🔧 Engine Simulator
Build it, rev it, dyno it: see and hear how an engine really works.
How to play
- Choose a finish and a job, then press Open the Garage. Your engine sits on a stand: drag it to look around, and scroll or pinch to zoom.
- Press 🔑 Start (or E) to crank the engine over. Hold GAS, W, the up arrow or Space to rev it. Let go and it drops back to idle.
- Build the engine with the parts under the picture: the layout, the size in litres, the camshaft, a turbo, the exhaust, the fuel and the ignition timing. Every part has a price, and the total must stay inside the job's budget.
- Press 📈 Dyno (or D) to run a full-throttle pull from 1,800 rpm to the redline. The graph plots horsepower in red and torque in blue.
- Hit the job's target to pass. Stay under budget for 2 stars, and with no engine knock for 3 stars.
- If the KNOCK light flashes, the fuel is exploding too early. Use better fuel, less turbo boost or less timing advance, or the engine can be damaged.
- Press X for x-ray to switch the see-through block on and off.
See inside a running engine
Engine Simulator puts a real-looking car engine on a stand in your garage and lets you watch it work. The block is see-through, so you can follow every part as it moves: the crankshaft spinning, the connecting rods swinging, and the pistons sliding up and down their cylinders. Each cylinder flashes as its spark plug fires, and the exhaust headers start to glow red as you rev it harder. Drag the engine round to look at it from any side, or switch off the x-ray to see it as a solid block.
Everything moves in the right order. A four-cylinder fires its cylinders one, three, four, two. A straight-six fires every 120 degrees, which is why it is so smooth. A flat-four boxer has pistons that punch in and out towards each other, and a V8's two banks of cylinders sit at 90 degrees to each other on a crankshaft with four crank pins.
Every engine sounds different
The sound is not a recording. It is built while you play, from every single cylinder firing, and pushed through an exhaust. That is why a single-cylinder lawnmower engine putters, a four-cylinder buzzes, a straight-six sounds silky and a V12 screams. A cross-plane V8 has its famous lumpy burble because each bank of four cylinders fires unevenly into its own exhaust. Add a turbo and you will hear it whistle as it spools up and hiss when you lift off the throttle. A race cam makes the idle lope, and a straight-pipe exhaust pops and crackles on the overrun.
Build it and run the dyno
Each job gives you a target and a budget. Choose the layout and the size in litres, then pick a camshaft: mild for pulling power low down, or race to rev high and make big power at the top. Add a small or big turbo for a huge boost, a sport or straight-pipe exhaust so the engine can breathe, and premium or race fuel so it can take more boost. Then run the dyno. It holds the engine at full throttle as it sweeps up to the redline and draws the horsepower and torque curves, just like a real engine dyno.
The trick is balance. More boost and more timing make more power, but they also make the engine knock, when the fuel goes off too early and hammers the pistons. A bit of knock costs you the third star, and a lot will damage the engine. Better fuel stops it, but costs money, so the cheapest build that hits the target without knocking is the one to beat.
Seven jobs and a free build
Start It Up is a lawnmower engine to start and rev to the limiter. Dyno Day asks for 150 horsepower from a four-cylinder. Straight Six is all about torque, Muscle V8 wants 450 horsepower, Turbo Tuner squeezes 260 horsepower out of a tiny 1.6-litre four, Boxer Rally builds a flat-four rally engine, and Hypercar V12 goes for 800 horsepower. Free Build lets you make anything you like.
Learning how engines work
Engine Simulator is a hands-on way to learn real science: how a four-stroke engine turns explosions into spinning motion, why more cylinders run more smoothly, how horsepower relates to torque and rpm, and why a turbo needs better fuel. Stars unlock shiny blue, chrome and gold engine finishes.
Engine Simulator is free, needs no download or account, and saves your progress only in your own browser. See the Parents & Safety page for details. Want to drive? Try Car Driving Simulator 3D, Offroad 4x4 Trails or all our Car Games.
Frequently asked questions
Is Engine Simulator free?
Yes. It is a free 3D engine simulator that runs in a web browser with no download, account or plugin.
Which engines can I build?
A single-cylinder, an inline-4, an inline-6, a flat-4 boxer, a V8 and a V12, each with the right firing order and its own sound.
What is engine knock?
Knock is when the fuel explodes too early and hammers the pistons. In the game it happens with too much turbo boost or timing advance on cheap fuel. Use premium or race fuel, or turn the boost or timing down.
What does the dyno show?
The dyno runs the engine at full throttle up to the redline and plots its horsepower (red) and torque (blue) at every rpm.
What is the difference between horsepower and torque?
Torque is how hard the engine twists. Horsepower is how fast it does that work: torque multiplied by rpm. That is why an engine that revs higher can make more horsepower from the same torque.
Why can't I hear anything?
The sound starts when you press Start, because browsers only play sound after you tap or click. Check the mute button and your device volume.