

The first step is to simply change your oil and oil filter. The lube shops will tell you to do it every 3,000 miles. This isn’t really necessary. It is mostly a marketing pitch. Instead, follow the recommendations in your owner’s manual. They manufacturer designs the engine to perform in a certain manner and it may allow you to go much longer periods without changing the oil. Regardless, clean oil in the engine goes a long way to making an engine last.

The second step is to keep the engine cool. This means you need to keep the coolant system in check. Make sure the radiator fluid is topped off and is clean. It will corrode over time. Also, change it as appropriate for winter and summer. Finally, get the engine steam cleaned every few years so that the gunk building up around it is removed. This will lower the temperature of the engine.

Finally, the engine needs air to run efficiently. The more the better in most cases. While everyone changes their oil frequently, most fail to change their air filter. Have yours checked every time you change the oil. The frequency required for changing it depends entirely on the driving conditions you face. If you live in an area where wind and dust blow frequently, you may need to change it a lot.

Not taking car of a car engine is how you can ruin it and quickly. Follow these basic maintenance steps and you should see it last a long time. Make sure to get tune ups as necessary to make sure the engine runs efficiently and doesn’t overuse fuel. 

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