About This Career

Diagnoses, adjusts, repairs, or overhauls automotive vehicles.

This career is part of the Transportation, Distribution and Logistics cluster Facility and Mobile Equipment Maintenance pathway.

A person in this career:

• Inspects vehicles for damage and records findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
• Test drives vehicles and tests components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.
• Tests and adjusts repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
• Repairs, relines, replaces, and adjusts brakes.
• Reviews work orders and discusses work with supervisors.
• Estimates costs of vehicle repair.
• Confers with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.
• Aligns vehicles' front ends.
• Aligns wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.
• Tears down, repairs, and rebuilds faulty assemblies, such as power systems, steering systems, and linkages.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 50 lbs., sometimes up to 100 lbs. You will need a lot of strength at this level.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Requires getting into awkward positions
• Conditions are very hot (above 90 F) or very cold (under 32 F)
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to conditions such as high voltage electricity, combustibles, explosives, and chemicals more than once a month
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Identifying color and seeing differences in color, including shades and brightness
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Seeing clearly up close
• Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel
• Weekend work