DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Al"

Alain:

See:
Prost, Alain

ALAP:

Acronym for "As Low As Possible."

ALARA:

Acronym for "As Low As Reasonably Achievable." Used of radiation levels or decontamination.

Alarm:

A warning sound made by a security or safety device to warn off thieves, alert the driver to take some preventative measures (e.g., secure the seat belts), or warn those around the vehicle (e.g., backup warning alarm). Alarms may sound as a buzzer, a chime, or a human voice.
Also See:
back-up alarm
car alarm
voice alert system

Alarm flag:

See:
flag indicator

Alarm system:

A theft protection system which may do one or more of the following: Sound the horn or an auxiliary siren, flash the lights, lock the hood and trunk, make the ignition inoperative, put the engine in a "limp home" mode (i.e., greatly reduce speed), notify the police, and alert the vehicle owner.

Alarmed:

Protected by an alarm system.

Alberta Motor Association

(AMA) An Automobile Association in the Canadian province of Alberta affiliated with the American Automobile Association

Alcohol:

1. A general term for compounds formed from hydroxyl groups attached to carbon atoms in place of hydrogen atoms; in particular, ethanol.
   Also See:
   grain alcohol
   methyl alcohol
   wood alcohol
2. A substance used as fuel.
   Also see:
   methanol
3. A beverage which impairs a driver's skill in operating a vehicle safely. Although the law has set down limits of the amount of alcohol allowable in the bloodstream before a person is considered drunk, the effects of the slightest amount of alcohol can impair one's driving skill.

Alcohol content:

See:
blood alcohol content

Alcohol fuel:

Volatile liquid fuel consisting wholly or partly of alcohol, able to withstand high-compression ratios without detonation.

Alcohol level:

See:
blood alcohol level

ALDL:

1. Acronym for "assembly line diagnostic link" a diagnostic connector.
2. Acronym for "assembly line data link."

Alert:

See:
deer alert
voice alert system

Alert system:

See:
voice alert system

Alfa-Romeo:

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Alfa-Romeo

A vehicle brand of which all 1925-48 models are classic cars. The following models are milestone cars:

• All 1956-64 Giuletta Spider models
• All 1959-61 Giuletta/Giulia Sprint Speciale models
• All 1949 6C 2500 Super Sport models,

Alfa Romeo:

See:
Alfa-Romeo

Al fresco driving:

Driving in a convertible with the top down.

A-licence:

Basic private pilot's licence in the UK.

Align:

1. Process of bringing two or more items into mating conjunction so that all the bolt holes and locating pins fit properly.
2. Process of adjusting the wheels and other devices so that they are in a straight line.

Align bore:

A machining operation which corrects an engine's out-of-round and/or warped main bearing housings. It may be done with either stationary or portable equipment.
Also see:
align hone

Aligner:

See:
wheel aligner

Align hone:

A machining operation which corrects an engine's out-of-round and warped main bearing housings with a special honing mandrel. It must be done with stationary equipment.

Aligning cups:

Devices used in mounting floating drums on the arbor of a brake drum lathe.

Aligning punch:

Aligning Punch

A tool shaped like a thin rod used to make sure holes line up when assembling two or more components. Especially used on items which may move to one side before the other side can be aligned or another component installed or when the gasket is likely to slip out of place.

Aligning set:

See:
clutch aligning set

Aligning tool:

See:
clutch aligning tool

Alignment:

1. When referring to wheel alignment, it is the proper adjustment of a vehicle's front or rear suspension for camber, toe-in, toe-out, kingpin inclination or steering axis inclination, and turning radius or toe-out on turns, caster, and ride height. Four-wheel alignment is necessary for front-wheel drive vehicles.
2. The adjustment of two objects to bring them into the proper relation to each other.
3. The setting in line (usually straight) of successive lengths of a railway which is to be constructed
4. The plan of a road or earthwork
5. The setting in a true line of a number of points, e.g., the centers of the bearings supporting an engine crankshaft
6. Process of orientation of e.g., electric or magnetic dipoles when acted on by an external field. During magnetization, the alignment of domains is changed by the magnetizing field
7. Adjustment of preset tuned circuits to give optimum performance

Also See:
door alignment
four-wheel alignment
four wheel alignment
front-end alignment
front end alignment
wheel alignment

Alignment gap:

The distance between two adjacent auto body panels. When an alignment gap varies too much, it is a sign of poor assembly quality.

Alignment gauge:

See:
wheel alignment gauge

Alignment pin:

A pin or stud used to align one part with another, such as the pins used to align a cylinder head on an engine block.

Alignment stud:

A pin or stud used to align one part with another, such as the pins used to align a cylinder head on an engine block.

Align ream:

Machining or hand process which enlarges the inside diameter of bushings to the correct size.

