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Audifans Master Acronym List

This list is composed of the following sections:

But hell - what's a TLA?

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, as in "Here's my 02."
247, 24-7
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
724, 7-24
7 days a week, 24 hours a day
AAMOF
As A Matter Of Fact
AFAICT
As Far As I Can Tell
AFAIK
As Far As I Know
AKA
Also Known As
AMBJ
Against My Better Judgement
AMHIK
Ask Me How I Know
AOL
"Me too" or "I agree" - the content-free response from most AOL accounts. Sometimes [AOL]Me too[/AOL].
ASAP
As Soon As Possible
ASAFP
As Soon As Flocking Possible
AYFZ
All Your Fault
B4B
Bang for the Buck
B4N
Bye For Now
BBL
Be Back Later
BBR
Burnt Beyond Repair
BCNU
Be Seeing You
BFE
Bum-Flock Egypt; denotes a place very, very, very far away
BFI
Brute Force & Ignorance or Bunch of Flocking Idiots
BFTS
Basil Fawlty to Sybil: "Can we get you on Mastermind, Sybil? Specialist subject - the bleedin' obvious?"
BFN
Bye For Now
BOC
But Of Course
BOFH
Bastard Operator From Hell
BTDT
Been There, Done That (got the T-shirt....). Also, Broke The Damn Thing.
BTDTNDIA
Been There, Done That, Not Doing It Again. Carries the impression both that the writer has experience and that the procedure is perhaps a trifle onerous, expensive and/or fraught with danger. Such as changing the clutch master cylinder on a RHD ur-quattro.
BTDTDLI
Been There, Done That, Didn't Like It
BTETFI
Been There, Experienced That, Fixed It
BTFT
Been There, Fixed That
BTTT
Been There, Tried That
BTTTDW
Been There, Tried That, Didn't Work
BTSOOM
Beats The Shit Out Of Me
BTW
By The Way
BW
BandWidth
BWDIK
But What Do I Know
C & B
Crash & Burn
COS
Crock of Sh!t
CRS
Can't Remember Sh!t
CWOT
Complete Waste Of Time
CYA
Cover Your Assets
DAMFINO
Damned if I know...
DAMHINT
Don't Ask Me How I kNow That
DILLIGAF
Does It Look Like I Give A F...?
DILLIGAS
Does It Look Like I Give A S...?
DIY
Do It Yourself
DWTGT
Don't Want To Go There
EOD
End of Discussion
EOL
End of Lecture
EOT
End of Thread
F2F
Face To Face
FITB
Fill In The Blank
FOAF
Friend Of A Friend
FOC
Free of charge
FS
For Sale
FTR
For The Record
FUBAR
Fouled (uh-huh) Up Beyond All Recognition or Fouled (uh-huh) Up Beyond All Repair
fugly
Flocking Ugly
FWIW
For What It's Worth
FYA
For Your Amusement
GSOH
Good Sense Of Humour
HAND
Have A Nice Day
HHOK
Ha Ha Only Kidding
HLD
High Level Domain. Such as com, edu, de, fr, uk.
HSIK
How Should I Know
HTH
Hope That Helps
HWQ
High Wanker Quotient
IAC
In Any Case
IAE
In Any Event
IANAL
I Am Not A Lawyer
IHSWHMWT
I Hope Someone Will Help Me With This
IIRC
If I Recall Correctly or If I Remember Correctly
IM(NS)HO
In My (Not So) Humble Opinion (very little "humble" on this list!)
IME
In My Experience (lots of experience on this list)
IMO
In My Opinion (even more opinions than experience on this list)
IMPE
In My {Previous | Personal | Professional | Painful (dare we say, lots of pain here too)} Experience
IMSM
If Memory Serves Me
IMSMC
If Memory Serves Me Correctly
IMXO
In My Expert Opinion
INPO
In No Particular Order
IOW
In Other Words
ISO
In Search Of
IUD
Insert Usual Disclaimers
IYE
In Your Experience
IYKWIM
If You Know What I Mean
IYO
In Your Opinion
JIC
Just In Case
JK
Just Kidding
JM2c
Just my two cents
JM2ct
Just my two cents
KISS
Keep It Simple, Stupid!
