Car Maintenance Terms You Should Know

If you’re like many other drivers out there, car maintenance and auto service is likely something that escapes you or you care very little about. We don’t blame you. There’s a lot to auto service that many drivers will never know in all their years of driving. But, as you happen to be your car’s main caretaker, you need to make sure you’re doing everything right to keep your trusty machine running a performing as you need it to.

To help you cut through the car maintenance jargon, Toyota of North Charlotte is here with a list of common parts and terms it would be helpful to know. Check them out!

Terms and Parts You Need to Know About

Alternator

Your Charlotte car maintenance alternator works in conjunction with your car’s battery to maintain a steady charge to allow for ignition and operation of other electrical components. You can tell when this part is malfunctioning when your car battery is relatively new and you’re having trouble igniting the engine.

Air Filter

One of the most commonly replaced parts in your N Charlotte Toyota car is the air filter. This part is essential to the air intake system that pulls air into the engine block needed for ignition. The filter stops dirt and debris from entering your engine and needs to be replaced/cleaned periodically.

Catalytic Converter

Before the catalytic converter, cars were notoriously terrible emissions wise. To better the environment and meet better emissions standards, the car maintenance cat converter was introduced to the exhaust system. This Charlotte auto part filters out toxic gasses from the engine before it’s released out of the tailpipe.

Coolant

Your engine could overheat at any moment due to the excessive amount of combustion going on in there. Thankfully there’s a liquid called coolant to keep things even. This substance pumps through your engine to keep its temperature lower to prevent overheating and permanent damage.

Dipstick
If you’re itching to know if you’re due for an oil change, you’re going to need to use your dipstick to check it. It’s a long and thin piece of metal that sits in a case in your oil tank. You can pull it out and check your oil level and condition with it.

Fuel Pump

To deliver gasoline to your engine, you Charlotte car uses a fuel pump.

OEM

OEM is car maintenance acronym that stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer. It’s used to describe auto parts and accessories that come directly from your auto make’s factory.

Oil Filter

Your car is prone to picking up dirt and debris as you drive and those materials can cause damage if not filtered out properly. To keep pollutants out of your engine oil there’s an oil filter that needs to be periodically replaced alongside your oil.

Radiator

Your coolant would be nothing without the radiator. This essential Charlotte part absorbs the heat from your coolant that’s exerted from the engine to maintain a lower temperature overall.

Now that you know the basics are you ready for some top quality auto service? Visit Toyota of North Charlotte for top quality car maintenance today! Schedule your appointment online and visit us at 13429 Statesville Road.