Learn the basic parts of a car
The hood, grille, steering wheel or gear lever… are basic parts of a car that everyone has probably heard of, but how many people understand their functions?
Basic parts of a car. |
In fact, many car owners are only interested in learning about somewhat complicated factors such as design, equipment, performance or safety features. However, most of them forget the need to master the basic structure of the exterior and interior, while this is extremely useful information to help operate the car smoothly and effectively.
1. Exterior
Bonnet:It is a metal frame at the front of the car that protects the engine compartment and can be opened and closed for maintenance and repair of internal components.
Grille:Most cars have a grille on the front to protect the radiator and engine, while allowing air to flow in. Grilles can also be located in a number of locations, such as in front of the wheels (to cool the brakes) or on the rear of the car, for cars with a rear engine.
Parts on the exterior of a car. |
Headlight:A lighting device usually placed on the left and right corners connecting the hood and the front of the vehicle. Headlights produce a strong and focused beam of light, shining horizontally on the road surface and capable of illuminating about 100 m. Headlights can be used in combination with low beams (low beams) in the same reflector, or installed additionally for optimal illumination.
Barrier:Is a structure attached or integrated into the front and rear of a car to absorb impact force in the event of a collision, helping to minimize injury to occupants and damage to other parts.
Windshield:A type of glass window located at the front of the car, not only has the function of blocking wind, dust, rain... into the car, but also participates in increasing the rigidity of the car's structure and protecting passengers in some collision situations.
Rearview mirror:Mirrors are mounted on the corners of the two front doors to help the driver see the area behind and on both sides of the vehicle.
2. Interior
Steering wheel:The part of the steering system that is controlled by the driver. The rest of the system responds to the driver's steering inputs through the coordination of two pairs of rack-and-pinion and worm-and-worm steering mechanisms, and may be assisted by a hydraulic pump.
The interior parts of a car. |
Dashboard:An information system consisting of clocks, displays and indicator lights that provide the driver with information about the operating status of several major systems in the vehicle. Information is displayed in two forms: needle or number.
Speedometer:Used to measure and display the instantaneous speed of the vehicle, standard equipment on motor vehicles since 1910, often combined with an odometer to show the distance the vehicle has traveled since it started operating and a tripmeter to measure short distances.
Tachometer:It is a tool that measures the rotational speed of the engine crankshaft, displaying the number of revolutions per minute (RPM - Revolution per minute). For manual transmission vehicles, this parameter is important, indicating whether the engine is operating within the optimal torque range and whether the idle speed is up to standard or not. For automatic transmission vehicles, the driver monitors the clock to maintain the engine's operating condition at a reasonable rpm range and save fuel.
Gas pedal:It is a part of the car that when applied force will make the car go faster. The accelerator pedal is controlled by the right foot and has the function of controlling the amount of fuel pumped into the engine. The harder the driver presses the accelerator, the more fuel is pumped into the engine, making the car go faster. When the accelerator is released, the car will slow down. The accelerator pedal reacts very quickly even though the force applied is not large.
Brake pedal:This part is also controlled by the right foot and is used in case the driver wants to reduce speed or stop the vehicle completely. When the driver acts on the brake pedal, the brake fluid in the system will move through the pipes to the wheel cylinders, under the effect of the force generated by the brake fluid pressure acting on the piston, the brake mechanism will perform the task of reducing speed or stopping the vehicle. The time and distance for the vehicle to brake depends on the force applied to the pedal. However, it is best for the driver to gradually increase the pressure until the vehicle reaches a gentle stop, avoiding sudden braking.
Clutch pedal (manual transmission only):This pedal is controlled by the driver's left foot and is used when wanting to control the vehicle away from a fixed position, change gears and stop the vehicle without causing the engine to suddenly stop. To keep the vehicle from shaking, when releasing the clutch pedal, follow this sequence: About 2/3 of the first stroke, release quickly so that the clutch friction plate contacts the flywheel, about 1/3 of the second stroke, release slowly to gradually increase the torque transmitted from the engine to the transmission system. When releasing the clutch pedal completely, the driver should put his foot on the floor of the vehicle to avoid clutch slippage.
Gear shift:operates with the clutch. Controlling the gear lever affects the meshing of the gears in the gearbox, changing the traction and speed of the car.
Engine design, equipment or technical specifications are fixed factors according to the manufacturer's standards, even if the car owner understands them well, they cannot be applied much in the usage process. Meanwhile, once mastering the operating principles of the above mentioned parts, the driver can flexibly control the car according to different conditions, thereby optimizing the vehicle's operating capacity. Therefore, do not underestimate any basic details, because a simple mechanism can also have great uses.
