by Sharon Lea Hill

Created on: December 19, 2007

We all know there's a lot more to choosing the right vehicle than just picking our favorite color. As more and more women are buying and leasing vehicles, it is important that we have a grasp of automotive and financing terminology so we can make informed decisions.

VEHICLE TERMINOLOGY:

ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) - This is a device that senses when one or more wheels are locking up. To protect against skidding, the device monitors the rotational speeds of the wheels and then reduces the hydraulic pressure to the wheel that is locking up.

Active Suspension - Conventional suspension works with springs and shock absorbers to keep the car from bouncing, but Active Suspension uses power actuators, which are controlled by a computer, to place the wheels of the vehicle in the best position to accommodate rough roads and different load levels.

AWD (All-Wheel Drive) - This is a variation of four-wheel drive (4WD) designed to improve on-road (not off-road) traction in unfavorable road conditions, by reducing wheel slippage and providing the driver with more control.

Cruise Control - This electronically-controlled feature keeps your vehicle moving at a speed you set. You can cancel it by hitting the brake or hitting the OFF button, hit RESUME to go back to the previous set speed, or hit ACCELERATE to increase your speed.

DWS (Deflation Warning System) - This is an on-line system, used with the wheel speed sensors of your ABS system, which detects tire pressure loss and triggers a warning signal when it detects a problem.

EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) - This is a system that injects fuel into the engine in intermittent pulses by opening and closing solenoid-controlled injectors. The flow of fuel is timed and metered by an electronic control unit.

Energy absorbing steering column - This is a steering column that will collapse when the vehicle is involved in a crash.

4WD (Four-wheel drive) - Not to be confused with FWD, which is Front Wheel Drive, a 4WD vehicle has both front wheels connected to their own differential and axle and both back wheels connected to their own differential and axle. If you have a part-time 4WD, there will be a transfer case that allows you to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

FWD (Front-wheel drive) - A vehicle with FWD is pulled by its front wheels rather than being pushed by its rear wheels. The engine is located over the driving wheels so that it gains better traction in snow, but wear on the front tires can be severe.

Fuel Injection

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>