KOW
Knock On Wood
L8R
later
LART
Luser Attitude Readjustment Tool
LMK
Let Me Know
LOL
Laughing Out Loud
MH02 (Zero-2)
My Humble 2 cents worth
MRD
Mandy Rice-Davies - a reference to her classic response: "He would, wouldn't he?"
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
NSFW
Not Safe For Work
OBO
Or Best Offer
OBTW
Oh, By The Way
OIC
Oh, I See
OIRO
Offers In Region Of
OTL
Out To Lunch
OTOH
On The Other Hand
OTTOMH
Off The Top Of My Head
PITA
Pain In The A$$
PO'd
Pissed Off (even though it really should be "P'dO")
POS
Piece of Sh!t
PFY
Pimply Faced Youth
RFC
Request For Comments. Actually, a request that you do what it damn well says - the RFCs are the "laws" of the Internet
RFI
Request For Information
RFQ
Request For Quotation
ROTFL(MAO)
Rolling On The Floor Laughing (My A$$ Off)
RSN
Real Soon Now
RTFM
Read The Fine Manual! Brits might also say RTBM: Read The Bloody Manual!
SN
Signal to Noise (ratio)
SWAG
Scientific Wild A$$ Guess
TANSTAAFL
There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TDNBW
This Does Not Bode Well - an acronym coined by Bill Mattox on the seminal Canopus forum on Compuserve in the early 1990s.
TEOTWAWKI
The End Of The World As We Know It
TIA
Thanks In Advance
TIC
Tongue In Cheek
TLA
originally Three Letter Acronym. There are also Extended Three Letter Acronyms and Very Extended Three Letter Acronyms
TLC
Tender Loving Care
TMI
Too Much Information
TOS
Terms Of Service
TPTB
The Powers That Be
TTYS
Talk To You Soon
UDA
Usual Disclaimers Apply
WAG
Wild A$$ Guess, often closely associated with IMO
WBR
With Best Regards
WOB
Waste Of Bandwidth (another very common thing with this list)
WOMBAT
Waste of Money, Brains and Time
WRT
With Regard To
YABA
Yet Another Bloody Acronym
YCFS
You Can't Fix Stupid
YMMV
Your Mileage May Vary

Audi and Auto-specific Terms

$
expensive
$$
very expensive
$$$
more expensive than a 3B spark plug
$$$$
more expensive than an ur-quattro bumper
$$$$$
think "small country's defense budget"
ABS
Anti-lock Braking System
AF
Anti-Freeze
AKI
Antiknock Index of Gasoline ((RON+MON)/2)
ATE
Name of company that makes brake rotors and fluid - Alfred Teves GmbH, Praunheim near Frankfurt
AWD
All Wheel Drive
AoA
Audi of America
Avant
Audi-speak for station wagon (US) or estate (UK) or Kombi (Germany)
BB
Bear Bait. Usually a blue metallic Scoobie-Do in the outside lane of the M1 northbound in Leicestershire. Passed shortly afterwards on the hard shoulder engrossed in discussions with one of Her Majesty's finest. Keeps them busy.
BDC
Bottom Dead Center
BF<word>
Big Flocking <word>, as in "I hit it with a BFH." or "I hit it with my trusty BF hammer." See also, BMF<word>
BFH
Big F'ing Hammer
BFS
Big F'ing Screwdriver
BIRA
Braking Improvement Research Association Group of Audi drivers who are interested in creating cost-effective improvements to our braking systems.
BMF<word>
Big Mother Flocking <word>, as in "I hit it with a BMFH." or "I hit it with my trusty BMF hammer."
BMV
Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the license-plate people in some jurisdictions. Agency that bends you over the counter for the privilege of owning and driving a motor vehicle.
BOHICA
Bend Over, Here It Comes Again. Usually muttered by the poor sap that HAS to buy a part with one million percent markup from the Audi stealership because:
BuMWiper
see WMB.
BRG
British Racing Green (the color)
BTCC
British Touring Car Championship. Run by TOCA, not FIA. Fastest, largest and most competitive (Germany (STW) and Australia are the other major TC countries) touring car series in the world. Sadly, probably doomed to go the way of the DTM.
