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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.

Spark plug

Your car has one spark plug per cylinder, and it's used to ignite the fuel in the combustion chamber. The earliest version of this component dates all the way back to 1860.

Horn

You've probably had your share of times when you needed to get another driver's attention, and the horn is the best way to accomplish the task. When you press the button, an electromagnet makes a thin metal plate oscillate, which creates the desired sound.

Shock absorber

Engineers might endeavor to make highways straight and smooth, but you don't always get that luxury on surface streets. To help diminish the intensity of bumps in the road, automakers include shock absorbers in vehicle suspension systems.

The flywheel

Flywheels, which are designed to store rotational energy, have a history dating back to antiquity in human-powered devices.

Air filter

Every car has at least one air filter, but many have multiple filters to help keep the atmosphere clean in the passenger cabin. The one for your engine helps ensure dust and other atmospheric particles don't interfere with the oxygen supply used in combustion.

Brake pads

Your car's brakes work similarly to the braking system on your bicycle — with one key difference. While your bike's brake pads squeeze the tire directly, automotive brakes apply pressure to a disc known as a rotor when it's time to decelerate.

Pistons

Your pistons live inside the engine's cylinders; they move up and down to spin the crankshaft. If your pistons start to fail, you'll notice a misfiring engine, rattling and even a loss of power.

Windshield wipers

Windshield wipers, also known as windscreen wipers, were first patented all the way back in 1896.

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.

Gearshift

The gearshift is an integral component of any vehicle with a manual transmission. While these devices are common in tractor-trailers, a mere 3 percent of cars and trucks sold in the United States still use this type of transmission.

Defroster

When you get into your vehicle on a cold or foggy day, you need your defroster to help you see clearly. While the one for your front windshield relies on forced air, rear defrosters use electrical wire to melt ice or evaporate condensation.

Radiator

Your car's radiator takes heated coolant from the engine and releases that thermal energy out into the atmosphere. If you're ever going to do work on this component, make sure the car is cool so you don't burn yourself.

Fuel injector

While older cars used carburetors to get gasoline and air into the combustion chamber, they often flooded, which affected normal operation. Today's vehicles use a fuel injector to spray the combustible material into the engine, which is much more reliable.

Dipstick

Your car has more than one dipstick, but the most recognizable one is used to check engine oil levels. To get an accurate reading, pull the dipstick completely out, wipe it clean and then insert it into the tank. When you pull it out again, you'll see if you need to add more lubricant.

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.

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%!

Headrest

Your car's headrest gives you a bit of comfort, but there's an important safety reason behind it, too. If you're ever in an accident, proper placement of this component could help you avoid severe whiplash. Doctors recommend positioning the top of the headrest even with the top of your ears.

Muffler

It takes a constant stream of explosions to make your car run, and all of that combustion can create a lot of noise. The muffler helps to reduce that sound by running it through a series of fiberglass pockets and resonance chambers.

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.

Hubcap

Your car's hubcap serves a mostly decorative function, but there is a practical reason for getting a replacement if you ever lose one. Hubcaps can help protect lug nuts from rust and corrosion, and that could come in handy when it's time to change a tire.

Fog lights

No matter if they're factory-installed or an aftermarket addition, fog lights help you see better while you're driving at night. They're mounted lower to prevent the fog from reflecting light directly back into your face.

Transmission

Your engine puts out a lot of raw power, but that output needs some processing before it makes your wheels turn. The transmission runs that intense energy through a series of gears that keep it all under control.

Gas cap

Your gas cap helps keep fuel fumes safely inside the tank. If you've ever forgotten to screw this lid on tightly, you might have gotten a "check engine light" on your display panel. Lucky for you, this is an easy fix, as you can simply tighten it the next time you stop.

Lug nuts

Since lug nuts keep your wheels securely attached to the vehicle, a loose one could pose a significant hazard. While you can check each nut on a standard passenger car, larger vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, come with a detection system that alerts the driver if there's an issue.

Roll cage

While it might be more prominent in some designs than others, many vehicles come equipped with a roll cage that protects the driver in the event of a rollover. Some luxury cars actually have roll hoops that can be deployed if the computer detects a rollover.

Water pump

Your engine produces a lot of heat, and it takes a constant flow of coolant to keep temperatures under control. The water pump takes the freshly cooled liquid from the radiator and drives it through the engine block before the whole cycle starts over again.

Sway bar

Your car's sway bar, which is also known as an anti-sway bar, helps to stabilize your vehicle while driving. Without this important component, you'd be in for a much rougher ride when driving on roads that aren't perfectly straight and flat.

Serpentine belt

Your car's serpentine belt is one of the unsung heroes of the entire engine, as everything would grind to a halt if it broke. This long, continuous strip of rubber gives life to important components such as the alternator, power steering pump and air conditioning compressor.

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.

Fender

When your car's wheels spin around, they kick up all sorts of debris, especially when driving on unpaved roads. Fenders became commonplace by the 1930s and became an integral part of the era's Art Deco automotive styling.

