- Posted by Sanderson Lincoln
- On April 28, 2016
Before you plan your visit to one of the Lincoln dealers in Phoenix, you may be wondering about the different types of engines available in today’s most popular cars. While there are dozens of unique engine types that now grace the automotive landscape, there are a few common ones that you can familiarize yourself with before you shop.
By far the most popular type of engine available is the four stroke internal combustion engine that burns gasoline. These engines work by sucking in air and fuel, compressing it tightly, igniting it with a spark, and expelling the exhaust gases. The force of each of these motions causes a cylinder head to move, which then causes a shaft to rotate creating kinetic energy that is transferred to your wheels through a series of gears and other components.
Among four stroke gas engines, there are several major configurations that you will hear about frequently: in-line, flat and V.
- In-Line – Typically used for four- and six-cylinder engines, an in-line engine uses a single cam shaft shared by all of the cylinders. Since in-line engines require fewer duplicate parts, they are often much smaller and lighter weight than other engine types. This makes them perfect for front wheel drive and fuel efficient cars. They also have significantly lower maintenance costs than other engines.
- Flat – Another small form factor engine type, the flat engine is also commonly seen in four cylinder setups. A flat engine places two cylinders on each side of a central cam shaft, working horizontally. These engines are notorious for their smooth acceleration and strong power relative to their size. They also have a lower center of gravity, but are wider than other options, meaning that certain considerations need to be made by the manufacturer in terms of how to arrange the engine compartment.
- V-Type – More and more companies are boasting the power of their latest V-style engines these days. Typically a V engine is followed by the number 6 or 8 to designate the number of cylinders it uses, although there are V12 engines in the supercar world. V engines use two banks of cylinders at a 90 degree angle to one another, sharing some central components. Their greatest asset is allowing for more cylinders and more power to fit into a confined space with a low central shaft. The integrity of these engines is very high, allowing them to outperform other engines in terms of raw power output.
Diesel engines can be found in any of the above configurations, but they use a slightly different cycle to accomplish power output. Instead of relying on a spark plug to ignite the fuel/air mixture in the cylinder, a diesel engine uses pressure to super-heat the mixture, and a glow plug to assist with the process.
By using pressure to ignite the fuel, diesel fuel generally burns more completely and produces more power. Diesel engines have been a dependable part of commercial automotive technology for decades, and often offer higher fuel economy than their gas equivalents.
The major downsides to diesel engines tend to be the additional noise produced during operation, and the somewhat more complicated maintenance schedule to keep them running smoothly.
Please visit Sanderson Lincoln to see our full line of quality Lincoln vehicles and take one or more for a test drive. We can also answer any questions you may have about engine types.