Alkaline battery:

A storage battery which uses an alkaline electrolyte (dilute potassium hydroxide).

Alkaline degreasing:

A process of removing an oily or greasy substance with the use of an alkaline solution. Often used in preparing a surface for painting.

All-alloy engine:

An engine which uses a light alloy for the block, crankcase, sump, and cylinder head.

All-aluminum body:

A body shell which is mostly made of aluminum.

Allan valve:

Once popular slide-valve design with an internal passage designed to reduce valve travel and wear.

Allard:

A vehicle brand of which the 1946-56 Series J2, K2, K3 models are milestone cars.

All electronic ignition:

See:
breakerless

All-electronic ignition:

See:
breakerless

Allen key:

See:
Allen wrench

Allen screw:

A fastening device (either a wood screw type or bolt threads) with a recessed hexagon hole in the head. Also called a hex hole screw..

All-enveloping body:

A modern passenger car body style in which the fenders, headlamps, and radiator grille are one smooth body line. It contrasts with the style before World War II where the fenders and headlights were separate from the main body.

Allen wrench:

An rod with six sides and often L-shaped. Used to remove certain bolts or screws and fastenings, especially set screws. Sometimes called "hex wrenches" or "Allen key."

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers:

(AAM) See website: Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers."

Alligator:

A colloquial term for a large piece of a tire on the road.

Alligator clip:

Alligator clips

A small spring clip which is "X-shaped." As you squeeze the two "legs" of the clip, the other two jaws (usually serrated) open. Used to make temporary electrical connections. Larger ones are used at the ends of jumper cables. The British call it a "crocodile clip."

Alligator hood:

The engine bay hood that opens from the front and its hinge is near the firewall. Although it is the most common, older cars opened from the side. Some sports cars and large trucks open with the hinge at the front of the vehicle.

All-insulated switch:

See:
shockproof switch

All-mountain bike:

A mountain bicycle designed to balance climbing and descending abilities with slightly more emphasis on descending prowess; features dual suspension with 4 to 6 inches of travel

All-out braking:

A situation where the driver uses the maximum braking effort possible. Although this seems to be the best way to stop a vehicle, in fact it may not because there may be the tendency to swerve or the brakes may overheat and lose effectiveness. It is better to pump the brakes (if ABS is not available) to control steering and get maximum braking.

Allowance:

See:
mileage allowance

Allowances:

Fuel reserves, usually specified as time factors under certain conditions, as distance plus descent, or as a percentage (by weight or volume) of the cruising fuel for a given stage.

Alloy:

A mixture of two or more elements, especially where one is aluminum.
Also See:
aluminum alloy
antimony alloys
eutectic alloy
minilite alloy wheel
polymer alloy
zinc alloy

Alloy cast-iron:

Cast-iron containing alloying elements in addition to carbon and the normal low levels of manganese and silicon, usually some combination of nickel, chromium, copper, and molybdenum. These elements may be added to increase the strength of ordinary irons, to facilitate heat treatment, or to obtain martensitic, austenitic, or ferritic irons.

Alloy engine:

See:
all-alloy engine

Alloying:

1. The process of making an alloy
2. The addition of one or more elements to a pure metal to alter the pure metal's properties such as strength, elongation, weight reduction, etc.

Alloy piston:

A piston made primarily of aluminum.

Alloys:

Colloquial term for alloy wheels.

Alloy steel:

1. A steel to which elements not present in carbon steel have been added, or in which the content of manganese or silicon is increased above that in carbon steel.
2. Molybdenum alloy steel used in bicycle frames.

Also see:
high-speed steel
nickel steel
stainless steel

Alloy wheel:

Alloy Wheel

A generic term used to describe any non-steel road wheel. The usual alloys are either aluminum or magnesium; the latter material led to the common usage of the term "mag wheel," often referring to any non-steel wheel.
Also See:
minilite alloy wheel
three-piece alloy wheel
two-piece alloy wheel
two-piece forged alloy wheel

All-season tire:

All-season Tire

A tire that usually has a more aggressive tread pattern than a summer tire, but not nearly as aggressive as a mud and snow tire. Most new automobiles are sold with all-season tires.

All-steel body:

A vehicle body shell which is made entirely of steel rather than one with a wooden frame with steel panels or steel frame with aluminum panels.

All terrain:

For use on any kind of ground surface (not on lakes or ocean, though).

All terrain bike:

All-terrain Bicycle

(ATB) A bicycle with straight handlebars, sturdy fat tires, and wide-range gearing designed for off-road use. Also called mountain bike.

All-terrain bike:

(ATB) A bicycle with straight handlebars, sturdy fat tires, and wide-range gearing designed for off-road use. Also called mountain bike.

