How Cars Work

If you’re looking for an easy-to-understand guide with great visuals to help you learn about your car and how it works, this book is perfect for you. It covers everything from the engine to the electrical system and everything in between, making it an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to step into the world of automotive knowledge.

I'm a recent mechanical engineering graduate and I (embarrassingly) was never that familiar with car engines. I perform all basic maintenance myself, but have never really done any in-depth repairs out of a combination of laziness and unfamiliarity with engines. Learning the basic 4-stroke engine cycle is one thing, but knowing how an engine and entire automobile is put together is a whole 'nother story. If you are totally unfamiliar with vehicle engines, or have some knowledge but are no expert mechanic by any means, I HIGHLY suggest purchasing this book. It follows a "one page per component" format, meaning every single page in the book is dedicated to a different component. I feel it's the perfect combination of being brief enough to make it easy to read and follow along, but detailed enough so that you really understand HOW components function, just just simply "what they do". The book covers all aspects of how cars work, not just engines. It goes into the steering system, powertrain, cooling system, brakes and parking brakes, electrical system, you name it! Obviously, with only one page dedicated to every component, you aren't going to get into the math/physics behind everything. Each page consists of, generally, statements about the component, its function, and how it interacts with other components to perform its intended function. I'm extremely glad that I purchased this book. If you want to have any idea (or a better idea) of what a mechanic or anyone else is talking about next time you hear the words "differential", "U-Joints", "cylinder head", etc., then buy this book!

This book is a must for anyone interest in the mechanism of automobiles. I had no knowledge in automobile ,no knowledge of how this intricate system works as a whole to give motion. When I purchase this book ,I was intimidated of popping the hood trying to figure out what parts function in what . I am half way through this book,and Now I am confident about what all know because of this book... This book a must for those who :lack basic knowledge of an engine, for those who are tired of doing Google searches In attempts to learn the function of certain parts, already have some knowledge of the basics ,want to get involved in being their own weekend mechanic.etc. Purpose of the book : Make the reader more informed about what an engine must do to give you motion . Teach you more than the basics . This book doesn't teach the following: How to construct an engine, how to set up wiring systen , mathematical formulas~ nothing too complex. Topics it will teach : everything regarding an engine,everything regarding drive train,fuel system,cooling system,running gear,brakes,electrical system. My personal thoughts, the book was well thought out regarding explaining each component. It was succinct when explaining each component. This book gave the feeling of comfort because I really learned a lot . When I was ignorant in the subject of engines , I hated hearing others speak about vehicles. Now,I want people to speak about vehicles so I can be part of conversation! Yes, I recommend this book to anyone interested in automobiles!

A great introduction to how autos work. You won't be rebuilding engines after reading this book. It's very basic. It's a short book and it's for absolute beginners. That said, any car owner (who is not an expert technician) should buy and read this for the sake of at least having an understanding of what a mechanic is talking about. You won't understand every specific, but at least you'll understand the geography. My only complaint is that Newton could have provided a bit more detail on the working of the individual subassemblies. Specificially, while he explains how a torque converter works in an automatic transmission, he fails to explain how the automatic transmission mechanically shifts gears. Still, don't let this keep you from buying the book. It's worth the money.

This book was actually very good at explaining automobiles in an oversimplified yet very clear and concise manner. It included a well-made drawing of each section it was descriptive for each section of a car ( engine , drive train, braking system , etc. etc.) - If you are new to learning automobiles and want to learn the basic foundation , I would absolutely recommend this one. A while back I ordered 3 small books on the subject to start learning , two were AI generated drivel and one was this book - thankfully. Included photo as proof as the other books had AI generated 5 star reviews.

I’m a newbie to cars and wanted to learn more about how cars work and I love this book. The quizzes at the end of each chapter are super helpful and the diagrams actually make sense. Sometimes I wish that the book went into more specifics on things like how a torque converter works or how a transaxle works with a transverse engine, but again it’s a book for beginners. Also all the words I just used I had no idea what they were before I read this book. It makes me feel a lot more confident so I won’t get screwed over by a mechanic.

It can be satisfying to learn how a piece of technology I've taken for granted, seeming to work as if by magic, really functions beneath the surface. In the case of cars, I also find it useful so I can be a little more competent in maintaining an expensive machine. The pictures are intuitive and the explanations are concise and effective. This book was a good entry point for me, as a relatively ignorant person on this subject. There is far more in-depth information one can seek out after this book about each specific component, but this book was a good foundation and I will be referring back to it from time to time. I was initially a little put off by the price after seeing how slim the book is but by the end I felt like I got my money's worth in understanding and entertainment.

The publisher's blurb on Amazon here is a bit vague on what this book is actually designed to do. I wish they'd published the author's quote on the Amazon description that they printed on the back of the book. It would have been a clue to me not to buy it (so perhaps that is why they didn't include it). So, I'll type it here for those who may also find it a useful clue: "When I opened my tutoring center I couldn't find enough reading material for my teenage students, especially the boys. So I started writing short descriptions about car parts aimed at improving reading comprehension. I used simple drawings to help students visualize and associate the car parts with words. Eventually I had enough material for a a complete car book and... well... this is it!" Having read that on the back, I thought, "Well, of course. This book does read just like a collection of definitions for a juvenile mind that doesn't want to learn as much as skim a concept." When I got this book, I was hoping for a quick overview of the car. A quick read to look at to gain background understanding before jumping into more complicated books, since I know nothing about cars. It didn't help me much. Yes, it's a quick read, but it's over-simplified. It's like reading a dictionary without seeing the words in context and hoping to retain the words you learn as useful vocabulary. Or it's like reading only the chapter summaries of a text book which are geared not to help you learn the concept, but to jog your memory after you've read the full material and understand it. Generally, I have no difficulty absorbing technical information, but this book doesn't give you the full context to grasp the concepts behind the list of "car parts". I plan to keep this book in my library as a quick reference dictionary of sorts, but in retrospect, I wish I had not purchased it. It is badly overpriced and not much use for a novice looking for a cohesive understanding of cars.

It is a concise book with good illustrations. It is easy to read and the material is written specifically for beginners. I had great service from the seller Ergodebooks. Due to shipping delays concerns because of COVID, Ergodebooks has been following up on the evolution of the shipping process all the way. I would buy from Ergodebooks again.

It's brief description about car parts,worth the money

A very helpful and interesting read! Ideal for anyone who drives, works with cars or, like myself, is learning to drive and would like to know more about how each part of a car works. The information is broken down into easily understandable chapters with diagrams and even a small quiz at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge. Would 100% recommend to anyone interested in maintaining, driving and understanding automotive vehicles.

Bom

So overpriced! The entire book has only black and white illustrations, that too of sub standard quality. For this price, I definitely expected colour pictures for the parts they were explaining. I would have never paid so much for such a book on the stands! It's the 25th printing and they can't add colour pictures? Looks like a book from 4 decades ago! Don't waste your money.