<AREA SHAPE=RECT COORDS="357,155,367,165" HREF="!Pressing the accelerator opens the throttle, letting the pistons draw the fuel mixture into the cylinders. The fuel pump supplies gasoline under high pressure to the fuel injectors, which deliver it to the cylinders.">
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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