Looking under the hood of a car may be a rough assignment for many students.
Ashley Johnston, a general studies sophomore, said because of little knowledge on car parts, she never looks under the hood of her car.
The University has more than 22,000 students who commute to school via car, according to the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, and many students take their cars and its parts for granted.
From alternators to CV joints to transmissions, most students have no idea what parts reside under the hood.
Amy Wong, a mass communication junior, said she has no idea what parts make up her car.
“I usually cry and just call my mom, and she tells me to call [American Automobile Association] AAA,” Wong said.
Paul McDonald III, a road technician for Scott Toyota in Kenner, said cars are comprised of many parts that may be confusing for students to understand.
McDonald said some of the more important parts under the hood of a car are the transmission, fuel injection and alternator.
The transmission is the part that makes the car “go,” McDonald said. He said the transmission is connected to the engine by the clutch. From there, it transports power to the drive shaft, which turns the wheels of the car.
McDonald said transmission maintenance requires transmission fluid and filter to be replaced every 25,000 miles on automatic cars and 50,000 miles on standard cars.
The fuel injection has replaced the carburetor under the hood in most new cars, McDonald said. He said the fuel injection supplies fuel to the piston chambers in the engine. It is timed by the car’s computer to spray fuel on each cylinder in the engine.
Maintenance on the fuel injection involves cleaning the fuel injection itself along with the fuel filter every 50,000 miles.
The alternator is another key part to the car. It functions to keep the car’s battery charged during operation, McDonald said.
Other basic maintenance that should occur under the hood, according to McDonald, are oil changes every 3,000 miles, which keep the car running smoothly, along with an air filter change every 7,500 miles.
McDonald said changing the air filter will prevent restriction of air flow to the engine, which could cause long-term engine damage.
Parts not located under the hood, such as the CV joints and exhaust system, also are important to the car’s performance, McDonald said.
CV joints are found in front-wheel-drive cars and are attached to the transmission to control front- wheel movement, McDonald said.
He also said CV joints differ in maintenance times but need to be replaced if a popping noise can be heard when the car is turning.
Another important part is the car’s exhaust system.
The exhaust system is designed to move air out from the engine. It does this by pushing air out of the engine and through the catalytic converter, which filters out carbon monoxide and bad emissions. Air is then passed through the muffler, which quiets the air exiting, McDonald said.
Some students look to upgrade their exhaust with a dual exhaust or Flowmaster system.
McDonald said the dual exhaust system has two benefits. It provides better performance and produces a good sound. The dual exhaust system lends itself to easier air flow, which provides and increases horsepower.
Car parts are very complicated, and students should attempt to learn more about them.