Home > Info > General Info > Audi Slang

Audi Slang

I want to be cool. Teach me the lingo!

quattro - Cars that have four-wheel drive are "quattro models", the original car with "quattro" was called "Quattro"., or "urQuattro". "ur" meaning "original" in German.
Turbo - mini-blower on engine that gives extra boost in power.
OE - Original Equipment (i.e. "The manufacturer produced it, so it should fit no problem. Yeah, right.")
Red Locktite - red paste, put on the end of studs to hold them in place.
Anti-Seize - grease that resists corrosion and "sticking". Allows bolts to be easily loosened and tightened where heat and weather would usually make them bind.
Break Free - the act of loosening a rusted bolt, etc. Use WD40 or similar lubricant, use jerking motion if metal is strong, be gentle if you fear breaking the bolt.
Invoice Price - The manufacturer's charge to the dealer, including freight and advertising.
Base Price - The cost of the car without options, includes standard equipment and factory warranty.
MSRP - Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price or "Sticker Price".
Rebate - Monies the consumer gets from the manufacturer for the purchase of a particular vehicle.
Incentive - Monies the dealer gets from the manufacturer for the sale of a particular vehicle.
Make - The brand name/manufacturer of a car or truck, i.e. Ford, Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet.
Model - Type of vehicle offered through a manufacturer, i.e. Chevrolet Camaro, Honda Civic.
Freight or Destination Charge - The cost of transporting the vehicle from the final point of assembly to the dealership. It is a chargeable item on the invoice, and is included in the MSRP or sticker price.
Advertising Fee - Breakdown and itemization of the cost for national advertising for one unit, it is an item on the invoice, and is included in the MSRP or sticker price.
Equipment Package - Popular equipment married into a package, for ease of assembly and consumer savings.
Standard Equipment - Equipment which comes on a vehicle, at no additional charge to the consumer.
Aftermarket Options - Additional equipment that a consumer may choose to have on their new vehicle that was not available from or installed by, the factory, i.e. sunroof deflector, security system.

AUDIFANS MASTER ACRONYM LIST

Revision History
================
Rev Date Maintainer Notes
----- ----------- -------------- --------------------------
1.00 11/27/98 Richard Beels Initial Release

This list is composed of the following sections:
General Use TLAs
Auto/Audi/List Specific TLAs
SigLine TLAs

=============================
General Use TLAs:
=============================
(g) : "I'm grinning while I type this" or "That last bit was a joke. Laugh!"
(s) : In above definition, replace grin with smile.
02 (Zero-2): My 2 cents worth
247, 24-7 (say twenty-four seven or twenty-four by seven): 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
724, 7-24 (say seven twenty-four or seven by twenty-four): 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
AAMOF: As A Matter Of Fact
AFAIK: As Far As I Know
B4B: Bang for the Buck
B4N: Bye For Now
BBL: Be Back Later
BBR: Burnt Beyond Repair
BCNU: Be Seeing You
BF(word): Big Flocking (word), as in "I hit it with a BFH." or "I hit it with my trusty BF hammer."
BFE: Bum-Flock Egypt. Denotes a place very, very far away.
BFI: Brute Force & Ignorance or Bunch of Flocking Idiots
BFN: Bye For Now
BMF(word): Big Mother Flocking (word), as in "I hit it with a BMFH." or "I hit it with my trusty BMF hammer."
BTDT: Been there, done that (got the T-shirt....)
BTW: By The Way
BW: BandWidth
BWDIK: But What Do I Know
COS: Crock of Shtuff
CYA: Cover Your Assets
D/FW: Dallas/Fort Worth
DIY: Do It Yourself
DWTGT: Don't Want To Go There
FOAF: Friend Of A Friend
FTR: For The Record
FWIW: For What It's Worth
HSIK: How Should I Know
HTH: Hope That Helps
IAC: In Any Case
IAE: In Any Event
IANAL: I Am Not A Lawyer
IIRC: If I Recall Correctly
IIRC: If I Remember Correctly
IM(NS)HO: In My (Not So) Humble Opinion
IME: In My Experience
IMO: In My Opinion
IMPE: In My Professional Experience
IMSM: If Memory Serves Me
IMSMC: If Memory Serves Me Correctly
IMXO: In My Expert Opinion
ISO: In Search Of
IUD: Insert Usual Disclaimers
IYE: In Your Experience
IYO: In Your Opinion
JM2c: Just my two cents
JM2ct: Just my two cents
KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid!
KOW: Knock On Wood
L8R: later
LMK: Let Me Know
MH02 (Zero-2): My Humble 2 cents worth
MYOB: Mind Your Own Business
NBD: No Big Deal or Not a Big Deal
NFW: No Flocking Way
NOYB: None Of Your Business
NRN: No Reply Necessary
OBO: Or Best Offer
OBTW: Oh, By The Way
OIC: Oh, I See
OTL: Out To Lunch
OTOH: On The Other Hand
PITA: Pain In The A$$
PO'd: Pissed Off (even though it really should be "P'dO")
POS: Piece of Sh!t
RFC: Request For Comments
RFI: Request For Information
RFQ: Request For Quotation
ROTFL(MAO): Rolling On The Floor Laughing (My A$$ Off)
RSN: Real Soon Now
RTFM: Read The Fine Manual! Brits might also say RTBM: Read The Bloody Manual!
SWAG: Scientific Wild A$$ Guess
TIA: Thanks In Advance
TIC: Tongue In Cheek
TLA: originally Three Letter Acronym, now used to mean an acronym of any length.
TLC: Tender, Loving Care
TOS: Terms Of Service
TTYS: Talk To You Soon
UDA: Usual Disclaimers Apply
WAG: Wild A$$ Guess
WBR: With Best Regards
WOB: Waste Of Bandwidth
WOMBAT: Waste of Money, Brains and Time
WRT: With Regard To
YABA: Yet Another Bloody Acronym
YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary

