Archives for car basics

Shop Class: Month 1

Students at car basics class at The Shop

Travis, Chris, Angie, Misty and John at the first Shop Class

Our first Shop Class was a lot of fun! Chris, John and Travis were very knowledgable about cars and clearly explained the basic systems of a car — fuel, electricity, air — and how each of these are important to a car operating correctly.

the basics of car systems at The Shop's Shop Class

Chris and John’s breakdown of how the fuel, air and electric systems work together.

A few random things that students learned:

  • what gasoline’s octane means and what the difference does for your car
  • how ethanol fuels can affect certain types of cars and how you can combat those effects
  • how to deduce which system is having problems when your car won’t start
  • a closer look at how the inside of an engine works
A closer look at a car at The Shop

Travis, John and Chris explain how air, fuel and electricity flow into an engine with an up-close look at a mid-sized SUV.

The class was a great overview to of the basics, and future classes will targeted to specific systems and problems.

Next month’s class will be all about gauges/lights and noises your cars make. Come find out how to tell what sound means what, so you can be smarter about your car when something goes wrong.

We look forward to seeing you then — on May 18 at 10 a.m. at The Shop. Bring your friends!