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Most modern cars have brakes on all four wheels, operated by a hydraulic system . The brakes may be disc type or drum type. Read more

A car uses quite a lot of electricity to work the ignition and other electrical equipment. Read more

To make an engine start it must be turned at some speed, so that it sucks fuel and air into the cylinders , and compresses it. Read more

A car engine produces a lot of heat when it is running, and must be cooled continuously to avoid engine damage. Read more

Modern cars are designed to have a constant through-flow of fresh air that keeps the interior atmosphere pleasant even with all the windows shut. The incoming air can be heated by the engine to keep the windows clear of mist and the car interior at a chosen temperature. Read more

The engine is the heart of your car. It is a complex machine built to convert heat from burning gas into the force that turns the road wheels. Read more

The conversion of fuel energy into power in an engine starts when petrol is mixed with air in a device called a carburettor , to form a highly combustible mixture. Read more

The valve which allows mixture into the cylinder is the inlet valve; the one through which the spent gases escape is the exhaust valve. They are designed to open and close at precise moments, to allow the engine to run efficiently at all speeds. Read more

The engine is, in many respects, self-sustaining: it supplies the power that drives a number of ancillary - subordinate - components without which it could not work. Read more

The electrical system of a car is a closed circuit with an independent power source the battery . It operates on a small fraction of the power of a household circuit. Read more