Okuzeka
Automotive vocabulary · Engine and Fuel Systems

Idle

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/ˈaɪdəl/verbCore term

In automotive, idle means: To run with the engine on but the car not moving and the accelerator not pressed, at a low, steady engine speed. As a noun, idle is this state.

In Turkish: rölantide çalışmak, rölanti

How it is used

Very common in diagnosis: the engine idles at 750 rpm, rough idle, idle speed, high idle. Technicians check live data at idle and under load. Start-stop systems switch the engine off instead of letting it idle at traffic lights.

Example sentences

  1. The engine idles rough until it reaches normal temperature.

  2. Idle speed is too high, so check for a vacuum leak.

Common collocations

  • rough idle
  • idle speed
  • at idle
  • high idle
  • let the engine idle
  • stallFor an engine to stop running suddenly while the car is in use, for example when the driver releases the clutch too fast or because of a fault.
  • misfireA failure of the fuel and air in one or more cylinders to burn properly. The engine shakes, runs rough and loses power, and unburned fuel can overheat the catalytic converter.
  • engineThe machine that burns fuel, usually petrol or diesel, to produce the power that moves a vehicle. It turns the energy of burning fuel into rotation of the crankshaft.
  • sensorA component that measures something, such as temperature, pressure, speed or position, and sends it as an electrical signal to a control unit.

More terms: Engine and Fuel Systems

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: