Ultimate Car Expert Terminology Cheatsheet (Part 1)

We bring you through this two-part special of the technicals of every car terminology you should add to your vocabulary from A to Z.

   A

1. A-line: This line traces over the roof, from the front to the back, and forms the shape of the vehicle.
2. ABS: Anti-Lock Braking System. This is a system to prevent skidding, especially in wet conditions.
3. ARF: The Additional Registration Fee is a levy the buyer has to pay when buying a new car. The higher the OMV of the vehicle, the more cash one will have to fork out.

   B

4. Beltline: This line can be found extending under windows from the front to the back.
5. Brightwork: These are any functionals or aesthetic reflective additions to the car.

   C

6. CEVS: Carbon Emissions-Based Vehicle Scheme (CEVS) was introduced in 2013 to encourage the purchase of low carbon emission vehicles. Depending on the car’s carbon emission volume, one can either receive a rebate or a surcharge.
7. COE: Certificate of Entitlement (COE) is a document that one requires to register for a new car.
8. Carburettors: Used in petrol engines to mix the petrol with air for delivery to the combustion chamber.
9. Character line: A strip around the vehicle that generally features to give the car a distinctive and notable appearance.
10. Cladding: These are panels around the car edges that can be aesthetic or functional.
11. Combustion chamber: The area at the top of the engine cylinders where the fuel is introduced and either ignited (petrol) or compressed (diesel).
12. Compressor: A system used by some manufacturers to improve the power of engines by forcing air into the combustion chamber at greater pressure.
13. Cylinder: One of a group of chambers in the engine within which the combustion process takes place. Most configurations are either 4, 6 or 8 cylinders.

    D

14. Disc brakes: A disc rotates with the wheels, straddled by a caliper that can squeeze the surface of the disc at the edge to slow the wheels.
15. Drive train: All parts of a vehicle that create power and transmit that power to the wheels.
16. Drum brakes: A braking system that uses a metal drum. Brake shoes press against the drum to slow down or stop the car.

    E

17. Engine management system: An extremely sophisticated computer which monitors the condition of the engine at all times.
18. ERP: During certain hours of the day, the Electronic Road Pricing system vacuums money from a stored-value CashCard that every car owner must insert into a beeping grey device.
19. Exhaust: The pipe through which the waste gasses from the combustion processes are removed from the engine and the car.

    F

20. Front wheel drive: The power of the engine is transmitted to the front wheels by driver shafts.
21. Fuel injection system: A fuel pump sends the petrol to the engine bay, and it is then injected into the inlet manifold by an injector, for the engine to run smoothly and efficiently.

    G

22. Gearbox: Transmits the power from the engine to the wheels. It acts to transmit different levels of power.
23. Glow plugs: Used in diesel engines to heat the combustion chamber so that the diesel compresses and expands rapidly.
24. Grille: The metal grate at the front of the car which provides cooling and also gives the car its signature look.

    H

25. Hip point: The distance between the pivot point of a person's hips, the vehicle floor and the ground.
26. Horsepower: The common unit of engine power. One horsepower equals to approximately 550 foot pounds per second.

    I

27. Intake charge: The mixture of fuel and air that combusts in the engine to create power.

    L

28. Leaf spring: Suspension made from thin, curved steel. Absorption of bumps is increased by the curved shape.
29. Live Axle: A solid axle that means when one wheel turns, the opposing wheel must also turn.
30. LTA: The Land Transport Authority collects vehicle taxes, including the majority of what an individual pays for a new car including the ARF, COE and road taxes.

Look out for part two coming out next week!