It probably seems like you hear some new type of confusing mechanic verbiage in Madison, TN each time you go to an auto body shop. That’s not because a mechanic is purposely trying to confuse you—we just have our own language that tends to spill out into regular conversations with customers. To help you better understand what we’re saying, we’ve put together this handy list of common mechanic jargon:
- Betterment: This is an auto insurance term that refers to replacing the original parts of your vehicle with new ones. As you can imagine, this typically improves your car’s overall condition, thus “bettering” it.
- OEM: Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts are those that come straight from your vehicle’s manufacturer. Many mechanics will use OEM parts when fixing up your car.
- Aftermarket: If a part isn’t OEM, it’s an aftermarket part. A good aftermarket part meets or even exceeds the quality made by your car’s manufacturer.
- Beltline: Mechanics use “beltline” or “waistline” to describe the line formed by the lower edges of the windows on your car. Just like with a human body, this beltline separates the top half of your car from the bottom half.
- RWD/FWD/AWD: Rear-wheel drive, front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive describe where the power from the engine is sent.
- Torque steer: If you have an FWD vehicle, the steering wheel may start to turn when you give your car a lot of throttle. This is called torque steer, and it’s a sign that you may want to come in and see a mechanic.
- Knock: When leftover fuel or air in the combustion changer explodes after the spark plug fires, you’ll hear a loud knocking noise. This is also known as detonation, and it’s a sign that you need to bring your car to a mechanic as soon as possible.
- N/A: If your engine doesn’t have a turbocharger or a supercharger, it’s naturally aspirated, or “N/A.” You probably won’t hear this mechanic verbiage in Madison, TN unless you happen to overhear the mechanics talking while working on your vehicle.
- Hesitation: You should expect to take off right when you jam your foot on the accelerator. If that doesn’t happen, your vehicle is experiencing some hesitation.
- Play: When mechanics use the word “play,” they’re referring to the looseness of different parts of your vehicle. Depending on the component of your car, you either want quite a bit of play or none at all.
- Pull: If you’ve ever felt like your car is steering itself by either moving to the right or left, you’ve experienced pull. This is a classic sign that your wheels need to be aligned or you have a problem with your brakes.
When you come to Madison Muffler & Auto Repair, we’ll try to spare you any confusing mechanic verbiage in Madison, TN and be as clear as possible when discussing your vehicle with you. If you’re having any car troubles, contact us today to get an estimate. We look forward to meeting with you soon!