Blau
Blaufergnugen, parts vendor
Bomb
Brake Pressure Accumulator. Provides pressure to the brake servo and ABS unit during emergency braking. So named because it looks like a hand grenade and contains enough pressure (850psi) to blow off body parts if disconnected without first relieving said pressure.
C&D
Car & Driver magazine
CC
Climate Control or Cruise Control
CI
Compression Ignition. Used with diesel fuel
COG or CoG
Center of Gravity
CP
Control Pressure
CPR
Control Pressure Regulator
Carlson
Carlson Audi, Palo Alto, CA. Ask for Linda or Didi, mention the list, get good prices.
Cat
Catalytic converter (part of exhaust system)
Cat-back
Everything in the exhaust system AFTER (not including) the catalytic convertor
Dan
Dan Simoes, der ListMeister
DED
Dark Emitting Diode. See LED.
Diff
Differential. See spool, torsen, haldex, VC.
DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles, the license-plate people in some jurisdictions. Yet another government agency that bends you over the counter for the privilege of owning and driving a motor vehicle.
DNF
Did Not Finish. The second worse thing that can happen when you enter a race.
DNS
Did Not Start. Worse than above.
DOHC
Dual Over Head Camshaft
DOT3
Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling point=205°C or 401°F. Min wet (saturated w/water) boiling pt = 140°C or 284°F. Aliphatic polyether-based. Can be mixed with DOT4 and if so, characteristics will be (linearly) in between DOT3/DOT4 parameters. Cheap, most widely used, eats paint, absorbs water easily, eats natural rubber seals (this is bad). 1% moisture can lower the boiling pt to 369°F, 2% to 320°F, 3% to 293°F.
DOT4
Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt=230°C or 446°F. Min wet boiling pt = 155°C or 311°F. Borate ester-based. Can be mixed with DOT3 and if so, characteristics will be (linearly) in between DOT3/DOT4 parameters, 50% more expensive than DOT3, eats paint and Audi microfiche, significantly increased resistance to moisture absorption compared to DOT3 (but still absorbs water), does not eat natural rubber seals (this is good). Most DOT4 fluids actually start out with a 509°F dry boiling point.
DOT5
Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt=260°C or 500°F. Min wet boiling pt = 180°C or 356°F. Silicone-based. Cannot mix with other fluids, turns to jelly if done so; colored purple. Used mostly for antique cars and some motorcycles. Contains more dissolved air than glycol-based fluids, aerates more easily when pumped rapidly through small orifices ala ABS. Is more compressible than DOT3/4. Twice as expensive as DOT4 (and thus 3 times as expensive as DOT3) and has limited availability. Does not damage paint. Isn't really suitable for a car that actually gets driven, definitely not suitable for a car that gets driven hard or raced. Has low lubricity, which increases the wear on sliding surfaces and may cause galling. Becomes corrosive toward brake seals when hot, more specifically, leaches the plasticizers out of nitrile rubber seals (which are very common in brake systems) and causes them to become brittle. Doesn't absorb water but also, doesn't stop it from getting into the system. It then collects in the low points of the brake system. Absorbs air the way other brake fluids absorb water, and releases the air at temps well below the rated boiling point (fluid itself isn't boiling, but it's giving off air bubbles and giving you a spongy pedal just the same). Viscosity at room temperature causes it to entrain air when you pour it, which means you're going to be pouring air bubbles into your brake system. See SRF.
DOT5.1
Brake Fluid Grade - Min dry boiling pt=260°C or 500°F. Min wet boiling pt = 180°C or 356°F. It's a stupid name (the 5.x bit) as it's synthetic & glycol-based (borate ester) like DOT3/4 but has NO silicone. Named in the 5.x series as it beats the DOT5 performance criteria. Absorbs water, eats paint, more expensive than DOT4, difficult to locate.
DRL
Daytime Running Lights
DTC
Diagnostic Trouble Code
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
EDL/EDS
Electronic (front-axle) Differential Lock. EDS is German abbreviation for the same.
