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About This Quiz
Having a car is as American as apple pie. Loving that car is as American as a bald eagle. Talking about that car to anyone who will listen is annoying and you shouldn't do it. Still, a certain amount of car chat is useful, because that's the best way to get your hands on the knowledge necessary to keep your car in tip-top shape. As it is with clothing and houses, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to cars. Replacing a spark plug, cleaning a battery, or changing some oil the first time you know something is wrong - or if you're really nailing it, before something is wrong, because you have an eye on how long it's been since you last checked - is key to making sure you don't end up with a vastly more expensive problem that might put your car out of commission, expose you to danger, or cost you thousands of dollars.
How well do you know car maintenance? Sure, any old person can change a tire, but there's a lot more to it than that. This quiz will figure out if you know how to keep your car ticking along, or if you need to talk to an expert. Let's see how you do!
How often should you rotate your tires?
Every 3,000 to 5,000 miles
You want to swap the tires around so they wear evenly. That way you get more out of them.
Every 10,000 miles
Every 5,000 to 8,000 miles
That's not necessary with modern tires.
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What is the right air pressure for tires in a normal-size car?
30 psi
35 psi
35 pounds per square inch is a great pressure for tires. If it is much lower, you start to slide around on the road.
40 psi
150 psi
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What sort of car requires the least maintenance?
Truck
SUV
Hybrid
Electric
Electric cars have about 1% (not a typo) as many moving parts as other cars so they are much cheaper to maintain. Plus, no fuel costs.
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How many miles should you go between oil changes?
10,000
5,000
Oil should be changed at 5,000 miles.
50,000
100,000
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Roughly how often should you replace your serpentine belt?
Every 40,000 miles
The serpentine belt is a kind of drive belt that transmits power to all your automotive bits and bobs like the AC. It is made of a polymer and will degrade eventually.
Every 50,000 miles
Every 70,000 miles
Every 100,000 miles
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You know how to check your oil - but what is it actually doing for the car?
It's fuel, duh.
Keeping it cool
Keeping it warm
Keeping it lubricated
Fuel and oil are not the same thing. Oil keeps things nice and lubricated so they don't crunch and stick.
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What's one parking tip that will help with engine maintenance?
Park pointing uphill.
Park on level ground.
Parking on level ground helps stop the oil and other parts stay level.
Park pointing downhill.
Curb your wheels.
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What color should the oil be?
Amber
Amber is the right color. If it is black, see your mechanic.
Black
Green
Red
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What is coolant for?
Cooling, duh
It's called coolant for a reason! It takes the excess heat from the engine out of the engine so it doesn't overheat and pack up on you.
Warming
Lubrication
De-icing
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What is a hazard triangle?
A bad intersection
A thing you should have in your car to warn traffic
A hazard triangle goes on the ground to warn cars not to run into your car if it breaks down.
A thing you should put on your car at night
A light that warns other drivers
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What is the place on a car where you use a little lift to raise it so you can change a tire?
Jack knife
Jack point
A jack point is a little flat reinforced area that is designed to not crack when you put the whole weight of that corner of your car on it.
Jack up
Jack set
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What might cause a smell of burned fish in your car - other than actual burned fish?
Just burned fish. Nothing else smells like burned fish.
Singed brake pads or clutch
If it is inside the car then it probably came from the engine or something else internal. Check clutch and brake pads.
Engine failure
Singed tires
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What happens to fuel economy if you raise the weight of the car?
It goes up.
It goes down.
If the car is heavier but otherwise the same, it generally has worse fuel economy.
It doesn't change.
It depends.
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How often should you replace a copper spark plug?
Every 10,000 miles
Every 100,000 miles
Every 30,000 miles
Iridium ones are better and can go more than three times as long before they need changing.
Every 50,000 miles
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How long does it take for an engine to be "run in"?
It doesn't need that any more.
10,000 miles
100,000 miles
500 miles
Running in an engine used to be done by the owner but now it is done by the manufacturer running the engine. The purpose of running in a new engine is to get it going by rubbing off abrasive edges on the piston rings. Using a car lightly for 500 miles is still wise, though.
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What engine problem is prevented by higher octane fuel?
Explosions
Engine knocking
Knocking is when the fuel doesn't all ignite so it starts making funny sounds. Those are actually tiny explosions. Don't worry about them unless you hear a lot of them.
Leaks
Overheating
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Does it matter what kind of paint you put on your car?
