# Everyone who knows what a "cylinder" is, raise your hands... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296 "2013-03-29T21:16:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/21 "2013-03-30T00:52:31Z")
> [@MikeG](#): > > What do you mean by a bad cylinder? Bad as in bad? Or bad as in good? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/22 "2013-03-30T01:01:13Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Bad as in bad? Or bad as in good? Depends on how many _a_’s are in it. “A _bad_ cylinder” = a bad cylinder. “A _baaaaaaaad_ cylinder” = a cylinder good on the scale of Michael Jackson or Richard Pryor. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/23 "2013-03-30T01:26:50Z")
Young’uns today wouldn’t even consider changing a flat tire, let alone care what a cylinder is. Unless they’re part of the tuner/drifter set- ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/24 "2013-03-30T02:14:33Z")
> [@Silvorange](#): > > I don’t know what’s inside my car _or_ my computer. Then I predict a marvelous future for you in Senior IT Mgmt, IT Project Mgmt or conversely, Car Salesmen. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/25 "2013-03-30T02:22:35Z")
> [@iftheresaway](#): > > Yeah, I’m with Antigen on this. I can check my oil, pump my gas, and change an air filter, but beyond that, I’m pretty much gonna let the experts (or my stepdad) handle it. I have a limited amount of room in my brain for knowledge, and the specifics of what a “bad cylinder” will do to my car just didn’t make the cut. I know more than that, but a “bad cylinder” is a bit vague. No spark in that cylinder? No fuel? No compression? So the OP narrows it down to “no compression,” and that helps, but there could be several causes for that. Still, anyone in the market for a car, and prepared to buy one in a private sale (presumably without a warrant), should _at the very least_ know what a cylinder is, and what they’re letting themselves into when a cylinder has no compression. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/26 "2013-03-30T02:22:42Z")
It’s my understanding that even if I knew what the hell a car cylinder was, I wouldn’t be able to fix the damn thing without specialized tools and equipment. It’s not like in Ye Olde Dayes, when there were a lot of extra Es floating around, and someone could pop a car’s hood and tinker a bit with a screwdriver and pliers and wrench, and fix whatever’s wrong. Today, you gotta plug the car into a computer to find out what’s wrong. I don’t know much about cars, but I know that much. I can put gas and air in. I used to be able to put oil in, but we haven’t had a car that really burns oil in 25 years or so, so I don’t know if cars have changed or not. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/27 "2013-03-30T02:34:57Z")
Why in the hell would I need to know what an engine cylinder is? Give me one good reason that wouldn’t also apply to every other thing I own. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/28 "2013-03-30T02:40:35Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Why in the hell would I need to know what an engine cylinder is? > > Give me one good reason that wouldn’t also apply to every other thing I own. Because fixing them is expensive, and you’ll want to be able to figure the possibility of an expensive repair into the price you’re willing to pay for a used car. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/29 "2013-03-30T03:05:34Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Why in the hell would I need to know what an engine cylinder is? > > Give me one good reason that wouldn’t also apply to every other thing I own. Actually, I think it _does_ apply to every thing that you own. But, maybe I’m unusual in my desire to possess “abstract knowledge.” ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/30 "2013-03-30T03:06:31Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Kids today! Can’t even name half the parts to a horse bridle. Bit, cheekpieces, noseband (usually either flash or ordinary), browband, throatlatch, crownpiece, reins. All of which have “keepers” to hold the loose ends. What were we talking about? Oh, yeah, cars. Cylinder? Not totally sure what it does. I know what the pistons do, roughly, and I suppose I could eventually figure out that it’s the pistons inside cylinders which create compression. But if someone told me that a car had a “bad cylinder” I wouldn’t know what it means in practical terms, the way I know what a bad transmission or a bad alternator or bad brakes mean. What I do know is I won’t buy a car that won’t pass emissions due to the engine itself, because that way lies only pain. Even if the seller’s being honest, it might not be the only problem with the emission system. And professional inspections are worth the money. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/31 "2013-03-30T03:18:16Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Actually, I think it _does_ apply to every thing that you own. > But, maybe I’m unusual in my desire to possess “abstract knowledge.” I like knowing some abstract knowledge. But I no longer aspire to know everything in the world. Cars and their inner workings generally bore me. I’m only one person, and I only have 24 hours in a day. I now limit my pursuit of knowledge to things that either interest me or which have a practical use. I know that if something is wrong with a car, and it’s a noun that starts with a C, then fixing it is likely to be expensive. My daughter made up this rule some years ago, and so far, it’s held true. 