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You see them on tuned cars all the time, yet automakers don't offer them from the factory. Here's why.

Peek under the hood of any heavily-modified car, and you're likely to see an oil catch can. Whether it's a low-displacement screamer, a massively turbocharged import, or a hulking V8 American dragster, you'll see some variant of the same catch can design bolted somewhere in the engine compartment.

But what's it there for? How does it work? And if it's such a good idea to have one, why don't new cars come from the factory with an oil catch can? Why are we stuck buying universal kits from Amazon?

As always, Jason Fenske is here with the answer. The lovably nerdy host of the YouTube gearhead seriesEngineering Explained, Fenske uses excellent whiteboard illustrations and bone-simple explanations to demystify the inner workings of the automotive components you never quite understood.

Go ahead, spend four minutes learning how an oil catch can works, and why your car probably doesn't have one. It's more informative than whatever else you've been doing on the internet all day.