Could You Pass a Backyard Mechanic Test?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Use A Torque Wrench For?

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Question 1

What Is The Gooey Black Stuff On Your Engine Called?

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Question 1

Which Part Of A Car Holds The Engine Oil?

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Question 1

What Does It Mean When Your Car Pulls To One Side?

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Question 1

What Is A Mechanic Checking When They Pull The Dipstick?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Bleed The Brakes?

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Question 1

Which Of These Is A Sign Your Alternator Is Failing?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean By A Car Running Rich?

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Question 1

What Is The Purpose Of A Car's Timing Belt?

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Question 1

What Color Is Healthy Coolant Supposed To Be?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Rubber Seal Around A Car Door?

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Question 1

What Is The Name Of The Fluid That Powers Your Brakes?

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Question 1

Which Part Connects Your Engine To Your Drive Wheels?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Tire Is Cupped?

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Question 1

What Is The Small Filter That Cleans Your Engine's Air Supply Called?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Gap A Spark Plug?

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Question 1

Which Fluid Should You Never Mix With Engine Coolant?

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Question 1

What Does It Mean When A Mechanic Says Your Car Has A Blown Head Gasket?

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Question 1

What Is The Name Of The Belt That Runs Your Car's Accessories?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say Your Car Has A Slow Leak?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Engine's Top Cover?

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Question 1

What Is The Part That Absorbs Road Bumps Called?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean By A Seized Engine?

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Question 1

Which Part Controls Fuel Delivery To Your Engine?

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Question 1

What Is The Name Of The Plug That Drains Your Oil Pan?

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Question 1

What Does It Mean When A Car Has A Cracked Manifold?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Pack A Wheel Bearing?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call A Battery That Won't Hold Charge?

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Question 1

What Is The Purpose Of A Car's PCV Valve?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say Chase The Threads?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call A Worn-Out Clutch That Slips?

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Question 1

What Is The Purpose Of A Radiator Cap On Your Car?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Car Is Vapor Locked?

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Question 1

Which Part Of A Car Is Called The Heart Of The Suspension?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They True A Brake Rotor?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean By A Car Having A Soft Pedal?

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Question 1

What Is The Small Electric Motor That Starts Your Engine Called?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call Corrosion That Builds Up On Battery Terminals?

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Question 1

What Is The Rubber Boot That Protects A CV Joint Called?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Car Is Running Hot?

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Question 1

What Is The Black Smoke From An Exhaust Pipe A Sign Of?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Car Is Knocking?

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Question 1

What Is The Purpose Of A Car's Thermostat?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Flush The Transmission?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Wire That Grounds Your Battery To The Car Frame?

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Question 1

What Is The Rubber Hose That Carries Coolant To Your Heater Called?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Car Has A Fouled Spark Plug?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Rotate The Tires?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Small Cap On Top Of Your Radiator Overflow Tank?

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Question 1

What Is The Part That Converts Your Engine's Exhaust Into Less Harmful Gas?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Grease Fitting On A Joint?

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Question 1

What Is The Purpose Of A Car's Sway Bar?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Car Has A Dead Short?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Lap An Engine Valve?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Thin Metal Gasket Between Exhaust Pipes?

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Question 1

Which Tool Does A Mechanic Use To Measure Tiny Engine Clearances?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Mean When They Say A Car Is Dieseling?

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Question 1

What Is Someone Doing If They Press In A Bushing?

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Question 1

What Does A Mechanic Call The Sensor That Reads Exhaust Oxygen Levels?

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Question 1

What Is The Name Of The Plug That Seals Your Engine's Freeze Holes?

1

Cutting Bolts

2

Measuring Pressure

3

Grinding Metal

4

Tightening To Spec

A torque wrench clicks or stops when a bolt reaches the exact tightness the manufacturer requires, preventing stripped threads.

1

Transmission Fluid

2

Coolant

3

Brake Fluid

4

Sludge

Engine sludge forms when old oil breaks down and oxidizes, and skipping oil changes is the fastest way to create it.

1

The Oil Pan

2

The Valve Cover

3

The Intake Manifold

4

The Radiator

The oil pan bolts to the very bottom of your engine and acts like a bathtub, storing oil until the pump circulates it.

1

Oil Is Low

2

Spark Plugs Are Bad

3

Brakes Are New

4

Alignment Is Off

Wheel alignment refers to the angle of your tires relative to the road, and a single pothole can knock it out of spec.

