A Weekly Guide to Motoring Lingo: Gone are the days when anyone with enough rudimentary knowledge of mechanics to fix a toaster, could tinker away underneath the car bonnet. No longer can we hand our highly engineered motors over to the local "know-it-all" who used to attribute every mechanical ailment to "a bad air-fuel mixture" - and after10 minutes under the bonnet tweaking the carburettor, hey presto, you were as good as new.
Nor can we rely on the kindness of a female passenger wearing stockings in case the fan belt goes. The time when you could even change your own oil is long since gone.
With the new technology comes a new terminology that has left many enthusiasts pining for the day when the size of your sump and your overhead camshaft were the height of technical lingo for car enthusiasts.
In an effort to cut through the jargon, Motors will be offering a weekly translation of today's motoring jargon.
ACTIVE SUSPENSION SYSTEM
Active Suspension systems are designed to give the driver, and passengers, a smooth ride no matter what the road surface.
Each wheel moves up and down to control body motion in response to road conditions. It can simultaneously provide the smooth tide of a soft suspension along with the superior handling associated with a firm suspension.
Most systems work off a high pressure pump with hydraulic cylinders at each wheel to position the wheels with respect to the vehicle. The up and down motion of the wheels is supplied by electronically controlled valves.
Other alternatives to power active suspension systems include electric motors or electromagnets. Sensors at each wheel determine vertical wheel position and the force of the road acting on the wheel.
Some systems use radar or laser sensors to preview the road ahead before the front wheels reach them. Sensors also tell the computer when the vehicle is accelerating, braking or cornering. The computer uses complex algorithms to continuously process information and decide the position of each wheel.