Q: i am about to own my very first car in life and have been very ignorant about them. since i am getting a pre-owned car, i may not get the manual. where, on the net, can i find all the basics i need to know about how cars function?
A: for the most part, an engine is an engine. A drive train is a drive train. They all work the same basic way. As for learning the BASICS of how vehicles work, www.howstuffworks.com is a good start. But just because you understand what happens in a cylinder doesn't mean you know everything about the car. They are incredibly complex these days.