=============================
Auto/Audi/List-Specific TLAs
=============================
ABS: Anti-lock Braking System
AF: Anti-Freeze
ATE: Company that makes brake rotors and fluid.
AWD: All Wheel Drive
AoA: Audi of America
Avant: Audi-speak for StationWagon
BDC: Bottom Dead Center
BMV: Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the license-plate people in some jurisdictions.
BRG: British Racing Green (the color)
BTCC: British Touring Car Championship. Run by TOCA, not FIA.
Blau: Blaufergnugen, parts vendor
Bomb: Brake Pressure Accumulator. Provides pressure to the brake servo and ABS unit during emergency braking.
C&D: Car & Driver magazine
CC: Climate Control
CC: Cruise Control
COG or CoG: Center of Gravity
CP: Control Pressure
CPR: Control Pressure Regulator
Carlson: Carlson Audi, Palo Alto, CA.
Cat-back: Everything in the exhaust system AFTER (not including) the catalytic convertor
DED: Dark Emitting Diode
DMV: Department of Motor Vehicles, the license-plate people in some jurisdictions.
DOHC: Dual Over Head Camshaft
DOT3: Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt =205degC or 401degF. Min wet boiling pt = 140degC or 284degF. aliphatic polyether-based, can be mixed with DOT4, characteristics will be (linearly) in between DOT3/DOt4 parameters. Cheap, most widely used, eats paint, absorbs water easily, eats natural rubber seals.
DOT4: Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt=230degC or 446degreesF. Min wet boiling pt = 155degC or 311degreesF. borate ester based, can be mixed with DOT3, characteristics will be (linearly) in between DOT3/DOT4 parameters, 50% more expensive than DOT3, eats paint, significantly increased resistance to moisture absorption compared to DOT3 (but still absorbs water), does not eat natural rubber seals.
DOT5.1: Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt=260degC or 500degF. Min wet boiling pt = 180degC or 356degF. It's a stupid name (5.x) as it's glycol-based (borate ester) like DOT3/4 and has NO silicone. Absorbs water, eats paint, more expensive than DOT4, difficult to locate.
DOT5: Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt=260degC or 500degF. Min wet boiling pt = 180degC or 356degF. Cannot mix with other fluids as it contains silicone, turns to jelly if done so; colored purple. Used mostly for antique cars and some motorcycles because it does not damage paint and does not absorb water (it allows water to pool in the low pars of the braking system). Is more compressible than DOT3/4 though. Twice as expensive as DOT4 (and thus 3 times as expensive as DOT3) and has limited availability.
DRL: Daytime Running Lights
DTC: Diagnostic Trouble Code
Dan: Dan Simoes, der ListeMeister
EBD: Electronic Brake (pressure) Distribution
EC: European Car magazine. From the people who also publish SCC (Sport Compact Car)
ECT: Engine Coolant Temperature
ECU: Electronic Control Unit. Also, Engine CompUter, aka FTU: Fuel and Timing Unit.
EDL/EDS: Electronic Differential Lock. EDS is German abbreviation for the same.
EDL: Electronic (front-axle) Differential Lock
EGT: Exhaust Gas Temperature
EM: Exhaust Manifold
ET: Code for offset on wheels. Example: ....ET 45, meaning 45 mm offset. Also, Elapsed Time.
FFV: Fuel Frequency Valve
fiche: Microfiche that Audi publishes parts lists and service information on. Yes you need a reader to read them. A 16x loupe is NOT enough. And if you don't have a big reader, you'll need to learn to read upside down.
