Cylinders are the large round holes in the engine block that contain the pistons. The pistons travel up and down in the cylinders to create the engine’s power.

The cylinder head is the top part of the engine. It often contains the valves, and for cars with overhead cams, it contains the camshafts as well. The cylinder head also forms the top part of the combustion chamber.

A setting of your car’s heating controls that lets you easily remove frost and fog from your vehicle’s windows.

A type of engine that uses heat caused by engine compression rather than spark plugs to ignite its fuel mixture. Diesels are often more economical than gasoline engines; however, they create extra noise and vibration.

A symptom whereby an engine continues to run after the ignition has been turned off. When this occurs, the firing of the engine is uneven, often causing a sound much like a diesel engine.

A part of a car’s driveline that takes the power from the engine and splits it between two wheels or two axles. A differential also lets two wheels on the same axle rotate at different speeds. For instance, when you

Part of a car’s ignition system. The distributor receives the spark from the coil and literally distributes it amongst the spark plugs. In addition to the distributor itself, there is a distributor cap and distributor rotor which send power to

Also called antifreeze. The fluid mixed with water that is put into your vehicle’s radiator. Antifreeze is traditionally green in color; however, newer long-life antifreezes may be red or orange. Please refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual for the proper

Many cars have a clear plastic reservoir that allows the owner to see the level of their vehicle’s coolant. Check your owner’s manual to find the coolant reservoir on your vehicle.

The system of components that keeps your engine at the correct operating temperature. The cooling system includes the radiator, radiator cap, coolant reservoir, cooling fan, water pump, thermostat, hoses, heater core, heater valve, and antifreeze.

The cooling system hoses allow coolant to circulate between the radiator, engine, and heater. Over time, they deteriorate, and should be checked annually for condition and possible damage.

Cracked paint occurs when a paint is so damaged, the surface actually develops cracks. These cracks may spread in a spiderweb fashion across the surface of the paint. Cracked paint is unrestorable, and must often be completely removed when a

The crankshaft is an engine part that takes the up and down motion of the pistons and translates it into circular motion that can be directly transferred to the drivetrain.

Crazed paint occurs when paint is so damaged, the surface actually develops hairline cracks. These cracks may spread in a spiderweb fashion across the surface of the paint. Crazed paint is unrestorable, and sometimes has to be completely removed when

Cruising is a driving style whereby the driver maintains a set speed with very little fluctuation.

CV (constant velocity) joints are part of a car’s driveline. They allow a wheel to rotate freely in any direction while still receiving power from the axle.

The process by which the air/fuel mixture burns within an engine to create power.

The area in the cylinder head where air/fuel is ignited to create power.

Comprehensive coverage includes protection against theft and accident damage, regardless of fault.

A special gauge used by technicians to measure how much pressure a cylinder can create.