EGT
Exhaust Gas Temperature
EM
Exhaust Manifold
ET
Code for offset on wheels. Example: ET 45, meaning 45 mm offset. Abbreviation of the German "Einpresstiefe". Also, Elapsed Time.
ETKA
German for Electronic Parts Catalog Application. CD-ROM based version of the microfiche. Can be difficult to obtain and copyrighted. Comes in different versions for different geographic markets.
EVO
Evolution, used mainly to name the successive iterations of a rallycar design. Also a British automobile magazine.
F1
Formula 1 - a tedious spectacle run for the benefit of Bernie Ecclestone and the world's tobacco barons who want to shove their lethal products down the throats of pre-pubescents in the developing world. Amazingly people pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to see in person what is much better observed on television - namely, who comes third behind the McLarens thanks to a slick pit crew.
FA
Family Album - nobody knows Exactly what This this phrase is Known As
FFV
Fuel Frequency Valve
FLAPS
Friendly Local Auto Parts Store. Reputed to also mean "F-ing Lousy Audi Parts Source"
fiche
Microfiche on which Audi publishes parts lists and service information. Yes, you need a special 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.
FTD
Fastest Time of the Day
FTU
Fuel and Timing Unit, aka ECU
FV
Frequency Valve
FWD
Front Wheel Drive, NOT "Four WD"
G2K
See next entry
G00 2000
Pentosin Green (after part # G 002 000, now G 004 000 M2) - see Green Gold
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.
Green Gold
The color of Pentosin 7.1 and 11S power steering fluids. Pentosin 7.1 is natural mineral oil-based and the can has a green cap. Currently, only available through aftermarket and specialty auto shops as Audi dealers only carry the newer, synthetic version. This is Pentosin 11S and is a darker green (the can has a red cap). Pentosin 7.1 has a temperature range of -40f to +212f and 11S has a range of -40f to + 266f. Opinion is currently mixed on whether it is safe to mix the two fluids and thus, until a definitive answer is obtained, you probably shouldn't. If your car uses Pentosin, do NOT use regular power steering fluid or you will destroy the seals and will need to replace your steering rack. Audi Part Number "G 004 000 M2". See Pento$in.
Haldex
New type of differential. Used in the TT.
HC
Heater Core
HVAC
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
I5
Inline 5 - analogue to descriptions like "V8" describing 8 cylinders laid out in a V-pattern, I5 describes 5 cylinders inline.
I/C
InterCooler. Also, Instrument Cluster.
IAT
Intake air temperature
IC
InterCooler. Also, Instrument Cluster.
ID
Inner Diameter
IM
Intake Manifold
ISV
Idle Stabilisation Valve
K&amp;N, K+N
Company that makes filters: air, fuel, oil. Also K+N. Usually refering to their cleanable cloth air non-filter.
KKK
Company that makes turbochargers. Alternately, abbreviation for Juha Kankkunnen (4-time! WRC Champion). Has nothing to do with Southern American Red-Necks who have a white sheet fetish.
LAC
Limited Audi Content. Used in the subject line of a post to the Audi mailing lists to excuse a post about Land Rovers. Or television.
LED
Light Emitting Diode. In most Audis, these are known as friodes. They become SEDs on their way to becoming DEDs. We also seem to possess a large number of LERs.
LEO
Law Enforcement Officer. See REO.
LER
Light Emitting Resistor. See LED.
LET
Light Emitting Transistor
LFB
Left Foot Braking
LHD
Left Hand Drive (driver/steering wheel position)
LNIB
Like New In (the) Box
LSD
Limited-Slip Differential
M/C
Master Cylinder. Also, MC
MAC
Mandatory Audi Content
MAC-x
Name for the series of ECUs used in various Audi models, e.g. MAC-11.