1

Fuel Pressure

2

Coolant Temperature

3

Oil Level

4

Battery Charge

The dipstick was invented in the early 1900s and has two marks — low and full — that tell you if your engine is thirsty.

1

Removing Air Bubbles

2

Flushing The Radiator

3

Replacing Brake Pads

4

Adjusting Brake Cables

Air trapped in brake lines compresses instead of transmitting force, making your pedal feel spongy — bleeding pushes it out with fresh fluid.

1

Dimming Headlights

2

Rough Idle

3

White Exhaust Smoke

4

Squealing Belt

The alternator charges your battery while the engine runs, so dimming lights mean it can no longer keep up with your car's electrical demand.

1

Too Much Fuel

2

Worn Timing Belt

3

Too Little Oil

4

Overheating Engine

Running rich means the engine is burning more fuel than air, which wastes gas, blackens spark plugs, and can smell like rotten eggs.

1

Syncs Engine Valves

2

Turns The Alternator

3

Controls The Throttle

4

Drives The Water Pump

The timing belt keeps your engine's top and bottom halves perfectly in sync — if it snaps, valves and pistons can collide and destroy the engine.

1

Clear Or White

2

Dark Brown

3

Pale Yellow

4

Bright Green Or Orange

Coolant gets its bright color from dye added at the factory — when it turns brown and murky, it has broken down and needs flushing.

1

Door Liner

2

Door Gasket

3

Trim Molding

4

Weatherstripping

Weatherstripping dates to early 1900s automobiles and prevents water, wind, and road noise from entering the cabin.

1

Hydraulic Oil

2

Transmission Fluid

3

Power Steering Fluid

4

Brake Fluid

Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture from the air over time, which is why mechanics recommend flushing it every two years.

1

The Camshaft

2

The Axle Shaft

3

The Crankshaft

4

The Driveshaft

The driveshaft spins at thousands of RPMs and uses universal joints at each end to handle the angle between the engine and wheels.

1

Worn In Scalloped Patches

2

Cracked On The Sidewall

3

Completely Bald

4

Overinflated And Bulging

Cupping is caused by worn shocks or struts that let the tire bounce unevenly, creating wavy high-and-low spots around the tread.

1

PCV Filter

2

Cabin Filter

3

Fuel Filter

4

Air Filter

A clogged air filter can drop fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent — most mechanics recommend replacing it every 15,000 to 30,000 miles.

1

Cleaning The Plug Tip

2

Setting The Electrode Distance

3

Threading It Into The Head

4

Testing The Plug's Voltage

The gap between a spark plug's electrodes must be precise — even a few thousandths of an inch off can cause misfires and rough idling.

1

Coolant Flush Solution

2

Distilled Water

3

Antifreeze Concentrate

4

Engine Oil

Oil mixing into coolant — often from a blown head gasket — creates a milky brown sludge that can destroy an engine within days if not caught.

1

The Radiator Is Leaking

2

A Piston Has Cracked

3

The Engine Seal Has Failed

4

The Exhaust Manifold Broke

The head gasket sits between the engine block and cylinder head, and when it fails, coolant and oil mix — one of the most expensive repairs a car can need.

1

Drive Chain

2

Timing Belt

3

Serpentine Belt

4

V-Belt

The serpentine belt got its name from the snake-like way it winds around multiple pulleys, powering the alternator, power steering pump, and air conditioning.

1

A Tire Losing Air Gradually

2

An Engine Burning Oil Slowly

3

A Battery Draining Overnight

4

A Radiator Dripping Coolant

A nail or tiny puncture can cause a tire to lose just one or two PSI per day — enough that many drivers don't notice until the tire is dangerously flat.

1

Rocker Panel

2

Intake Manifold

3

Valve Cover

4

Timing Cover

The valve cover sits on top of the cylinder head and keeps oil from splashing out onto your engine.

1

Shock Absorber

2

Control Arm

3

Sway Bar

4

Tie Rod

Shock absorbers use hydraulic fluid to dampen spring bounce, and worn ones can add 20 extra feet to your stopping distance.

1

Engine Overheats

2

Engine Won't Turn

3

Engine Burns Oil

4

Engine Runs Rough

A seized engine means internal metal parts have fused together from heat or lack of oil, making the crankshaft impossible to rotate.

1

Throttle Body

2

Fuel Injector

3

Fuel Pump

4

Fuel Filter

Fuel injectors replaced carburetors in most cars by the late 1980s and spray a precise mist of fuel directly into each cylinder.

