Do you ever feel overwhelmed and confused, when visiting the local garage? Do you ever wonder what this confusing car mechanic terminology actually means? We are wondering, too! A visit to the car garage is not an easy experience for many of us that simply nod with their heads every time the car mechanic mention that your car is in need of and the issues consist of… (feel free to fill the gap with any complex mechanical jargon you hardly ever have any idea what it means). It is time for a change and today we at Mobeo will help you find out the meaning behind one of the most common terms you can hear from your car mechanic.
Intercooler
Intercooler’s job consist of cooling the gas that is compressed by the turbocharger before it enters into the engine and that way increasing the engine’s power.
ISOFIX
This is the international standard for child safety seats. The mechanism here, unlike the child seats that are fixed in place by seat belts, consists of clips that connect the seat to the lower anchors.
Jacking points
The jacking points are specific points on the underside of the car, which are designed for fitting the car’s jack and that way one corner of the car can be lifted. The car jack doesn’t have to be fitted anywhere else.
Limited-slip Differential (LSD)
If a wheel is on a slippery surface, LSD will stop the power being allocated to this wheel and transmit it to the other wheels that have a grip.
Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Also referred to as simply as propane or butane. LPG is a mixture of gases that are used for fuel. LPG delivers ca 15% fewer mpg (miles-per-gallon) than diesel and petrol.
Miles-per-gallon (mpg)
This is the number of miles that the vehicle can travel per gallon of fuel consumed.
Power steering
It helps the driver steer by augmenting steering efforts of the steering wheel.
Q-plate
“Q” registration numbers are given to kit cars or rebuild and not originally registered in the UK cars. Owners can apply for an original registration if they can prove certain aspects of originality.
Regenerative braking
This is a smart system used for electric cars. It is a simple mechanism that takes the leftover power when braking and uses it to keep the battery charged.
Supercharger
Supercharger is an air compressor that increases the density of air supplied to the engine.
Suspension
Suspension is a car’s system of tires, springs, shock absorbers, links, dampers and wishbones that connects the vehicle to its wheels and that way give the vehicle’s specific handling and ride characteristics.
Traction control
Tractions control system is designed to reduce and prevent the loss of traction and wheel spin.
Transmission
The type of gearbox of the vehicle, which can be manual, automatic and semi-automatic.
Valves
Valves open and close to allow the fuel mixture to in and the exhaust gases out. Wheelbase The distance between the centres of the front and rear wheel.