| Abbreviation
|
Stands for
|
| 2WD |
2-wheel drive |
| 4WAS |
Four wheel anti skid |
| 4WD |
4-wheel drive |
| 4WS |
Four-wheel steering |
| 4X4 |
4 wheel drive, see 4WD |
| ABC |
Active Body Control
|
| ABS |
Anti-lock braking system |
| AC |
Air conditioning or
Alternating current |
| ACC |
Adaptive cruise control also Adaptive chassis control
|
| AFS |
Advanced front-lighting system |
| AIR CON |
Air conditioning |
| ALR |
Automatic Locking Retractor |
| ALS |
Active lighting system or automatic lighting system |
| AMG |
Aufrecht, Melcher, Grossaspach |
| ASC |
Automatic/Active stability control |
| ASC+T |
Automatic/active stability control with traction control |
| ASD |
Automatic limited-slip
differential |
| ASR |
Anti Slip Regulation (Audi Traction Control) |
| ATV |
All Terrain Vehicle |
| AT |
Automatic transmission
|
| AUT |
Automatic transmission
|
| AUTO |
Automatic transmission (also Automobile and Automotive) |
| AWD |
4 wheel drive, see 4WD & 4X4 |
| AYC |
Active yaw control |
| BHP |
Brake horse power |
| BLIS |
Blind spot information system, infra-red sensor that helps detects those in the blind spot |
| BMW |
Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works) |
| BSD |
Blind-spot detection |
| CAB |
Cabriolet |
| CABRIO
|
Cabriolet |
| CAT |
Catalytic converter |
| CC |
Cruise control. See also ACC |
| CCM |
ccm or cm³, cubic
centimetres |
| C/CODED
|
Colour coded |
| C/CON |
Cruise control. See also
CC & ACC |
| C/L |
Central locking |
| CO2 |
Carbon dioxide |
| COND |
Condition |
| CONV |
Convertible |
| CPE |
Coupe |
| CPU |
Central processing unit
|
| CRS |
Child restraint system
|
| CVT |
Continuously variable
transmission |
| DAC |
Driver Alert Control
|
| DDI |
Direct diesel injection
|
| DHC |
Drop Head Coupe
|
| DOHC |
Double overhead camshaft
|
| DRP |
Dynamic rear proportioning
|
| DSC |
Dynamic stability control
|
| DSG |
Direct shift gearbox
|
| DSP |
Dynamic shift programme
|
| DSTC |
Dynamic stability with
traction control |
| DPF |
Diesel Particulate Filter |
| DTI |
Diesel direct-injection
(Opel/Vauxhall) |
| EARS |
Enhanced Accident Response System |
| EBA |
Electronic brake assist, helps maximise braking in an emergency |
| EBC |
Electronic brake force control (see EBD and EBV) |
| EBD |
Electronic braking
differential or Electronic brake force distribution (see also EBC and EBV) |
| EBM |
Electronic brake management system. Optimises driving stability, traction, and braking function (BMW) |
| EBS |
Electronic braking system
|
| EBV |
Electronic brake force
distribution (see also EBD and EBC) |
| ECC |
Electronic climate control |
| ECM |
Electronic control module
|
| ECU |
Electronic control unit
|
| EDL |
Electronic Differential Lock |
| EEPROM |
Electrically erasable
programmable read-only memory |
| EFI |
Electronic fuel injection
|
| EGD |
Electronically regulated shock absorption |
| EI |
Electronic ignition |
| EMS |
Electronic Management System |
| E/M |
Electric mirrors |
| ENCAP |
European new car assessment program - motor industry measurement/grading for car safety |
| EPROM |
Erasable programmable read-only memory, programmable or erasable with UV light |
| ESC |
Electronic stability control |
| ESP |
Electronic stability
programme, another designation for vehicle-dynamics control (FDR) |
| E/S/R |
Electric sunroof |
| ESR |
Electronic slip reduction, another name for ASR |
| EST |
Estate |
| E/W |