All terrain tire:

A tire which has a number of lugs or knobs used to propel the vehicle over rough surfaces.

All terrain vehicle:

A vehicle used in rough surface conditions. Also called off-road vehicle..

Allure libre:

A self-paced long-distance bicycle ride as promoted by the Audax Club Parisien, the Randonneurs Mondiaux, and the Randonneurs USA. You can ride at your own pace so long as you finish within the time limit. This is not a race where riders are recognized for finishing ahead of other riders. The important thing is to finish the ride.

All-weather tire:

A tire that can be used on roads that are bare or covered with rain, snow, or ice.

All wheel drive:

See:
all-wheel drive

All-wheel drive:

(AWD) A variation of four-wheel drive (4WD) designed to improve on-road traction in unfavorable road conditions or for ultra high performance driving. All-Wheel Drive (AWD) reduces wheel slippage and provides greater driver control over the vehicle. AWD usually does not require the driver to actively engage the system and does not have a low range. AWD automatically splits engine torque between the front and rear wheels as needed. All-Wheel Drive is generally an on-road system and is not designed for off-road use.

All-wheel steering:

See:
four-wheel steering

Alpine gearing:

A gearing system in which a shift between chainwheels on a bicycle is equivalent to one-and-a-half shifts on the freewheel.

Alteration:

See:
load alteration effect

Alteration effect:

See:
load alteration effect

Alternative Fueled Vehicle:

(AFV) Acronym for "Alternative Fueled Vehicle" -- a vehicle powered by a fuel other than gasoline or diesel.

Alternating current:

(AC) An electric current that first flows one way in the circuit and then the other. This is the type used in homes. It contrasts with direct current.

Alternator:

Alternator

(ALT) A device which produces alternating current (AC) by converting the engine's turning (mechanical) energy into alternating electrical current at all engine speeds. The AC must be rectified (converted from AC to DC) by using diodes before reaching the vehicle's electrical system. The alternator is driven by a belt at the front of the engine. Alternators replaced the direct-current (DC) generators used up to the 1960's because they were less efficient especially at idle. The electrically demanding options like air conditioning forced the use of alternators over generators.

Altima:

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Nissan Altima

A model of automobile manufactured by Nissan in Japan

Altimeter:

1. An instrument to reveal the height (or barometric pressure) above sea level.
2. An aneroid barometer used for measuring altitude by the decrease in atmospheric pressure with height. The dial of the instrument is graduated to read the altitude directly in feet or meters, the zero being set to ground or aerodrome level.

Also see:
encoding altimeter
radio altimeter
recording altimeter

Altitude:

1. The height in feet or meters above sea level. For precision in determining the performance of an aircraft, this must be corrected for the deviation of the meteorological conditions from that of the International Standard Atmosphere.
2. The angular distance of a heavenly body measured on that great circle which passes, perpendicular to the plane of the horizon, through the body and through the zenith. It is measured positively from the horizon to the zenith, from 0° to 90°.
3. The line through the vertex of a geometrical figure or solid perpendicular to its base.
4. The length of the line of definition #3.

Also see:
cabin altitude
pressure altitude

Altitude compensation system:

A barometric switch and solenoid used to provide better drivability over 4000 feet (1200 meters) above sea level.

Altitude compensator:

See:
aneroid altitude compensator

Altitude correction capsule:

A barometric pressure sensor that detects the change in altitude and sends a signal to the ECU to alter the amount of fuel required for optimum combustion.

Altitude valve:

A manually or automatically operated valve fitted to the carburetor of an aero-engine for correcting the mixture strength as air density falls with altitude.

Alumina beads:

Tiny beads of alumina used in some catalytic converters.

Aluminium:

British spelling for aluminum.

Aluminum:

(Al or Alum) A silver-white metal which is used in cars because of its lightness. In pure form, it does not have the strength of the same size of iron. Thus vehicle manufacturers use aluminum in an alloy form to produce body panels, wheels, engine blocks, transmission housings, differential housings, and even frames. British spelling adds an "i" near the end of the word: "aluminium" and pronounces it al-you-MIN-ee-um instead of ah-LOO-min-um.
Also see:
cast aluminum

Aluminum alloy:

A metal which is formed from aluminum and another metal.

Aluminum body:

See:
all-aluminum body

Aluminum oxide:

A metallic abrasive used to manufacture sandpaper and sanding discs.

Aluminum wheel:

Aluminum wheel

See:
alloy wheel

Aluminized:

Something that is coated with aluminum or aluminum paint.

Aluminizing:

See:
hot-dip aluminizing

Alvis:

Alvis

A vehicle brand of which the Speed 20, 25, and 4.3 litre models for 1925-48 are classic cars.

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