car parts and their uses

what do you do to cool down you engine?

You can attempt to get rid of the heat in your engine by stopping in a safe place, shifting to neutral, depressing the accelerator pedal to rev the engine slightly, turning off the air conditioning, and setting the heater as high as possible.

how do you work ABS breaks?

a driver with anti-lock brakes needs only to push down hard on the pedal to stop abruptly

Radiator Cap

access the radiator directly to check the level of coolant in the radiator and flush it when necessary. Never try to remove while the car is still hot.

Headlights

activate by turning the knob on the multifunction lever, and switch between low- and high-beams by pushing the lever towards you or away from you.

Antilock Braking Systems (ABS)

apply a consistent pumping action to the brakes and detect if a wheel is about to lock.

trip odometer

can be reset to zero manually so you can calculate trip mileage and fuel consumption.

Suspension Stability Systems

detect driving conditions and raise or lower the vehicle's wheels for a smoother and more level ride.

Active Steering Control Systems

detect where the driver is intending to travel and make adjustments automatically to facilitate steering and improve control.

Gear Display

determines which gear is currently selected.

Odometer

displays how many miles your vehicle has travelled since it was built

Taillight

illuminate when your headlights are on, and emit a brighter light when you press the brake pedal. They show other drivers the location of your car and alert them when you're braking.

Steering Column

includes the steering wheel, horn, ignition switch, wiper lever, and multifunction lever. In many cars, you can adjust the wheel to a safe, comfortable height.

red indicator lights

indicate that it is dangerous to continue driving and you should pull over and stop your car immediately

Tachometer

indicates how fast the engine is moving in revolutions per minute (RPM). When in the red zone, the engine is moving too fast and may become damaged.

Fuel Guage

indicates the amount of fuel in the gas tank. Your fuel tank should always be at least 25% full

Temperature Gauge

indicates the engine temperature. When the engine overheats, the indicator will enter the Hot (H) zone and a warning light will activate. Never drive with an overheated engine.

Speedometer

indicates the speed of your vehicle in miles and kilometers per hour (MPH/KPH).

Active System Lights

inform you about the status of important vehicle components, including the hood, doors, headlights, and front safety belts

Parking Light

installed near the headlights to help ensure that your car can be seen by other drivers. Some vehicles also have daytime running lights to increase visibility in daylight.

Traction Control Systems (TCS)

make sure that individual tires don't lose traction with the road and begin to spin so that drivers can maintain control on different surfaces.

Active Yaw Control Systems (AYC)

monitor the dynamic state of the vehicle and apply the brakes to individual wheels to make sure drivers don't begin to rotate around the vertical axis (due to oversteering or understeering).

Steering Wheel Controls

operate other vehicle features, such as cruise control, climate settings, the stereo system, or an integrated telephone system.

Battery

powers important electrical systems, including the ignition.

yellow indicator lights

provide warnings about potentially problematic situations with your car

Four-wheel drive

provides power to all four wheels to allow the driver more control, especially on uneven and low-traction surfaces.

Warning Lights

show signs of problems with essential vehicle components, including the engine, battery, and brakes.

cruise control

the driver is able to continue driving at the same speed without his or her foot upon the accelerator pedal. generally only works for speeds over 30 mph.

turn signal

to signal right or left, push multifunction lever up or down, respectively. When clicked in place, the signal will blink until the turn is complete. Push gently to flash a signal briefly.

Windshield Wiper Lever

usually found on the right of the steering column. Turn the end to set the speed of your wipers. You can also use it to spray washer fluid to clean the windshield

Laminated, or "shatter-resistant", windshields

A plastic sheet between layers of windshield glass keeps the glass bonded when broken to protect occupants from flying glass shards

dead pedal

At the far left of the area beneath the steering column, there is usually a raised foot rest where you should place your left foot while you drive.

Engine Coolant

Check the reservoir to make sure that there is enough to keep your car from overheating. Should be flushed and replaced every 24 months, or 30,000 miles.

Collapsible steering columns

Designed to telescope in on itself in a collision, the collapsible steering column keeps the driver from being impaled.

Dipstick

Determines the amount of motor oil in your car at the bottom of the gauge. Motor oil is used to lubricate the engine.

Crumple zones

Front ends and trunks are designed to crush on impact, while many bumpers are now produced to absorb minor impacts without damage, so that the passenger compartment remains intact.

Side impact reinforcement

Stronger steel beams are installed inside the doors to protect occupants from side impacts.

instrument panel

The area of the dashboard behind the steering wheel. Includes: The speedometer The fuel gauge The odometer The trip odometer The tachometer The temperature gauge

Roof crush reinforcement

The design of the roof has been improved to make it more resistant to being crushed.

D (Drive)

This is the automatic forward gear. In most traffic conditions, including situations when you must stop frequently, the transmission should be set to this gear.

2 (Second Gear)

Use this gear when driving up to 20 mph, or when climbing a steep hill or approaching a curve or turn.

1 (First Gear)

Use this gear when exiting a stopped position and driving up to 10 to 15 mph.

Multifunction Lever

Usually found on the left side of the steering column, used to activate turn signals and various vehicle lights, including low-beams, high-beams, parking lights, and fog lights.

Tempered side windows

When broken, the side windows will shatter into small cubes rather than jagged shards.

how do you work conventional brakes?

When stopping suddenly or responding to brake failure, drivers with conventional brakes must apply a pumping action for the brakes to work.

N (Neutral)

In this position, the engine is disconnected from the drive wheels and the car can and will roll.

P (Park)

In this position, the transmission is locked to prevent rolling.

R (Reverse)

In this position, the wheels spin backwards to allow you to back up your car. The white reverse lights on the back of your car will be activated.

Clutch Pedal

It is located to the left of the brakes, and must be pressed with your left foot when changing gears. In cars with automatic transmissions, a foot rest may be found in this location instead.

3 (Third Gear)

On a three-speed transmission, use this gear for all speeds above 25 mph. On transmissions with more gears, use this gear for speeds between 20 and 40 mph.

Motor Oil Cap

Remove when you need to change your car's motor oil. You should change your motor oil every three months or 3,000 miles, or whenever the oil level falls below the recommended level.

passive restraints.

Restraints such as air bags, safety glass, and padded dashboards, sun visors, and head restraints that work regardless of the user's actions

active restraints

Restraints that the user is responsible for engaging