Quiz: Can You Name These Car Parts?
Written by Dan Henry Trivia Expert
Last updated · 8 min play time
The more you know about the key car parts that make them function, the easier it is to repair them, upgrade them, or assess why they are not working.
Quiz written by
Dan HenryCar Parts Quiz Questions
29 Questions · 1.9M Plays · 68 Comments
Question 1
What do ordinary cars use to ignite the fuel with energy from the battery?
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AThe exhaust
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BThe carburetor
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CThe spark plug
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DFlint and steel
The spark plug
Spark plugs deliver current from the ignition system to ignite the fuel/air mixture inside the engine. They literally create an artificial bolt of lightning within the engine's combustion chamber. Shocking!
Question 2
What is the device that accumulates rotational energy?
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AThe flywheel
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BThe battery
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CThe energy sink
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DThe storage unit
The flywheel
Flywheels, which are designed to store rotational energy, have a history dating back to antiquity in human-powered devices.
Question 3
What is the name of the device which keeps a car's motor oil clean?
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AThe carburetor
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BThe piston
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CThe oil filter
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DThe purifier
The oil filter
Oil filters are used to filter sediments and other contaminants from engine oil. Dirty oil can wear the oil pump's machined components and damage the bearing surfaces in the engine.
Question 4
What is the name of the device that moves coolant liquid around, preventing the engine from becoming overheated?
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ARadiator
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BWater Pump
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CDistributor
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DCooler
Water Pump
Water Pumps are essential to keeping engines cool by transferring coolant around the vehicle and through the vehicle to keep your engine from overheating.
Question 5
What do you call the pictured safety features, which are crucial for driving in harsh weather?
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AFrame reinforcements
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BHumidity regulators
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CWindbreakers
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DWindshield wipers
Windshield wipers
Windshield wipers, also known as windscreen wipers, were first patented all the way back in 1896.
Question 6
What is the name of the pictured item, typically visible in a car’s interior?
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AThe transmission
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BThe bumper
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CThe antenna
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DThe emergency hand brake
The emergency hand brake
The emergency hand brake, also known as the parking brake, is often used to park the car on a slanted surface. It usually activates a corkscrew mechanism that pushes a piston into the brake pads to stop the vehicle.
Question 7
What is the name of the component that stifles loud noises from the engine?
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AThe crankshaft
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BThe muffler
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CThe insulator
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DThe muter
The muffler
Mufflers reduce another kind of pollution from engines - noise pollution - and were patented all the way back in 1897. They work by reflecting the engine's sound waves in a way so that they partially cancel themselves out.
Question 8
What is the name of the pictured device, which reduces the toxicity of automotive exhaust?
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AThe redox device
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BThe purifier
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CThe sequester
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DThe catalytic converter
The catalytic converter
Catalytic converters use chemical reactions to convert pollutants in automobile exhaust into less harmful emissions. Some can reduce automobile pollution by up to 40%!
Question 9
What is the name of the pictured device, which changes reciprocating motion into rotational motion?
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AThe crankshaft
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BThe under-shaft
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CThe transmission
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DThe cylinder
The crankshaft
The crankshaft is what converts the reciprocating motion of the cylinders to rotational motion. They were first used in water mills and sawmills, made their way to paddle boats, and eventually became one of the core components of automobiles.
Question 10
What pictured device is common on older cars, as well as new cars designed to save fuel or provide the driver with more control?
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AThe ignition switch
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BThe manual transmission
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CThe fuel gauge
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DThe charging port
The manual transmission
Manual transmissions account for less than 10% of the cars sold in the US, but are still popular among sports car and economy car drivers. Most new cars on the road these days are automatics, and some can even drive themselves!
Question 11
What is the name of the machine that mixes air with fuel and has now been largely replaced by fuel injectors?
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AStatic pressure system
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BRototiller
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CCarburetor
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DCompressor
Carburetor
Carburetors, once one of the most important components, have begun to see their purpose supplanted by fuel injectors, though they are still common on small engines for lawn mowers, rototillers, and other equipment.
Question 12
What device is used to reduce high-speed internal combustion engine rotations to speeds acceptable for a car's wheels?
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AThe shift improver
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BThe electrifier
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CThe gearbox
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DThe transformer
The gearbox
To transfer this power, the piston transfers the force of the expanding gas in the engine to the crankshaft via the connecting rod.
Question 13
What is the name of the pictured key part of the vehicle’s ignition system?
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AThe distributor cap
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BThe collection cap
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CThe amplifier
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DThe fuel injector
The distributor cap
The distributor cap covers the distributor and the rotor, protecting them from contamination..
Question 14
What is the name of the device used for absorbing a car's jolts and vibrations?
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ACushion
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BShield
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CDissipator
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DShock absorber
Shock absorber
Shock absorbers do their job by turning the kinetic energy of the disturbance into heat, then dissipating the heat. They also keep your tires in contact with the ground at all times.
Question 15
What is the name for the coupling that can transmit rotary power by a shaft over a range of different angles?
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AThe cross shaft
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BThe rotary
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CThe hinge
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DThe universal joint
The universal joint
Universal joints are often used in driveshafts to facilitate the transmission of rotary motion. If the drive shaft isn't in a straight line between the transmission and the drive wheels, you need a universal joint.
Question 16
The pictured part, which is necessary to keep the amount of energy in the car steady, goes by what name?
