There are FIVE basic systems to any automotive engine.

They are:

Mechanical
Electrical
Fuel
Cooling
and
Ignition.

Mechanical includes pistons and the crankshaft. Valves. The flywheel.
All of the metal moving parts that make up the essential engine itself.

Electrical includes a generator (old school) or alternator. A voltage regulator and charging circuit, and a storage device (battery).

Fuel - Wether carbueretted or Fuel Injection, also the fuel lines, emissions plumbing, fuel pump (and filters, if any), tank(s), and metering systems. For some kinds of fuel injection, a computer may be a part of the system. Electronic injectors and rails, and a pressure regulator are required. Older systems metered fuel by varying the fuel pressure.

COOLING: A critical system. ALL engines have a specific temperature at which they operate best. It is what they are designed for - and only at this specific temperature do they really perform well both in terms of overall power output and optimal wear characteristics. An overheated or underheated engine will wear out long before it is supposed to. System components include a coolant pump, pressure regulator (part of the radiator cap functions), radiator, supply and return lines, thermostat, and coolant passages through the engine. There are also various seals that are essential to maintain.

IGNITION: Distributor, ignition module (or computer), coil, plugs, secondary (or spark plug) wires.

For purposes of discussion, the starter motor is considered to come under the "Electrical" system.


Now - why bother stating all of this?

Because in troubleshooting it is often necessary to back up and generalise so as to get a handle on the area in which a problem with a machine exists, and in that it is often helpful to be able to eliminate other related areas.

IE: Break the problem down into large pieces, and decide which piece has the trouble. You can then usually discard the other areas of consideration and focus on the one system that you know there is a problem in.

THAT system can be further broken down for troubleshooting purposes.

By refining the trouble area we eliminate distractions and narrow things down to root causes.

 

good post wolf, but you should rename it "engines for idiots/dummies".

 

Good post Wolf. It should help some of the newbies describe their problems.

 

Where does the oiling system fall?

 

Oiling system would be part of the Mechanical.
Granted, it does play a role in the cooling of the engine, but the puropse of the lubrication system is to keep all of the mechanical parts of the engine happy.

 

Hmmm. I always thought of it as a seperate system like the oil and lubrication forum.

 

You may want to include K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) in a chapter by itself. Too many people tend to want to immediately go into MAJOR parts removal and replacement when an engine doesn't want to start, instead of finding out is it is getting gas or fire.

 

AMEN BROTHER!! I was guilty of it too before. I have this one friend who was having a problem with her brakes. I offered to help, but I won't do other people's brakes. "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him how to fish, and he eats forever." Anyway, her dad insisted the whole thing needed to be re-done. It didn't...and it cost him $4000. I have no idea what they did to run up a $4000 bill for a brake job, but they all insisted it was something more. It was just some squealing rotors...and a crying shame when all was said and done. Those mechanics were all too happy to hear him say, "I think it's worse than that." Oy.

 

Cool post, Greywolf. Can't wait to read part 2!

 

What FORDZLLA said.

Although - oiling and cooling are related. An external oil cooler is used in air-cooled machines and heavy duty or desert machines very frequently. Under those conditions anything helps...

 

This has good engine information which will help guide beginners.

I respectfully disagree that the oiling/lubricating is not a separate system. If you were to write a book about this it will be hard to not have a section dedicated to it.

 

Great list, but I would add one other system, exhaust. This would include manifolds, EGR, cat converters, air injection pump, mufflers and all associated plumbing.

Jim