What Is a Cylinder in a Car?

A cylinder is a vital part of the engine. It's a chamber where fuel is combusted and power is generated. The cylinder consists of a piston and two valves at the top; an inlet and exhaust valves. The piston moves up and down, and its reciprocating motion generates power that moves your vehicle. Generally, the more cylinders your engine has, the more power is produced. Most cars have a 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engine. The numbers indicate the number of cylinders, and they will either be laid out in a straight line, V-shaped or in a flat arrangement. 

To understand how cylinders work, you need to understand how an engine works. The engine is made of a set of cylinders and a piston. The engine has to go through a chain of four steps (a four-stroke) to power your car; Intake, Compression, Power, and Exhaust. During the Intake stroke, a piston moves inside the cylinder and the inlet valve opens so the fuel is mixed with air. The Compression stroke allows the piston to compress the fuel-air mixture, making it combustible. The Power stroke is a stage where the combustion happens causing a spark. At the Exhaust stroke, the outlet valve opens letting the piston back down and the exhaust gases out through the outlet. Thus, cylinders play a crucial role in generating power inside your engine by directing which pistons to move and when the fuel needs to burn. 

Since the invention of the internal combustion engine, engine cylinders have gone on to be widely adopted by manufacturers. Engine cylinders are generally laid out in a straight line (an inline engine), V-shaped, or in a flat orientation.

In the case of an inline configuration, it is the same arrangement they used at the very beginning of the engine history. Inline cylinders are one of the most basic forms of cylinder arrangements. An inline 4-cylinder engine, for example, has the virtue of being small and light so it can be used on a variety of different drivetrains. Also, it causes fewer vibrations in your vehicle compared to other layouts, contributing to a smooth ride and comfortable driving.

When engine cylinders are V-shaped, they typically use 6 or more cylinders. Compared to inline engines, V-6 engines are much more compact which makes them easy to fit into diverse car platforms, thus cutting the cost of manufacturing. V-8 engine works in the same way as V-6, but with 2 extra cylinders. The main point of putting a V-8 in is for more power. A V-shaped engine is usually far shorter than an Inline that even a V-6 engine can be shorter than an Inline 4. The less longitudinal length is one of the biggest advantages of having V-6 and V-8 engines.

Engines with a flat arrangement commonly use four or six cylinders. In this arrangement, as its name implies, cylinders are lying flat to the ground. Since the flat engine greatly reduces the center of gravity compared to Inline or V-shaped engines, your car is going to have much smoother handling and less vibration.