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Accelerator Pedal
A foot operated device, which, directly or indirectly, controls the flow of fuel and/ or air to the engine, controlling engine speed.

Accumulator
A vessel in which liquid or gas is stored, usually at greater than atmospheric pressure.

Actuator
A mechanism for moving or controlling something indirectly instead of by hand. Compare: Solenoid, Relay and Valve.

Air Conditioning
A vehicular accessory system that modified the passenger compartment air by cooling and drying the air.

Alternator
See Generator

Battery
An electrical storage device designed to produce a DC voltage by means of an electrochemical reaction.

Blower
A device designed to supply a current of air at a moderate of pressure. A blower usually consists of an impeller assembly, a motor and a suitable case. The blower case is usually designed as a part of the ventilation system. Compare: Fan.

Brake
A device for retarding motion, usually by the means of friction.

Body
The assembly of components, windows, doors, seats, etc; that provides enclosures for passengers and/ or cargo in a motor vehicle. It may or may not include the hood and fenders.

Bypass
Providing a secondary path to relieve pressure in the primary passage.

Camshaft
A shaft on which phased cams are mounted. The camshaft is used to regulate the opening and closing of the intake and exhaust valves.

Canister
An evaporative emission canister contains activated charcoal, which absorbs fuel vapors and holds them until the vapors can be purged at an appropriate time.

Capacitor
An electrical device for accumulating and holding a charge of electricity.

Carbon Dioxide
A heavy, colorless gas that can be found as a product of complete combustion.

Carbon Monoxide
A colorless, odorless gas that can be found as a product of incomplete combustion.

Carburetor
A mechanism which automatically mixes fuel with air in the proper proportions to provide a desired power output from a spark ignition internal combustion engine.

Catalyst
A substance that can increase or decrease the rate of a chemical reaction between substances without being consumed in the process.

Chassis
The suspension, steering and braking elements of a vehicle.

Circuit
A complete electrical path or channel; usually includes the source of electric energy. Circuit may also describe the electrical path between two or more components. May also be used with fluids, air or liquid.

Cleaner
A device used in the intake system of parts that require clean air. An air cleaner usually has a filter in it to trap particulates and only pass clean air through.

Climate
The temperature/ ventilation in the passenger compartment.

Closed Loop
An operating condition or mode that enables modification of programmed instructions based on a feedback system.

Clutch
A mechanical device, which uses the magnetic, or friction type connections to facilitate engaging or disengaging of two shafts or rotating members.

Code
A system of symbols (as letters, numbers, or words) used to represent meaning of information.

Coil (Ignition)
A device consisting of windings of conductors around an iron core, designed to increase the voltage, and for use in a spark ignition system.

Control
A means or a device to direct and regulate a process or guide the operation of a machine, apparatus, or system.

Converter (Catalytic)
An in-line exhaust system device used to reduce the level of engine exhaust emissions.

Converter (Torque)
A device, which by its design multiplies the torque in a fluid coupling between an engine and transmission/ transaxle.

Coolant
A fluid used for heat transfer. Coolants usually contain additive such as rust inhibitors and antifreeze.

Cooler
A heat exchanger that reduces the temperature of the named medium.

Crankshaft
The part of an engine, which converts the reciprocating motion of pistons to rotary motion.

Data
General term for information, usually represented by numbers, letters and/ or symbols.

Device
A piece of equipment or a mechanism designed for a specific purpose or function. DO NOT use "Device" as a base word.

Diagnostics
The process of identifying the cause or nature of a condition, situation or problem, in order to determine corrective action in repair of automotive systems.

Differential
A device with an arrangement of gears designed to permit the division of power to two shafts.

Distributor
A mechanical device designed to switch a high voltage secondary circuit from an ignition coil to spark plugs in the proper firing sequence.

Drive
A device which provides a fixed increase or decrease ratio of relative rotation between its input and output shafts.

Driver
A switched electronic device that controls output state.

Electrical
A type of device or system using resistors, motors, generators, incandescent lamps, switches, capacitors, batteries, inductors, or wires. Compare: Electronic.

Electronic
A type of device or system using solid state devices or thermionic elements such as diodes, transistors, integrated circuits, vacuum fluorescent displays, and liquid crystal displays; or the storage, retrieval, and the display of information through media such as magnetic tape, laser disc, electronic read-only memory (ROM), and random access memory (RAM).

Engine
A machine designed to convert thermal energy mechanical energy to produce force or motion.

Exhaust
Gaseous byproducts of combustion emitted from an engine

Fan
A device designed to supply a current of air. A fan may also have a frame, motor, wiring, harness, and the like. Compare: Blower.

Fuel
Any combustible substance burned to provide heat or power. Typical fuels include gasoline and diesel fuel. Other types of fuel include ethanol, methanol, natural gas, propane, or a combination.

Generator
A rotating machine designed to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Glow Plug
A combustion chamber heat-generating device to aid starting diesel engines.

Governor
A device designed to automatically limit engine speed.

Ground
An electrical conductor used as a common return for an electric circuit (s) and with a relative zero potential.

Hydrocarbon
An organic compound containing various carbon and hydrogen molecules, which occur in fuel.

Idle
Rotational speed of an engine with vehicle at rest and accelerator pedal not depressed.

Ignition
System used to provide high end voltage spark for internal combustion engines.

Indicator
A device, which visually presents vehicle condition information transmitted or relayed from some other source.

Injector
A device for delivering metered, pressurized fuel to the intake system or the cylinders.

