Get to know your Volkswagen.

English · machine-assisted draft

A metal plate used to cover a hole in the dashboard if a radio is not installed.

• radio
• dash

English · machine-assisted draft

A system that assists the driver in parking by steering the vehicle into parallel and perpendicular spaces

• parking
• steering
• assistant

English · machine-assisted draft

Sensor measuring the speed of the wheels, used in various systems such as anti-lock braking and navigation

• sensor
• wheel

English · machine-assisted draft

A protective cover for the positive terminal of a generator or alternator

• generator
• alternator
• terminal

English · source definition

Light Emitting Diode. those little red/green/yellow 'lights' that almost never burn out. sort of solid plastic light bulbs. and they use very very little amounts of electricity.

English · source definition

The camper interior cabinet assembly built around the sink and its water fittings. In some Vanagon Westfalia layouts it also contains or adjoins the refrigerator, storage, and electrical controls.

• camper
• interior
• kitchen

English · source definition

The belt-driven pump that circulates engine coolant through the water-cooled Vanagon engine and cooling circuit. It is different from the small electric pump used to deliver water to a camper sink.

• engine
• water-cooled
• cooling

English · machine-assisted draft

A charger whose delivered current decreases as charging progresses. In Gerry’s lead-acid battery FAQ this contrasts with a constant-current charger. The term describes charging behaviour, not a guarantee of automatic shut-off or compatibility with a particular camper battery chemistry.

• battery
• charger

English · machine-assisted draft

Describes a lead-acid battery affected by persistent lead-sulfate deposits on its plates. Gerry’s FAQ associates this condition with prolonged discharged storage and reduced serviceability. This is different from corrosion visible on external terminals, and the label alone does not establish that a battery can be restored.

• battery
• condition

English · machine-assisted draft

In the lead-acid batteries discussed in Gerry’s battery FAQ, the liquid mixture of sulfuric acid and water in contact with the plates. Its density changes with charge state. This meaning is specific to that battery chemistry; it is not a generic name for every camper battery’s contents.

• battery
• chemistry

English · machine-assisted draft

The height of the liquid electrolyte relative to the plates in a serviceable flooded lead-acid battery. It describes liquid quantity, not state of charge or specific gravity. Gerry’s battery FAQ discusses accessible cells; this term must not be read as an instruction to open a sealed battery.

• batteries
• maintenance

English · machine-assisted draft

Discharging a battery to a low state of charge. It does not necessarily mean zero charge or zero terminal voltage. In the lead-acid context of Gerry’s FAQ, repeated deep discharge can shorten useful life. A “deep-cycle” label does not remove the battery manufacturer’s discharge limits.

• battery
• discharge

English · machine-assisted draft

A charger that regulates its output to maintain a selected charging current during that operating stage. This differs from holding voltage constant. Gerry’s 1995 FAQ uses the term for automotive lead-acid charging; its historical settings are not a charging program for every modern camper battery.

• battery
• charger

English · machine-assisted draft

A lead-acid battery sold as requiring reduced routine servicing, often with no user access for checking or topping up individual cells. The name does not mean that charge, terminals and overall condition need no attention. Gerry’s 1995 FAQ discusses this older automotive usage; it does not describe every modern sealed battery.

• battery
• design

English · machine-assisted draft

A battery designed for repeated, prolonged discharge and recharge, rather than chiefly for the brief high current used to start an engine. In camper discussions this distinction helps explain a leisure battery’s role. “Deep-cycle” is a duty description, not permission to drain any battery completely; chemistry and manufacturer limits still matter.

• battery
• type

English · machine-assisted draft

The ratio of a liquid’s density to that of water. In the flooded lead-acid battery context of Gerry’s FAQ, electrolyte specific gravity helps estimate charge and compare cells. It is different from electrolyte level; temperature and battery design affect interpretation. It is not a measurement for a sealed lithium camper battery.

• batteries
• specific
• gravity

English · machine-assisted draft

An estimate of how much charge remains in a battery, commonly expressed as a percentage of full charge. It differs from battery health: a worn battery can be fully charged yet store little usable energy. The voltage and electrolyte-density table in Gerry’s 1995 FAQ concerns lead-acid batteries, not a universal camper-battery gauge.

• batteries
• maintenance