How Cars Work Paperback – October 11, 1999

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.

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.

My wife wanted to learn about cars and this book was perfect for her.👍

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.

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.

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 straight forward and teaches the basics of automotive. It also provides small tests to help you track your learning! I am learning fast and I am very happy with this book

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.