Input Shaft
A shaft in a device that is "driven" by the previous element in the power train.

Intake Air
Air drawn through a cleaner and distributed each cylinder for use in combustion.

Inverter
A device, which converts direct current into alternating current.

Knock (Engine)
The sharp, metallic sound produced when two pressure fronts collide in the combustion chamber of an engine.

Level
The magnitude of a quantity considered in relation to an arbitrary reference value.

Line
A generic service term used to describe a system of pipes , tubes and hoses.

Link (Electrical/ Electronic)
General term used to indicate the existence of communication facilities between two points.

Manifold
A device designed to collect or distribute fluid, air, or the like. Compare: Rail

Memory
A device in which data can be stored and used when needed.

Mode
One of several alternative conditions or methods of operating a device or control module.

Module (Electrical/ Electronic)
A self-contained group of electrical/ electronic components, which is designed as a single replaceable unit.

Motor
A machine that converts kinetic energy, such as electricity, into mechanical energy. Compare: Actuator.

Nitrogen Oxides
Various combinations of nitrogen and oxygen atoms, which can be a product of incomplete combustion.

Open Loop
An operating condition or mode based on programmed instructions and not modified by a feedback system.

Output Shaft
A shaft in a device that drives the next element in the power train.

Oxygen
A colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that supports combustion.

Park/ Neutral
The selected non-drive modes of the transmission.

Power Steering
A system, which provides additional force to the steering mechanism, reducing the driver's steering effort.

Powertrain
The elements of a vehicle by which motive power is generated and transmitted to the driven axles.

Pressure
Unless otherwise noted, is gauge pressure.

Pressure (Absolute)
The pressure referenced to a perfect vacuum.

Pressure (Atmospheric)
The pressure of the surrounding air at any given temperature and altitude. Sometimes called barometric pressure.

Pressure (Barometric)
Pertaining to atmospheric pressure or the results obtained by using a barometer.

Pressure (Differential)
The pressure difference between two regions, such as between the intake manifold and the atmospheric pressures.

Pressure (Gauge)
The amount by which the total absolute pressure exceeds the ambient atmospheric pressure.

Pump
A device used to raise, transfer or compress fluids by suction, pressure or both.

Radiator
A radiator is a liquid to air heat transfer device having a tank(s) and a core(s) specifically designed to reduce the temperature of the coolant in an internal combustion engine cooling system.

Rail
A manifold for fuel injection fuel. Compare: Manifold.

Refrigerant
A substance used as a heat transfer agent in an air conditioning system.

Relay
A generally electromechanical device in which connections in one circuit are opened or closed by changes in another circuit. Compare: Actuator, Solenoid, Switch.

Regulator (Voltage)
A device that automatically controls the functional output of another device by adjusting the voltage to meet a specified value.

Scan Tool
A device that interfaces with and communicates information on a data link.

Secondary Air
Air provided to the exhaust system.

Sensor
The generic name for as device that senses either the absolute value or a change in a physical quantity such as temperature, pressure, rotation or flow rate, and converts that change into an electrical quantity signal. Compare: Transducer.

Shift Solenoid
A device that controls shifting in an automatic transmission.

Signal (Electrical/ electronic)
A fluctuating electric quantity, such as voltage or current, whose variations represent information.

Solenoid
A device consisting of an electrical coil which when energized, produces a magnetic field in a plunger, which is pulled to a central position. A solenoid may be used as an actuator in a valve or switch. Compare: Actuator, Relay, Switch

Solid State
Crystalline circuit structure used to perform electronic functions. Examples of such structures include transistors, diodes, integrated circuits and other semiconductors.

Speed
The magnitude of velocity (regardless of direction).

Supercharger
A mechanically driven device that pressurizes the intake air, thereby increasing the density of charge air and the consequent power output from a given engine displacement.

Switch
A device for making, breaking or changing the connections in an electrical circuit. Compare: Relay, Solenoid, Valve.

System
A group of interacting mechanical or electrical components serving a common purpose.

Tank
A storage device for liquid or gas.

Test
A procedure whereby the performance of a product is measured under various conditions.

Thermal expansion
The expansion of a solid, liquid or gas due to a change in temperature.

Throttle
A valve for regulating the supply of fluid, usually air or a fuel/ air mix, to an engine.

Transaxle
A device consisting of a transmission and axle drive gears assembled in the same case. Compare: Transmission.

Transducer
A device that receives energy from one system and re-transmits (transfers) it, often in a different form, to another system. For example, the cruise control transducer converts a vehicle speed signal to a modulated vacuum output to control a servo. Compare: Sensor

Transmission
A device which selectively increases or decreases the ration of relative rotation between its input and output shafts. Compare: Transaxle.

Troubleshooting
See Diagnostics.

Turbine Shaft
A shaft in a device that is driven by a turbine.

Turbocharger
A centrifugll device driven by exhaust gases that pressurize the intake air, thereby increasing the density of charge air and the consequent power output from a given engine displacement.

Ultraviolet
The portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between violet visible light and x-rays.

Vacuum
A circuit in which pressure has been reduced below the ambient atmospheric pressure.

Valve
A device by which the flow of liquid , gas, vacuum or loose material in bulk may be started.

Vapor
A substance in its gaseous state as distinguished from the liquid or solid state.

Volatile
Vaporized at normal temperatures; or not permanent.

Wastegate
A valve to limit charge air pressure by allowing exhaust gases to bypass the turbocharger.

Wheel
A circular frame of hard material that may be solid, partially solid, or spoked and capable of turning on an axle.

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