CarsDiva - Automotive Advice

Safety

CarsDiva — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:27:51 GMT

Airbag Safety device in a vehicle which restrains the occupant. It's composed of a flexible envelop, designed to inflate during a collision, and most often, can only be operated once. Airbags are meant to supplement a vehicle passenger that is also correctly restrained by a seatbelt.

Side Airbag Airbag that fills the space between the door and an occupant, preventing head, torso and pelvis injuries during a side impact collision. Often stored in the door-trim panel or the outboard side of the seat; Some of the newer designs include a roof headliner that attaches to the base of the A-pillar to prevent an occupant's head from hitting the side pillar or window.

Side Impact In the literal sense, this is when a vehicle is hit on the side. Safety regulations require automakers to construct vehicles to absorb a certain amount of force when hit from the side (i.e. during a side-impact collision). Stiffened side-impact beams, side airbags and extra padding are designed to meet these requirements and increase the safety of the vehicle occupants.

Engine

CarsDiva — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:59:45 GMT

Fan Belt Transfers power from a crankshaft-driven pulley to an engine fan and other accessories.

Fuel Injector Electrically controlled valve that inputs a precise amount of pressurized fuel into each combustion chamber. (Replaces carburetors.)

Horsepower Power produced by the engine. The higher the horsepower, the higher the vehicle's top speed. One hp is the power needed to lift a 550-lb weight, one foot in one second. (Often confused with torque, horsepower is what keeps you going- i.e. maintains the power.)

Torque A measure of twisting force, given in foot-pounds. In a vehicle, it's the force that the engine exerts on the crankshaft. Vehicle specifications typically include the maximum torque that an engine produces at a specific number of revolutions per minute (rpm.) (Often confused with horsepower, torque is what gets you going-- i.e. acceleration.)

Octane The hydrocarbon substance in gasoline that reduces engine pinging, caused by the premature ignition of fuel in the cylinder combustion chamber. The higher the number, the less the chance of premature ignition. Octane level or type of gas for a particular vehicle is recommended by the manufacturer, and often classified as regular, mid-grade or premium.

Spark Plug Converts voltage into an arc the passes between its electrodes, which then ignites the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber. When the mixture explodes, the piston is pushed down and power is created.

Starter An electric motor that's used to initiate movement of the engine parts to begin combustion. When the starter is activated (upon turning on the vehicle), the solenoid thrusts the pinion gear in the starter against the engine flywheel ring gear and begins turning it.

Turbocharger Compresses and forces extra air into the intake manifold to produce more power. Turbochargers and supercharges are used to produce more power without increasing engine displacement, however they typically aren't fuel efficient and are more costly to maintain.

Supercharger Like a turbocharger, the supercharger produces more power without increasing engine displacement, by forcing more air and vaporized fuel into the intake manifold of the engine. Unlike the turbocharger however, it avoids lag time by running off an engine-driven pump.

V-Type Engine In a V engine, the cylinders are divided into two banks, each angled away from the other at the top, essentially forming a "V" shape. Vehicles with a V engine (V-6, V-8, V-12), usually have twin exhaust pipes, and deeper rumbling engine sound.

Exhaust/Emissions

CarsDiva — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:01:30 GMT

Catalytic Converter The part of the exhaust system that creates a heat-producing chemical reaction to convert harmful combustion byproducts into carbon dioxide and water.

Muffler The chamber in the engine exhaust system that suppresses exhaust noise and smooths exhaust pulsations.

Transmission/Drivetrain

CarsDiva — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:54:57 GMT

Drivetrain This includes the components of the vehicle that work together to move it forward or backward. On front-wheel drive vehicles, this includes the engine, transaxle and drive axles; for rear-wheel drive, it's the engine, transmission, differential and drive shaft.

Driveshaft   The long metal cylinder found between the transmission and rear axle. (In front-engine, rear-wheel drive vehicles.) Up and down movement is possible because the shaft is connected to the components on each end with a universal joint.

Clutch   The component found between the engine and transmission. It's used to engage and disengage the transmission from the engine when shifting gears. Because the engine is turning at a very high rate (thousands of revolutions per minute), it's necessary to engage and disengage the transmission. Failure to do this while altering a gear ration could send bits of transmission shrapnel throughout the compartment and cause damage.

Clutch Disk   Component that transfers power from the engine to the transmission, by pressing against the transmission flywheel.

