A rare or precious metal (such as gold, silver, mercury, platinum) which conducts electricity very well, resists corrosion, and is inert; some are used as catalysts in catalytic converters
No-claims bonus:
A reduction in insurance premiums because no claims have been made
No-cost option:
An optional extra for a new car at no extra cost
No fault insurance:
A form of vehicle accident insurance in which the insurance company of each driver pays for the damages of its own driver regardless of who is at fault. So if you and I have an accident, my insurance company will pay for my damaged car and your insurance company will pay for your damages. If you don't have insurance, my insurance company will pay for my damages even if I think you are at fault.
No-frost freezer:
Low-temperature refrigerator cabinet in which no frost or ice collects on freezer surfaces or materials stored in cabinet...
A characteristic value used for pipeline systems to identify parts which belong together such as pipes, pipe joints, fittings, etc.; a nominal size for the inside diameter
A non-servo brake in which both shoes are energized in either direction
Non-directional finish:
The recommended machine finish on a face of a rotor.
Non-directional tread:
An arrangement of bars, grooves and ribs in a manner that gives equal traction in forward or reverse direction. Also See: directional tire directional tread
Any oil that does not have the ability to take up oxygen from the air to change it from a liquid to a solid state. Mineral oils are non-drying oils; so are a few vegetable oils
Nonferrous:
Group of metals and metal alloys which contain no iron.
Nonferrous metal:
A metal which contains no iron (except in very minute quantities). Thus it is not subject to rusting, e.g., aluminium, copper, magnesium, etc.
Nonferrous metals:
All metals containing no iron (except in very minute quantities). Thus they are not subject to rusting.
Nonfrosting evaporator:
Evaporator which never collects frost or ice on its surface.
Non-integral system:
An anti-lock brake system whose major hydraulic components are separate from the master cylinder, and are installed between the master cylinder and the wheel brakes
Also called non-integrated system or
independent ABS
Non-integrated system:
An anti-lock brake system whose major hydraulic components are separate from the master cylinder, and are installed between the master cylinder and the wheel brakes.
Also called non-integral system or
independent ABS
Non-self-priming pump:
A centrifugal pump which is unable to evacuate and prime the suction line without external assistance. The opposite is self-priming pump. Most centrifugal pumps are non-self-priming and require a flooded suction line
Non-servo brake:
A drum brake design; each brake shoe is anchored, therefore no one shoe can assist in the application of the other; one shoe is self-energizing, the other is not
A drum brake in which each shoe is applied individually; the
operation of one shoe has no effect on the other.
Non-servo drum brake:
A drum brake design in which the application of one shoe has no effect on the other
Non-staged carburetor:
A 4-barrel carburetor that has secondary throttle plates which open at the same time as the primary throttle plates, or a two-barrel carburetor with only one throttle shaft (both throttle valves open simultaneously)
Nonventilated enclosure:
An electric motor housing that is not equipped with a fan for external
cooling, but depends on convection air for cooling. It may be
totally enclosed
or explosion-proof
Non-volatile random access memory:
A non-volatile memory that is used to store information for either short or
long term usage. This type of memory can be written to. If external energy is removed from the device,
the contents in memory are not destroyed.
Non-woven abrasive:
A grinding disc which is made of very hard material used primarily for cutting.
Noodle:
The L-shaped tubing piece found on the side of Shimano V-Brakes and some other
direct-pull cantilever bicycle brakes
NORBA:
Acronym for National Off-road Bicycle Association -- the US governing body for off-road racing
Nordberg key:
A round key
Nordic Anti-Corrosion Code:
A code developed by the Scandinavian automobile and consumer associations which stipulates that, as of January 1983, all cars must be free of surface corrosion for three years and free of perforation and weakening damage for six years
No rinse treatment:
An application method of chemical conversion coatings by means of a roll coating system whereby no rinsing treatment is required
Normal charge:
Thermal element charge which is part liquid and part gas under all operating conditions.
