Useful German car vocab

[LeoZwalf]

For some time I have been trying to find such a list online and couldn't. So I typed one up

Useful sources if you need to know any new words are leo.org coupled with images.google.de - that way you can check the word looks like the right part :-P

Perhaps if a mod stumbles upon this thread they would make it a sticky?
Of course if you want to add new words or correct any mistakes I have probably made then just put them in a reply and I can modify this OP (or change it to a Wiki maybe?)

Without further ado:

Transmission - Getriebe/Transmission
CV Joint - Gleichlaufgelenk / Antriebswellengelenk
CV boot - Gelenkmanschette
Drive shaft - Antriebswelle
Clutch - Kupplung
Gearbox - Getriebe
Gear - Gang

Brakes - Bremsen
Brake pads - Bremsklötze
Brake discs - Bremsscheiben
Brake drums - Bremsentrommel
Brake fluid - Bremsflüssigkeit
Brake pedal - Bremspedal
Master cylinder - Hauptzylinder
Slave cylinder - Nehmerzylinder

Engine - Motor
Fuel - Kraftstoff
Fuel Injector - Einspritzdüse
Fuel pump - Kraftstoffpumpe
Petrol - Benzin
Diesel - Diesel
Spark plug - Zündkerze
HT leads - Zündkerzenkabel
Ignition - Zündung
Battery - Batterie
Immobiliser - Wegfahrsperrung
Cruise control - Tempomat / Geschwindigkeitsregelanlage

Crankshaft - Kurbelwelle
Conrod - pleuelstange
Piston - Kolben
Valve - Ventil
Camshaft - Nockenwelle
Cambelt - Zahnriemen (literally "tooth belt" so can be used for other things)

Turbocharger - Turbolader
Supercharger - Kompressor
Lambda sensor - Lambdasonde
Exhaust - Auspuff

Suspension - Radaufhängung
Shock absorber - Stoßdämpfer
Spring - [auto]feder
Bush - Buchse
Tyres - Reifen
Wheels - Räder
Wheel Balancing - Auswuchten
Wheel bearing - das Radlager
Wheel Alignment - die Radeinstellung
Track rod end - der Spurstangenkopf

Power - Kraft / Leistung
Torque - Drehmoment
[Fuel] consumption - Verbrauch
Speed - Geschwindigkeit
Top speed - Höchstgeschwindigkeit
Acceleration - Beschleunigung

Bodywork and Exterior - Karrosorie und Ausstattung
Kombi - Estate
Saloon - Limousine
Hatchback - Schrägheck
Sunroof - Schiebedach

Others - Anders
Pipe/tube - Rohr
Bolt/Screw - Schraube
Nut - Schraubenmutter

Edited by LeoZwalf on Wednesday 18th January 15:46

Edited by LeoZwalf on Thursday 19th January 12:51

[zasker]

My german isn't very good but do a fair bit of cycling and thought the word for wheels was Felgen? Suppose it could be different between cars and bikes.

[LeoZwalf]

Good shout - I did hesitate when doing that one. Felgen seems to be more alloy wheels (for bikes, cars etc) versus Räder which is just 'wheel' (for anything at all I suppose).

[dcb]

LeoZwalf said:

Of course if you want to add new words or correct any mistakes I have probably made then just put them in a reply and I can modify this OP (or change it to a Wiki maybe?)

Shame on you for not adding the Gender ;->

The car boot - Der Kofferraum
the car door - die Autotür
the car bonnet - die Motorhaube
the torquewrench - den Drehmomentschlüssel

All from Google, although I am a bit confused why "den"
on the last one. It'll probably be one of those German
cases I haven't done yet (Dative ?).

[JMGS4]

Felgen are Rims...
Räder are complete wheels....

[Thud_Mcguffin]

That is really very very helpful. I keep coming up against technical vocabulary problems when talking to mechanics or auto factors staff.

I had a couple of others if you don't mind translating...

Wheel bearing
Wheel Alignment
Track rod end

I need to get a new bearing on the Elise which will also require a geometry check.

[LeoZwalf]

Thud_Mcguffin said:

That is really very very helpful. I keep coming up against technical vocabulary problems when talking to mechanics or auto factors staff.

I had a couple of others if you don't mind translating...

Wheel bearing
Wheel Alignment
Track rod end

I need to get a new bearing on the Elise which will also require a geometry check.

Glad it's of help
I've had the exact same issue as you which is why I decided to make the list.

All three of your words are ones I've leant from experience but forgot to include any of them!! Here goes...