Flywheel   A large disc that's bolted to the rear end of the crankshaft. When starting the engine, a ring gear that encircles the flywheel, meshes with the pinion gear in the starter.

Limited-Slip Differential   A device that prevents the drive wheels from losing traction or skidding. It diverts power from the slipping wheel to the opposite wheel on the same axle.

Suspension

CarsDiva — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 18:49:07 GMT

Independent Suspension Allows each wheel to move vertically independently of the other wheels. The term “independent” refers to the motion of the wheels/suspension. Vehicles can have 2 or 4 wheel independent suspensions.

Shock Absorber Converts motion into heat, usually by forcing oil through small internal passages in a tubular housing. Because shock aborbers respond to motion, their effects are most obvious in transient maneuvers. In essence, they’re used to smooth out impulse and dissipate kinetic energy.

Strut Found on front-wheel drive vehicles, this is a self-contained pivoting suspension unit that integrates a coil spring with a shock absorber. It combines the primary function of a shock absorber with the ability to support sideways loads.

Brakes

CarsDiva — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:16:40 GMT

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) A safety system which prevents the wheels on a motor vehicle from locking while breaking. In essence the system sense the wheel rotation and automotically “pumps” the breakes in emergency braking conditions. This allows the driver to maintain control of their steering when breaking heavily to prevent a skid. While ABS offers improved vehicle control in some circumstances, it can also present disadvantages including increased braking distance on slippery surfaces such as ice, packed snow, gravel, steel plates and bridges, or anything other than dry pavement. ABS has also been demonstrated to create a false sense of security in drivers, who may drive more aggressively as a result.

Brake Caliper The assembly which houses break pads and pistons. There are (2) types of calipers- floating or fixed. A fixed caliper doesn't move relative to the disc. It uses one or more pairs of opposing pistons to clamp from each side of the disc, it's more complex and expensive than a floating caliper. A floating caliper (also called a "sliding caliper") moves with respect to the disc, along a line parellel to the axis of rotation to the disc; a piston on one side of the disc pushes the inner brake pad until it makes contact with the breaking surface, then pulls the caliper body with the outer brake pad so pressure is applied to both sides of the disc.

Brake Pad A replaceable piece of backing plate and additional friction lining. Break pads are designed for high friction with brake pad material embedded in the disc in the process of bedding while wearing evenly. Although it is commonly thought that the pad material contacts the metal of the disc to stop the car, the pads work with a very thin layer of their own material and generate a semi-liquid friction boundary that creates the actual braking force. Of course, depending on the properties of the material, disc wear rates may vary. The properties that determine material wear involve trade-offs between performance and longevity.

Brake Rotor Same as disc brakes- it’s the metal disk that brake pads squeeze to stop a vehicle.

Disc Brakes Sames as brake rotors. They’re attached to the wheel hub and rotate with the wheel. The brake calipers squeeze the disc to slow the vehicle when the brake pedal is depressed.

At the Dealership

CarsDiva — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:05:16 GMT

Do you ever walk onto a dealer's lot and feel like the salespeople are talking to you in another language? Edmunds.com assembled an excellent glossary of "Car Lot Lingo" (1) that will help you decipher what they're really talking about!

Be-back: A customer who leaves the car lot promising to return later, saying, "I'll be back," or some variation of that statement. "The guy was a be-back. But I think he meant it. I'll see him again."

Bumping: Raising the customer's offer for a car. "If Mr. Customer says he only wants to pay $250 a month, just say, 'Up to — ?' He'll probably bump himself up to $300 without you doing anything."

"Buyers are liars": Car salesmen know they have a reputation for dishonesty. But they counter with this claim of their own.

Salesman #1: After the test-drive, this guy tells me he has to leave 'cause he's got a doctor's appointment. Yeah, right."

Salesman #2: "What can I tell you, man? Buyers are liars."

Closer: An experienced salesman who is brought in to "close" the customer by making them agree to a deal. "If I worked with a better closer, I'd have more units on the board."

Demo: This is the test-drive. "This guy comes in, demos the car, and I think he's ready to buy, right? Then he tells me the car's for his wife and he can't make a decision without her. Same old line."

F&I: This stands for the Finance and Insurance office where the documents are signed. The F&I salesperson usually will push products such as extended warranties, fabric protection and alarms. "The wait for F&I is two hours. Better stick with your customer so they don't skip out the back door."

"The feel of the wheel will seal the deal": It is assumed that if you test-drive a car, you will buy it. "This prospect was on the fence, right? I get him in the car, he drives the thing, now he's hot to buy. It's like they always say, 'The feel of the wheel will seal the deal.'"

