- F
-
- Abbreviation for Fahrenheit.
- Acronym for Field
- Acronym for Field terminal
- Fabric body
- A simple form of lightweight bodywork in which a waterproof, cloth-backed material is stretched over a wooden framework popular around 1930 and still used later by DKW and even after WWII by Lloyd.
- Fabric fatigue
- A term used with tires where the fabric degrades and results in tire cord breakdown due to repeated flexing and heat.
- Face
-
- To shave the outer edges of a Bottom bracket shell or the upper and lower ends of a Head tube to make them parallel with one another and square to the tube's centerline.
- To machine a flat surface perpendicular to the axis at rotation on a lathe.
- To remove metal from the end of a shaft or the face of a larger part, e.g., flywheel.
- The front, visible, or working surface of a part (such as a valve) or a tool (such as a hammer).
- Facelift
- Minor styling modifications made by the manufacturer to a car model which may be approaching the end of its useful life, intended to improve the appearance and thus boost sales with minimum cost, including such features as restyled Headlights, larger tail lights, added trim, altered grille, and spoilers
- Facel Vega
-
A vehicle brand of which the 1954-64 V-8 models are milestone cars
Click image for books on
Facel Vega
- Face of weld
- The exposed surface of the Weld.
- Factory adjusted
- Something that is set by the manufacturer when the vehicle was built and is not intended to be changed
- Factory options
- Optional features which may be installed by the manufacturer upon request. Aftermarket options are those which are installed by a garage or consumer after the vehicle has been built and delivered to the selling dealership.
- Factory primer
- A Primer coat applied to new body panels in the factory for protection during storage, which in some cases has to be removed prior to painting because of paint compatibility problems
- Fading
-
- A loss of brightness or color in a paint finish.
- Brake fade
- Fahrenheit
- Thermometer on which the Boiling point of water is 212 degrees and the freezing point is 32 degrees above zero. To convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 then multiply the result by 5 and divide by 9. To convert from Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9, then divide by 5. Now add 32 to the result.
- Fahrenheit scale
- On a Fahrenheit thermometer, under standard atmospheric pressure, boiling point of water is 212 degrees and freezing point is 32 degrees above zero.
- Failsafe system
- A system which remains safe even when part of it fails, such as a Dual-circuit brake system.
- Fair
-
- To add a Fairing to a body.
- A vehicle in restorable condition needing only minor work to get all components working
- Fairing
-
- A protective shell or enclosure at the front of a motorcycle which may house the Headlights and signal lights. It is designed to improve the aerodynamic performance of the machine and/or provide rider comfort and protection from the elements. These range from simple Plexiglas® shields to complex, encompassing body panels.
- The plastic shield mounted on the front of a roof rack of a vehicle which is designed to reduce wind noise and improve fuel economy.
- FAK
- Acronym for Freight of All Kinds describing mixed general freight in the back of a truck or
trailer.
Also see
- False air
- Any air leak that introduces unmeasured air into the intake system between the airflow meter and the intake valves is false
- False neutral
- When you fail to engage gears and the transmission behaves as though it is in neutral, even though it is not
- False flat
- An illusion where the operator or passengers in a motor vehicle or on a bicycle or motorcycle suppose that the road is flat, but in reality there is a slight climb.
- Family car
- A car suitable for transporting a family, usually a four-door sedan, Hatchback, or Station wagon. It is becoming more popular for families to obtain a Minivan instead of a station wagon.
- Fan
-
Fan
- A fan is a rotating device with curved blades like a propeller. The primary fan in a vehicle is generally located behind the Radiator. Some electric fans may be placed in front of the radiator. It draws air through the radiator so that the Coolant loses its heat through the fins of the radiator. It is especially needed when the vehicle is idling or moving slowly. When the vehicle moves quickly, there may be no need for the fan. In some cases, the fan is automatically disengaged under those circumstances. Non-electric fans may be activated by a Fan belt driven by the engine, while electric fans are powered by the electrical system independent of the engine itself.
- Other fans are located throughout the vehicle to push air from one location to another, especially for heating and Ventilation.
- Radial or axial flow device used for moving or producing flow of gases.
- The pattern emitted by a paint spray gun.
Also see
- Fan belt
- A flexible rubber belt that connects various Components in the engine compartment, i.e., Alternator, Water pump, Emission controls, Power steering pump, and Air conditioner Compressor. Also called Drive belt or Serpentine belt
- Fan blade
- A part of the fan projecting at an angle from the central hub, which draws the air through the radiator
- Fan clutch
- A Viscous (fluid) drive coupling device connected to the center of the fan to permit variable engine fan speeds in relation to engine speeds. The Clutch engages and disengages the fan according to the engine temperature through a thermostat
- Fan-cooled enclosure
- An electric motor housing that includes an integral fan to blow cooling air over the motor. It may be Totally enclosed or Explosion-proof
- Fan cooling
- A type of air cooling where a blower is responsible for transporting the amount of air required for the cooling of the engine past the cooling fins, which in turn dissipate the heat stored in them to the current of air flowing past them
- Fanning
- The use of air pressure through a spray gun to speed up the drying of Primer or paint -- this is not recommended
- Farad
- Unit of electrical capacity; capacity of a condenser which, when charged with one coulomb of electricity, gives difference of potential of one volt.