FS: For Sale
FTD: Fastest Time of the Day
FV: Frequency Valve
FWD: Front Wheel Drive, NOT "Four WD"
GOO 2000 - Pentosin Green (after part # G 002000)
GPR: German Parts & Restoration, parts vendor
Genius: Idiot. Usually used when referring to Audi engineer(s) who designed the switch bulb circuitry or the door lock mechanisms or the window regulators or the high-beam flashing circuitry (could very well be the same person). See Team Doorhandle.
HC: Heater Core
HVAC: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
I/C: InterCooler. Also, Instrument Cluster.
IAT: Intake Air Temperature
IC: InterCooler. Also, Instrument Cluster.
ID: Inner Diameter
IM: Intake Manifold (pic 1)
ISV: Idle Stablization Valve (pic 1, pic 2, pic 3)
K&N: Company that makes filters: air, fuel, oil. Also K+N
KKK: Company that makes turbochargers. Alternately, abbreviation for Juha Kankkunnen (4-time! WRC Champion).
LED: Light Emitting Diode. In most Audis, these are known as friodes. They become SEDs: Smoke Emitting Diodes on their way to becoming DEDs: Dead Emitting Diodes. We also seem to possess a large number of LERs: Light Emitting Resistors...
LET: Light Emitting Transistor
LFB: Left Foot Braking
LHD: Left Hand Drive (driver/steering wheel position)
MAC: Mandatory Audi Content
MAC: Name for a series of ECUs, e.g. MAC-02.
MAF: Mass Air Flow or Mass AirFlow Sensor
MAP: Manifold Absolute Pressure
MAS: Mass Airflow Sensor
MC: Master Cylinder. Also, M/C
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet
Michelin Man Hose: Rubber hose that connects IC with throttle body
MoS2: Molybdenun Disulfide, high-pressure lubricant.
Mr. Bentley: Publisher of the best shop manuals for Audis, he sadistically removes seemingly non-pertinent information from the manuals (when doing this, he's a genius, see above) that is highly pertinent. This information can then only be imparted from an Audi-certified technician under a full moon whilst inebriated and concurrently undergoing secret fraternity initiation rites. Or by asking here on the list (booze may be required at a later date, however).
NA: Normally Aspirated
NAC: No Audi Content.
NO: Next Owner
NT: Non-Turbo
O2S: Oxygen Sensor
OBD: On-Board Diagnostics
OD: Outer Diameter
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer. Also, simply OE.
OXS: Oxygen Sensor
P(D)L: Power (Door) Locks
PC: Powder Coat
PCB: Printed Circuit Board
PO: Previous Owner
ProRally: Rallying as practised by Americans and Canadians. Was PRO Rally.
PS: Power Steering
PW: Power Windows
QCUSA: USA Quattro Club
QLCC (1.8bar): Quattro List Computer Chip (pushing 1.8 bar of pressure through the turbo; value can vary) or Quattro List Chip Committee or Quattro List Chip Club.
Quattro: AWD system, developed by Audi and refined through years of WRC development. Engine is longitudinal.
R&R: Remove & Replace
R&T: Road & Track magazine
RDH: Robert Houk, disassembler of the MAC ECUs
RHD: Right Hand Drive (driver position)
RMV: Registry of MV. Yet another government agency that bends you over the counter for the privilege of owning and driving a motor vehicle.
RWD: Rear Wheel Drive
SC: Slave Cylinder
SJM: Scott Mockry
SO: Significant Other, also SE: Spousal Equivalent
SOHC: Single Over Head Camshaft
SP: System Pressure
STW: Super TourenWagen, German series: Super Touring Wagon. Sad successor (relatively speaking) to the awesome DTM (Deutsche TouringWagen Meisterschaft) series that Bernie Ecclestone killed off.
