United Tire and Service News

Any time you can be informed about what's being discussed in regards to auto repair, you're in a stronger position. At United Tire & Service, we try to keep it simple and direct for our customers to avoid any confusion, so here's a quick rundown of some terms you might hear in regards to auto repair...

ABS Brakes: Antilock Braking Systems use sensors that monitor the rotating speed of each wheel while braking and send that information back to a processor. If a wheel is starting to spin slower than the rest, the processor (through a system of valves and pumps) proportions braking effort to that wheel and the others in order to avoid a skid. 

A/C Compressor: The compressor is at the heart of your air conditioning system. It's a pump, driven by the engine, which compresses the refrigerant from its gaseous form down to a liquid state. Cooling then comes from the liquid evaporating back into a gas again. 

Air filter: The device that screens impurities like dust and pollen particles from the air that enters your fuel system, protecting your engine. It traps particles in a pleated-paper or fabric medium, sometimes saturated with a special oil. 

Caliper: Disc brakes stop a vehicle much the same way as a bicycle's handbrakes. Two pads of friction material grasp a spinning steel disc, which your wheel is bolted to; the caliper holds the pads and actuates them via a piston and hydraulic pressure. 

Catalytic converter: Usually situated in the exhaust pipe before the muffler, the catalytic converter contains metals and chemicals that react with exhaust gases to neutralize them before they exit the tailpipe.

Coolant: Sometimes referred to mistakenly as "antifreeze," coolant is a 50/50 mix of antifreeze and distilled water. It's composed of ethylene glycol and other additives that lower water's freezing point and raise its boiling point, and also contains anti-corrosion agents to protect your cooling system. 

EGR system: Part of your vehicle's emissions package, Exhaust Gas Recirculation systems direct a certain amount of gases back into the engine again to be burned, cutting emissions levels. 

ESC: Electronic Stability Control systems rely on sensors that monitor body lean, inertia, braking effort and other factors during hard cornering or in a panic situation. They then proportion braking force or sometimes cut engine output to help avoid a skid, enhancing control. 

Fuel injection: Starting in the early 1990s, engines were designed with pumps and nozzles which sprayed an atomized fuel/air mixture into the cylinders fo combustion. This system is electronically controlled and replaces the mechanical carburetors of older models. 

Memory settings: Presets for power seats, radio stations, power mirrors, A/C settings and other preferences for a given driver, which can be restored with the push of a button. 

Oil sludge: The buildup of carbon, chemicals and impurities that can accumulate on bearings and other internal engine parts if motor oil isn't changed frequently enough. 

PCM: The Powertrain Control Module is the brain of a vehicle's electronics, and relies on information from a network of sensors to control fuel metering, emissions, transmission shift points and a number of other drivability factors. 

These are all fairly common terms you'll hear in regards to auto repair, either in our shops or elsewhere. Be informed, be knowledgeable...and if you need an appointment for auto repair or preventive maintenance, contact us at United Tire & Service!