Taillights - Headlights
The lights on your car are of vital importance. They are one of the most crucial safety items, just like the brakes or steering system. While having one light such as a taillight or headlight burn out won't mean you'll lose control of your car, it's still important in terms of your being able to see where you're going and others being able to see you.
The inspection of vehicle lighting begins with the periodic checking of operation. Of course, headlights are easy. For taillights, you might need someone to stand behind the vehicle while you operate the running lights, brake lights and turn signals. You can also check for the function of these items by backing the vehicle up near a window and looking at the reflection through the back window. Your car's owner's manual is one of the most important tools for replacing vehicle lighting. You don't need to run off to the dealership just to replace a taillight, headlight or any other light in your car. Merely take a look at the manual, and it will tell you how to access the lights and the type of replacement to acquire. Most auto parts stores stock a full line of vehicle lights.
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TDC
Top Dead Center - The position of the piston in the cylinder bore at its uppermost point in the stroke. Occurs twice within the full cycle of a four-stroke engine; at the start of the intake stroke and 360 degrees later at the end of the compression stroke. |
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TDi
Turbocharged Direct injection- AUDI AG trademark. It identifies direct injection turbocharged diesel-engine Audi vehicles. Characteristics of TDI® engines include economy, low emissions, power (torque) and performance. Working principle: a turbocharger supplies fresh air to the engine and assures optimum filling of the cylinder. Immediately after compression, the injector delivers diesel fuel at very high pressure. Effective engine encapsulation keeps noise levels low and hydraulic engine mounts ensure smooth running and low vibration. |
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Thermal Efficiency
Thermal efficiency expresses the mechanical energy that is delivered to the vehicle relative to the energy content of the fuel. In the typical engine, 35% of the energy that is available in the fuel is lost as heat to the coolant and lubricating oil, 40% is lost as heat and unburned fuel in exhaust gases, and another 5% is lost in engine and drivetrain friction. This means that
only about 20% is available to drive the vehicle and accessories. These percentages vary somewhat with operating conditions but are valid on the average. |
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Thermostat
The thermostat's main job is to allow the engine to heat up quickly, and then to keep the engine at a constant temperature. It does this by regulating the amount of water that goes through the Radiator. At low temperatures, the outlet to the radiator is completely blocked all of the coolant is re-circulated back through the engine.
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Timing Belt
Timing belt is a toothed belt that connects the engine crankshaft to the camshaft(s).
The timing belt needed to synchronize the camshaft to the crankshaft position, so the valves will open and close at the proper time in the relation to the position of the pistons. The camshaft rotates at exactly 1/2 speed of the crankshaft; meaning two revolutions of the crankshaft are equal to one revolution of the camshaft.
Not all cars have a timing belt. Some of them use a chain or gears instead.
The timing belt(s) must be replaced at the manufacturer specified intervals.
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Tires Speed-Rated
A designation of the sustained high-speed capability of the tire. Special compounds and construction enable these tires to withstand the increase in pressure that comes at higher speeds. The speed rating is the letter on the sidewall in the tire's size (e.g., P205/65HR15, H=130 mph-rated).
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Tire - Specifications
The side of your tire, known as the sidewall, contains all the information you will need to know about your tire.All tires are required to have this information.
"Tire Type" defines the proper use of the tire. P means this is a passenger car tire. If the tire had an LT then the tire would be for a light truck.
"Tire Width" is the width of the tire measured in millimeters from sidewall to sidewall. This tire is 215 millimeters.
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Tire Maintenance
Inspect them regularly. Tires that are improperly cared for can accelerate tire wear and result in increased fuel consumption and accidents. Refer to your owner's manual for correct air pressure, maximum vehicle load, cold tire pressure and recommended tire size.
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Tire Troubleshooting
Checking Tire Tread
There are two popular ways for checking to see if there is enough tread on your tires. All passenger, light truck, and medium commercial tires have tread wear indicator bars molded into the tread. These bars are located at the bottoms of the tread grooves in several locations around the tire, and when the tire is worn to the point where any of them become visibly flush with the adjacent tread ribs, it is time to replace the tire. Another easy way to check that your tire has enough tread remaining is to place a penny in the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. if you can see the top of Lincoln's head it is time to replace your tires.
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TMC
The Traffic Message Channel (TMC) is a specific application of the FM Radio Data System (RDS) used for broadcasting real-time traffic and weather information. Data messages are received silently and decoded by a TMC-equipped car radio or navigation system, and delivered to the driver visually or as human speech in the preferred language of the user. TMC messages can be filtered so that only those relevant to the current journey are displayed, while a TMC-enabled navigation system can offer dynamic route guidance - alerting the driver of a problem on the planned route and calculating an alternative route to avoid the incident.
