It is very important not just to know how to drive but knowing certain parts of your car. This will help you to always detect and figure out what to do with minor issues that might surface. When you know nothing about auto parts, it is easy to be embarrassed by a mechanic at times, some of these mechanics capitalize on your ignorance in that light and make money. you might show up with a simple overheating problem you should have maybe added just water to your radiator at the mechanic’s and you are told other things not related to the fault and since you are a dummy in this niche you easily fall for it. In as much as you can’t know everything about a car’s parts and how they function, it is better you learn something about some auto parts and know a little bit of what they do so you will know how to face the mechanics the next time you show up there.
The auto parts we will be looking at are mostly those of internal combustion engine cars. The regular petrol and diesel cars we know and see and use every day.
Main auto parts
Bonnet/hood
The North Americans call it the hood and every other country except Canada calls it bonnet. It is the hinge cover over the engine of motor cars that allows access to the engine compartment for maintenance and repair. Some cars have theirs behind as their engines are installed behind like in most VW Beetles.
Bumper
A bumper is that structure attached or integrated with the front or rear ends of a motor vehicle. Its serves as shock absorbers of minor collisions. There are some that are made of steel and there are some that are made of plastic. Bumpers minimize the height mismatch between a cars and also protect pedestrians in case of an accident.
Radiator
A radiators are used in cars to heat cool the engine of cars when they are running due to their ability of exchanging heat between a medium to another. It sits in the front or beside most engines since the engine needs it work to pipe down its temperature.
Spoilers
This is an automotive aerodynamic devices with the main aim of spoiling the unfavorable air movement across the body of a car when it is in motion. The spoilers that are fitted in front of cars are called air dams. You will mostly find these spoilers on race or sport cars and but lots of passenger cars have them now as well. Spoilers make a car look cool though so lots of people are getting them for their cars too to give them a sporty and stylish look. There are both rear and front spoilers.
Rims
Rims are the outer edge of a wheel, holding a tire in place. It is what makes up the outer circular design of the wheel on which the inside edge of the tire is mounted on cars. It is what gives that final touch to the outer look of a car’s wheels. There are some flashy rims out there especially in sports cars. A lot of factory rims are just ordinary and honestly some do not please me an inch.
Trunk
The trunk of a car is the main storage compartment. It is called trunk by the North Americans and boot by the British and in most parts of South-East Asia, they call it compartment. However it is just to store stuffs.
Windshield
Windshield or windscreen as commonly known in British English is the front window made of laminated safety glass. This glass consist of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are bonded into the window frame. This window helps to shield the wind from wiping your face in front and protects the car from flying objects and the strong wind pressure.
Alternator
Alternators are used in cars to charge the battery. As a car’s engine is running, it runs this part which in turn charges the battery of the car. When this part of the car is faulty, there is no way your battery will charge properly and you will have a difficult time starting your car. For instance if it happens to break down when you are driving at night, the lights of your car will not be able to light as the battery will not have energy to supply to them.
Battery
As an auto part, it is used to supply electrical current to an auto car. The main purpose of a battery is to feed the starter (also known as cranking motor or starter motor, a device that is used to rotate or crank an internal combustion engine. It initiates the operation of the engine with its own power) which starts the engine. Once the engine is running, it powers the alternator that supplies current to other parts of the car. Starting often discharges about 3% of the battery’s capacity, so auto batteries are designed to deliver maximum current for short period of time.
Gauges
A car has several gauges. But we will look at the common ones.
Fuel gauge
This gauge indicates the amount of fuel in the tank of the car
Odometer
This gauge measures the distance traveled by a vehicle. It is also known as milometer or mileometer)
Speedometer
This gauge measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a car,
Tachometer
This counter I known by some as a rev counter and is used to measure the speed of rotation of a disc or shaft in a motor. It displays the resolution per minute (RPM) on a calibrated analogue dial though nowadays a lot of digital displays are becoming very common.
Temperature gauge
This gauge measure the temperature change of the radiator of a car.