DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Fe"

FE analysis:

Acronym for Finite-Element Analysis

Featherbed frame:

Famous Norton motorcycle frame design by the McCandless brothers. It was introduced in 1950 and was given its name by factory rider Harold Daniell

Featheredge:

See:
feather-edge.

Feather edge:

See:
feather-edge.

Feather-edge:

1. The tapered edge of the paint where it meets the metal. The edges should be tapered or slanted so that no edge will be felt when a finger is passed over it.
2. To sand the edges of a repaired area until they merge into the surrounding paintwork.

Feathering:

1. A type of tire wear in which the tread is worn down to a very thin edge
2. The application of gentle pressure on the throttle or brake pedal

Feather key:

A key with parallel faces whose ends may be round or square. It usually fits into a groove on a shaft and in a mating hole to secure the shaft in place.

Feature:

See:
kneeling feature
passive safety features

FEBIAC:

Acronym for "Fédération Belge des Industries de L'Automobile et du Cycle 'réunies'" (Belgium)

Federal engine:

An American engine which meets US Federal emission standards and certified by the EPA for use in any state except California

Federal side impact standard:

Effective with the 1997 model year, all passenger cars are required to comply with Standard 214, side impact protection, as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations. Simply put, the entire structure, floor to roof, of all cars must now be reinforced according to strict regulations. Interestingly, this standard does not yet apply to light trucks (e.g., minivans, compact pickups, SUVs).

Federal Test Procedure:

(FTP) An American method of testing automotive emissions by simulating typical driving conditions

Federal version:

A vehicle that complies with U.S. emission standards which are less restrictive than the standards in California. Also called a "49-state car."

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile:

(FIA) The international umbrella motoring organization to which national motoring organizations are affiliated and racing is sanctioned. This includes FIA Formula One World Championship (the world's premier racing series also called Formula One racing or F1), International Sports Car Championship (BPR), International Touring Car Championship, and through the Concorde Agreement (agreement to operate racing series under the FIA's guidelines and rules) for participating country's car clubs. Events take place worldwide. The current president is Max Mosley and the V.P. of Marketing is Bernie Eccelestone who controls the series.

Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile:

(FISA) The international governing body of motor sport

Fee:

See:
acquisition fee
agent fee
disposition fee
trauma fee

Feed:

1. To supply (fuel, oil, current, etc.)
2. The supply of fuel, oil, current, etc.

Also See:
foot feed
gravity feed

Feedback:

1. The return of part of the output of a system to the input. Negative feedback causes self-adjustment of the system and therefore stability. Positive feedback causes instability.
   Also See:
   closed loop system.
2. The information that a computer-controlled fuel system returns. The sensor measures the oxygen content of the engine's exhaust in order to keep the fuel-air ratio very close to the ideal proportion for combustion. Such tight control of the fuel-air ratio is required for the proper operation of three-way catalysts.
3. Information on current operation of a system or device used by the control system to modify future operation.
4. In electrical motors and controls, it is the voltage information received by a feedback circuit. Depending on a predetermined potentiometer setting, an electric motor control can correct the voltage to deliver appropriate speed and/or torque

Feedback carburetor:

(FBC) A carburetor regulated by a closed loop system (an oxygen sensor, various other sensors, a computer, a duty-cycle solenoid or solenoid-controlled valve and a catalytic converter) providing and adjusting the air/fuel mixture quality to operate a catalytic converter

Feedback carburetor actuator:

A computer-controlled stepper motor that varies the carburetor air/fuel mixture

Feedback control:

A closed loop control

Feedback control system:

(FCS)

1. A computer-controlled fuel system employing a stepper motor or a dithering solenoid that controls air-fuel mixture by bleeding precise amounts of air (determined by the computer) into the main and idle system of the carburetor
2. Control system that is constantly correcting the condition. Also called a "closed loop system."

Feedback potentiometer:

A variable resistance device which monitors the position of the shaft to which it is affixed and reports the position to the control head

Feeder:

See:
wire feeder

Feed gun:

See:
top feed gun

Feed line:

A pipe supplying liquid or gas.

Feed pipe:

A pipe supplying liquid or gas.

Feed pump:

A pump supplying, for example, fuel in regulated quantities

Feed the bears:

Trucker slang for "receive a ticket" as in "Looks like that chicken hauler likes to feed the bears."

