Alphabet Soup
Making sense of popular automotive acronyms
By Peter Bohr

Automotive lingo is peppered with lots of acronyms and abbreviations — an indication, perhaps, of the complexity of modern cars. Such terminology is often helpful. Talking about a car's heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system, for example, is quite a mouthful. But HVAC isn't so bad, right?
However, word shortcuts can be frustrating if you don't know the lingo. So here's a glossary of some of the latest and most important terms.

ABS: A six-pack stomach? Nope — an antilock braking system, which enables drivers to retain steering control during emergency stops by automatically “pumping” the vehicle’s brakes. This keeps the wheels from locking up.

AWD: An all-wheel drive system sends power to all four wheels, providing more traction on slippery or uneven surfaces than front-wheel drive (FWD) or rear-wheel drive (RWD). AWD in off-road vehicles is usually referred to as four-wheel drive (4WD).

CPO: A certified pre-owned car is a late-model used car spiffed up to look and drive like new, and given an extended warranty backed by the automaker.

CVT: Typically using a belt instead of conventional gears, a continuously variable transmission is a smoother-operating and more fuel-efficient type of automatic transmission.

EBD: Electronic brake-force distribution improves braking performance by varying pressure between the front and rear wheels according to the car’s load and speed.

ESP: Electronic stability program, a skid-control system, determines a driver's intended direction based on steering and braking inputs and keeps the car on track.

LATCH: Lower anchors and tethers for children refers to a system in new cars for securing children’s car seats.

MSRP: The key word in manufacturer's suggested retail price is “suggested.” A dealer is legally free to sell a car at a lower or higher price.

OBDII: Onboard diagnostics system, phase two, found in cars made in 1996 and later, sets off the “check engine” light if the engine or fuel system emits too much pollution.

OEM: Everything installed by a vehicle’s manufacturer before the vehicle leaves the factory is an original equipment manufacturer component. Everything that's added later is “aftermarket.”

PCM: The powertrain control module is a computer that manages the engine, transmission and emissions system to maximize fuel economy and performance and to minimize emissions.

SRS: Supplemental restraint system refers to air bags, which enhance the effectiveness of the most important safety feature in cars: seat belts.

TCS: A traction control system helps a vehicle’s wheels get a grip on a slippery surface when the driver accelerates. It’s sometimes called ASR, or acceleration slip regulation.

VIN: A unique vehicle identification number is a string of 17 letters and numbers posted on the driver’s side of the dashboard, at the bottom of the windshield.

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