Okuzeka
Automotive vocabulary · Transmission and Drivetrain

Clutch

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/klʌtʃ/nounCore term

In automotive, clutch means: The part that connects and disconnects the engine and the gearbox, so the driver can change gear and pull away smoothly. In a manual car it is operated with the left pedal.

In Turkish: debriyaj, kavrama

How it is used

Drivers press and release the clutch; technicians replace clutch kits and diagnose a slipping clutch. Dual-clutch automatic transmissions (DCT) use two clutches that the car controls itself.

Example sentences

  1. The clutch slips in fourth gear, so it needs replacing.

  2. We replaced the clutch kit and the dual-mass flywheel at the same time.

Common collocations

  • clutch pedal
  • clutch kit
  • slipping clutch
  • press the clutch
  • dual-clutch transmission
  • transmissionThe unit that changes the gear ratio between the engine and the wheels so the car can pull away, accelerate and cruise efficiently. It can be manual or automatic.
  • gear ratioThe number of turns the input shaft makes for one turn of the output shaft, for example 3.5:1. Low gears have high ratios for pulling power; high gears have low ratios for cruising.
  • powertrainAll the parts that create power and deliver it to the road wheels: the engine or electric motor, the transmission, the driveshafts and the differential.
  • driveshaftA rotating shaft that carries torque from the gearbox towards the wheels. In rear-drive cars it is the long shaft to the rear axle; in front-drive cars short driveshafts run to each front wheel.

More terms: Transmission and Drivetrain

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