Category: Glossary of Car Terms

What is Coil?

A part of the ignition system. The coil takes the electrical voltage supplied by the battery and amplifies it many times until it is powerful enough to fire a spark plug.

What is CV Joints?

CV (constant velocity) joints are part of a car’s driveline. They allow a wheel to rotate freely in any direction while still receiving power from the axle.

What is Cylinder?

Cylinders are the large round holes in the engine block that contain the pistons. The pistons travel up and down in the cylinders to create the engine’s power.

What is Cylinder Head?

The cylinder head is the top part of the engine. It often contains the valves, and for cars with overhead cams, it contains the camshafts as well. The cylinder head also forms the top part of the combustion chamber.

What is Clutch?

A clutch is found on cars with manual transmissions. The clutch lets the driver deliver the torque of a spinning crank and smoothly engage it to the gearbox to make the car move. Without a clutch, it would be nearly impossible to get a car with a manual transmission to move forward or backward.

What is Carburetor?

Carburetors are what all cars had prior to fuel injection. A carburetor takes air and fuel and mixes them in the right proportion to allow a car to run smoothly and powerfully. Some cars have multiple carburetors to allow for more power.