Learning about cars/mechanics

Stheno

Hi guys

I've wanted to understand how cars work for the past couple of years, i.e. the basics of what the various parts do, how they interact etc etc, I work in IT and I'd compare it with knowing what all the parts in a PC do.

I'm wondering if anyone knows about any night classes that cater to this?

I don't necessarily want to end up being able to service my own car, just to understand what's going on under the hood?

thanks

CiniO

Just buy a good book.

Classes are fairly sh1t really, some ole dude telling you how to change oil and brake pads :P (more or less). As Cinio mentioned above books (or google) is the way to go. Join a forum for whatever brand of car you have and have a poke around the how to guides etc. Boards.ie motoring is a :cool: and tasty site but you won't learn too much here unless you ask specifics. If I was you I'd have a poke around cyber space for info on how the following works in cars and ehat they actually do

- starter motor
- alternator
- spark plugs
- cylinders
- radiator and fan
- thermostat
- battery (you'd be surprised what it does )
- distributor cap
- gearbox
- clutch

Find out what happens when you turn the ignition, and how it results in the internal combustion that then gives torque to the wheels

Stheno

RoverJames wrote: »

Classes are fairly sh1t really, some ole dude telling you how to change oil and brake pads :P (more or less). As Cinio mentioned above books (or google) is the way to go. Join a forum for whatever brand of car you have and have a poke around the how to guides etc. Boards.ie motoring is a :cool: and tasty site but you won't learn too much here unless you ask specifics. If I was you I'd have a poke around cyber space for info on how the following works in cars and ehat they actually do

- starter motor
- alternator
- spark plugs
- cylinders
- radiator and fan
- thermostat
- battery (you'd be surprised what it does )
- distributor cap
- gearbox
- clutch

Find out what happens when you turn the ignition, and how it results in the internal combustion that then gives torque to the wheels

I'm on a couple of alfa forums and have learned loads from those, have a fairly decent understanding of what happens when I turn the ignition but want to know more,

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a good poke around, tbh your list gives me all the parts I was wondering about and I want to know how they all work together

Thanks.

Gary ITR

Youtube has some surprisingly detailed videos also. I watched one there a while back on how VTEC actually works, if I'm honest I didn't know one end of a Honda from the other when I bought mine

Stheno

Thanks again, I'm happy enough to do minor things like bulb changes with the car and have learned enough to know when something is "WRONG" but want to be able to understand what is wrong

That said I've a fantastic mechanic whom I really trust, real old fashioned, fix rather than replace guy