Knowledge © Eric R. Pianka Now, eventually something in the car must fail. It might be as simple as a flat battery or running out of gasoline, or it might be more insidious such as a broken wire or mechanical part. If it was transparent enough, you might be able to use common sense and wire things together to keep the car running, but if the problem was harder to identify you would find yourself at a loss. This is where prior knowledge of auto mechanics could prove useful. If you had been instructed in how to repair vehicles, you would check the ignition for a spark, then check the carburetor for fuel, etc. You might be able to identify the problem and even replace a faulty part (assuming you had access to new parts). Last updated 12 September 2014 by Eric R. Pianka