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Torque
The static twisting force produced by an engine. Torque varies with the length of the "arm" at which the twisting force is measured. Torque is a force times the length of the measurement arm: Torque = Force x Torque Arm, where Force is the applied or the generated force and Torque Arm is the length through which that force is applied. |
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Torque Converter
The torque converter is a type of fluid coupling between the engine and the gearbox to even out speed changes. The torque converter also multiplies engine torque.
The torque converter is used as a clutch to send the power (torque) from the engine to the transmission input shaft. It has three parts; an impeller connected to the engine's Crankshaft, a turbine to turn the turbine shaft which is connected to the gears, and a stator between the two. The torque converter is filled with transmission fluid that is moved by the impeller blades. The stator's vanes catch the oil thrown off from the impeller, and use it to move the turbine's blades. When the impeller spins above a certain speed, the turbine spins, driven by the impeller.
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Tow Ball
The tow ball connects the trailer to the tow vehicle bar and provides the means by which the trailer pivots during cornering. Available in a number of sizes, it must correspond to the trailer coupler size. |
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TPWS
Tyre Pressure Warning System - Individual sensors in each tyre constantly monitor tyre pressures. If the pressure drops below a certain point, a warning light inside the car warns you of low pressure. So it will help to prevent having to change tyres in unexpected or dangerous conditions. |
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Transmission - DSG
Direct-Shift Gearbox (designed by BorgWarner) - driving experience combines the driving excitement of a manual with the comfort of an automatic. Inside the cockpit, drivers experience superbly ergonomic and intuitive design, and engage Tiptronic® mode simply by using paddle shifters located on the steering wheel (optional). Whereas in conventional single clutch manuals, power flow is interrupted whenever the driver steps on the clutch pedal, with DSG the clutch for the first gear opens exactly as the other clutch engages the next gear, producing shifts in less than .2 seconds. When compared to a manual, DSG can deliver faster shifts, better acceleration figures and more economical fuel consumption. DSG is available as an option in the TT and A3. |
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Transmission Oil
The Transmission (aka. Gearbox) needs lubrication to keep all of the gears and shafts running smoothly. This is accomplished by partially filling the transmission housing with thick transmission gear oil. When the gear gears spin, they fling the fluid around and lubricate all of the parts. Oil seals at the front and rear stop the fluid from leaking out of the housing.
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TRC
Traction Control System - Makes driving in slippery conditions easier and safer. Sensors continuously monitor the rotational speed of each individual wheel. As soon as they detect that one or more wheels are starting to slip, the system instantaneously calculates the best way to restore traction. The engine's computer control unit then adjusts the throttle accordingly and the Brake Actuator directs the braking force to the most appropriate wheel (or wheels) until traction returns. |
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Turbo : Parallel Vs Sequential
The use of Twin-Turbocharger is a question of both efficiency and packaging. For larger engines, say, 2500 c.c. or above, it is better to use 2 smaller turbochargers instead of a big one, as small turbines reduce turbo lag.
Today, performance cars no longer employ a large single turbo like the early 911 Turbo.
For V-shape and boxer engines, it is also recommended to use twin-turbo, because one turbo serves each bank shorten the turbo pipes and save a lot of space. Moreover, the shorter the pipes, the less turbo lag generates.
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Turbo Charging
Turbo charging is one of the less expensive ways of helping an engine generate more horsepower. A turbocharger should not be confused with a Supercharger / Blower.
Superchargers are usually belt driven and actually USE horsepower to generate boost pressure, a turbo does not take horsepower away from the engine to build boost pressure. Exhaust gas is forced through a turbine housing and drives a turbine wheel on it's way out the exhaust. The turbine wheel is attached to a shaft that rides on floating bearings and drives a compressor wheel.
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Turbo Intercooling
An intercooler is a heat exchanger. That means there are two or more fluids that don't physically touch each other but a transfer heat or energy takes place between them.
At wide open throttle and full boost the hot compressed air coming from a Turbocharger is probably between 250 and 350 deg F depending on the particular turbo, boost pressure, outside air temperature, etc.. We want to cool it down, which reduces its volume so we can pack more air molecules into the cylinders and reduce the engine's likelihood of detonation.
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Turbo Lag
Within a Turbocharger's operating range, lag is the delay between the instant a car's accelerator is depressed and the time the turbocharged engine develops a large fraction of the power available at that point in the engine's power curve. Turbo Lag also occurs between gear shifts.This may be overcome by installing a Blowoff Valve, or an Intercooler. |
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Turbo Timer
An electronic device which permits the car to run for a fixed length of time after the ignition has been shut off. It's sort of the reverse of a remote car starter, which runs the car before the ignition is switched on. Turbo timers usually have user-selectable run times and can usually be installed around car alarm systems.
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