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AThe carburetor
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BThe battery control system
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CThe voltage regulator
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DThe battery plate
The voltage regulator
Modern voltage regulator designs use transistors to regulate the current in a vehicle. They generally force an alternator to maintain a voltage between 13.5 and 14.5 volts to recharge the battery safely while protecting the car's electrical circuits.
Question 17
What is the name for the single, continuous belt used to run multiple devices in an automotive engine?
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AThe groove film
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BThe shaft drive
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CThe transmission
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DThe serpentine belt
The serpentine belt
The serpentine belt can run your alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning, and sometimes your water pump all in one long route.
Question 18
What is the name of the device that carries and positions a wheel?
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ASuspender
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BBalance
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CControl arm
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DWheel link
Control arm
The control arm is a critical part of the suspension that links between the chassis and hub that carries the wheel. They allow wheels to move up and down while preventing forward and rearward movement.
Question 19
What is the name for the pictured link between the piston and the crankshaft?
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AThe joiner
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BThe connecting rod
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CThe piston hand
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DThe sub-shaft
The connecting rod
Both ends of the connecting rod are free to pivot: The part of the connecting rod which connects to the piston is called the small end, and the end that attaches around the crankshaft is called the big end.
Question 20
What is the name for the device that covers the manual clutch or the torque convertor of the transmission?
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AShield
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BDecklid
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CBellhousing
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DGearbox
Bellhousing
The bellhousing protects many components of the transmission, and is named for its usually bell-like shape.
Question 21
What is the name of the pictured device, which is necessary to start diesel engines in cold conditions?
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AThe igniter
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BThe spark plug
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CThe fuel injector
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DThe glow plug
The glow plug
Glow plugs are used to help start diesel engines in cold weather. They can reach a temperature of more than 1000 degrees Celsius within a few seconds and literally glow with heat.
Question 22
What is the name of the component that provides both air and fuel to the cylinders?
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AExhaust manifold
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BIntake manifold
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CIgnition advance
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DAncillary system
Intake manifold
The intake manifold's purpose is to evenly distribute the air/fuel mixture to the cylinders. The air is admitted to the combustion chamber on the intake stroke and is mixed with fuel from the injector, after which the combustion cycle continues.
Question 23
What pictured part of a car's suspension carries the hub for the wheel and attaches to the upper and lower control arms?
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AHub cap
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BSpindle
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CSuspender
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DWheel mold
Spindle
Not to be confused with the sewing component, a spindle connects to the control arms and holds the wheel hubs. They are also known as "steering knuckles".
Question 24
What is the name of the device that uses hydraulic pressure to stop a car's wheels?
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AShoe
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BWheel cylinder
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CHydraulic press
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DBacking plate
Wheel cylinder
Wheel cylinders are found in drum brake systems on top of the wheels and serve to bring the shoes into contact with the drum.
Question 25
What components are designed to provide ventilation on vehicles that use petrol?
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AThe PCV valve
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BThe air ignition system
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CThe air flow regulator
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DThe petrol case
The PCV valve
The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve keeps pollutants created by your engine from being released into the atmosphere.
Question 26
What is the name of the component that transfers power and torque from an engine to a set of the car's wheels?
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AAxle
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BConnector
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CCrank shaft
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DWheel rail
Axle
Axles are one of the key components of any wheeled vehicle, transmitting torque and maintaining the position of the wheels.
Question 27
Common on diesel vehicles, what pictured item supplies fuel to all of a vehicle's injectors?
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ASupply valve
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BFuel rail
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CDistributor
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DFuel jet
Fuel rail
Common rail direct fuel injection, or "fuel rails" for short, are governed by an ECU which electronically controls the supply of fuel.
Question 28
What is the name of the component that contains a car's engine oil required for lubrication?
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AThe sump
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BThe clutch
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CThe tank
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DThe strainer
The sump
The oil is extracted from the sump by an oil pump and conveyed into the engine block’s oil ducts via the oil filter. The oil then flows back into the oil sump from the lubrication points.
Question 29
What type of valve controls the amount of air-fuel mixture that is released into the engine?
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APoppet
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BDoll
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CBalance
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DPiston
Poppet
The poppet valve, also known as a mushroom valve, consists of a hole, tapered plug, and valve stem.
Comments (68)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.
?#6 I clicked on the right answer. Your quiz missed marked my answer taking my perfect score away
Informative I think it can really help brighten up people with no automotive experience...
Good quiz but you didn't ask anything about blinker fluid or a driveshaft turner
If you can't ace this test you shouldn't be under the hood of a car
I’m not a mechanic I like the quiz
For only being 17 I'm happy with 24 outta 29
I thought it was a great refresher quiz
I liked it
It was a great memory refresher
I was raised in a auto repair shop
Helped me learn sum things I didn't know about
I'm pretty smart, seeing that I'm 57 years old woman. And never actually worked on a car or even changed my own oil. I'm ready to change my own oil and repair my own car.
It was to easy something a little harder next time please, I work on gas or diesel
At my age it proves that I do still have it!
I love it. I love cars and anything dealing with them. And I think it's great and very interesting. Gets the brain
It was interesting,I've been a mechanic most my life but I've always been in performance, carburetors mainly.Im old school.
Learned from grandpa love it
It surprised myself I still remember them lol
Yes it was nice to refresh my memory
Yes I like the quiz awesome to keep your mind thinking