First pencil: This is the opening offer from the sales manager, usually written onto the four-square worksheet, so-called because it is highly negotiable, i.e. written in pencil, not ink. "I show my customer the first pencil and it's so high he nearly dies. I scrape him off the ceiling and make a deal."

Four-square: As negotiations begin, the salesman pulls out a worksheet divided into four squares which represent the four elements of a car deal: selling price, trade-in value, monthly payment and down payment. "I started working the four-square and looked up at the prospect. It was great — they had no idea what the hell I was talking about."

Full pop lease: This is when a vehicle is leased at 110 percent of the sticker price — the highest amount allowed by most banks. "I got them into a full pop lease. I'll get a nice voucher for that."

GM: The general manager. The GM is the head honcho at the dealership. He runs the business from day to day. "The guys were standing out on the curb drinking coffee so the GM called them into the tower and read them the riot act."

Green pea: A new car salesperson. "The funny thing is, green peas can outsell the veterans. That's because they don't know how hard this job is."

Grinder: A customer who negotiates for hours over a small amount of money. "We were only $100 apart, but the guy wouldn't sign. Man, what a grinder."

Home run: This applies when a salesman has taken advantage of every element of the deal: trade-in, sale price and financing. "I stole their trade and buried them in a full pop lease with 9.9 percent financing. Home runs like that don't come along everyday."

Lay down (Also "Lie down" depending on usage): A customer who takes whatever deal the salesperson offers. "I quoted him monthly payments of $575 and he took it! I wish all the customers were lay downs like that."

Mini: The commission on a deal where the car was sold at close to invoice price. "Sure, the deal was only a mini. But I qualified for a weekend bonus and made a grand."

Mooch: A customer who wants to buy a car at invoice. "People are spending too much time on the Internet reading invoice prices. It's turning them into a bunch of mooches."

Packing payments: Adding extra profit to the cost of a car. "This place I used to work got busted for packing payments. Bummer. But it was great while it lasted."

The Point: The place on the car lot where the "up" man stands looking for customers. "The GM saw me standing on the point with my hands in my pockets. He went ballistic and sent me home for the day."

Pounder: A deal with a $1,000 profit in it. "Doctor comes in and buys the top-of-the-line model, fully loaded — and he pays sticker! That'll be a two-pounder for me."

"Rip their heads off": This describes taking a customer to the cleaners. "I sold them this fully loaded, top-of-the-line model at a grand over sticker — I mean, I just ripped their heads off."

Roach: A customer with bad credit. Not to be confused with the "roach coach" (see entry below). "The guy looked good. But we ran his credit, and he turned out to be a roach. We're talkin' a 400 credit score, repos and bankruptcies out the wazoo."

Roach coach: The food truck that comes around to the dealership everyday. "I shouldn'ta eaten that chili from the roach coach. My stomach's killin' me."

Spiff: A tip, kickback or payment of any kind, usually cash which is handed between salespeople. "I spiffed the F&I guy $20 bucks, and he took my customers first."

Strong: This has a special meaning on the car lot. It means holding firm on your price and being a tough negotiator. "When they ask for your price, you have to be strong. Hit 'em with high payments, then scrape them off the ceiling and start negotiating." (See also "weak.")

Tower: The office where the sales managers work. This is usually a raised platform allowing the managers to see over the roofs of the cars so they can watch customers and their salespeople. "Attention: All new car salesmen report to the new car tower!"

Turn over: Also known as "turning," this is the practice of passing a customer from one salesman to another. It is thought that this will prevent customers from leaving the car lot. The theory is that the customer might just have bad chemistry with the first salesman and he might like the next salesman. "I turned this guy to my partner and he wound up buying. I'll get half of the commission on the deal."

Up: A customer who walks onto the car lot. The term probably comes from the order in which customers are taken, as in: "Who's up next?" "There are customers all over the lot — looks like the ups bus just arrived."

Voucher: Car salespeople receive a voucher to let them know what their commission was for selling a car. They don't know until the deal is finalized exactly how much they will receive. "Check out this voucher. I thought I had a pounder. Instead it's a mini."

Weak: This describes being a weak negotiator or coming down too quickly on price. "The guy was weak so he only lasted a few months. How are you going to make money in this business if you give away cars?"

(1) Courtesy of Edmunds.com, "Car Lot Lingo: Talk the Talk" by Philip Reed.