Kwijenereyitha yepetroli, umsebenzi wokupholisa ubalulekile. Xa usebenza kumaqondo obushushu aphezulu, iqondo lobushushu ngaphakathi kwicylinder apho amafutha atshayo anokufikelela kwi-1,800 ukuya kuma-2,000 degrees celcius. Oku bushushu, ngaphezu kokuvelisa uxinzelelo lokwandisa ukwenza umsebenzi, kunokunyusa ngokukhawuleza ubushushu bamacandelo afana ne-cylinder, piston, kunye neevalvu, ngaloo ndlela kuchaphazela ukusebenza okuqhelekileyo. Xa amaqondo obushushu esiba phezulu kakhulu, umxube we-fuel womoya ongenayo uyakhula ngenxa yokufudumeza, ukunciphisa ukuxinana kwawo, nto leyo enciphisa umthamo wokuthatha, okukhokelela ekunciphiseni kwamandla okukhutshwa kwejenereyitha yepetroli. Ngaphezu koko, kunokukhokelela ekutshisweni okuzenzekelayo kunye nokugqabhuka. I-oyile iphinda ibe yincinci, yonakalise ukuthambisa kwee-friction pairs kunye nokukhawuleza ukunxiba kwecandelo. Amaqondo obushushu aphakamileyo amacandelo anokuphazamisa ukukhutshwa okuqhelekileyo kokusebenza, ukunciphisa amandla omatshini, kubangela ukuguqulwa kwecandelo, kwaye kwiimeko ezinzima, kukhokelela kwiziganeko ezifana nokuhlutha kunye nokwandiswa kwe-cylinder.
Ukuze ugweme ezi ngxaki, kubalulekile ukuba iijeneretha zepetroli zibe nenkqubo yokupholisa ukuqinisekisa ukusebenza kakuhle. Nangona kunjalo, ukupholisa okungaphezulu akusoloko kungcono, njengoko ukupholisa okugqithisileyo kunokunyusa ukusetyenziswa kwepetroli, kubangele ilahleko enkulu yobushushu, kunye nokunciphisa ukuphuma kwamandla, kubangela ukuba umatshini usebenze ngokungaqhelekanga. Ngoko ke, iqondo lokupholisa kufuneka lilingane kwaye lifaneleke. Indima yayo ephambili kukukhupha ubushushu obugqithisileyo obuveliswe ngexesha lokusebenza komatshini, ukuqinisekisa ukuba onke amacandelo agcina ubushushu obuqhelekileyo bokusebenza.