The roof support between a car's rearmost side window and its rear window. On a vehicle with four side pillars, the rearmost roof support may be called a D-pillar.

Another term for a convertible. European manufacturers often call convertible models Cabriolets or Cabrios. Cabriolet A description of an auto with collapsible top (convertible) and seating two or four passengers. Also called a drophead coupé.

The acronym for Corporate Average Fuel Economy. Regulation enacted in 1975 which requires a motor vehicle manufacturer to classify its U.S. vehicle fleet sales as either domestic or import for the purpose of fuel economy averaging This single mileage figure is determined by taking a sales weighted average of the fuel consumption for all models produced by a manufacturer. The minimum required figure is an established U. S. government standard. Manufacturers which do not meet the minimum standard are fined.

In a disk brake, a housing for cylinder, pistons and brake shoes, connected to the hydraulic system. The caliper holds the brake shoes so they straddle the brake disc. A hydraulically activated device in a disc brake system, which is mounted straddling the brake rotor (disc). The caliper contains at least one piston and two brake pads. hydraulic pressure on the piston(s) forces the pads against the rotor.

An eccentric (off-center) lobe or projection on a rotating shaft; used to transmit a motion at a predetermined time during the rotation of the shaft.

The shape of each lobe on a camshaft. The profile determines the amount, or 'duration', of time the valve is open; it also largely determines the valve's maximum opening, or 'lift'. camber: the angle between the plane of a wheel's circumference and a vertical line, measured in degrees and minutes. The tops of a car's wheels tilt inward when the camber is negative, outward when it is positive.

The inward or outward tilt of the wheel and tire assembly.

The inward or outward angle which a front-wheel spindle makes with a vertical line, as viewed by either the front or the rear of the vehicle. Positive camber results when the top of the tire tilts out further than its bottom. The adjustment of this setting affects both tire wear and vehicle handling.

The shaft in the engine which is driven by gears, belts or chain from the crankshaft. The camshaft has a series of cams that opens and closes intake and exhaust valves as it turns. A shaft in the engine on which are the lobes (cams) which operate the valves. The camshaft is driven by the crankshaft, via a belt, chain or gears, at one half the crankshaft speed. Older cars have the camshaft inside the engine, but newer vehicles have overhead cam designs that place the cam in the cylinder head for more efficient operation.

A device that stores an electrical charge.

The price of the leased vehicle plus any other charges such as fees or taxes that become the cost basis for calculating the terms of a lease.

An imported motor vehicle or part manufactured by another automaker usually for sale under the brand name of the importer.

Thread-like strands of pure carbon that are extremely strong in tension (that is, when pulled) and are reasonably flexible. Carbon fiber can be bound in a matrix of plastic resin by heat, vacuum, or pressure to form a composite that is strong, light: and very expensive.

A colorless, odorless gas given off as a normal byproduct of combustion. It is poisonous and extremely dangerous in confined areas, building up slowly to toxic levels without warning if adequate ventilation is not available.

A device through which air and fuel are atomized and drawn into the engine. It meters the proper proportions of fuel and air to form a combustible mixture and varies the ratio according to the engine operation. Air blowing over the fuel nozzles (jets) results in an air-fuel mixture burned in the cylinders. Carburetors were common on most vehicles before 1985. Currently, most vehicles use some form of fuel injection instead.

A fitting inside a carburetor that meters fuel into a metering circuit where it is mixed with air in the venturi.

The angle between a vertical line and the car's steering axis when viewed from the side, measured in degrees and minutes. Casting technology that delivers a liquid molten metal into a purpose-built mould. After cooling, the solid metal surface has the shape of the mould cavity.

The forward or backward tilt of the steering axis as viewed from the side. If the point of load is ahead of the point of contact, the caster angle is positive. The caster angle tends to keep wheels in a straight line. Proper caster adjustment improves both tire wear and fuel economy.

A process technology that delivers a liquid molten metal into a purpose-built mold. After cooling, the solid metal surface has the shape of the mold cavity.

Often simply called a 'catalyst', this is a stainless steel canister that is part of a vehicle's exhaust system and contains a thin layer of catalytic material spread over a large area of inert supports. It induces chemical reactions that convert an engine's exhaust emissions into less harmful products prior to entering the environment. A device installed in the exhaust system, like a muffler, that converts harmful byproducts of combustion into carbon dioxide and water vapor by means of a heat-producing chemical reaction.