Re: Car technology basics

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
Marcus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>Greetings,
>
>I am wondering where I can find basic information about common terms,
>like
>V6, In-line 4, all-wheel drive, etc.  Preferablly in plain English and
>not too technological.  Is there such a book?
>
David Macaulay's book: The Way Things Work, while not limited to cars,
has explanations for the internal combustion engine, standard and automatic*
gearboxes, differentials, and brakes. [If you have kids that ask how things
work, this is an outstanding resource, as it covers lots of stuff]  Much of
the book is available in CD-ROM format (www.dk.com for more information).
[I have no connection with DK, but I really love the book]

The Complete Car Care Handbook (publisher and author unremembered) has a very
good section on how cars work, marred only by its printing date of sometime
in the early eighties.


* It explains how the hydraulics work to shift a two speed automatic from
low to high, and it gives an adequite explanation of planetary gear sets.