FF
This is the abbreviation for front engine/front wheel drive, a system in which the engine is installed in front of the passenger compartment and drives the front wheels. The drive system for front engine vehicles is designed so that the transmission is connected by driving axles to the front wheels instead of the rear wheels. Advantages of this method include reduced weight, increased interior space and better traction in many situations. |
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Final Drive Ratio
The ratio between the transmission output shaft r.p.m. and the drive-wheel axle shaft r.p.m. It is determined by the ring and pinion gear inside the differential. For example, if the ratio is 4.00:1, the driveshaft rotates four times for each rotation of the rear axle differential gear, the axle shafts and the wheels. A car's acceleration and fuel economy can be altered by the final drive ratio. A low numerical axle ratio (example: 3.07) is known as a fast ratio, because road speed is relatively fast for any given engine speed. The characteristics of this ratio are: lower engine speed, reduction in performance ability and lower engine revolution per mile so fuel economy is improved. A high numerical axle ratio (example: 3.73) is known as a slow ratio, because the road speed is relatively slower as compared to the engine speed. The effects are: raised engine speed, increased performance ability, increased engine revolutions per mile and increased fuel consumption. |
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Firing Order
The sequence in which the spark is delivered to an engine's cylinders. |
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Five-arm Rear Axle
designed to perform with greater agility than conventional axles, so that it is better able to provide the characteristically dynamic handling. With its light-weight steel construction, the five-arm rear axle differs from the trailing-arm double wishbone axle in that it has two independent track rods instead of the upper and lower wishbones.
Extra-wide mounts and supports on the wheel carriers for track and wheel camber, the extremely stiff track control arms, the equally stiff rear axle subframe, as well as thrust rods connecting the suspension to the body of the car ensure exact wheel guidance, guaranteeing excellent driving qualities. And thanks to its small effective lever arms, the rear axle is hardly affected by bumps or adverse forces. The harmonious spring/damper set-up and excellent bodyroll comfort confirms the dynamic character of the five-arm rear axle. |
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Flex Ray
A newly (2007) developed serial bus system that speeds up data transfer between vehicle components. It enables different systems to be safely and precisely networked. New, fast driver assistants and chassis control systems mean safer, more comfortable driving.
Flex Ray controls the optical bus system of the Adaptive Drive chassis control system, and is used in controlling the stabilisers and electromagnetic valves of the dampers; this enables Adaptive Drive to eliminate the effect of body roll on the vehicle.
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Flywheel
Is a disk that is about 12 to 15 inches in diameter. On a standard transmission car, the flywheel is a heavy iron disk that doubles as part of the clutch system. On automatic equipped vehicles, the flywheel is a stamped steel plate that mounts the heavy torque converter. The flywheel uses inertia to smooth out the normal engine pulses.
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Forces in a Corner
Sir Isaac Newton, 1642-1727, a British philosopher and mathematician, is famous as the discoverer of gravity. The popular story is that he was napping under an apple tree and, when wakened by a hit on the head from a falling apple, came up with the realization that there must be a force on the apple that made it fall toward the ground and clunk him on the head. Silly story or not, Newton formulated some basic relationships between mass and forces and the acceleration of bodies that are the foundation of all the engineering sciences. Isaac Newton is to engineering what Albert Einstein is to nuclear physics.
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FR
This is the abbreviation for front engine/rear wheel drive, in which the engine is installed in front of the passenger compartment and drives the rear wheels. The benefit in sports cars is better dry road handling and better weight distribution. |
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FSI
Fuel Stratified Injection is a form of direct petrol injection, and it has been hailed as the most significant step forward for the petrol engine since fuel injection itself replaced the carburettor. But it is also a piece of intelligent thinking, about the time-hallowed principles of creating and igniting the fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber, in particular when running under part-load or with the throttle closed.
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Fuel - BioDiesel
Biodiesel has received increasing attention during the last several years because it is perceived to be an environmentally friendly fuel. In Europe, it is primarily produced from rapeseed oil, and in the United States, it is derived from soybean oil. Biodiesel is produced by chemically reacting an animal fat or vegetable oil with an excess of alcohol (usually methanol) in the presence of a catalyst to produce alkyl monoesters from the fatty acids present in the oil. These esters are usually referred to as biodiesel. They may be used neat or in blends with diesel fuel.
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Fuel Diesel
Diesel fuel, like gasoline is a complex blend of carbon and hydrogen compounds. It too requires additives for maximum performance. There are two grades of diesel fuel used in automobiles today: 1-D and 2-D. Number 2 diesel fuel has a lower volatility and is blended for higher loads and steady speeds, therefore works best in large truck applications. Because number 2 diesel fuel is less volatile, it tends to create hard starting in cold weather. On the other hand number 1 diesel is more volatile, and therefore more suitable for use in an automobile, where there is constant changes in load and speed.
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Fuel Filter
The fuel filter is the key to a properly functioning fuel delivery system. This is more true with fuel injection than with carbureted cars. Fuel injectors are more susceptible to damage from dirt because of their close tolerances, but also fuel injected cars use electric fuel pumps. When the filter clogs, the electric fuel pump works so hard to push past the filter, that it burns itself up. Most cars use two filters. One inside the gas tank and one in a line to the fuel injectors or carburetor. Unless some severe and unusual condition occurs to cause a large amount of dirt to enter the gas tank, it is only necessary to replace the filter in the line. |
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Fuel Lines
EFI systems use a different type of fuel line. Because of the higher pressures involved, you should never use low-pressure fuel line intended for carburetors. It WILL rupture and under 50PSI of fuel, a blown hose can make a nasty flamethrower if the leak were to catch fire.
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Fuel Pump
There are two types of fuel pumps, Mechanical or Electrical type Pumps.
Fuel pumps for EFI systems are always electric and must provide a continuous flow of fuel to the engine. EFI pumps come in two pressure ranges, Low and High.
The Low-pressure pumps are for the 12-15 psi Injectors and have a maximum pressure of 30 psi if blocked off.
The high-pressure pumps have ratings from 30 to 80 psi and may develop over 150 psi if the output is restricted. This can potentially be very dangerous if a leak were to develop.
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Fuel Tank
Location and design are always a compromise with available space. Most automobiles have a single tank located in the rear of the vehicle. Fuel tanks today have internal baffles to prevent the fuel from sloshing back and forth. If you hear noises from the rear on acceleration and deceleration the baffles could be broken. All tanks have a fuel filler pipe, a fuel outlet line to the engine and a vent system.
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Fuses
Fuses are important in that they protect electrical circuits from overloading and short circuits. Nine times out of ten when you have to replace a fuse, something is wrong. If a new fuse blows as soon as you put it in, you have an electrical problem that needs fixing. Never install a fuse of a higher rating than the one installed. Doing so could result in damage to the electrical system.
Fuses are pretty cut and dried. All modern cars use the same type of fuse. They are plastic and come in different colors corresponding to their amp rating. They come in different sizes. These fuses are clear so you can tell at a glance if the fuse is blown or not. Sometimes a fuse will wear out and the only way to tell, accurately, if the fuse is good is with an ohmmeter. Since these fuses are small, there is usually a fuse-pulling tool in the fuse box. This tool grips the top of the fuse and allows you to pull it out for inspection or replacement.
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FWD
Front-Wheel Drive - A traction system which allows more passenger and cargo room by placing the engine transversely (or sideways), this system carries the weight of the engine and transmission over the drive wheels, helping to improve traction in certain situations. |
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