The Parts of an Automobile Engine

• A V-shape is one of several ways to arrange the pistons and cylinders in an engine. Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

  Automobiles run on internal combustion engines, which first came to popular usage in the late 1800s. The engine is a complex machine that turns fuel into the power that runs your car. Although there are many different variations of the automobile engine and each has many working parts, they all share the same basic components.

Pistons and Spark Plugs

• Automobile engines have four, six or eight pistons that move up and down within cylinders. On one side, the pistons have combustion chambers where fuel and air are mixed together. On the other side is the crankcase, which contains oil for lubrication. The piston's rings keep the two chambers separate. The spark plug creates the spark that ignites the mixture of fuel and air in the pistons to create combustion and drive the piston.

Crankshaft and Connecting Rod

• The pistons rotate the connected crankshaft, which turns the straight motion of the pistons into a rotating motion. The crankshaft is connected to the pistons through a connecting rod, which rotates at both ends to allow its angle to change as the crankshaft rotates.

Valve Train

• The valve train, which consist of intake and exhaust valves, regulates when air and fuel come in and out of the engine. The valve train has a camshaft, which controls the timing of the intake and exhaust. A chain or belt synchronizes the camshaft with the crankshaft.