Once I put my key in the ignition and turn the car on what are the sequence of events that take place?
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The battery is turned on in the first key position and the accessory position allows the electrical system to power things like the radio and wipers. When the key is further turned to the start position the starter motor meshes a gear with the flywheel gear attached to the engine crankshaft. The starter motor then engages and uses its gear to turn the engine over which moves the pistons to start the four stroke cycle. These four strokes are intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. As the engine turns, fuel and air enters the engine cylinders as the intake stroke. Then the piston moves upward to compress the fuel air mixture as the compression stroke. When it is fully compressed the spark plug fires to ignite the fuel air mixture and the hot expanding gasses force the piston back down as the combustion stroke. And finally the gasses are exhausted from the cylinder as the exhaust stroke. All of the cylinders will do these four strokes in sequence and the engine will now be self sustaining. Then you release the key and it springs back to the on position where the engine is running and charging the battery.
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