The engine cylinders of a high performance car

Everything you need to know about engine cylinders

Everything you need to know about engine cylinders, including what they are, how they impact engine size, layouts and troubleshooting of engine cylinder problems.

14 October 2025

Key points:

This article covers everything you need to know about engine cylinders, including:

  • What are engine cylinders? An engine cylinder is a sealed chamber where fuel is burned to create the mechanical energy that powers a vehicle. It contains a piston that moves up and down.
  • How engine cylinders impact engine size: The engine's size (or displacement) is the total volume of all its cylinders. More cylinders generally result in more power.
  • Different engine cylinder layouts: Cylinders can be arranged in various configurations, most commonly in a straight line (inline) or in a 'V' shape.
  • Troubleshooting engine cylinder problems Signs of a failing cylinder include unusual sounds, vibrations, loss of power, leaks, misfires, or strange smells.

What is an engine cylinder?

In all traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, you will find engine cylinders which power the vehicle’s engine. The engine cylinders are where fuel is burned and converted into mechanical energy that powers the vehicle.

The number of cylinders in a car varies depending on the make and model of the vehicle. Typically, you will find between four and eight cylinders in regular vehicles.

The cylinder is made of metal and is sealed shut. It contains a piston that moves up and down, compressing the fuel, which, in diesel engines, ignites and causes combustion. In petrol engines, the compression mixes the fuel with the air so the spark plug can more efficiently ignite the fuel.

There are two valves at the top of the cylinder: an inlet valve and an outlet valve. The inlet valve is where the fuel and air enter the cylinder from the carburettor or electric fuel injector, and the outlet valve is where exhaust gases escape.

Exhaust gases created during combustion in the cylinder rotate an axle known as the crankshaft. These are connected to the bottom of the cylinder which, in turn, power the gearbox that drives the wheels.

The more cylinders there are, the more pistons are combusting fuel, the more power is generated.

Cylinders can be laid out under the bonnet in a straight line, in two rows or in a flat arrangement. Engines with cylinders in a straight line are known as an inline engine (i.e. I4 or L4). These usually have less than six cylinders.

Those in two rows are referred to as a V engine, as they are usually in a 'V' formation and often have more than six cylinders. UK engines with a flat arrangement generally have four to six cylinders.

What is an engine cylinder head?

On top of the engine block, you will find the cylinder head. This forms the roof of the combustion chamber. The engine cylinder head seals the cylinders, regulates airflow and contains essential engine components like the valves and spark plugs.

Is cylinder capacity the same as engine size?

Engine cylinder capacity and engine size are effectively the same thing, as both terminologies refer to the total volume of all the cylinders in an internal combustion engine.

Therefore, the more cylinders you have, the bigger the engine size will be. This measurement is also known as engine displacement.

Engine displacement indicates an engine's true torque power and fuel consumption, representing the total volume the pistons sweep as they move from the bottom of the cylinder to the top.

The cylinder capacity is calculated using the engine's bore (the diameter of the cylinder) and stroke (the distance the piston travels).

Cubic centimetres (cc) are the precise unit used for measuring cylinder capacity, representing the maximum volume of air and fuel the engine can displace.

For example, a 1,998cc engine has a total displacement of 1,998 cubic centimetres.

For simplicity, engine sizes are most commonly expressed in litres. A litre is equal to 1,000 cubic centimetres. Therefore, a 1,998cc engine is typically rounded to a 2.0-litre engine.

Do electric cars have engine cylinders?

Electric cars don't have engine cylinders because they're powered by an electric motor, not a traditional internal combustion engine.

Instead of burning fuel in cylinders with pistons, an electric motor uses a magnetic field between a stator and a rotor to convert electricity from the battery into motion.

What is a three-cylinder engine?

Cars with a three-cylinder engine typically have three engine cylinders arranged in a straight line and sharing a crankshaft.

Three-cylinder engines are lightweight, compact units that offer drivers superior fuel economy and lower costs, both at point of sale and to run, than their larger counterparts.

Examples of cars with three-cylinder engines:

What is a 4-cylinder engine?

In a four-cylinder engine, you would typically find the cylinders arranged in a straight line. As mentioned above, engine cylinders arranged in this manner are known as inline engines, which may also be referred to as a ‘Straight-four engine’.

Examples of cars with a four-cylinder engine include:

What is a 5-cylinder engine?

Also known as an inline-five or straight-five engine, the five-cylinder piston engine, like it’s smaller counterparts, is usually arranged in a straight-line.

You may also find a five-cylinder engine with the cylinders arranged in a ‘V’ shape, known as a V5 engine.

However, while it offers drivers more power and performance than a three- or four-cylinder engine, it also is more efficient and is more compact than a six- or eight-cylinder engine.

Examples of five-cylinder engine models include:

What is a 6-cylinder engine?

A six-cylinder engine is another type of piston engine. It is sometimes referred to as an inline-six or straight-six engine if the cylinders are arranged in a straight line. You can also find V6 engines, which feature six cylinders in the ‘V’ formation.

Inline-six or V6 engines are, again, more powerful than the engines mentioned above thanks to their six pistons, making them suitable for sports cars and heavier loads.

What is an 8-cylinder engine?

You would typically find an eight-cylinder engine arranged in a ‘V’, also known as a V8 engine. However, you can also find a straight-eight or inline-eight, with all the cylinders arranged in a straight line.

This type of piston engine is usually found in heavier load or high-performance vehicles, like sports cars and SUVs. You will find eight-cylinder engines in the below models:

How do I know if an engine cylinder isn't working?

If an engine cylinder is not working, there are certain things you can look out for, like overheating, leaking or misfiring (which can be detected by smell), smoke or visible leaks.

See

Grey smoke coming from under the bonnet in any situation is an obvious indicator that there’s a problem with your car.

If you already think there is something wrong with your cylinders and this happens, it could indicate that one or more of your cylinders are not working and your engine is overheating.

f you spot a leak under your car that isn’t near the exhaust and the fluid is green, pink or yellow, you may want to check your coolant levels. Leaks under your car like this can also indicate a problem with your cylinders.

If you are experiencing engine misfires, you may also see your engine light come on the dashboard; the light can be continuous or blinking and is, again, indicating that you could have an issue with your engine cylinders.

Smell

With engine cylinder problems, you may be able to detect a sweet and rubbery smell when inside the car. This smell often comes from engine coolant leaking into the cylinders.

You may also smell fuel in the cockpit from the exhaust as a result of unburned fuel.

Feel

Cylinder pressure should be balanced to maintain efficient combustion and good engine condition. Low pressure from an engine cylinder is easily identifiable, as the car’s performance will be impacted. Look out for:

Hear

You may also hear unusual sounds from the exhaust, like popping, sputtering or backfiring noises, coming from the exhaust as a result of unburned fuel igniting in the exhaust system.

Ticking, clicking, knocking or pinging are other sounds you could hear when you have cylinder-related issues, so keep an ear out!

Conclusion

If your car is displaying any of these issues, you should have a professional check it over – engine cylinders and gaskets are crucial to the safe and working order of car engines.

Servicing made simple.

Book, approve work and pay online.

Book now
Orange Vauxhall Corsa