Everything you ever wanted to know
about car lingo but were afraid to ask

NEW CAR brochures are ful! of automotive jargon that
sound high-tech and sophisticated. Even though new car
buyers look for features like ABS and fuel injection, many
of them actually do not know what these features are or
how they work.

So I’ve decided to give

definitions, described in layman's
terms, of some of the mast com-
monly used words in automotive
literature. This week is the first of
a two-part serics.
@ Active suspension ~~ Instead of
relying on the conventional shocks
and springs, the active suspension
utilizes computerized hydraulic ac-
tuators to manage the vehicle's
ride characteristics.

Because the system is com-
puterized, the car can be pro-
grammed to ride and handle like a
sports car, luxury car, or just

2.6 Litre engine, 5 spd transmission,

aa: ae Be AM/FM cassette, anti-lock brakes, P/S,

brief 5 CARED SEER EEL 1 1B : } P/B, skid plates, double wishbone
pee : ; independent suspension.

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plain regular sedan, without actu-
ally switching the suspension
components. The information
from the road and vehicle is
analyzed by a computer system
and instantaneously fed back to
the actuators in order to adjust
and counteract the cornering, ac-
celeration and braking forces.

Don't confuse a true active
suspension with an electronically
controlled suspension system,
which electronically adjusts the
suspension settings (typically soft
or firm settings) but still uses
conventional springs and shocks.

The full active suspension is

currently available on cars like the
Infiniti Q45 (U.S. only) and Jap-
anese version of the Lexus SC400
(Toyota Soarer). Sorry, no active
suspension in. Canadian models
yet.
@ Air bag — A passive safety
device which deploys a nylon bag
from the steering wheel and/or
passenger-side dash panel upon a
frontal collision at a speed above
15 kph (or so).

Because the nitrogen gas-
inflated -bag takes the shock of the
occupant instead of the steering
wheel or dash panel, the amount
of injury is reduced substantially.
The system uses a series of sensors
designed to sense the physical
front impact and deceleration rate
(how fast the car slows down) be-
fore igniting a small explosive
device to inflate the air bags.

Since the air bags are designed
to work in conjunction with the
seat belts, they are often called a
supplementary restraint system
(SRS). Many new cars have
driver’s-side air bags as standard,
and some offer them’ on the pas-
senger’s side.
® Anti-iock braking system

OVERDRIVE

turning diameter of the car during
parking (rear steers in the opposite
direction from the front).

The system may be mechanical-
ly or electrically controlled, and is
typically only available on sports
cars such as the Honda Prelude
and Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo:
Most people will not be able to
detect the difference between cars
with and without the systein.
6 Latera!- acceleration — basical-
ly a measure of how well the car
can corner without skidding off
the curve.

Measured in ‘‘g’’s (one g is
equivalent to the acceleration ob-
tained by gravity), it is calculated
based on the maximum speed at-
tained by a vehicle while driving
around a predetermined circle be-
fore sliding off. A typical sedan
averages between 0.7g and 0.88,
and a sports car has a lateral ac-
celeration of 0.8g to as much as
1,0g.

@ Mid-engine layout —
Describes a vehicle with the engine
mounted between the rear axle
(centre of the rear wheels) and the
passenger area. Because the weight
of the engine lies between the
front and rear axles, this layout is
said to optimize the weight
balance of the car. Cars like the
See Fuel page 35

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1991 PONTIAC kp
GRAND ARM LE SABRE LID.
bea aii power Stooring, Fal) 4 Dt. 6 of, Pi locks bras, Au, 4 SUtO V6,
vents wheel lockup. windows. Air

; EE | windows, brakes & trunk, : Set Automatic. § Air, Tit, Cruise.
When any of the wheels are "aso 8 Bt Sick 2 Se00

§} cruiso, tilt. oto, Stk.#5-3975-4 LAST CHANCE!
about to skid (lock up), the ;
system immediately releases the .
braking force momentarily to : ,,

allow the wheels to regain contact 5

with the surface. The system

basically pumps the brake for 692 PONTIAC 1993 PONTIAC 1993 PONTIAC

you, as much as 18 times a se- SUNBIRD GRAND AM SE BiSUNBIRD COUPE
4 Dr., auto., air cond., Windows |. Deluxe Sound Sys.

power steering, AM/FM : i Hock Brakes, Rear S

cond. . ; V6 engine, air cond.,
The wheels equipped with the cruise, tit, AM/FM
E: (ty ONLY A FEW RE

ABS allow the driver to regain cassatte. Stk.# P-9922-1
1932 PONTIAC
GRAND PRIX

contro! of the stecring even under

slippery conditions. ABS on cars
Air Cond., P/windows &
Locks, AM/FM Cassette.

work on all four wheels, but on

{ABS) — a computerized control
of the brake system which pre-

many trucks the ABS is effective
on the rear wheels only, (though
more and more trucks come with
four-wheel ABS).

Considered to be one of the
most important active safety
devices, it’s widely available now
and option costs range from about
$700 to $1,500.

@ Four-wheel steering — a system
which allows the rear wheels to
steer slightly to improve handling
characteristics at highway speed
(rear steers in the same direction

as the front), and/or reduce the
oo ne

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