Any car buyer knows how intimidating it can be to get your car serviced. Unless you have a real understanding of auto parts and how they work, the parts your mechanic tells you need replacing may sound like a foreign language. We’ll go over some of the weirdest auto part names so you’ll be in the know the next time your mechanic tells you you need to replace your caliper!

Some names of auto parts

Without further ado, here are some auto part names that might make you think twice if you heard them from your mechanic. Take some time to review them, so that if your mechanic mentions them during your next maintenance visit, you won’t be completely confused or, even worse, think he or she is making up auto part names on the spot!

flange: A flange is basically a piece that is used to join two things together, like two pipes. Car flanges are usually circular with a large hole in the middle and several smaller bolt holes around the edge. As you can imagine, there are a lot of flanges on a car! This is definitely one of the strangest names in auto parts, but it is an important part of your vehicle. If two essential pipes in your car don’t connect, your car may not work!

Calibrate: A caliper is part of your brakes. It puts pressure on the brake pads when you need to slow down and stop the car. You can have a floating caliper or a fixed caliper, but they both work for the same purpose.

steering wheel: Next on our list is the steering wheel. A flywheel helps keep your car running smoothly despite the jerky motion of the pistons in your engine.

spindle: There are some car part names you’ve probably heard of before, but in a different context! A spindle is a perfect example. You may have heard of spindles in terms of spinning thread, but your car has them too! In your car, the axles reside in the suspension system and help keep the wheels in place.

Strut: A strut is a common component on front-wheel drive vehicles and works similarly to a shock absorber. You may hear this from your mechanic on a list of names of auto parts you need to replace if your vehicle doesn’t drive smoothly (bounces, sways, etc.).

Crankshaft: A crankshaft is a very important part of your engine. The crankshaft turns due to the power created by the moving pistons in your engine, which then turn the wheels. If your crankshaft isn’t working properly, you’re probably going to have a lot of trouble driving, if you can drive at all!

As you can see, there are a lot of car part names that end up being something a bit unexpected! There are many more that are not included in this list, so be sure to visit an experienced mechanic at a car dealership in Richmond or somewhere nearby for more information. It’s always good to be well informed, especially when it comes to his car, so take the time to do some research and learn more car part names!