MAF
Mass Air Flow or Mass AirFlow Sensor
MAP
Manifold Absolute Pressure
MAS
Mass Airflow Sensor
MATRA
Engineering company on the Hanauer Landstrasse in Frankfurt that makes many of Audi's service tools
MC
Master Cylinder. Also, M/C. Also a 5-cylinder engine code
MRAC
Mandatory Relevant Audi Content
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet
Michelin Man Hose
Rubber hose that connects intercooler with throttle body. Named for its resemblance to Monsieur Bibendum. Look it up.
microfiche
see fiche
MON
Motor Octane Number - octane measured under load
Monkey Lads or Monkey Boys
Derogatory term applied to mechanics who should have a different occupation, say as a landmine actuator quality control tester.
MoS2
Molybdenun Disulfide, high-pressure lubricant. Black, sticky, messy. Carcinogenic. Wear gloves.
MoT
Ministry of Transport
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, here, here or here.
NA
Normally Aspirated
NAC
No Audi Content.
NIB
New In Box - a speculatively purchased Apple iPhone that's as much of a turkey as Nokia 9500 users knew it always would be. See eBay.
NLA
No Longer Available. Audispeak for "no one has ordered one for years because our price was too high" or "we didn't know what it fitted anyway, so we stopped importing it". Usually implies a large stockpile of the very same part on some other continent that is currently the subject of a fire sale while your pride and joy is sitting on a back lot in desperate need.
NO
Next Owner
NOS
New, Old Stock
NT
Non-Turbo
O2S
Oxygen Sensor
OBD
On-Board Diagnostics
Octane
The Octane Rating of the Gasoline. See AKI, MON and RON
OD
Outer Diameter
OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer. Also, simply OE.
OHIO
Throwback to the olden days, pre-computer. Inventory system used by low-budget parts departments whose owners/managers see no reason to purchase one of them newfangled computers (also the official inventory system of Audi dealers!). The OHIO method works reasonably well as long as the total inventory is under about 2,000 separate items. Now that computers are so cheap, there's really no reason left for continuing to use the OHIO inventory control system. It is from a quieter, gentler time, with simpler machinery. The exchange goes like this:

Customer: "I need part X."
Parts guy: "OK, just a moment."
Parts guy then goes to correct bin, looks inside, finds it empty and says, "Oh Hell, I'm Out."
OOTB
Out Of The Box (brand new)
OXS
Oxygen Sensor
ovloV
Volvo written backwards so that Volvo drivers won't see we're slagging them off. Backwards is a direction ovloV drivers never look in.
P(D)L
Power (Door) Locks
PC
Powder Coat
PCB
Printed Circuit Board
Pento$in
"Pentosin" mineral hydraulic fluid used as power steering fluid. See Green Gold.
PO
Previous Owner
ProRally
Rallying as practiced 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. For the MAC series of ECUs (10-valve turbos). A club so exclusive that you're never told you're actually a member
QoC
UK Audi quattro Owners Club - an organisation fading under restrictive practices. Sad.
QSW
Quantum Syncro Wagon - AKA (q.v.) a four-wheel drive Passat
Quattro
AWD system, developed by Audi and refined through years of WRC development. Engine is longitudinal (crankshaft oriented front to back).
R&R
Remove & Replace
R&T
Road & Track magazine
RDH
Robert Houk, original(?) and most certainly pioneering disassembler of the MAC ECUs
<letter> Reg
E.G., D reg, L reg, Y reg etc... Used in Great Britain. This was an easy way to identify a cars age. A reg started in 1983, B in 1984, etc... until 1998 when they started changing the letter every 6 months which makes it more difficult to follow.
REO
Revenue Enhancement Officer, a LEO whose overriding purpose in life is to write tickets.
RHD
Right Hand Drive (driver/steering wheel position)
RMV
Registry of Motor Vehicles. Yet another government agency that bends you over the counter for the privilege of owning and driving a motor vehicle.
RON
Research Octane Number - a no-load octane measurement
RSFH
Rubber Seal From Hell
RWD
Rear Wheel Drive
SC
Slave Cylinder
SED
Smoke Emitting Diode. See LED.
SJM
Scott Mockry
SO
Significant Other, also SE: Spousal Equivalent. In German - dauerhafte Angetraute
SOHC
Single Over Head Camshaft
Slushbox
Automatic transmission
SP
System Pressure
SRF
Silicone Racing Fluid. Castrol SRF, costs about $100/qt. Don't confuse it with DOT 5 silicone fluids. Boiling point around 932°F or 500°C. Doesn't absorb water, doesn't trap air but eats seals, even Viton. It's mainly used by well-funded racing teams who can afford to rebuild the brake system and replace all the seals frequently. See DOT5.