Normally aspirated:
An engine that intakes air or "breathes" without the assistance of a supercharger or turbocharger.
Normally aspirated engine:
An engine which uses the factory installed carburetor or fuel injection system with its normal air filter, etc. It does not use modified air flow systems which pump more air into the engine. Usually this expression is used as comparison as in My modified intake puts out more horsepower than a normally aspirated engine. Also called naturally aspirated engine or a "free breather."
Acronym for "new old replacement stock," or "new old reproduction stock." These are parts that were aftermarket replacements, usually of the same quality, for the manufacturer's parts. Or, they are parts that were reproduced by an aftermarket supplier using the same quality of materials and manufacture as the original manufacturer, but now are "old."
North American Free Trade Agreement:
(NAFTA) Agreement creating free trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The NAFTA went into effect on January 1, 1994.
North American Industrial Classification System:
(NAICS) Industry Classification between Canada, the United States and Mexico to increase compatibility of data with these countries. The classification is based on establishment rather than commodity. This classification system will be implemented with reference to year 1997 and data will be available in 1999.
North American produced:
Motor vehicles assembled in Canada, the United States or Mexico.
North pole:
The magnetic pole in a magnet from which the lines of force emanate; travel is from North to South pole.
North pole, magnetic:
End of magnet Out of which magnetic lines of force flow.
North-south layout:
An engine layout with the cylinders lying lengthways from the front (north) to the back (south). Also called longitudinal engine. Compare east-west layout
NOS:
Acronym for "new old stock." These are parts that originally were available from the manufacturer of an automobile. They have never been used, thus are "new." But they also may have been on the shelf for decades, thus are "old."
An insert for pop-rivet pliers that is used to allow various pop-rivet diameters to be used
Nose protector:
A cover, usually of black soft plastic sheeting with flannel-like backing, that fits around the front end of a car. Also called nose bra. Compare stealth bra. It protects the front portion of hood and fenders against damage caused by flying rocks, road debris and insects; attaches to car with bendable plates, straps, or hooks and grommeted edges; sometimes personalized with a vehicle logo; relatively common in the USA, but rarely found in Europe
Noseweight:
A vertical weight on the center of the towing ball exerted by the vehicle being towed (on level ground). This must be within certain limits; generally between 110-165 lbs (50-75 kg) for car and trailer
A V-shaped or U-shaped indentation cut into a test piece, test bar, or into a molded part
Notchback:
A classical sedan shape which is sometimes called a three box design. When
you look at the side of the car, the front section in front of the windshield
is one box; the section with the doors and windows is the second box; and the
third box is the trunk. Because the third box starts just below the back
window, it is called a notchback.
A body shape which differs from a fast back. When a
fastback is observed from the side, there is a
smooth line (curve) along the roof from the A-pillar to the back of the car.
In a notchback, the roof is abruptly dropped down to the leading part of the
rear deck (or trunk).
Notched rocker arm stud:
A rocker arm stud with a notch worn in its side; a notched stud is more likely to break
Notchy:
The action of changing the gears in a rough way which causes a slight crashing of gears. It is often caused by the clutch failing to disengage fully
Oxides of nitrogen. They are at their worst when combustion is most efficient. They are produced because the air is 78 percent nitrogen. Combines with HC in sunlight to form photochemicalsmog. NOx emissions can be reduced by lowering peak combustion temperatures through lowering compression ratios and by recirculating exhaust gases.
NOx-Control module:
(NCM) A digital ignition control module for retrofitting to cars with Motronic engine control; modifies ignition timing characteristics for lower NOx emissions
Air rushing by the venturi at idle can cause fuel to drip from the discharge nozzle for the main metering circuit
Nozzle restrictor:
A restrictor in the fuel filler neck of cars fitted with catalytic converters that prevents filling from leaded petrol pumps, which have larger pump nozzles
Nova:
An automobile model produced by Chevrolet Click image for books on Nova
An automobile model produced by Chevrolet
View My Guestbook
