Wort des Tages
27 June 2026
vapor lock
nounMaschinenbau
A problem mostly affecting gasoline-fueled internal combustion engines, where the liquid fuel changes state from liquid to gas while still in the fuel delivery system, reducing the pump pressure and causing transient power loss or complete stalling.
Warum dieses Wort
A pump that shifts liquid happily will just churn vapor, so the engine starves while the tank is still full. Mostly a carbureted-era complaint: in-tank pumps pushing pressurized fuel toward the engine leave far less room for it.
In use
She ran fine all morning, then quit on the hill in the heat: sat ten minutes, fired right up, so I'd call that vapor lock.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.