An instrument measures levels of a certain system and provides a visual key for those levels. For instance, the gas gauge in your car measures the fuel level, while the temperature gauge indicates the engine temperature.
Category: Glossary of Car Terms
What is Ignition Points?
Part of the ignition system which instructs the coil to send voltage to the distributor. They do this by opening and closing, which turns on and off a circuit.
What is Head Gasket?
The head gasket seals the cylinder head to the engine block. It is subject to tremendous pressures, and often fails if and when an engine overheats.
What is Heater Fan?
The heater fan is the interior fan that controls the speed of air being introduced into the interior.
What is Hydraulic circuit?
The hydraulic circuit is a closed system of tubes that contain hydraulic fluid. When pressure is applied at one end of the hydraulic circuit, it travels through the tubes to the other end.
What is Heater System?
The heating system warms the air brought into a vehicle’s interior. The heating system is connected to the cooling system and consists primarily of the heater core, heater valve, and, if equipped, a climate-control system.
What is HVAC?
HVAC is a mechanic’s term for your car’s ventilation system. The letters stand for Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning.
What is Heater Core?
The heater core is a miniature radiator that sits in the dashboard. When the heater is turned on, it opens the heater valve which lets hot coolant into the heater core, which then warms the air coming into the vehicle’s interior.
What is Heater Ducts?
The heater ducts are the tubes that connect the heater fan to the vents in your vehicle’s dashboard.
What is Idle?
When your car is on but not moving, and you are not touching the gas pedal, it is idling. For instance, when you are waiting at a stop light, your car is idling.
What is Idle Circuit?
This is a special kind of circuit found in a carburetor that only operates when the engine is at an idle.
What is Intake Manifold?
The intake manifold goes between your vehicle’s fuel system and the cylinder head(s).
What is Ignition Timing?
Timing refers to when the spark ignites the air/fuel mixture. Timing needs to be set exactly right for an engine to run correctly.
What is Manual Choke?
Manual chokes have a cable that lets the driver control the carburetor’s choke operation. Most newer cars with carburetors have automatic chokes instead of manual chokes.
What is Muffler?
The muffler is a part of the exhaust system designed to reduce the noise generated by a vehicle.
What is Misfire?
When incomplete or no combustion occurs in one or more cylinders due to improper fuel, ignition, cylinder compression, or air.
What is LSD?
Limited-Slip Differential (LSD). An LSD senses the slippage of each wheel it sends power to and redirects power to the wheel with the most grip. Many high-performance vehicles have LSDs.
What is Lug Nuts?
Lug nuts attach a car’s wheel to its hub.
What is Leakdown Test?
A leakdown test is used to find excessive wear in an engine. When a technician performs a leakdown test on your vehicle, each cylinder is tested to see how well it holds pressure. If a cylinder is unable to hold pressure, your technician can pinpoint what component of the cylinder (piston rings, valves, etc) has…
What is Liability Insurance?
Liability insurance is coverage only for damage that you inflict on other people or their possessions. It does not cover theft or damage to your vehicle.