Stealership
Dealership
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 outside lane doing 65, noted for their fine handling and excellent gas mileage (if you need to ask...). Sometimes called "off road" vehicles because they're mostly parked on sidewalks. They are the yuppie-mobile of the 90's and beyond. So popular our buddy Al wants to tax them extra. Usually driven by a clueless person with a cellphone stuck to one ear. At stoplights, said clueless person can often be seen reading the newspaper. Unfortunately, this phenomenon does not stop when the lights go green. Some say this is a vehicular example of Darwin's laws. We can only hope...
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 (crankshaft oriented side to side). Can be VW's Quattro (mid '80s Quantum); or VW's later viscous AWD, or the latest VW Haldex AWD system. Was to have been called "Tetra".
t-belt
Timing Belt. See also TDC.
T10
A common size designation for a TORX driver. Other common sizes are T20, T30, T45. No, the cylinder head bolts and driveshaft flange bolts on Audis are NOT TORX bolts.
TAP
Total Audi Performance, vender of Audi performance parts. Makes chips (no, not potato)
TBO
Time Between Overhauls
TD
Turbo Diesel
TDC
Top Dead Center. If you don't get it, pay someone to change your timing belt. What?! 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. And probably the headlight switches on the Type 85.
Torsen
TORque-SENsing. Another type of differential, gear based. So controversial that at one time it had its own mailing list and public references were written "T*rsen" so as not to invoke the demons.
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
Flying saucer shaped front brake calipers using a caliper on the inside of the rotor - first used on the V8 Type 44. Sometimes used by AoA while on the Roswell project, a form of military technology transfer.
UK-QOC
UK Quattro Owners Club
unobtanium
Mythical material that very, very expensive parts are made out of.
Ur
The first city ever built by man - a UN World Heritage Site in Mesopotamia (Iraq) and the cradle of city-based civilisation. Recently bombed flat by the Americans. A synonym in German for original - 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.
VAT
Value Added Tax. It is a form of taxation invented by a French guy and obligatory on all countries participating in the European Union. In fact, all countries send a percentage of the VAT they receive from their citizens to the European Union head office so that the white collars/bureaucrats can receive their huge monthly fees and have a life of luxury out of our misery. The rate of VAT ranges from country to country and according to whether something is considered a necessity or a luxury but the most common rate is about 17-18%. Items considered a necessity are either tax exempted or tax on a much lower rate. The VAT system was supposed to make life easier on the tax payer and on the tax collecting authorities but as everything that is applied by bureaucrats it has developed into a nightmare for everybody.
VC
Viscous Coupling, a type of differential, fluid based.
VE
Volumetric Efficiency
VIN
Vehicle Identification Number
Waffle hose
Rubber hose/plenum that connects air intake box with throttle body
WFO
Wide Flocking Open, as in throttle. See WoT.
WG
Wastegate
WGFV
WasteGate Frequency Valve
WMB
Sly "in the know" reference to BMWs
WOT or WoT
Wide Open Throttle. Also the name of a throttle switch. Also the name of a driving style. Also called "full load" or "Golf Lima Foxtrot".
WRC
World Rally Championship. The world's most popular form of motorsport, as practiced by all non-North Americans.
WTB
wanted to buy
YMMV
Your Mileage May Vary. Not always referring to average fuel economy.
ZAC
Zero Audi Content

Sigline TLAs

<option>
option, as in 5Ktq: 5000 turbo quattro
-<option>
non-<option>, as in 5Kt-q: 5000 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 - outside North America, an Audi 80/90
5k
5000 - outside North America, an Audi 100/200
a
Avant - wagon, estate, Kombi
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
tt
twin-turbo
w
StationWagon, see "a" above
w
Winter (Cold Weather) package

Current version always at: http://www.isham-research.co.uk/quattro/tla.html

Contact Phil Payne by email or use mobile/SMS 07833 654800