- Faraday experiment
- Silver chloride absorbs ammonia when cool and releases it when heated. This is basis on which some absorption refrigerators operate.
- Farman
- A vehicle brand of which all 1920 - 1931 models with required application are classic cars.
- Farm gasoline
- Gasoline that has been mixed with an identifying dye (usually purple) and sold for less in order to help farmers. In most places where this is practiced, it is illegal to use farm gasoline in non-farm vehicles. Also called purple gas
- Farm out
- An action by a repair shop to send some repair work to a specialty shop. For instance you might bring your car to the shop for an engine tune-up and to replace a broken windshield. The shop can handle the tune-up, but will farm out the windshield repair to a glass shop.
- Farm Products cargo
- Truck content of unprocessed items which were grown in or produced from agricultural activity on a farm or in a garden, nursery, or orchard. Articles manufactured or processed from these commodities are not included in this category.
- Farm Tractor
- A low-speed high-torque vehicle used in farming. Typically with two small front wheels and two large rear wheels. Designed to pull other components in farming. In contrast with a Truck tractor
- Farm use
- Petroleum products sales for use on the farm including use in tractors, irrigation pumps, other agricultural machinery, etc.)
- FARS
- Acronym for Fatality Analysis Reporting System operated by the NHTSA
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System
- (FARS) operated by the NHTSA
- Fascia
- Also spelled facia.
- A front protective panel usually located below the Bumper.
- In Britain it is the instrument panel.
- Fastback
-
A design of car where the roof gently slopes to the rear end of the car. Any automobile with a long, moderately curving, downward slope to the rear of the roof. This body style relates to an interest in streamlining and aerodynamics and has gone in and out of fashion at various times. Some (Mustangs for one) have grown quite popular. Others have tended to turn customers off. Certain fastbacks are, technically, two-door sedans or pillared coupes. Four-door fastbacks have also been produced. Many of these (such as Buick's late 1970s four-door Century sedan) lacked sales appeal. Fastbacks may or may not have a rear-opening hatch.
Fastback
Also see
- Fast charger
- A battery charger which can charge a battery at a rate of 40 amps or more, used by garages and battery suppliers
- Fast food freezing
- Method that uses liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide to turn fresh food into long lasting frozen food. It is often referred to as cryogenic food freezing and freeze drying.
- Fast idle
- When the engine is cold, it needs to run faster to keep it from stalling. A cam on the Carburetor forces the Throttle open a little more when the Choke is engaged.
- Fast idle cam
- A cam in a Carburetor which opens the throttle slightly when the choke is brought into operation, either automatically or mechanically
- Fast idle screw
- A screw on a Carburetor for adjusting the speed of the fast idle
- Fast idle solenoid
- A Solenoid operating in conjunction with an automatic choke to open the throttle slightly when the choke is in operation
- Fast lane
- The outside lane (far left lane in North America, etc. or the far right lane in Britain, Australia, etc.). Also called the passing lane
- FAS value
- Acronym for Free alongside ship value. The value of a commodity at the port of exportation, generally including the purchase price plus all charges incurred in placing the commodity alongside the carrier at the port of exportation in the country of exportation.
- Fathom
- A measure of length, equivalent to 6 linear feet, used for depths of water and lengths of anchor chain
- Fatigue
- A condition of a material, especially a metal, causing loss of elasticity and
tendency to fracture after long or repeated stress, even though the stress may be
less than that which would cause failure under static conditions.
Also see
- Fatigue life
- When a metal component is subjected to repeated bending or service action it will eventually break. The number of bends is its fatigue life.
- Fatigue limit
- The maximum stress that a material can endure for an infinite number of stress cycles without breaking
- Fatigue strength
-
- The maximum stress that a material can endure for a given time without breaking
- The stress to which a metal can be subjected for a specified number of cyclic changes of stress.
- The endurance of a fastener showing the load it can accept without breaking under repeated load cycles.
- Fatigue test
- A test on a material to determine the range of stress it will stand without failing, by subjecting it to rapidly varying stresses to establish its fatigue limit
- Fat load
- Trucker slang for overload, carrying more weight than local state law allows as in "Better not be running at fat load, cause the coops are open and checking ground pressure this morning."
- Fault
- A defect which is either inherent in the vehicle as built (manufacturing fault)
or which occurs during running.
Also see
- Fault diagnosis
- The tracing of faults or error codes which can be determined by the in-built diagnostic system and an engine analyzer
- Fault memory
- A part of the electronic control unit and of the diagnostic system that stores error codes to assist the mechanic in diagnosing problems.
- Fault reader
- A device used in conjunction with the vehicle's diagnostic system, providing a read-out of status of the various components
- Faying surface
- The inner mating or contacting surfaces of a joint; common area of two surfaces that are bonded together with an Adhesive