JASON'S MOTORING JARGON BUSTER

When it comes to buying a used car, you only have to pick up the local paper to find that the motoring classified ads are full of abbreviations and jargon. After scanning only a few motors you quickly feel like you need to speak a completely different language to make sense of them.

Below are just a few of the most common (and most unusual) examples of car buying slang and jargon that you might encounter. The list is far from exhaustive, but it should help you when it comes to not only deciphering the code the used car ads seem to written in, but when negotiating a price on your next car.

Finally, remember that when it comes to writing your perfect ad, don't fall into the trap - avoid the jargon and keep the abbreviations to a minimum!

A

ABS – anti lock braking system, prevents the wheels from locking in an emergency braking situation, thus retaining directional control

A/C – air conditioning

Adaptive cruise – Intelligent radar cruise control that will maintain the cars speed but also apply the brakes if you get to close to the car in front.

ASR – anti-slip regulation (traction control)

A drink – a back hander, unofficial commission paid on the sale of a car, about £50

A big drink – as above but normally near £500

A dipper – a deposit

A Gorilla - £500

Alcantara – suede like leather

Ambla – fake leather

AW – automatic windscreen wipers

18AW – 18-inch Alloy wheels

B

Bidet – rear wash wipe usually on a hatch back

Big music – loud and expensive stereo

Billy – Billy Bunter rhymes with Punter meaning customer

Blower - supercharger

Bose – top quality stereo system

C

CAN – controller Area Network, a multiplex wiring network

CBC – cornering brake control (BMW’s EBD)

CC – either climate control or cruise control… big difference so be sure to check

Chucky man – the person that can arrange car finance

C/L – central locking

Climate – more sophisticated form of air conditioning

Clifford – make of alarm

Cut and shut – a car that has been constructed out of more than one vehicle

D

Declined (finance) – refused credit

Double Vanos – variable inlet and exhaust valve timing (BMW)

Duel Fuel – a car that will run on more than one fuel, usually LPG/petrol or electric/petrol

Drip – finance agreement (‘would you like to out it on the drip?’)

DSC – (Dynamic Stability Control) a BMW traction control system

Duvet boy – rich customer

E

EBD – electronic brakeforce distribution, distributes braking force appropriately according to the level of grip each wheel has.

EDM - electric door mirrors

EFM – electric folding mirrors

EFS – electric front seats 

EFW – electric front windows

EGSR – electric glass sunroof

EMFS – electric memory front seats

ERRB – electric rear roller blind

ERW – electric rear windows

ESC – electric steering column adjustment

ESP – electronic stability programme (same as DSC)

ESR – electric Sunroof

Ever so gently - Bentley

F

FAR – front arm rest

FBMWSH – full BMW service history

FRRSH – full Rolls Royce service history

FSH – full service history

FSR – factory sunroof

FTVRSH – full TVR service history

TDI – turbo direct injection

FDSH – full dealer service history

G

GT – Grand Tourer

H

Harman Kardon – top spec stereo manufacturer

HFS – heated front seats or heated front screen

History – service history

I

ICE – In car entertainment, anything from a CD player to a TV and video!

Intercooler – radiator to cool the air being pumped back into the engine by a turbo or supercharger

ISOFIX – dedicated child seat anchorage system

L

Leakey – distinguished gentleman customer who is accompanied by young attractive women

Left hooker – left hand drive vehicle

Leggy – high mileage

LOTUS – loads of trouble, usually serious

LPG – liquid petroleum gas (cheaper fuel alternative)

LWB – long wheel base, in off road vehicles normally a 5 door. Also additional rear legroom in a luxury saloon e.g. Mercedes Benz S-class or Jaguar XJ.

M

Magic feet – cruise control

MB Tex – a synthetic plastic like trim found in Mercedes Benz, very hard wearing and easily mistaken for leather

Mickey – coming from Disney land means it is a work of fiction ‘the car has Mickey history’

Monster spec – a car with lots of equipment

MSR – manual sunroof

Multiplex wiring – state of the art wiring system that does away with massive, heavy wiring looms and uses a number of controller units networked by simple low voltage wiring

N

Nosebleed – accident damage to the front end of the car

O

OBC – on-board computer

OBD – on-board diagnostics

OTG – outside temperature gauge

P

Park/Park aid - system of sensors fitted in the cars bumpers that signal when you are nearing an object

PAS – power assisted steering

Pitch – dealer forecourt (As in there’s a Billy on the Pitch)

Pipe - exhaust

Privacy glass – dark tinted windows

Poverty spec – low specification

Porker - Porsche

PSM – Porsche stability management

R

Ragged – driven hard

Rain Sensors – automatically activate windscreen wipers when rain falls on the windscreen

Rari - Ferrari

Rent – road fund license

Rims – alloy wheels

RCL – remote central locking

S

Sat Nav – satellite navigation

Scuttle shake – body flex on a poorly made convertible that translates into a very un-connected feeling with the road as the suspension struggles to do its job

Smoking – ‘What are you smoking at the moment?’ – What are you driving?

Skin and wind – air conditioning and leather upholstery

Scooby – Scooby do/Subaru

Space saver – skinny spare tyre usually found on high performance cars that will ‘get you home’ and saves valuable boot space

SRS – supplementary restraint system (airbag)

STI – Subaru Technical International

T

Ticket – MOT

Tip or Tiptronic – automatic gearbox that also offers clutch less manual gear changes

Tracker – security system that will locate the car for police if the vehicle is stolen

T/T or T&T – taxed and tested (MOT test)

Three-legger – a three wheeled car

Tin top – a coupe as opposed to a convertible

V

Vanos – variable inlet valve timing (BMW)

VSC – vehicle stability control (Toyota/Lexus DSC)

VVT – variable valve timing

Vette - Corvette

W

WRX – world rally cross

WV – walnut veneer

X

Xenon's – high powered headlamps