😛 As I stated earlier, I have neither the tools nor expertise (OK, what am I referring to?) to deal with a broken cylinder, and if I heard that a car that I liked had a problem cylinder, then I’d probably either get it checked out by a trusted mechanic, or I’d start looking at another car. Cars are mostly interchangeable, and a car that’s old enough to be hard to find is also going to be a damned pain to maintain. I can find another car that i like just as well that doesn’t have a problem cylinder. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/32 "2013-03-30T03:23:04Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Actually, I think it _does_ apply to every thing that you own. > But, maybe I’m unusual in my desire to possess “abstract knowledge.” I can tell you this much. If you ever own a home, you damn well better know how everything works and it’s probably going to be a good idea to know how to fix a lot of it yourself too. There are some unbelievable charlatans out there in the residential contracting business. Yes, before anyone starts looking for rope to lynch me, the vast majority are honest, straight shooters. But ignorant home owners are the bane of the good ones as well as being the fat, succulent warthogs for the bad ones. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/33 "2013-03-30T04:00:41Z")
> [@Antigen](#): > > I know it’s a shape. Like a Coke can. > > I _know_ it’s part of a car’s engine too, but if you told me a car had a “bad cylinder” I wouldn’t know exactly what that meant in terms of seriousness and cost of repair. I have a vague cartoon picture in my head of a car’s engine with pistons and such, but if one is “bad” I don’t know what that means. Less efficient? Will the car still run? Will it cough out fumes? Flames? No clue. Same for me. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/34 "2013-03-30T04:29:27Z")
Heck-my SIL doesn’t even know how to check the oil! This is getting serious, because almost no gas stations do this now. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/35 "2013-03-30T04:50:33Z")
They don’t show movies in shop class any more?!? :eek: Or isn’t shop class mandatory any more? :dubious: I learned the basics of ICE operation when I was in 7th or 8th grade, even though I had zero interest in automobiles. I know that if a cylinder is bad, there either isn’t a complete seal (resulting in poor compression and a loss of power) or there’s something wrong with the ignition system/spark plug (its timing is off or it isn’t firing at all). Yes, the piston slides up and down in the cylinder. They’re precision machined to fit together snugly. In a four-stroke engine, the cycle is intake, compression, power, exhaust. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/36 "2013-03-30T04:59:02Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Heck-my SIL doesn’t even know how to check the oil! This is getting serious, because almost no gas stations do this now. Auto dealers should offer a basic automobile care course before selling a vehicle to the average citizen, or at least provide them an illustrated\* handbook with every vehicle. \*LOTS of pictures, since the average citizen is now apt to be functionally illiterate. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/37 "2013-03-30T06:00:31Z")
Seems it coincides with the advent of the internet. When I was a teen growing up, in a rural area, we spent our time tinkering with engines, going fishing, riding our bikes, building stuff out of wood, etc. My impression of the current generation is that it’s mostly computers, video games, and hanging out at the mall. No engine tinkering, for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/38 "2013-03-30T13:48:03Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Or isn’t shop class mandatory any more? :dubious: My son’s High School of about 1600 students doesn’t even _have_ shop class. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/39 "2013-03-30T13:55:03Z")
Buying a old car and fixing it up was a rite of passage for a lot of teens in the 50’s and 60’s. I grew up in the mid 70’s and early 80’s. By then insurance costs were a big deal. My first car was older but ran ok and had good brakes. I fixed it up with pin stripes and rims. A really nice cassette player and speakers. I do minor repairs on a car. Anything major goes to a mechanic. I know how an engine works but cars today are just to complicated for shade tree mechanics. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296/40 "2013-03-30T14:02:17Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Now, ignoring for the moment that I just think it’s good practice to know something about the devices one uses (like computers)… Total bunk. People have different needs in our society. I have only the vaguest idea how a computer works on the inside. I’ve been using them just fine for years without issue. If they stop working, I call someone who has chose repairing them as vocation to fix it. Same with cars. When my mechanic needed his kitchen remodeled, he called me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/everyone-who-knows-what-a-cylinder-is-raise-your-hands/654296.md?page=3)