Rheostat refers to a control which varies the intensity of the lights and speed of certain accessories that it is connected to. For instance, an instrument lighting rheostat controls the brightness of the instrument lighting.
Category: Glossary of Car Terms
What is Rocker Arms?
Rocker arms are used in overhead valve (OHV) engines. They are operated by pushrods and open and close the valves.
What is Running rich?
This is a condition that occurs when too much gas and too little air is being fed to the engine. A sign of rich running is black, sooty exhaust.
What is Revving The Engine?
When your car is in park or neutral and you press on the gas without the intention of making the car move, you are revving the engine.
What is Radiator?
The radiator is the central component of the cooling system. It takes the heat from the engine and coolant and passes it to the surrounding air, which then cools the engine.
What is Rotary Engine?
A rotary engine does not have pistons or cylinders; instead, it has triangular shaped rotors that move in an elliptical path within chambers to create power. The only companies that have offered rotary cars for sale are Mazda, NSU, and Citroen.
What is Rubbing Compound?
A rubbing compound is a type of paint polish that contains extremely fine abrasive particles. These particles remove the top layer of paint, revealing the shiny layer underneath.
What is Relay?
A relay is like an automatic switch. When power is applied to a relay, an internal switch closes, completing a circuit.
What is Riding The Clutch?
When driving along, if you rest your foot on the clutch pedal, you are riding the clutch. This practice causes excess wear on the clutch and the clutch throw-out bearing.
What is Radiator Cap?
The radiator cap maintains a specific pressure in the cooling system so it operates efficiently.
What is RWD?
Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD). Rear wheel drive cars transmit power to the ground through the rear wheels.
What is Rust-converting primer?
Rust-converting primer is a special type of primer that stops the progress of surface rust.
What is Springs?
Springs absorb road imperfections and vibration, help hold the suspension up, and help vehicles handle better.
What is Sway Bar?
The sway bar is a suspension system component that helps a vehicle to stay flat and not lean excessively when cornering. Also called a stabilizer bar or anti-roll bar.
What is Speedometer?
An instrument that indicates a vehicle’s speed.
What is Starting System?
The starting system consists of the starter motor, starter solenoid, battery, ignition switch and ignition key.
What is Starter Solenoid?
This is a large relay that controls the operation of the starter motor.
What is Shock Absorbers?
Shock absorbers are part of your vehicle’s suspension and contribute to your vehicle’s ride quality. They also regulate how much your vehicle moves up and down after going over a bump.
What is Suspension?
A car’s suspension helps it to handle better, while increasing comfort and isolating passengers from bumps and vibration.
What is Synchromesh?
Synchromesh is a feature that allows you to upshift and downshift a manual transmission without grinding gears. It does this by synchronizing, or evening out, the speed of the engine and the speed of the gear you are selecting. If your car didn’t have synchromesh, you would either have to match the engine speed to…