Wheel bearing - das Radlager (had one fail on the Mondeo)
Wheel Alignment - die Radeinstellung (learnt it from the mech by making 'toe in, toe out' movements with my hands...)
Track rod end - der Spurstangenkopf

http://leo.org is invaluable for this kinda stuff, take a look there

[Bezerk]

Wheel Alignment also called Spureinstellung when I had it done.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Bezerk said:

Wheel Alignment also called Spureinstellung when I had it done.

agree with that

some others off the top of my head:

camshaft - nockenwelle
cambelt, timing belt - zahnriemen (well, a toothed belt)
starter motor - anlasser
ignition - zündung
battery - batterie! (even though other rechargeable ones, like a phone battery, are 'akku' )
balancing (of wheels etc ) - auswuchten
changing wheels - radwechsel

immobiliser - wegfahrsperrung (drive-away-blocking!)

sunroof - schiebedach

some other german motoring terms
umweltplakette - the red/yellow/green sticker for your window that you need now

TÜV is a company that does HU (hauptuntersüchung) as the test is officially known, others such as DEKRA do it as well, but everyone calls it a TÜV
there used to be a AU (abgasuntersüchung - emissions check) but that's part of the main one now

Edited by Hugo a Gogo on Thursday 19th January 09:25

[LeoZwalf]

Nice ones Hugo, thanks

I had the wheel alignment done on my car but it was well over a year ago and I couldn't remember the word so looked it up on leo.org instead. "Spureinstellung" rings a bell, I'll change it in the big list.

Hugo a Gogo said:

immobiliser - wegfahrsperrung (drive-away-blocking!)

That made me chuckle, you've got to love the German language (!?)

[krallicious]

Shouldn't brake pads be Bremsbelaege?

[Hugo a Gogo]

bremsklötze and bremsbeläge are pretty much interchangeable

if anything I wouuld think of klötze as being more brake shoe (for a drum brake), but it's not strictly just that

[Hugo a Gogo]

thought of another:
lenkung/servolenkung/lenkrad - steering/power steering/steering wheel

[Lefty]

Der Klunkenklinkenfrauleintrappen - seatbelt.

HTH

[Hugo a Gogo]

heh

sitzgurt

btw, it's very old fashioned, even slightly offensive, to call a young lady a fraulein

women, eh

[Hugo a Gogo]

another handy tip, ze germans don't know what the coffee beans sign means
the equivalent would be waving your hand in front of your face in the 'scheibenwischer' move (that's windscreen wipers) to signify (you're off your head)
but any rude hand signals like this, or the 'stinkfinger' (you know that one) can get you a fine from your friendly neighbourhood polizist

nother one, Streifenwagen - cop car - I thought it meant 'Stripy car' but it literally means Patrol Car

[dcb]

Hugo a Gogo said:

btw, it's very old fashioned, even slightly offensive, to call a young lady a fraulein

women, eh

Crikey - so I guess Das Maedchen (== young girl - Neuter Gender obviously)
is right out then ?

What's the right PC term these days - not Dame, surely ?

A few more words for the pot:

nut - Mutter (mother !)
bolt - Bolzen
washer - Unterlagsscheibe
screw - Schraube
spanner - Schraubenschluessel (screw key !)
screwdriver - Schraubenzieher (screw puller !)
fuse - Sicherung (safety !)

old joke: if Milch is milk and Haus is house and so Milchhaus is dairy,
why is Rathaus the town hall ?

[JMGS4]

Hugo a Gogo said:

another handy tip, ze germans don't know what the coffee beans sign means
the equivalent would be waving your hand in front of your face in the 'scheibenwischer' move (that's windscreen wipers) to signify (you're off your head)
but any rude hand signals like this, or the 'stinkfinger' (you know that one) can get you a fine from your friendly neighbourhood polizist

nother one, Streifenwagen - cop car - I thought it meant 'Stripy car' but it literally means Patrol Car

DON'T ever give a german the divers OK sign (thumb and first finger making an O, the rest of the fingers vertical). This is the german sign for R Sole and you can be fined as for the Stinkefinger.....
Coffeebeans sign is known some places here... but usually done with the arm hanging low out of thewindow at genital height....

[Hugo a Gogo]

kotflügel - wing - directly politely translated as muckwing (as in dog muck - hundekot)

[krallicious]

Hugo a Gogo said:

bremsklötze and bremsbeläge are pretty much interchangeable

if anything I wouuld think of klötze as being more brake shoe (for a drum brake), but it's not strictly just that

I've never heard Bremskloetze before. Everyday's a school day