You know it has happened to you, your reading a classified ad and all of a sudden you find a bunch of random letters. These letters are typical abbreviations for vehicle equipment. I'm sure you know the basics, such as A/C, CC, PD or PW. Those options are great, but let's look at the others and see what it all means.

The things you read that you may not know could be; V8, H6, I6, S6, TC, ESC/ESP, FF, GDI and more. Let's look at these and do a little translating.

First off, most engine configurations have an abbreviated term. I think the most popular here in the U.S. would have to be the renowned V8. Cadillac really made the V8 a staple in the U.S. auto industry decades ago. The counterpart to our V8 overseas would be the I6, or inline six as it's known. Another six cylinder is the H6 which is a horizontal or "flat" six cylinder motor. You may also see S6, for slant six. Now that you know this, I will tell you that BMW's do not come with a V6 so the next time that you see and add stating this go ahead and laugh out loud like I do.

What about these other odd grouping of letters I mentioned? ESC stands for electronic stability control (ESP stands for electronic stability program) and is becoming standard on most vehicles today. This has saved hundreds of lives, especially in SUV models. This essentially is an on board computer component that takes makes common sense decisions if a vehicle loses traction or balance (for lack of a better term).

TC or traction control is similar to ESC but focuses only on preventing slip in the drive wheels rather than overall balance of the vehicle. This is done by either automatically cutting power or applying brakes to the drive wheel(s) that are losing traction.

The last two pertain to the fuel system of the vehicle. The first is FF or flex fuel, this is an option found in many of today's cars as well. Flex fuel could mean that the car takes both standard gas and E85 or even gas and ethanol, methanol and alike. The combos vary but the important thing is you are looking at a car that was designed to ultimately help save the earth and cut down on fossil fuel consumption.

The last is GDI; gasoline direct injection (also known as DFI or direct fuel injection). In the cars of yesteryear, fuel was delivered to the engine via a carburetor. After "carbs" came EFI or electronic fuel injection. While EFI was a huge improvement, it was not the end-all beat-all in combustion. Although EFI and GDI are similar, GDI increases fuel efficiency by adjusting the mixture depending on the engine demand. In other wards, if you are at full throttle, it will adjust to be slightly a richer mix than if you were at idle.

All these things may be confusing I know but they make a difference in your bill fold and more importantly in your safety.

Have a question? Let me answer your automotive queries, e-mail me today.