Feel:

The detection of the operation of a vehicle and its components. Brake feel involves detecting how effectively the brakes work; road feel conveys to the driver the way the suspension responds to the road.
Also See:
brake feel
on-center feel
road feel
steering feel

Feeler blade:

A thin blade of spring steel of an exact thickness for measuring small gaps or clearances between parts, usually made in sets of various thicknesses pinned together at one end to form a feeler gauge

Feeler gage:

See:
feeler gauge.

Feeler gauge:

A thin strip or blade of hardened steel, ground to an exact thickness, that is used to check clearances between two parts. Thicknesses increase by 0.001 inch.
Also See:
step feeler gauge

Feeler strip:

A metal strip of a specific thickness from which single feeler blades can be cut, appropriate when frequent measuring is required, to avoid using worn blades

FEI:

Acronym for Fully Electronic Ignition

FEMA:

Acronym for "The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations" on http://mag-uk.org/fema/.

Female:

A fitting inside another part. Usually where two parts form a connection of some kind, the female part is the socket or hole into which another piece is inserted.

Female end:

The receptacal into which the male end is inserted.

Female thread:

The internal thread on fittings, valves, machine bodies, etc. like that within a nut. Male threads are found on bolts and screws.

Fender:

1. A covering over the wheels to prevent mud from splattering. The British term for this part is "wing."
2. British term for "bumper."

Also See:
bolt-on fender
front fender
inner fender panels
rear fender

Fender arch:

A smoothly shaped, rounded widening of the wheel arch area to extend the wheel arch further from the body and allow wider tires to be installed. The British term is "wing arch"

Fender beading:

A strip used to cover the seams between fenders that are not normally detached and adjacent body panels. In most cases, this strip is chromed and permanently attached (i.e., it is destroyed when it is removed and cannot be reused)

Fender bender:

A car accident in which only minor damage is done to body panels.

Fender bumping hammer:

A body hammer with a one-sided, fairly long head that is lightly curved and terminates in a rounded section; it is used to reach fender curves from the inside

Fender extension:

A smaller panel in the bottom front area of the front fender that extends the fender toward the front panel and the wheel housing

Fender landing section:

A horizontal flange at the top of the flitch plates that provides the seating for the fenders; in most cases, it also includes the mounting threads or spot-welds for attaching the fenders

Fender mirror:

A rear-view mirror mounted on the fender. It used to be a common placement, but now the outside mirror is mounted on the door.

Fender mounting:

The top flange of the sidewalls in the engine compartment and its vertical extensions at the front and rear; the fender is welded or bolted to this edge along its entire length

Fender panels:

See:
inner fender panels

Fender punch:

A hole punch with a specially shaped head to fit over awkward fender panels, rain gutters, and wheel arches

Fender rail:

A length of metal trim surrounding a motorcycle fender.

Fender skirt:

A plate designed to cover a portion of the rear fender wheel opening. It was available either as stock equipment, as an optional extra, or as an aftermarket item.

Fender splash apron:

A panel on the inside of the fender to prevent splashing water from reaching certain areas of the fender, wheel housing, and A-post; as opposed to wheel house panels, it is usually flat and mounted in an upright position behind the front wheels

Fender strengthening buttress:

A horizontally closed section of triangular shape in the upper rear edge of the inner fender area that adds rigidity to this area

Fender support bracket:

A sheet metal brace used to attach the bottom edge of the fender to the body, to keep it from flexing and vibrating

Ferguson four-wheel drive:

A transmission system in which power is distributed through a special viscous coupling differential, 37% to the front wheels and 63% to the rear wheels

Ferrari:

A vehicle brand of which the V-12 (All Front Engined) (1947-70) models are milestone cars.
Click image for books on Ferrari
Also See:
Dino
Testarosa

Ferrous:

Something containing iron

Ferrous metal:

Metal containing iron or steel. Non-ferrous metals are aluminum alloys, brass, copper, or magnesium.

Ferrule:

A cap (cylindrical metal piece with a hole at each end) attached to the end of the cable outer housing to protect the cable housing from fraying.

Ferrules:

See:
ferrule.

Festoon bulb:

A light bulb in the form of a small glass tube with caps at each end providing the contacts

FEU:

Acronym for "Forty Foot Equivalent Units" for containers on ships

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