1

Petcock Valve

2

Bleeder Screw

3

Drain Plug

4

Freeze Plug

The drain plug is a simple bolt at the bottom of the oil pan — cross-threading it during a DIY oil change is one of the most common and costly backyard mistakes.

1

Exhaust Is Leaking

2

Oil Is Leaking

3

Coolant Is Leaking

4

Fuel Is Leaking

A cracked exhaust manifold lets hot gases escape before the muffler, creating a ticking sound that gets louder when the engine is cold.

1

Balancing The Wheel

2

Tightening The Axle

3

Greasing It By Hand

4

Replacing The Hub

Packing a wheel bearing means pressing fresh grease into the bearing cage by hand — a messy but essential job that prevents wheel wobble and overheating.

1

Dead Cell

2

Weak Ground

3

Open Fuse

4

Drained Circuit

A dead cell means one of the six internal battery cells has failed — even one bad cell can prevent a fully charged battery from starting your car.

1

Controls Fuel Pressure

2

Regulates Coolant Flow

3

Vents Crankcase Pressure

4

Manages Brake Pressure

The PCV — Positive Crankcase Ventilation — valve was introduced in 1961 and was actually the first automotive emissions control device ever required in the US.

1

Clean A Bolt Hole

2

Remove A Stripped Screw

3

Tighten A Loose Bolt

4

Replace A Broken Stud

Chasing threads means running a tap or die through a damaged bolt hole to restore the grooves — a trick that saves expensive parts from being replaced entirely.

1

Glazed Clutch

2

Slipping Clutch

3

Burned Clutch

4

Dragging Clutch

A slipping clutch loses grip between the flywheel and pressure plate, meaning power from the engine never fully reaches the wheels.

1

Regulates The Thermostat

2

Pressurizes The Coolant

3

Covers The Water Pump

4

Seals The Overflow Tank

A pressurized cooling system raises the boiling point of coolant, letting your engine run hotter without overheating — a clever trick from 1930s engineering.

1

Coolant Has Evaporated

2

Fuel Turned To Bubbles

3

Engine Is Overheating

4

Exhaust Is Blocked

Vapor lock plagued old carbureted cars on hot days — fuel boiled in the lines before reaching the engine, causing a sudden stall with no warning.

1

Sway Bar

2

Tie Rod End

3

Control Arm

4

Ball Joint

The control arm links your wheel hub to the car's frame and pivots on bushings, keeping your tire planted firmly on the road through every bump and turn.

1

Replacing It Entirely

2

Measuring Its Thickness

3

Bleeding The Brake Line

4

Machining It Flat Again

A lathe shaves microscopic layers off a warped rotor to restore a perfectly flat surface — rotors thinner than the minimum spec must be replaced instead.

1

Accelerator Sticks Down

2

Brakes Feel Spongy

3

Steering Feels Loose

4

Clutch Is Worn Out

Air trapped in brake lines compresses instead of transmitting force, making the pedal sink before the brakes bite — a sign the system needs bleeding immediately.

1

Ignition Coil

2

Solenoid Switch

3

Alternator

4

Starter Motor

The starter motor spins the engine's flywheel at about 200 RPM — just enough to get combustion going — then disengages automatically once the engine fires.

1

Battery Corrosion

2

Acid Bloom

3

Terminal Rust

4

Cable Oxidation

That fuzzy white or blue-green crust is lead sulfate crystals from off-gassing — a little baking soda and water dissolves it completely in under a minute.

1

Drive Seal

2

Joint Cover

3

CV Boot

4

Axle Sleeve

When a CV boot cracks, grease flings out and grit gets in — the joint itself is fine until then, so catching a torn boot early saves a much costlier repair.

1

Exhaust Is Glowing

2

Engine Temperature Is High

3

Brakes Are Overheating

4

Oil Is Burning Off

Normal engine temperature sits around 195–220°F — running hot means the gauge is creeping past that zone, often signaling a failing thermostat or low coolant.

1

Low Coolant Level

2

Burning Too Much Fuel

3

Weak Battery

4

Worn Brake Pads

Black exhaust smoke means unburned fuel is escaping — often caused by a clogged air filter or faulty fuel injector flooding the engine.

1

Engine Is Pinging

2

Brakes Are Grinding

3

Battery Is Draining

4

Tires Are Unbalanced

Engine knock happens when fuel ignites unevenly in the cylinder — using higher-octane gas often stops it immediately.

