Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Second Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

First Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.

Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.

Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.

Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.

Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.

Troubleshoot fuel, ignition, and emissions control systems, using electronic testing equipment.

Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.

Test electronic computer components in automobiles to ensure proper operation.

Tear down, repair, and rebuild faulty assemblies, such as power systems, steering systems, and linkages.

Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.

Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.

Plan work procedures, using charts, technical manuals, and experience.

Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.

Tune automobile engines to ensure proper and efficient functioning.

Repair, replace, or adjust defective fuel injectors, carburetor parts, and gasoline filters.

Repair and service air conditioning, heating, engine cooling, and electrical systems.

Disassemble units and inspect parts for wear, using micrometers, calipers, and gauges.

Change spark plugs, fuel filters, air filters, and batteries in hybrid electric vehicles.

Overhaul or replace carburetors, blowers, generators, distributors, starters, and pumps.

Repair or replace parts such as pistons, rods, gears, valves, and bearings.

Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.

Install, adjust, or repair hydraulic or electromagnetic automatic lift mechanisms used to raise and lower automobile windows, seats, and tops.

Rebuild parts, such as crankshafts and cylinder blocks.

Conduct visual inspections of compressed natural gas fuel systems to identify cracks, gouges, abrasions, discoloration, broken fibers, loose brackets, damaged gaskets, or other problems.

Diagnose and replace or repair engine management systems or related sensors for flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) with ignition timing, fuel rate, alcohol concentration, or air-to-fuel ratio malfunctions.

Retrofit vehicle fuel systems with aftermarket products, such as vapor transfer devices, evaporation control devices, swirlers, lean burn devices, and friction reduction devices, to enhance combustion and fuel efficiency.

2-channel lab scopes

3 pound sledge hammers

5-gas emissions analyzers

Adjustable wrenches

Air compressors

Air conditioner chargers

Air drills

Air sanders

Alignment wrenches

Allen wrenches

Alternating current/direct current AC/DC inductive current clamps

Anti-lock braking system ABS/air bag scan tools

Antifreeze recovery equipment

Anvils

Awls

Ball joint separators

Ball peen hammers

Bandsaws

Battery chargers

Battery hydrometers

Battery load testers

Bench lathes

Bolt cutters

Borescopes

Box end wrenches

Brake line flaring tools

Brake rotor hones

Brake shoe tools

Buffers

Cable cutters

Calipers

Capacity testers

Carbon scrapers

Catalytic combustion analyzers

Center punches

Channel lock pliers

Circuit testers

Circular saws

Claw hammers

Coil testers

Cold chisels

Combination pliers

Combination wrenches

Combustible gas detectors

Compression testers

Computerized engine analyzers

Computerized scanners

Crescent wrenches

Cutting torches

Deburring tools

Desktop computers

Diagonal cutting pliers

Dial gauges

Drill bit sets

Drill presses

Dwell meters

Dynamometers

Electric drills

Exhaust analyzers

External snap ring pliers

Feeler gauges

Flat files

Forklifts

Front end alignment equipment

Fuel pressure testers

Gas welding equipment

Gasket scrapers

Grease guns

Grinding equipment

Hacksaws

Hand clamps

Heat guns

High velocity low pressure HVLP spray guns

Hoists

Hydraulic presses

Impact guns

Impact wrenches

Infrared thermometers

Inspection mirrors

Insulated pliers

Jack stands

Jacks

Laser levels

Laser printers

Leak detecting diagnostic smoke machines

Light emitting diode LED circuit testers

Locking C-clamps

Long nose pliers

Lug wrenches

Magnetic pickup tools

Mechanics' stethoscopes

Metal cutting dies

Metal cutting taps

Metal inert gas MIG welders

Micrometers

Needlenose pliers

Nibblers

Non-contact thermometers

Nut drivers

Ohmmeters

Take on any and all training that you can so that you can get the most out of every opportunity. 