Yes
Detailing and bodywork prevent rust and other damage. They're not just about vanity.
No
No as long as it is shiny
No as long as you wax
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What is it called when you connect your car battery to another car's engine and then turn your key?
Ignition
Jump starting
Jump-starting a car works because the car doesn't run off the little battery - it just needs it to create the spark for ignition. It actually charges the battery while it's running. Leaving your lights on can run down your battery.
Clicking
Connecting
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What is it called when electric car drivers get worried they're too far from the nearest charging station to reach it?
"Should've bought a gas car"-itis.
Range anxiety
It's harder to carry more batteries than it is to carry more fuel. Still, modern electric cars are so much better than gas ones that they can go a long way on a single charge and recharge in under 10 minutes.
Battery bothering
Fuel fussing
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If you're about to do electrical work on your car, what is the first step?
Turn it off
Unplug the battery
Always disconnect the negative terminal first!
Cool it down
Take it to a mechanic - gotta protect that warranty!
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Your battery claims it is maintenance-free, but it's not working. After disconnecting it, what do you do?
Clean the contacts.
If there is dirt in the battery's contacts, they might not connect properly and then power cannot flow. Check the contacts and clean them if necessary.
Turn it upside down.
Charge it from another car, just in case.
Get another one.
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When replacing a headlight bulb, what it is important not to touch?
The glass of the bulb
There is a special coating on the glass and your grubby mitts will put oil and grime on it that will ruin it!
The base of the bulb
The contacts
You can touch whatever you like.
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What do you do if your wipers sound squeaky?
Ignore it.
Replace them.
Clean them.
If cleaning doesn't work, check the rubbery underside of the wiper. If it's corroded, just replace them. Visibility matters.
Feel them.
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Roughly how often should you replace the cabin air filter?
12,000 miles
The air in the car will depend on what's outside the car, but generally the filter matters!
50,000 mile
100,000 miles
200,000 miles
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Which of these is NOT a car maintenance app?
aCar
AutoCare
Car Minder Plus
CarTASTIC
CarTASTIC is clearly a better name than any of these other ones, but sadly it's not a thing that exists.
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You've just changed your tire. What should you do in the next four days?
Drive slowly.
Check if you did a good job.
Take it to the garage to get it tightened up.
Unless you had a machine on you to tighten up the nuts, you probably didn't get it as tight as is ideal. Go to the garage and ask them to quickly tighten them up.
Nothing, I already fixed it.
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But seriously, what is the point of hubcaps?
Decoration
Fun
To stop small animals nesting in the wheel (seriously)
To stop dirt getting in
Hubcaps help to stop dirt and moisture collecting in the wheel and corroding it.
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What tool do you need to own to replace a spark plug?
Allen key
Philips head screwdriver
Ratchet or socket wrench
Don't do this with the wrong tool. You will strip the spark plug and then getting it out is a nightmare.
Wallet, to pay someone to do it
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What's a brake pad?
The part of the brake that grips
The pads clamp onto the wheel and slow it down.
The part of the brake that connects to the wheel
Another name for the pedal
The part of the tire in contact with the road
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What kind of water goes into the engine with the coolant?
Saltwater
Freshwater
Your car wants water, but don't put salt in there. Otherwise, anything goes.
Purified water
Any water
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You're checking out a pre-owned car. Where should you especially run your hands to check for rust?
Around the lights
Fender
Rust creeps in at the edges. Try feeling the wheel well.
Dashboard
Trunk
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If one of your lights isn't working, what is most likely causing that other than a blown bulb?
Bad wire
Blown fuse
The fuse in a car is not a breaker, so if it blows you have to replace, not reset.
Dead battery
Low fuel
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If your car battles you when you try to keep it straight on the road, but otherwise isn't dragging, what might be causing that?
Blown tire
I am just really right-handed.
Mis-aligned tires
Your car's tires should be level when the car is level. If they're not, it'll wander off.
Broken axle
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Other than losing fuel, what problem can be caused by a leak in the fuel lines?
The car can turn into a fireball.
If fuel leaks, it might hit a spark and then turn into fire. A lot of fire.
The car can fail to turn on.
The car can roll over.
The car can accelerate so fast that it crashes.
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What is the name of the engine piece that synchronizes the camshaft and crankshaft so that the valves open and close at the right moment?
Rudder belt
Timing belt
It makes sure the values open in synchrony with the cylinder's intake and exhaust strokes.
Timing valve
Riding valve
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You Got:
/35
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