Advanced Vocabulary - Equipment and Systems in Cars and Other Road Vehicles

Equipment and Systems in Cars and Other Road Vehicles

ABS noun

anti-lock braking system .

acceleration noun

the power of a vehicle to increase its speed.

air brake noun

a type of brake piece of equipment to make a vehicle stop or go more slowly that works using compressed air, for example on a bus or truck.

alternator noun

physics a piece of equipment, especially in a vehicle, that produces an electric current that keeps changing direction as it flows.

anti-lock braking system noun

a piece of equipment in a car that allows you to keep control of the car when you stop it quickly. The equipment is often simply called ABS . 

automatic transmission noun

a system in which the gears of a car change by themselves without any action by the driver.

bottom gear noun

British the gear that you use for driving a vehicle very slowly.

brake noun

the equipment in a car, bicycle, or other vehicle that you use for slowing down or stopping.

brake fluid noun

a thick liquid used in the brakes of some vehicles.

brake pad noun

the part of a brake that presses against a disc inside the wheel of a vehicle in order to stop the vehicle from moving.

brake shoe noun

a curved metal part of a brake in some vehicles that presses on the wheel to slow it down.

carburetor

the American spelling of carburettor.

carburettor noun

the part of an engine, for example in some cars, that mixes air and petrol in order to provide power.

catalytic converter noun

a piece of equipment fitted to a car in order to reduce the amount of poisonous gases that it sends into the air.

central locking noun

an electronic system for locking all the doors of a car at the same time.

choke noun

the part of a vehicle that helps it to start by reducing the amount of air going into the engine.

choke noun

the reduction of air going into an engine, achieved by using a choke.

clutch noun

a piece of equipment in a vehicle that you press with your foot when you change gear.

coil noun

a part of a vehicle’s engine that supplies electricity to the spark plugs.

condenser noun

physics a piece of equipment in a car engine that stores electricity.

crankshaft noun

a long metal bar in a vehicle’s engine that is connected to the wheels and changes power into movement.

cruise control noun

a piece of equipment in a car that keeps it travelling at the same fast speed for long distances.

demister noun

British a piece of equipment in a car that blows out air to remove condensation from the windows.

dipstick noun

a long stick used for measuring the oil in a car’s engine.

disc brakes noun

in a vehicle, a type of brake in which two small hard surfaces press against a round metal disc attached to the vehicle’s wheel.

distributor noun

the part of a car engine that sends electricity to the spark plugs.

drive shaft noun

the part of a vehicle that carries power from the engine to the wheels.

fan belt noun

a belt in a car engine that operates a fan that prevents the engine from getting too hot.

first gear noun

the lowest gear in a vehicle, used for starting or moving slowly.

four-wheel drive noun

a system that provides power to all four wheels of a vehicle.

front-wheel drive noun

a system in which the engine supplies power to the front wheels of a car.

fuel cell noun

physics a piece of equipment that produces power in an electric vehicle.

fuel injection noun

a system in some cars that makes them go faster by forcing petrol into the cylinders.

gearbox noun

a metal box that contains the gears of a vehicle, or the system of gears itself.

hooter noun

British a piece of equipment on a car, bicycle etc, that makes a short loud sound that is used as a warning.

ignition noun

the part of a car’s engine that makes the fuel start to burn so that the car can start.

immobilizer noun

a piece of equipment that prevents a car from moving if someone tries to steal it.

internal-combustion engine noun

science a type of engine used in most cars.

lock noun

British a steering wheel on full lock is turned as far as possible.

manifold noun

a pipe through which gases pass into and out of a vehicle’s engine.

motor noun

the part of a machine or vehicle that makes it work or move.

neutral noun

the position of the gears in a car when the car cannot move.

overdrive noun

an extra gear in a car that allows it to continue to travel fast while using less power.

plug noun

a spark plug in a vehicle’s engine.

power steering noun

a system that makes it easy to turn a car with small movements of the steering wheel.

reverse noun

the position in which you put a gear in a vehicle to make it go backwards.

reverse gear noun

reverse in a vehicle.

shock noun

informal a shock absorber.

shock absorber noun

an object fitted to the wheels of a vehicle that makes driving over rough roads more comfortable.

spark plug noun

a small part in a car’s engine that creates a spark that makes the fuel burn.

speed noun

a gear 1 .

steering noun

the parts of a vehicle that allow you to control its direction.

steering column noun

the metal pole that connects a vehicle’s wheels to the steering wheel.

suspension noun

the equipment that makes a vehicle move smoothly when it goes over lumps in the ground.

tachograph noun

a piece of equipment in a truck or similar vehicle that records how fast and how far it has travelled.

tachometer noun

a piece of equipment in a car or other vehicle that shows the speed of the engine, not the vehicle. The more usual word is rev counter . 

throttle noun

a piece of equipment that controls how fast a vehicle is moving by controlling the amount of fuel going into the engine.

timing noun

the regular times at which things happen in a series in a car engine.

top gear noun

British the highest gear of a vehicle that you use when you are moving fast.

transmission noun

the part of a vehicle that takes power from the engine to the wheels.

turbocharger noun

a system that uses a turbine to make an engine more powerful.

total words = 61