Terms to help you communicate better with your shop
- Afterfire AKA Dieseling – the engine continues to fire after the vehicle has been turned off
- Engine run on – same as Afterfire, Dieseling – the engine continues to fire after the vehicle has been turned off
- Backfire – loud popping sound from the engine or tail pipe
- Cut out – irregular and complete loss of power
- Fast idle – engine runs too fast
- Hesitation – a pause or momentary lack of power
- Miss – engine runs at speed erratically and unevenly
- Power loss – engine continues to run but at dramatically reduced speed
- Rough idle – slight engine vibration to severe shaking, at a stop
- Sluggish – power is less than normal, acceleration not as crisp as usual
- Stall – engine dies completely
- Stumble – engine starts to die and kicks back in before stalling
- Surge – vehicle speeds up and slows down with no change in accelerator pedal pressure
- Bottoming – bottom of car scrapes the ground
- Brake drag – brakes do not release completely
- Brake fade – brakes take longer to stop the vehicle
- Pitch – vehicle dives forward upon braking or sideways upon cornering
- Play – too much looseness in the steering wheel or steering components
- Pull – vehicle strains to one side
- Shimmy – tires and steering wheel shake
- Sway – vehicle continues to bounce after going over a bump
- Vibrate – vehicle shakes
- Wander – vehicle drifts from side to side
- Bogging – holding back
- Holding back – not accelerating smoothly
- Shaking – feels like it’s doing the cha-cha or has the chills