Electric windows |
| FDSH |
Full dealer service history |
| FFS/R |
Factory fitted sunroof
|
| FHC |
Fixed Head Coupe
|
| FIAT |
Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino |
| FSH |
Full service history |
| FT/LB |
Foot Pounds, The amount of energy or work needed to raise an item weighing one pound, a distance of one foot, used in the measurement of torque |
| FWH |
Free wheeling hubs |
| GM |
General Motors |
| GMC |
General Motors Corporation |
| GPS |
Global Positioning System
|
| GSM |
Global system for mobile
communication |
| GT |
Gran Turismo or Grand Tourism |
| HC |
High compression |
| HDI |
High-pressure direct injection |
| HEI |
High performance ignition
system, transistorized ignition, contact less ignition |
| HEMI |
Hemispherical Combustion Chamber |
| H/L/W/W |
Headlamp Wash Wipe |
| HID |
High intensity discharge (Xenon headlamps) |
| HP |
Hire Purchase, finance option when buying a car |
| HPI |
Hire Purchase Information, used for vehicle history check |
| H/SEATS |
Heated Seats |
| IC |
Inflatable Curtain airbag |
| ICC |
Intelligent cruise control, Nissan distance control system; see also ACC |
| ICE |
In Car Entertainment |
| IDI |
Indirect (diesel) injection |
| IDIS |
Integrated driver information system, similar to navigation system |
| IDS |
Interactive dynamic driving system |
| IFS |
Independent Front Suspension. |
| IMMOB |
Engine immobiliser |
| IPS |
Intelligent Protection System, integrated two-stage airbag system with retractable pedals, head/shoulder airbags, and active headrests. |
| IRS |
Independent Rear Suspension. |
| IVD |
Interactive vehicle dynamics |
| K-JETRONIC |
Continuous injection system |
| LCD |
Liquid crystal display
|
| LDW |
Lane Departure Warning
|
| LED |
Light-emitting diode |
| LHD |
Left-hand drive |
| LH-JETRONIC |
Same as L-Jetronic with hot-wire air-mass sensor |
| LPG |
Liquified petroleum gas |
| L-JETRONIC
|
Electronically controlled
injection system (with direct air-mass measurement) |
| LSD |
Limited-slip differential
|
| LTHR |
Leather |
| LWB |
Long wheel base |
| MAF |
Mass airflow sensor |
| Man |
Manual |
| MFI |
Multipoint fuel injection
(electronic) |
| MFI-C |
Continuous multipoint fuel injection (electronic) |
| MFI-I |
Intermittent multipoint fuel injection (electronic) |
| MFI-S |
Sequential multipoint fuel injection (electronic) |
| MOD |
Manual Over-Drive |
| MOT |
Ministry of Transport Test |
| MPFI |
Multi-point fuel injection (electronic) or Multi-port fuel Injection |
| MPG |
Miles per Gallon |
| MPH |
Miles per hour |
| MPI |
Multi-point injection, fully electronic engine control |
| MPV |
Multi-purpose vehicles
|
| MR2 |
Mid-engine Runabout |
| MY |
Model Year |
| NAV |
Navigation or Navigation
system see also SatNav |
| NCAP |
New Car Assessment Program, see ENCAP |
| NM |
Newton-meter, used in the
measurement of torque |
| OBC |
On-board computer |
| OCD |
Occupant Detection System |
| OBD |
On-board diagnostics or off-board diagnostics, vehicle-internal diagnosis with internal or external test unit |
| O/D |
Overdrive |
| OEM |
Original equipment
manufacturer |
| OHC |
Overhead camshaft. Camshaft situated above the cylinder head |
| OHV |
Overhead valves (the camshaft is therefore underneath) |
| ONO |
Or Near Offer |
| ORV |
Off Road Vehicle |
| OVNO |
Or Very Near Offer |
| PAB |
Power Assisted Braking |
| PAS |
Power Assisted Steering
|
| PASE |
Passive Start and Entry.