SUV: Sport-Utility Vehicle. Large pondering vehicles that reside in the left lane doing 65, noted for their fine handling and excellent gas mileage (if you need to ask....). They are the yuppie-mobile of the 90's and beyond.
Scoobie or Scoobie-Doo: Subaru (affectionate term)
Spool: A type of differential. Essentially it's a non-differential, simply locking the rear wheels together. Full-time rear diff lock is another way of thinking about it.
Synchro: think Quattro with a transverse engine layout,
t-belt: Timing Belt. See also TDC.
T10: A common size designation for a TORX driver. Other common sizes are 5, 20, 30, 45.
TAP: Total Audi Performance, makes chips (no, not potato)
TBO: Time Between Overhauls
TDC: Top Dead Center. If you don't get it, pay someone to change your timing belt. You haven't replaced your timing belt? Pay someone NOW to change your timing belt.
TDI: Turbocharged Direct Injection
TSB: Technical Service Bulletin
Team Doorhandle: Perjorative term for Audi engineer(s) who designed the oh-so-reliable door handles on Type 44 and others.
Torsen, T*sen, T*rsen: another type of differential, gear based.
Triple Square: A driver design that resembles a 12-pointed star, with 90 degree ends. Imagine 3 super-imposed squares with a 120 degrees rotation in relation to each other ("tips" 30 degrees in relation to each other) --or-- a 12 pointed Torx. Use the correct tool because while Torx bits will fit a 12-point head and _sometimes_ work, when (not if, when) they strip, you're up that proverbial creek.
UFOs: UFO shaped front brake calipers sometimes used by AoA while on the
Roswell project, a form of military technology transfer.
UK-QOC: UK Quattro Owners Club
Ur: Original in German, refers to the Original Quattro. e.g. Ur-Q, urq, UrQ
VAG: Volkswagen AG = Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. Usually followed by a number. This almost always indicates a special tool that VAG recommends you use to perform some sort of basic system maintenance. Of course, you don't always need the tool. You can make your own. With most of them, expensive is an understatement. Some genius came up with this system (see Genius).
VC: Viscous Coupling, type of differential, fluid based.
VE: Volumetric Efficiency
VIN: Vehicle Identification Number
Waffle: Rubber hose/plenum that connects air intake box with throttle body
WFO: Wide Flocking Open, as in throttle.
WG: Wastegate
WGFV: WasteGate Frequency Valve
WMB: Sly, "in" reference to BMWs
WOT: Wide Open Throttle. Also the name of a throttle switch.
WRC: World Rally Championship. The world's most popular form of motorsport, as practised by all non-North Americans.
WTB: wanted to buy
ZAC: Zero Audi Content

=============================
SigLine TLAs
=============================
option, as in 5K-t-q: 5000 non-turbo non-quattro
12v: 12 valve engine (V6, 2 valves per cylinder)
1C: 100
2C: 200
20v: 20 valve engine (5 cylinder, 4 valves per cylinder)
30v: 30 valve engine (V6, 5 valves per cylinder)
4k: 4000
5k: 5000
a: Avant
C: coupe
cs: the cs trim level
cw: Cold Weather Package
gt: the gt trim level
ls: the ls trim level
Ltd: Limited Edition
m: Manual
Q or q: Quattro
s: Sport Package
s: the s trim level
t: turbo
w: StationWagon, also "a"
w: Winter (Cold Weather) package

mailinglist@endosquid.com

Page last updated: April 28, 2003