Learn
the English words for the parts of a car - and drive carefully!
Steering wheel
You use
this to steer the car (control its direction). In the
middle of the steering wheel, we often find the horn. You
press (or “honk”) the horn to make a loud sound used to alert other drivers.
Speedometer
The
speedometer shows how fast you are driving. In this
picture, the speedometer is in the middle. The big white
numbers are miles per hour (MPH) – and there are also smaller
numbers with kilometers per hour. On the right, we have the fuel
gauge - this shows you how much gas you have in your tank. On the
left, we have the temperature gauge - this shows you how hot
the engine is.
Seat belt
Always
wear your seat belt!
The car has
two types of seats – the front seat and the back
seat. When you put on your seat belt, you can use the verb fasten or buckle. Some
people say “Buckle up!” to tell everyone in the car to put on
their seat belts.
Gear shift
You use
this to change the gears of the car's engine.
There are
two types of cars – manual transmission (usually called “stick
shift”) and automatic transmission (or just “automatic”).
You use the gear shift to change the power of the car’s
engine.
Windshield / Windshield wipers
Use your
windshield wipers on rainy days.
The big
window in the front of the car is called the windshield. The
things used to clean water, dirt, or snow off the windshield in bad weather are
called windshield wipers.
Headlights
The
headlights are on the front of the car.
Turn on
the headlights when driving at night or in the rain, snow, or
fog.
Tail lights / Turn signal
The tail
lights are on the back of the car.
The lights
on the back of the car are called tail lights. The red light
in the picture is a tail light. We also have an orange or yellow light called
a turn signal. Some people call these “blinkers.” You
use the turn signals when you are going to turn left or right.
Hood / Engine
Open the
hood to see the engine.
The front
part of the car that opens is called the hood. Inside, you can
see the engine. This woman had a problem with her car, so
she pulled over (drove to the side of the road and stopped the
car). In the picture, she is checking the oil.
Trunk
You can
put your luggage in the trunk.
The back
part of the car that opens is called the trunk. It is an empty
space used to hold equipment, luggage, etc.
License plate / Bumper stickers
This car
has one license plate and many bumper stickers
The license
plate in the picture is the blue and white sign with RCN 378. Every
car must have a license plate for identification. This car also has many bumper
stickers. These are decorations you can put on your car.
Wheel / Tire
Every
car has four wheels.
Every car
has four wheels. The black part of the wheel, which is made
out of rubber with air inside, is called a tire.
Flat tire
Two flat
tires
If you’re
really unlucky, you might get a flat tire - when the air
leaves the tire. In this case, you need to change the tire. Most
cars have a spare (extra) tire in the trunk.
(Source: (05/21/14) http://www.espressoenglish.net/learn-english-with-pictures-parts-of-a-car/#sthash.n84D1DTk.dpuf)