Fuse panel

Fuses play an important function in your car, as they help protect your wiring and electrical components. Every vehicle has its fuse panel in a different location, and some models even have multiple panels.

Spoiler

While you might think of a rear spoiler as an aesthetic enhancement, it can also serve a very real function. The name comes from its ability to "spoil" the unwanted movement of air across the vehicle's rear. Not only does it enhance the car's aerodynamics, but it can also boost fuel efficiency.

Terminals

Your car's battery is responsible for igniting the engine, but there are plenty of other tasks performed by this power cell. The battery has two terminals on top, positive and negative, and these posts are where you connect it to the car.

Gears

No matter if you have a manual or automatic transmission, your car relies on gears. While the lower gear levels provide additional power, they also require the engine to work harder to keep them moving.

Spoiler

You've probably heard of spoiling a movie, but your car's spoiler actually spoils the airflow over the vehicle's back. This component helps reduce drag and boosts fuel economy while also making the auto look stylish.

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.

Supercharger

Your car needs a mix of oxygen and fuel to operate properly, and extra air can help you get additional power out of the engine. The supercharger allows you to pump more oxygen into the combustion chamber, which burns more gasoline.

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.

Crankshaft

Your engine's pistons move up and down in a reciprocating motion, and the crankshaft turns that into the rotations needed to make your engine work. In older vehicles, the driver had to manually grab onto a handle and crank the motor to make the car start.

Alternator

If your car's battery isn't recharging while you drive, the culprit could be a faulty alternator. This device generates power for your headlights, radio and other electronic devices by using properties of electromagnetism.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Instrument cluster

Your car's instrument cluster is your one-stop shop for information about your vehicle's performance. In this space, you'll find the speedometer, odometer and other important gauges. Some high-end models even recreate these instruments digitally on a small display screen.

Glowplug

Diesel engines can be notoriously hard to start in colder temperatures, mostly due to the heavy-duty components in the combustion chamber. A glowplug is a small, metal rod with a heating element at the end that directly ignites the first spray of fuel to kickstart the engine.

Pinion

The pinion is a small gear that sits at the end of your steering shaft and travels across a toothed bar known as a rack. The alternative to rack-and-pinion steering is known as a recirculating ball, and it is still in use for many older cars and trucks today.

Bonnet

While Americans refer to the door covering the engine as a hood, British English speakers call the same auto part a bonnet. Both words have their origin in fashion, as they're terms for a piece of cloth that covers the top of the head, just like the hood provides a cover for the car's delicate mechanics.

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.

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".

Subwoofer

Speakers come in a few different sizes, ranging from subwoofers to tweeters. Subwoofers help deliver the bone-shaking bass that can often be heard well outside the confines of the vehicle.

Tappets

The tappet sits at the end of each of your engine's push rods, and helps keep everything in alignment. When these components start to wear out due to poor maintenance, the engine makes a noise and is called "tappety".

The PCV valve

The Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve keeps pollutants created by your engine from being released into the atmosphere.

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.

Axle

Axles are one of the key components of any wheeled vehicle, transmitting torque and maintaining the position of the wheels.

Planetary gear

The planetary gear, or planet gear, might sound like it's out of this world, but it's a common component in every transmission. Much like the planets in the solar system, planet gears revolve around a central gear, which is known as the sun.

Harmonic balancer

The crankshaft is responsible for translating the engine's output into the type of motion needed to turn your wheels, but it creates a lot of vibration. The harmonic balancer attaches to the crankshaft and reduces vibrations to make your ride smoother.

Knock sensor

For optimal operation, your engine requires perfect timing with each ignition. The knock sensor is a small microphone that lives under the hood and detects minute imperfections in the combustion sequence and tells the computer to make changes to correct any issues.

Fuel rail

Common rail direct fuel injection, or "fuel rails" for short, are governed by an ECU which electronically controls the supply of fuel.

Drag link

Your steering wheel turns in a different way than your car's actual wheels, and it takes an entire steering assembly to pull off the appropriate maneuver. The drag link is responsible for changing the spinning motion of your steering wheel into the side-to-side motion used by your wheels.

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.

Float chamber

The float chamber automatically regulates the supply of fuel into the carburetor. The liquid inside the chamber allows a float to life, which regulates the fluid intake.

Cylinder head

The cylinder head of your car closes in the top of the cylinders of your cylinder block and forms the combustion chamber. It is sealed by a head gasket and also provides some space for exhaust to escape.

Grab handle

While you might use them for hanging dry cleaning or holding on for dear life during a tight turn, your car's grab handles have a very important purpose. For people who have mobility issues, this small bar protruding from the ceiling can make it much easier to enter and exit the vehicle.

Retractor

When you pull your seat belt across your body, the retractor is the component that pulls it back in tightly after you've buckled. This piece is also responsible for retracting the entire seat belt when you unbuckle, and it holds it in place to keep you from flying out of your seat during an accident.