Car Technical Terms with Definitions

Here are all the car technical terms with definitions in layman terms....

ABS (Anti-Lock Brakes, Anti-Locking Brake System): A computer controlled brake system designed to keep your brakes from locking up even if you slam your foot on the brake.

All-Wheel Drive (Full-Time Four Wheel Drive): A car technical term that describes a system where all wheels have power to them all the time.

Clutch: This is the third pedal you depress when you shift gears while driving a vehicle with a manual transmission.

Detailing: The process of thoroughly cleaning a cars interior and exterior where every little nook and cranny is cleaned to make the car look as new as possible.

Drive Shaft: A metal shaft that delivers the power from the engine to the differential and then to the wheels in the case of rear wheel drive vehicles.

Engine: The same thing as a motor. Most cars have a 4 cycle internal combustion engine. These 4 cycles are: intake, compression, power and exhaust.

Front Wheel Drive: Your engines power is transferred to a front wheel or wheels only.

Fuel System: This is what mixes the correct amount of gas and air to your engine. Carburetors used to be used but now most cars use computer controlled fuel injection.

Miles Per Gallon (MPG): How many miles you can drive your car on one gallon of gas.

Odometer: The gauge that records how many miles your car has driven since it was new.

Rear Axle Assembly (Differential): An assembly of gears that transfers your motors energy to your rear wheels. These gears are turned by the drive shaft which is powered by your engine

Rear Wheel Drive: The motor transfers its power to the rear wheels only. Actually, its usually just one wheel. Most big cars, trucks and SUV's are rear wheel drive while most small cars are front wheel drive.

Transaxle: This is what transfers your engines power to the wheels in a front wheel drive vehicle.

Transmission (Trans, Tranny): This is basically a bunch of gears that transfers the high revolutions of your motor to a lower speed and higher torque.

Unitized Construction (Unibody): A car technical term that describes a method of construction where the body and what used to be called the "chassis" are a single entity. Its lighter and less expensive to build vehicles with unitized construction instead of the old way where the body was bolted onto a steel frame known as a chassis.

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