What do you call it?

[jeff88]

I was thinking this morning about how many members we have here at EM and how different cultures call the same car parts different things. For example a bonnet/hood or petrol/gas.

So what do you call it? Are there any parts you know of with different names than American nomenclature?

[RedDevil]

Like the instrument panel, which we in Holland call the dashboard (literally)?
engine/motor,
petrol/gas,
tire/tyre,
hub cap/pizza pan,
...
Different languages often have entirely different words, if they did not loan them like our dashboard and motor. Gas is 'benzine' in Dutch, tire 'band' etc. If that's what you meant of course. Who knows? There may be real automotive pearls in foreign languages.

[euromodder]

wing / fender
boot / trunk

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

English is not my native language, but I'm more used to American than British.

[UltArc]

I have a brake used for parking. Some people (many self proclaimed drifters? or tuners?) think this is an "emergency brake"

The two reliable sources I know in automotives said the very LAST thing one uses in an emergency to brake is the parking brake, as they easily break under that stress- but it seems pretty common, amongst many people interested in automotives.

[RedDevil]

My '85 Civic got towed once. The tow driver told me to brake 10 times harder than usual (as the engine was off, so no brake support) and if that wasn't enough to keep the tow line straight, use the parking brake on top of that.

The brake uses a cable, so if you lose brake fluid it still works. Imho emergency brake is a fitting name.
We call it 'handrem' in Dutch - hand brake.

Rallye cars have a handbrake without the locking knob for tight cornering. Bet they see a fair amount of stress. But they would not be standard spec.

[Fat Charlie]

It's not just every culture- every factory has its own words. I'll give a guy a list of parts and he'll ask me what one was- then we get to play Rosetta stone:
"What's A?"
"That's what we call it. I think Chevy calls it a B."
"Really? Kind of like what VW calls a C? We call it a D."

My favorite part name is probably the Detector, Natural Vacuum Leak Detection. It detects leaks, although by description you'd think it was for detecting the detection of leaks.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

Like the instrument panel, which we in Holland call the dashboard (literally)?

So do people in the US call it a dashboard, though often shortened to "dash".

As for parking/emergency brake, I think what we're seeing here is a bit of history embedded in language. Once upon a time, when the standard brakes were much less reliable than nowadays, it literally was a secondary brake intended for emergency use, rather than for parking. (Cars were left in 1st gear when parked.)

[UltArc]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

So do people in the US call it a dashboard, though often shortened to "dash".

As for parking/emergency brake, I think what we're seeing here is a bit of history embedded in language. Once upon a time, when the standard brakes were much less reliable than nowadays, it literally was a secondary brake intended for emergency use, rather than for parking. (Cars were left in 1st gear when parked.)

I think now, it has reverted to parking brake(in function), at least over the past few decades. Many vehicles now have an electronic on/off switch for it-no lever. I was taught if the brakes fail, keep trying the brakes, down shift, use gravity/friction to try bleed it out (swerving, turning) and then ease into the parking brake. I was taught just pulling it while driving will easily snap it- but from my personal experience being stupid (always in snow) and others just being stupid whenever, they are usually pretty strong. I imagine rally cars have a substantially stronger cord, though.

It only really bugs me when people say emergency brake, and the only use they ever have for it is trying to drift- specifically just pulling it hard while driving to slide around, as if it's purpose is to be yanked hard while driving.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

So do people in the US call it a dashboard, though often shortened to "dash".

As for parking/emergency brake, I think what we're seeing here is a bit of history embedded in language. Once upon a time, when the standard brakes were much less reliable than nowadays, it literally was a secondary brake intended for emergency use, rather than for parking. (Cars were left in 1st gear when parked.)

I've never heard an instrument cluster be referred to the dash before in the US. I have heard dash lights used before, but dashboard usually refers to the entire area just below the windshield.

As for parking/emergency brake, both terms are interchangeable. I usually use them when parking, sometimes when drifting the tail end around, and very rarely when I completely loose hydraulic brake function.

Originally Posted by UltArc

I was taught just pulling it while driving will easily snap it- but from my personal experience being stupid (always in snow) and others just being stupid whenever, they are usually pretty strong. I imagine rally cars have a substantially stronger cord, though.

It only really bugs me when people say emergency brake, and the only use they ever have for it is trying to drift- specifically just pulling it hard while driving to slide around, as if it's purpose is to be yanked hard while driving.

I have pulled the hand brake on every car I've driven almost as hard as I can, and have never broken one. Hand brake is a more accurate term since it applies regardless of which situation it is being used. For the foot operated brake, I would call it a parking brake since I would never activate it while drifting, but I suppose I would use it in an emergency.