Any car buyer knows how intimidating it can be to take your car in for service. Unless you have a real understanding of car parts and how they work, the parts your mechanic tells you need to be replaced might sound like a foreign language! We’ll go over some of the more strange names of car parts so you’ll be in the know the next time your mechanic tells you that your caliper needs to be replaced!
A Few Names of Car Parts
Without further ado, here are a few names for car parts that might make you think twice if you heard them from your mechanic! Take some time to review them so if your mechanic mentions them during your next maintenance visit, you won’t be completely confused, or worse, think he or she is making names of car parts up on the spot!
Flange: A flange is basically a piece used to hold two things, such as two pipes, together. Car flanges are generally circular with a large hole in the middle, and several smaller holes for bolts around the rim. As you might imagine, there are many flanges in a car! This is definitely one of the stranger names of car parts, but it is an important part of your vehicle. If two essential pipes in your car aren’t connecting, your car might not work!
Caliper: A caliper is a part of your breaks. It puts pressure on your brake pads when you need to slow down and bring your car to a stop. You might have a floating caliper or a fixed caliper, but both work for the same end.
Flywheel: Next on our list is the flywheel. A flywheel helps to keep your car running smoothly despite the jerky movement of the pistons in your engine.
Spindle: There are some names of car parts you’ve probably heard of before, but in a different context! A spindle is a perfect example. You may have heard of spindles in terms of spinning thread, but your car has them as well! In your car, spindles reside in the suspension system and help to hold your wheels in place.
Strut: A strut is a common component of front wheel drive vehicles and works similarly to a shock absorber. You might hear this from your mechanic in a list of names of car parts you need to replace if your vehicle isn’t driving smoothly (bouncing, rocking, etc.).
Crankshaft: A crankshaft is a very important part of your engine. The crankshaft rotates due to the power created by the moving pistons in your engine, which then cause your wheels to turn. If your crankshaft isn’t working properly, you are probably having a very difficult time driving – if you can at all!
As you can see, there are many names of car parts that end up being something a bit unexpected! There are lots more that aren’t included in this list, so be sure to visit an experienced mechanic at a car dealership in Richmond or somewhere near you to learn more. It’s always good to be knowledgeable, especially when it comes to your car, so take the time do a little research and learn more names of car parts!