Car Engine Cylinders: What You Need to Know

Most of us have heard the term “cylinder” used to describe a car engine, but many people don’t know exactly what that means. No matter the number of cylinders your engine has, they generally function in the same way.

The cylinders in your car’s engine convert the energy needed to make your car move. Inside each cylinder is a piston that works like so:

• The piston moves up and down inside the car engine cylinder.
• As it moves down, the top chamber inside the cylinder is injected with an air/fuel mixture.
• As the cylinder moves back up, it compresses the air/fuel, and the spark plug for each cylinder ignites the mixture, creating an explosion that forces the piston down.
• The force from that internal combustion is what gets your car moving.

How many cylinders your car has, typically four or six, makes a difference in terms of performance, reliability, and lifespan.

4 Cylinder vs 6 Cylinder Reliability

There has historically been a lot of debate among drivers and car repair experts about which is better between a car engine with 4 cylinders vs 6 cylinders. Reliability is one issue, and power is another. Simply put, having more car engine cylinders means having more pistons, which will produce more power. Performance cars and trucks tend to go with a V6, the “V” indicating the shape of the cylinder arrangement on the engine.

When it comes to 4 cylinder vs 6 cylinder gas mileage, the 4 cylinder models tend to win out. This is largely because smaller, lighter-weight vehicles tend to have 4 cylinder engines.

However, developments in car technology have altered the debate. A 4 cylinder car today is more powerful than a lot of older 6 cylinder models. Conversely, a 6 cylinder car today gets better gas mileage than a lot of older 4 cylinder cars.

Get Your Car Engine Serviced by the Experts at Cascade Collision Repair

No matter what car you drive or how many cylinders it has, you need to turn to a trusted expert when it needs repair. That’s why Cascade Collision is the right choice for car repairs and maintenance. Our convenient locations are there to serve you and keep your car and all its cylinders running smoothly. Contact us today for a free quote.