1

Monitors Tire Pressure

2

Regulates Engine Temperature

3

Controls Fuel Pressure

4

Adjusts Idle Speed

A stuck-closed thermostat is one of the most common causes of engine overheating — it traps hot coolant inside the engine block.

1

Tightening The Pan Bolts

2

Adjusting The Gear Shift

3

Cleaning The Filter Only

4

Replacing All The Fluid

A full transmission flush replaces every drop of old fluid — mechanics recommend it every 30,000 to 60,000 miles to prevent slipping gears.

1

Fusible Link

2

Charge Wire

3

Starter Cable

4

Ground Strap

A corroded or loose ground strap causes mysterious electrical gremlins — flickering lights, stalling, and dead starts — because the entire car's circuit depends on it.

1

Heater Hose

2

Bypass Hose

3

Radiator Hose

4

Overflow Hose

A leaking heater hose is sneaky — it often drips inside the firewall rather than under the hood, making the floor mat wet before you notice any coolant loss.

1

Plug Is Coated And Misfiring

2

Plug Gap Is Too Wide

3

Plug Thread Is Stripped

4

Plug Wire Is Broken

Oil, carbon, or fuel deposits coat the plug tip and prevent a clean spark — a fouled plug is one reason a car shudders at low speeds.

1

Balancing The Wheel Weights

2

Inflating Them To Spec

3

Moving Them To New Positions

4

Checking The Tread Depth

Front tires wear faster than rear tires because they steer — rotating every 5,000 miles evens out the wear and can add thousands of miles to tire life.

1

Overflow Valve Cover

2

Coolant Reservoir Cap

3

Expansion Tank Lid

4

Radiator Pressure Cap

Never open this cap on a hot engine — the pressurized coolant inside can erupt like a geyser and cause serious burns instantly.

1

Muffler

2

Oxygen Sensor

3

Exhaust Manifold

4

Catalytic Converter

Catalytic converters contain platinum and palladium — making them so valuable that thieves steal them in under two minutes with a cordless saw.

1

Drain Plug

2

Check Valve

3

Bleeder Valve

4

Zerk Fitting

Oscar Zerk invented this small nipple fitting in 1922, letting mechanics inject grease directly into moving joints without disassembly.

1

Reduces Body Roll

2

Absorbs Road Bumps

3

Limits Steering Angle

4

Controls Wheel Alignment

The sway bar links opposite wheels together so when one side dips in a turn, the bar transfers force to keep the car level.

1

A Direct Electrical Fault

2

A Blown Fuse

3

A Drained Battery

4

A Failed Alternator

A dead short means electricity is jumping straight to ground with zero resistance, which can melt wires or start a fire almost instantly.

1

Grinding It For A Tight Seal

2

Replacing The Valve Spring

3

Cleaning Carbon Deposits

4

Measuring Its Clearance

Lapping uses a fine abrasive paste to grind the valve face and seat together until they match perfectly, preventing compression leaks.

1

Flange Gasket

2

Ring Seal

3

Donut Gasket

4

Header Gasket

This ring-shaped gasket sits between exhaust pipe flanges and its donut shape lets it compress evenly under bolt pressure to stop exhaust leaks.

1

Torque Wrench

2

Feeler Gauge

3

Dial Indicator

4

Micrometer

Feeler gauges are thin metal blades of precise thickness — mechanics slide them into gaps like valve clearances to get an exact measurement by feel.

1

Engine Runs After Shutoff

2

Oil Is Burning In Cylinders

3

Fuel Is Too Lean

4

Exhaust Has Black Smoke

Dieseling happens when hot carbon deposits inside the cylinders ignite fuel on their own, keeping the engine chugging even after you turn the key off.

1

Seating A Wheel Bearing

2

Fitting A New Ball Joint

3

Installing A Rubber Sleeve

4

Replacing A Tie Rod End

Bushings are rubber or polyurethane sleeves that cushion metal joints in the suspension — pressing them in requires a special tool so they seat perfectly straight.

1

TPS Sensor

2

MAF Sensor

3

MAP Sensor

4

O2 Sensor

Introduced on American cars in 1976, the O2 sensor tells the engine computer whether the fuel mixture is too rich or too lean so it can self-correct.

1

Block Plug

2

Freeze Plug

3

Core Plug

4

Sand Plug

Freeze plugs were originally left over from the sand-casting process used to make engine blocks — they were never actually designed to pop out when coolant freezes.

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