Automotive Specs Explained

An impact driver takes 1/4 inch hex bits and drives screws, while an impact wrench takes square drive sockets and turns big nuts and bolts with more torque.

A hard shell rooftop tent can open in about a minute and handles bad weather better; a soft shell is lighter, cheaper and roomier but slower to pitch.

US tire maker guidance says a plug alone is not a proper repair; a proper fix fills the hole with a stem and patches the inside, for punctures up to 1/4 inch.

UL Listed and ETL Listed both mean an OSHA recognized lab tested a product to a safety standard; the two marks differ by lab, not by standard.

A cargo carrier rides on the roof or in the hitch receiver; roof boxes run from about 10 to over 20 cubic feet, and the lowest weight rating sets the limit.

Coolant color is a maker's code, not a universal standard, so choose by the type in your owner's manual or a formula for all makes, not by matching color.

A dash cam records the road so you have video of what happened; the main choices are how many cameras it has and whether it can watch the car while parked.

Level 1 charges an EV from a 120V outlet at about 5 miles of range per hour; Level 2 uses 240V, adds about 25 miles an hour and refills most cars overnight.

Headlight bulbs are halogen, HID or LED, and a code like H11 names the bulb's fitting; a stock halogen lasts about 500 to 1,000 hours, LEDs far longer.

In 5W-30, the 5W rates how the oil flows cold (W is for winter) and the 30 how it flows at engine temperature; use the grade your manual lists.

A single DIN car stereo has a 180 by 50 mm face and a double DIN is twice as tall at 180 by 100.3 mm; your dash opening and a fit guide tell you which fits.

All-season tires suit mild climates, all-weather tires carry the snowflake mark for real winters, and a tire is worn out at 2/32 inch of tread or 10 years old.

Receiver hitches come in five classes, from Class 1 for trailers up to 2,000 lbs. to Class 5 for loads up to 20,000 lbs., each with a tongue weight limit.

Pick a winch rated for at least 1.5 times your vehicle's weight, and know that the rated pull applies only to the first layer of line on the drum.

A size like 225/65R17 gives the tire width in millimeters, sidewall height as a percent of that width, the construction and the rim size in inches.