DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS - "Ab"

Abaft
Toward the back of a ship
abandonment
  1. The act of a transporting company (bus, courier, railway, ship, etc.) in which it will no longer service a previously serviced route. In some cases abandonment must be approved by the ICC
  2. The act of a shipper or consignee who refuses to accept delivery
  3. The act of relinquishing title to damaged or lost property by claiming a total loss.
Abarth
abarth

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Abarth

A model of car produced by Fiat
AB-screw
A screw used in sheet metal but rarely in stainless steel.
  • The AB designation is made because it has a pointed end similar to a type-A screw and thread dimensions similar to a type-B screw.
ABC
  1. Acronym for aerial bunched conductors
  2. Acronym for automatic beam control.
ABC Classification
An inventory classification system
  • A system for classifying inventory or parts within a warehouse where fast moving products are designated as "A" items, while "B" and "C" items are not as fast moving.
  • In some warehouses, however, "A" items are those with the best profit margins.
ABCV
Acronym for Air Bleed Control Valve (Ford)
ABDC
Acronym for after bottom dead center.
Abel flashpoint apparatus
A device for testing the flash point of gasoline.
Abel tester
A closed-cup flash tester for kerosene and other oils
Aberration
A deviation from normal standards
Abhere
To refuse to stick together.
Abhesive
A substance which does not allow two materials to stick together
  • e.g., teflon® on frying pans does not allow eggs to stick to its surface.
  • Opposite of adhesive
A-bike
A-bike

A-bike

A light-weight: (5.5 kg) folding bicycle invented by Sir Clive Sinclair in the United Kingdom
Ability
Aboard
Aboard ship
A bone
Nickname for a Ford Model "A"
ABPV
Acronym for air bypass valve.
Abradant
A grinding powder
Also see
Abrade
To grind or roughen up a surface by rubbing
Abrasion
The action of removing some of the surface through rubbing friction.
Abrasion hardness
The ability of something (e.g., metal, ceramic) to resist abrasion.
abrasive
  1. A hard grit used for sanding or grinding.
    • Usually a powder e.g., silicon carbide powder.
  2. Materials such as sand or chipped rock that are spread on paved roads to increase vehicle traction.
    • Also called aggregates
abrasive blast cleaning
A process of cleaning with gusts of fine particles
  • In order to clean steel or remove rust from iron or scale from metal, sand or some other powder substance is forced by air pressure through a nozzle.
  • In this way the small particles of abrasive can penetrate the metal where sanding with sandpaper cannot.
  • Also, very small craters are formed on the surface of the metal from the blasting action.
  • When thoroughly cleaned the metal is ready for painting.
  • Paint adheres better to these craters and imperfections than to a perfectly smooth surface.
abrasive cleaner
A cleaning paste with some hard grit.
  • It is used to remove the grime and oils from a surface or from your hands.
abrasive disc
abrasive disc

abrasive disc

A circular plate (often made of plastic with hard grit embedded into it) used for grinding or sanding.
abrasive paper
Sandpaper (a paper upon which sand or hard grit has been glued) used for sanding or grinding.
Abreast
Side by side
ABS
Acronym for anti-lock brake system.
  • The acronym ABS comes from the German anti blockier system.
  • A computer, sensors, and solenoid valves work together to sense wheel speed in order to modulate braking force if wheels lockup during braking.
  • ABS can help the driver retain control of the vehicle during heavy braking on slippery roads.
  • It works on the principle of braking a wheel until it just begins to skid (this is the point where braking efficiency would drop off dramatically) and then releasing the brake pressure and re-applying the brakes.
  • Wheel speed sensors identify the skid point and trigger a release in brake pressure.
  • The cycle is repeated many times a second.
  • The driver will feel a rapid pulsing at the brake pedal and hear a chattering noise as ABS is applied.
Absolute
Absolute ampere
The metric standard unit of electric current which replaced the international unit in 1948
Absolute humidity
The ratio of the mass of water vapor in a sample of moist air to the volume of the sample.
Absolute Liability
The shipping carrier assumes responsibility for all damages and for late shipment, etc. and is not protected by normal exemptions found in a bill of lading or common law liability.
Absolute pressure
  1. Pressure measured from a starting point of zero in perfect vacuum.
    • When measured by the absolute pressure scale, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi or 29.92 inches of mercury (in-Hg).
  2. Total pressure equal to gauge pressure plus 14.7 lbs./sq. in. at sea level.
Absolute pressure sensor
Absolute temperature
The temperature above absolute zero
  • The temperature plus 273°C.
Absolute Valve
Absolute weight
The weight (or mass) of a body in a vacuum.
Absolute zero
The point at which there is a total absence of heat, -273.15°C.
absorbent
A substance with the property of assimilating another substance (e.g., sponge and water).
Absorber
Something which converts the dynamic energy of motion into potential energy (e.g., of a spring) such as in a shock absorber.
Absorber Surface
Absorber tower
Absorbing
Absorbing bumper
Absorbing steering
Absorbing steering column
Absorption
The use of a chemical or filter to remove unwanted particles or characteristics from something.
Absorption capacitor
A capacitor connected across a spark gap to reduce the discharge.
Absorption coefficient
  1. The volume of gas, measured at STP, dissolved by unit volume of a liquid under normal pressure (i.e., one atmosphere).
  2. The fraction of the energy which is absorbed.
Absorption dynamometer
A measuring device which absorbs and dissipates power, e.g., the ordinary rope brake and the Froude hydraulic brake.
Absorption hygrometer
An instrument that measures the amount of moisture in the atmosphere
Absorption refrigerator
A refrigerator which creates low temperatures by using the cooling effect formed when a refrigerant is absorbed by chemical substance
ABS override button
A button or switch which disengages the automatic anti-lock braking system so that the driver can operate the brakes himself.
ABS relay valve
An electrically controlled valve which modulates the air pressure in the anti-lock braking system.
ABSV
Acronym for Air Bypass Solenoid Valve (Mazda)
Abut
The action of two gear teeth making contact.
abutment
  1. A part which stops the motion of another part from proceeding any farther.
  2. The contact made between opposing teeth of two gears.
  3. The structure that supports the end of a bridge.
Abutting edge
The edge or side of a panel which joins the edge or side of another panel.
ABV
Acronym for air bypass valve.