Keyless access to car and engine start (Siemens system) |
| PATS |
Passive Anti-Theft System
|
| PB |
Power Brakes |
| PCD |
Pitch Circle Diameter |
| PCH |
Personal Contract Hire/Lease |
| PCP |
Personal Contract Purchase |
| PDC |
Park Distance Control. Parking aid |
| PDM |
Power Door Mirrors |
| PFI |
Port Fuel Injection |
| P/HOOD |
Power hood for convertible |
| PROM |
Programmable Read-Only Memory |
| PSI |
Pounds per square inch |
| P/X or P/EX |
Part exchange |
| RAM |
Random access memory,
read/write memory of a processor |
| R/CASS
|
Radio cassette |
| R/C/L |
Remote central locking
|
| RDS |
Radio Data System |
| RFT |
Run-flat tyre |
| RHD |
Right-hand drive |
| R/H/R |
Rear head restraints |
| ROM |
Read-only memory. Program
memory of processor, or other memory, that can only be read.
|
| ROPS |
Rollover protection system. Automatically extendable roll bar (Volvo) |
| RPM |
Revolutions per minute
|
| RS |
Restraint system or Rotational speed sensor |
| R/S/B |
Rear seat belts |
| RSC |
Run-flat system component. Tyres with emergency-running properties. See also RFT |
| RSC |
Roll stability control |
| RV |
Recreational Vehicle |
| RWD |
Rear wheel drive |
| R/W/W |
Rear wash wipe |
| SAS |
Side-impact protection, See also SIPS |
| SatNav |
Satellite Navigation |
| SBE |
Seat-occupied detection
|
| SCAN TOOL
|
Tester for reading OBD error codes and other OBD data |
| SCS |
Stability control system.
Simplified form of ESP (Mitsubishi). Prevents vehicle tilting or
skidding. |
| SEFI |
Sequential electronic fuel injection |
| SFI |
Sequential fuel injection |
| SIPS |
Side-impact protection system (Volvo) |
| SMPFI |
Sequential multi-port fuel injection |
| SOHC |
Single overhead camshaft
|
| SPFI |
Sequential Port Fuel Injection |
| S/R |
Sunroof |
| SRC |
Synchro rev control
|
| SRI |
Sports Rated Injected or
Short-Ram Intake? |
| SRS |
Safety restraint system
(generally includes airbag and seatbelt tensioner, normally
controlled by a common control unit) |
| STC |
Stability and traction control |
| SUV |
Sport utility vehicles
|
| SWB |
Short wheel base |
| T&T
|
Tax and tested (TNT) |
| TC/TCS
|
Traction control/Traction
Control System, auxiliary function with ABS |
| TDC |
Top dead centre |
| TDI |
Turbo diesel injection
|
| T/GLASS |
Tinted glass |
| TIPTRONIC |
Porsche or VW electronic
transmission control. The control can be operated via a small device on the steering wheel. |
| TNT |
Taxed and Tested |
| TPMS |
Tyre-pressure monitoring system |
| TRACS |
Traction control system
(Volvo) |
| TRD |
Toyota Racing Development |
| TT |
Touring Turismo |
| T/WIN |
Tinted windows |
| VANOS |
Variable camshaft timing
|
| VCAR |
Vehicle condition alert
register |
| VDC |
Vehicle dynamics control |
| VIN |
Vehicle identification number |
| VSA |
Vehicle stability assist.
System similar to ESP. |
| VSC |
Vehicle stability control
|
| VTEC |
Variable Valve Timing, as
below |
| VVTI |
Variable Valve Timing, as
above |
| WHIPS |
Whiplash protection system |
| WTY |
Warranty |
| XDS |
Electronic cross-axle traction control system
|
