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Tech Center

	When Fact Meets Friction: The Basics of Clutch Operation If you've ever driven a vehicle with a manual transmission, you know how to depress the clutch, select a gear, and release the clutch while applying power to get the car to move. But what really happens when you depress and release the clutch? Let's get to the bottom of that question.
	More Power to Your Steering You've probably all heard the term "power steering." But what does it mean? Don't all cars have steering of some kind, and doesn't the power come from how hard we crank on the steering wheel? Well, not exactly.
	A Lot of Smoke, but No Real Fire Sometimes, the most valuable information you can have about a vehicle component relates to how it doesn't work and what it can't do. In this instance, accurate and down-to-earth reporting on the nature of a mechanical device can save you time and money when wading through the quagmire of misinformation currently available from various aftermarket manufacturers.
	Tech Center Re-Revisted Several months ago I spent a column of Tech Center answering questions brought up by previous Tech Center topics. Since then, eight new columns have appeared along with hundreds of new questions.
	Colder is Better While reading through the last few columns of Tech Center, you may have noticed a trend relating to cold air. Specifically, colder is better.
	Throttle in a Bottle Nitrous oxide, and its relationship to engine performance, is probably the single most misunderstood component of today's automotive aftermarket.
	Turbos Tales As a self-proclaimed fan of turbos (and job security), I have decided to devote this "Tech Center" to the basic operation of a turbocharger.
	Charge It! Today, superchargers aren't limited to just extravagant sports cars for the super rich, as they were in the 1930s.
	Brakes: Drum vs. Disc Why are disc brakes better than drum and how much, if any, loss of braking occurs when using rear drum brakes on a modern car? That's what we're going to find out in this edition of Tech Center.
	Injection Perfection So what is it about EFI that makes it so much better than the simpler, less-expensive and easier-to-work-on carburetor?
	All Lined Up Wouldn’t it be great if you could improve the steering response, cornering ability, and gas mileage of your vehicle in less than an hour and for less than $50?
	Tech Center Revisited I am using this week's Tech Center to revisit previous topics and answer questions sent in by readers, as I did with a recent Innovations column.
	The Twist on Torque Specifically, what are the differences between horsepower and torque?
	Horsepower: Gross vs. Net If you’ve spent any time around cars or car people you’re familiar with the term horsepower. And while you may have a general idea of what horsepower refers to, its exact definition and how that definition plays out in the real world can be a bit confusing.
	SUCK-SQUEEZE-BANG-BLOW Whoops! With a title like that you probably think you've hit the wrong website...While the above title may sound like something out of a Kenneth Starr report, it's really just a creative way of remembering the stages of the four-stroke cycle.
	Sidewall Graffiti Have you ever taken a close look at your tires? Not a "hey, they're still pretty shiny" glance but a really close look? If you have you probably noticed that they're covered with all sorts of strange letters and numbers. You might have even thought they displayed some kind of secret code that only the "Tire People" know how to read.
	Top Five Ways To Make Your Car Run Forever O.K., so right off the bat you know that this title is a bit unrealistic. Obviously there’s no way a car can run forever (although those early 60’s Plymouth Valiants with the slant-six engine…). You can, however, greatly extend the life of your vehicle, while simultaneously reducing the possibility of mechanical mishaps.
	Oil’s Well That Ends Well Since our last discussion focused on how to make your car live a long and trouble-free life through basic maintenance, I thought a look at the most basic of basic maintenance was in order this time around. Specifically, I am referring to that most joyous of occasions: the oil change.
	What Wheel Drive? How many driven wheels does a vehicle really need? The proliferation of SUVs on America's highways and byways over the last ten years would suggest that two simply isn't enough. But what exactly are the advantages of four-wheel drive (or all-wheel drive) versus front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive?

Comments: techcenter@edmunds.com

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