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Rubber cover over a connector, plug, or other part that needs to be kept clean and/or dry. Also refers to the rubber bellows that cover CV joints.

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Modern vehicles use computers that feature on board diagnostics (OBD). These computers use sensors to watch various engine functions. When one of these sensors detects a signal that is outside of the range set by the car manufacturer, it turns logs a diagnostic trouble code and turns on the check engine light. This light indicates to the driver that the needs to be checked out.

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A cold start occurs when the engine is at ambient temperature. Cold starts can actually cause more wear on the engine than normal use does. It takes time for engines to circulate oil through themselves. Typically this is less than a second, but the engine is actually running without oil during this time.  Lower temperature aggravate the situation because the oil doesn’t flow as well and increases the time the engine runs without oil.

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Allows a driveshaft on a front wheel drive car to bend as the driver steers the car.

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Codes generated by the on board diagnostic system. A mechanic can use these codes to find out exactly what is happening inside the engine.

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Refers to the parts that make the car move. This includes the engine, transmission, driveshaft, differential, and more.

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Used to transfer movement from the transmission to the wheels.

On rear wheel drive cars they typically run down the center of the car, underneath the floor to the rear axle.

On front wheel drive cars there are 2 running from the middle of the car outwards to the wheels, just behind the engine.

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Responsible for keeping raw gasoline fumes inside the tank. Uses a system of hoses and valves to process air through the system. A charcoal filter traps any hydrocarbons in the air to prevent them from entering the atmosphere.

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Fouled Plug: Refers to a spark plug which has gone electrically open or shorted, meaning it will not fire across its gap because the electricity has found a path of less resistance around that gap or the because the gap has grown too large. Plugs can be fouled by a number of contaminants. Some include antifreeze, oil or fuel.

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Miss: The term “miss” is often misunderstood, but refers to a situation when the engine runs on less than the number of cylinders it is equipped with. It can refer to a constant condition or an intermittent one. A constant miss means that one or more cylinders is not firing at all. Intermittant misses will come and, a cylinder might fire most of the time.

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On board diagnostics are built into every modern car. The computer in the car monitors signals from sensors in and around the engine to monitor its health and performance.

These diagnostics can help a mechanic see what is going wrong on the car, but not why. It is important to remember that there is nothing that can magically tell the mechanic what needs to be replaced to fix the problem. A good mechanic is still needed to interpret these diagnostic results.

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Piston Rings: Metal rings around the piston. There are 2 primary types, compression rings and oil control rings. Compression rings help seal the piston to the cylinder to ensure proper compression. Oil control rings scrape excess oil off the cylinder wall to keep it from being burned in combustion.

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Some parts on cars can be rebuilt by specialty companies and sold again at a lower cost. This is most common with driveshafts and alternators. These parts typically lost signifantly less than the new part. When purchased from a reputable company, will usually perform as well as a new part.

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Joint in a shaft that allows the shaft to bend while turning. Most commonly used in driveshafts on rear wheel drive cars.