The system of components that keeps your engine at the correct operating temperature. The cooling system includes the radiator, radiator cap, coolant reservoir, cooling fan, water pump, thermostat, hoses, heater core, heater valve, and antifreeze.
Category: Glossary of Car Terms
What is Clutch Pedal?
The pedal on manual transmission cars that operates the clutch.
What is Crazed Paint?
Crazed paint occurs when paint is so damaged, the surface actually develops hairline cracks. These cracks may spread in a spiderweb fashion across the surface of the paint. Crazed paint is unrestorable, and sometimes has to be completely removed when a car is repainted.
What is Circuit?
The term circuit refers to a closed system, whether electric, fluid, or hydraulic, that brings energy or fluid from one part of a car and delivers it to another.
What is Compression Test?
A test to see how much pressure a cylinder can create.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is formed when not enough oxygen is present during the combustion process to convert carbon (C) to carbon dioxide (CO 2). An increase in the carbon monoxide (CO) emission is normally accompanied by an increase in the hydrocarbon (HC) emission because of the lack of oxygen to completely burn all of the fuel…
What is Cracked Paint?
Cracked paint occurs when a paint is so damaged, the surface actually develops cracks. These cracks may spread in a spiderweb fashion across the surface of the paint. Cracked paint is unrestorable, and must often be completely removed when a car is repainted.
What is Climate Control?
Climate control, also called automatic temperature control, is a computerized system that automatically maintains a selected temperature for your car’s interior.
What is Catalytic Converter?
A catalytic converter is an exhaust system component that causes a chemical reaction so harmful pollutants are minimized before they continue through the exhaust system.
What is Camshaft?
The engine’s camshaft is driven by the crankshaft via the engine timing belt or timing chain and controls when the engine’s valves open and close. Older cars have the camshaft inside the engine, but newer vehicles have overhead cam designs that place the cam in the cylinder head for more efficient operation.
What is Chassis?
A car’s chassis is like the foundation of a house – it is the basis upon which the rest of the car is constructed.
What is Burning Oil?
Oil burning occurs when one or more internal engine components fail, thus allowing oil into the engine’s combustion chamber. There, the oil is burned along with the air/fuel mixture.
What is Barrel?
A barrel is a venturi in a carburetor where air and fuel are mixed, then taken into the intake manifold and then to a cylinder. Carburetors usually have from one to four barrels, depending on the engine application.
What is Braking System?
The braking system in a modern car consists of the brake pedal, a power brake booster, brake master cylinder, brake lines, brake fluid, brake rotors (including calipers and pads), and, for some vehicles, brake drums (including wheel cylinders and brake shoes). In addition, all vehicles have a parking/emergency brake. Taken together, these components operate in…
What is Brake Booster?
A device that uses engine vacuum or hydrualic pressure to multiply or boost the pedal effort of the driver while braking, thus adding more hydrualic pressure to the brakes for added stopping power.
What is Bearings?
Bearings are used to prevent wear when two moving parts are placed very close to each other.
What is Brake Fluid?
A special type of hydraulic fluid designed specifically for brakes. Brake fluid transfers the motion of a driver stepping on a brake pedal directly to operate a brake caliper or wheel cylinder.
What is Brake Shoes?
Brake shoes are used specifically with drum brake systems. Brake shoes fit inside the brake drum, and are pressed against the drum by a wheel cylinder when the brakes are applied, thus slowing or stopping the car.
What is Brake Caliper?
A c-shaped device used with disc brakes. When a driver presses on the brake pedal, the caliper piston squeezes the brake pads against the rotor and causes the car to slow down or stop
What is Brake Drums?
Brake drums are drum-shaped components which contain internal brake shoes, which expand and press against the drum, when the driver presses on the brake pedal, slowing or stopping the car.