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Automotive vocabulary · Vehicle Electronics and ADAS

Actuator

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/ˈæktʃueɪtər/nounCommon term

In automotive, actuator means: A component that turns an electrical command from a control unit into movement, for example a motor that opens the throttle, moves a valve or locks a door.

In Turkish: aktüatör, eyleyici, tahrik elemanı

How it is used

Sensors measure and actuators act. Technicians test actuators with a scan tool by commanding them on and off (actuator test). Examples are the EGR valve, turbo wastegate actuator, door lock actuators and fuel injectors.

Example sentences

  1. Run the actuator test to see if the EGR valve opens and closes.

  2. The wastegate actuator is stuck, so the turbo can't build full boost.

Common collocations

  • actuator test
  • door lock actuator
  • faulty actuator
  • electric actuator
  • sensorA component that measures something, such as temperature, pressure, speed or position, and sends it as an electrical signal to a control unit.
  • ECUShort for electronic control unit (or engine control unit): a small computer that reads sensors and controls actuators, for example injection timing in an engine. Modern cars have dozens of them.
  • scan toolA handheld device or laptop software that connects to the vehicle's diagnostic port to read and clear fault codes, view live data and run tests on control units.
  • fuel injectorAn electrically controlled valve that sprays a precise amount of fuel into the engine at the right moment. The ECU decides how long each injector stays open.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Vehicle Electronics and ADAS

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