Dictionary of Automotive Terms Abbreviations

DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Vo"

Voice alert system:: A system in a car which audibly announces warning messages to the driver, e.g., "Warning! Oil pressure too low"

Voice recognition:: The ability of a computer to recognize a command spoken by the user; enables a driver to use a car phone without using his hands

Voiture Legere:: A light car, especially a racing car falling between the heavy cars and the voiturette. Term seldom used to describe production cars. Not used after 1914.

Voiturette:: Early two-seater touring car. Name first used by Leon Bollee and then applied to any small car.

Volatile organic compounds:: (VOC) unburned hydrocarbon (HC) portions of gasoline

Volatility:: The property of gasoline, alcohol, etc., to evaporate quickly and at relatively low temperatures. For instance, gasoline is more volatile (has higher volatility) than kerosene because it evaporates at a lower temperature.

Volkswagen:: (VW) A German car manufacturer
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Volt:: A unit of electrical pressure or force that will move a current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm.

Voltage:

A difference in electrical potential between one end of a circuit and the other. Also called "electromotive force (EMF)." Voltage causes current to flow. Measured in volts.
Term used to indicate the electrical potential or electromotive force in an electrical circuit
Voltage or electrical pressure which causes current to flow.
Electromotive force.

Voltage control:: Device used to provide some electrical circuits with uniform or constant voltage.

Voltage drop:

The lowering of voltage due to excess length of wire, undersize wire, etc.
Loss of voltage encountered across a circuit impedance. Voltage drop across a resistor takes the form of heat released into the air at the point of resistance.

Voltage regulator:: A device which maintains the correct voltage level in a vehicle's electrical system by preventing the circuit voltage from exceeding a predetermined safe value. When the battery needs charging the regulator cuts resistance out of the generator field circuit, thus increasing the flow of current in that circuit, with the further result that output is increased. When the battery becomes fully charged, the resistance is cut back into the field circuit so that the charging rate is decreased. As the engine speed increases, the alternator increases and generates more voltage. Unchecked, the alternator might put out so much voltage that bulbs and other electrical components might burn out. To a certain extent, the battery acts as a voltage regulator, but it too can be damaged by an electrical system which does not have an operating voltage regulator.

Voltage tester:: A screwdriver for testing electrical current, with an insulated blade and handle; a bulb inside the handle lights up if the blade touches a live terminal

Voltage transformer:: An assembly for increasing the voltage supplied to the air bag system to 12 volts in case of a drop in battery voltage

Voltammeter:: A dual-purpose instrument for measuring either voltage or amperage

Voltmeter:: An instrument used to measure the voltage in a given circuit, in volts.

Volume:: The measurement, in cubic inches, cubic feet, liters, etc., of the amount of space within a certain object or area.
Also See:
air volume
clearance volume
combustion chamber volume
displacement displacement volume
mixture volume
swept volume
trapped volume

Volume control screw:: An adjusting screw which controls the amount of air/fuel mixture supplied by the idling circuit of a fixed-jet carburetor

Volume induction system intake configuration:: See variable volume induction system intake configuration

Volumetric efficiency:

A comparison between the actual volume of fuel mixture drawn in on the intake stroke and what would be drawn in if the cylinder were to be completely filled. In practice, a normally aspirated car engine does not take in an amount of an equal to the displacement, it passes only about 80% of the theoretical charge: i.e., volumetric efficiency is 80%; this can be increased by supercharging. Also see breathing capacity.
Term used to express the relationship between the actual performance of a compressor or of a vacuum pump and calculated performance of the pump based on its displacement.

Voluntary Export Restraint:: (VER) In relation to Japanese manufacturers exporting to Canada (no longer in effect).

Voluntary Restraint Agreement:: In relation to Japanese manufacturers exporting to the United States (no longer in effect).

Volute:: A spiral-shaped case in which an impeller forces liquid in the direction it should go. Often used in pumps. Also see impeller.

Volute casing:: A progressively expanding pump casing proportioned to reduce the liquid velocity gradually so that some of the velocity energy of the liquid is converted into static pressure

Volvo:: A model of automobile manufactured in Sweeden. A vehicle brand of which the 1961-67 P.1800S, 2-door Coupe models are milestone cars.
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Vortex flow:: The whirling motion of the oil in a torque converter as it moves around and around from the pump, through the turbine, through the stator and back into the pump and so on.

Vortex tube:: Mechanism for cooling or refrigerating which accomplishes cooling effect by releasing compressed air through a specially designed tube,.

Vortex tube refrigeration:: Refrigerating or cooling device using principle of vortex tube, as in mining suits.

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