"kludge"?

[Etienne in NZ]

Hi !
I need some help in the car field!
I've heard the word 'kludge" but I am not sure of the spelling since I can't find anything on the web. That must be a stuff in the motor of a car that ca be fixed or changed.
Anybody has an idea?
Thanks
Etienne

 

[emma42]

Sure you don't mean "clutch"?

I have just found this: Kludge - a derogatory programming term, indicating an inelegant solution or workaround, typified by the lack of any clear design or testing...". (Cryer.co.uk).

Could the word have been borrowed and brought into the field of motor cars?

 

[rsweet]

I've mostly heard this term used to refer to computers or programming. It means to put something together using an odd assortment of methods or parts--the digital version of fixing something with duct tape. I looked it up in a dictionary, and it also means "an ill-assorted collection of parts assembled to fulfill a particular purpose," so I guess that could apply to cars as well.

 

[maxiogee]

Emma, did you not check the WR dictionary - tut tut!

===
a badly assembled collection of parts hastily assembled to serve some particular purpose (often used to refer to computing systems or software that has been badly put together)
===

That "often used" implies that it might have come from somehere else.

 

[maybe4ever]

i think it could be sludge you are talking about.
sludge forms in the engine of a car, from not changing your oil properly.
it can be fixed by changing the oil, and filter, and reguar tune ups.

i hope this helps

 

[Etienne in NZ]

Thanks everybody !
In fact I think is was "clutch", since the guy told me something to be changed.

I'n still amazed by the fastness of all your answers..
God bless WR forum !