Category: Car Engines

Car engines diagrams, how a car engine works, and tips to maintain car engines in best condition.

  • Honda Civic Engine Vibrates in Parking Reverse Transmission

    This page is contribute to all Honda Civic FD owners who have engine vibration, roughness, rattle, rumbling sound or other similar situation when the transmission is set to Parking (P) or Reverse (R). Model years affected are 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Read the symptoms properly and see if it is similar to what you have experienced. If so, continue to read on to find out the right solutions and share your thoughts here.

    Symptom 1: One great early morning, you get into your Honda Civic as usual and start the car. The engine vibrates seriously and it sounds like it is going to break into pieces. The vibration happens when you put the transmission in Parking or Reverse. Instead, the vibration goes off when you put the gear in Drive (D), D3, 2, or 1. However, the car does not produce the same vibrations in Reverse or Parking after you have been driving it for a while. In the evening, the car engine doesn’t give you any vibration, rattling sound or rumbling sound.

    Symptom 2: The car engine vibrates when the engine was cold. It sounds like the engine is touching the car body. The engine vibration is gone when the engine is hot or when you speed up. Take a look at the mileage it is exactly 117,000 km (72,700 miles) and the car is 9 years old. This symptom is reported to us by Ashley who invited us to check out her Honda Civic while the mileage has just hit 100,000 km (62,137 miles).

    Honda Civic Engine Vibration Solution

    Well, the engine vibration may sound very scary to the owner of the car not knowing what happen. Do not panic because this is a common problem for most 8th generation Honda Civic owners. It happens when the engine idling or the transmission is in reverse. Here’s a little homework that you can do to your Honda Civic.

    Step 1: First, open your car hood and locate the right side motor mount as shown in the image here.

    Honda civic engine

    Step 2: Once you have located the right side motor mount. Squat down a little bit and check on the spacing between the bump stops. The spacing between the bump stops should be approximately 1 cm for a good motor mount. Check and see if the bump stops hit on each other. If that is the case, it is time to replace the motor mount with a new one because the old motor mount transfers the engine vibration to the body.

    Honda civic motor mount

    Step 3: The motor mount (some called it engine mount) part no is 50820-SNL-T01. For beginners, it will take you about an hour to replace the part. Instead, an advance mechanic will only need 30 minutes to replace the right motor mount.

    Honda civic motor mount

    Step 4: This is a photo to compare the old worn motor mount and the new one. The motor is hydraulic and it obviously has a lifetime. Take a look at the photo below, the old one is obviously worn out and look old. The new one is showing an approximate 1 cm between the bump stops.

    Honda civic motor mount

    Step 5: Once a new motor mount or engine mount is replaced, it should look like this. A new motor mount is cost THB3,419 from Honda Thailand and it should cost in between $100 and $150 in United States.

    Honda civic new motor mount

    Some other useful information for Honda Civic FD owner: Honda Civic Fuse Diagram and Basic car maintenance schedule (car maintenance schedule).

    At most of the time, this issue does not relate to bad spark plugs. Does the information shared here solve your problems? Please contact us and let us know if your problem could not be solved after the motor mount is replaced with a new one.

  • Got an engine block? Turn it into a nice utensil holder then

    engine utensil
    If you have an engine block that no longer suitable to rebuild, why not turn it into a nice utensil holder in your kitchen? There are many things you can do with used car parts but today we come across this special green utensil holder in kitchen. This image is shared from Ian White’s Facebook. Try to zoom in a little bit and you will see the “1275” label on the engine block. It is a great idea to turn it into a useful thing from this:
    engine block

  • These car engines are cleaner than your toilet

    clean engine
    Look at the alternator, coil, twin carburetor, and rocker cover on this car engine labeled with Paddy Hopkirk, don’t you think this car engine is probably cleaner than your toilet?

    clean engine
    If you think fast cars always come with dirty engine, you may have to change your mind. Look at this reddish Chevrolet SS. Check out the engine, the turbo kit, and the air intake. If it’s not hot, you may want to touch it to feel it!

    clean engine
    Again this is a 1.3i Mini engine. The owner of this engine chromes everything possible from brake servo pump to bolt to every bracket. Without a mirror? Don’t worry.

    clean engine
    Some people refuse to put their hands on any car engines because they think it is dirty. Look at this Honda, will you still think engine is dirty?

  • Stripped down an engine and reassemble in a two-minute video


    Someone on earth, Youtube user nothinghereok, stripped down a Triumph Spitfire engine and reassembles it. Stripping an engine isn’t insane but he took over 3,000 pictures of every step he did just in case he forget which parts are fitted to which place. He then created this video using all the pictures he took added with one of the most notable music “In The Hall Of The Moutain King” from Edvard Griegs “Peer Gynt Suite”. The entire work took 11 months. As you can see form the video, the whole engine is completely stripped and each screw are clearly seen on the work desk. We say Bravo! What do you say?

  • What to put in a car’s gas tank to ruin the engine?

    pee in car

    What to put in a car’s gas tank to ruin the engine? What kind of things will ruin a car engine if we put it into the gas tank? What will ruin a car engine? There are many things can ruin a car engine if the material in the gas tank is not gas or diesel depending on the engine. Some will destroy the engine completely, some will make the engine burn, and some will simply stop the fuel flow and make the car engine can’t start (see car engine won’t start). It depends on how you want to ruin the engine. (more…)