<AREA SHAPE=RECT COORDS="13,295,26,307" HREF="!Ignition begins when the key turns the starting switch. Electricity flows from the battery to the starting motor, which cranks the engine.">
<AREA SHAPE=RECT COORDS="283,295,294,306" HREF="!Cranking takes place as the starting motor spins the flywheel. The flywheel turns the crankshaft, which starts the pistons moving up and down in the cylinders and activates the fuel pump.">
The typical car engine burns a mixture of gasoline and air inside closed cylinders. As the fuel burns, it produces expanding gases that force each piston down inside its cylinder. This downstroke provides the power that ultimately moves the car. Connecting rods transmit this power to the crankshaft, which converts the pistons' up-and-down movement into rotary movement.<NP>
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World Book diagrams by Graham Studios</P>
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