Master Guild Technician

Keola Santiago Highlight

Changing Gears

Auto and diesel technician careers

INSIGHTS FROM THE FILM

Hitchhike along for a supercharged adventure as Alexandra, Dylan, and Michael—three aspiring auto and diesel technicians—go from monster truck rallies to high-tech labs to discover the growing possibilities in automotive and diesel tech. As they speak to gearheads in every corner of the field—from tractor builders, to Porsche collectors, Fast and the Furious technicians, and more—they learn that the stereotype of the grease monkey mechanic is outdated. Being a technician means being on the frontlines of technology, racing towards the future.

Auto and diesel technicians hold the keys to the future of human movement. We set out to see where the industry is going—and the people who are driving it forward.

Our cars and trucks are high-powered and high-tech—and they need an elite workforce to keep them running. That’s why we’re sending three aspiring auto and diesel technicians on a road trip that will give them an exclusive look at what’s happening under the hood of their industry. They’ll meet with professional technicians, hear candid stories of struggle and success, and of course, check out a ton of cool cars along the way. Ride along with the crew as they explore this rapidly accelerating field—and see if this turns out to be the spark that ignites their future.

We’re not just showing auto and diesel technicians what’s on the road ahead—we’re putting them in the driver’s seat.

FUELED BY:

Tech Force Foundation

SEMA Garage

Technicians Roadtrip

So this Spring I'm traveling with two other students. >> A little over two weeks, we're gonna be living in a RV. >> With two people that I have never met, but I know that they share a passion that I have in cars and automobiles. We're gonna be going to a bunch of different places. >> And we're gonna go talk to people who work in the auto or diesel industry. Kind of get some advice from them. >> Ask them what they did with their lives, and how they got there. >> [NOISE] >> The automotive field is a legitimate field with a lot of opportunity and worthy of respect. The people in it are incredibly intelligent and have to be to work on today's rocket ship car. And today's cars have more control modules than the first space shuttle. >> [NOISE] >> That car is insane. >> [SOUND] >> If you're interested in mechanics right now, I will guarantee you that in another 40 years down the road, you're still gonna be interested. You don't outgrow it. >> People do it as a pastime and I get to get paid for it. >> Actually, just happy to go to work every day. I never thought it would be like that. >> Some of these people are living my dream. [LAUGH] And I'd like to know how they got to where they're at. >> Nice to meet you. >> I can remember taking bicycles apart and then motorcycles and then cars. >> From the moment I bought my first car, I was just out in the driveway wrenching on it and trying to do stuff to it. >> [NOISE] >> For every one thing that I learned that worked I'd do ten other things that failed, that broke, that caught on fire. So it was a hobby that got out of control, continued to feed my need for speed. >> When I found out that something like this was available to me, it was a dream. I wanted to fix cars and have fun. >> I really want to figure out what I wanna do next. >> You guys are the future, because you know those old-timers are not gonna be around forever. Whether you're a Sport import to in a guy, a American muscle car guy, a European sports car guy, or a truck off road playing around in the dirt type of person. I think what connects all true car enthusiasts together is the thrill of the drive, the build, the chase. And I think we all speak the same language. It doesn't matter what you drive. You share that same passion. [MUSIC] >> We're pretty much gonna get in an RV and go interview some pretty crazy people. >> Kind of trying to find myself a little bit more from this. >> Get insight on where we're gonna go from here. Cuz right now, I'm just kinda lost and we need guidance on where to go. Kinda like a GPS on what we should do with our lives. [MUSIC] 

Keola Santiago

Master Guild Technician

Videos

Keola Santiago

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Engineering

Technology

Learning / Being Challenged

Advice for Getting Started

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

Interviewed By

Changing Gears

Keola Santiago

Master Guild Technician

Videos

Keola Santiago

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Engineering

Technology

Learning / Being Challenged

Advice for Getting Started

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Myself:

Interviewed By

Changing Gears

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