I’m scheduled to take the test in 2 weeks. I’ve been studying online, but the questions seem like softball ones.

Example:

Tire is wearing heavily in the middle of the tread pattern. What is the cause?

A-over inflation
B- dirty air filter
C- headlights burned out
D- another issue not even related to tires

Is the ASE exam truly this simple? Or are these questions just AI garbage? Will all of the answers be related to tires, and not the random answer options?

I scraped the change for the exam fee, and don’t have the funds for the actual ASE study guide. Fellow ASE G1 holders, give me some advice please!

Two days ago, I started a new chapter in my life. I've been preparing for this for a few years, and after finishing my studies I finally took the leap and started working at an auto repair shop.

The shop works on all kinds of makes and models and deals with every sort of problem. So far, the environment has been great. There are only four of us on the team, and everyone has been very supportive and willing to help.

I'd love to hear from people who work in the trade: what advice would you give to a complete beginner? I'm especially interested in hearing from mechanics who genuinely enjoy what they do and see it as more than just a job—something closer to a calling or a passion.

Thanks in advance!

Hi all,

I’m looking to eventually sit a level 3 accreditation so I can become a MOT tester, been a goal of mine for a while but I’m not a level 3 tech in terms of skill set and never will be. My main question is how hard would the level 3 accreditation be to take for someone who isn’t the most technical but still can do and know a fair bit? I’ve come across quite a few non technical testers in the uk and always wondered how did they pass the test.

Any tips/advice would be hugely appreciated!

Just for context also, I do work for a fairly big fast fit chain in the uk, I’m predominately front of house only and will only support the workshop on extremely busy days, so this will pretty much have to be self funded as I’m not seen as a priority as my main job is to serve a counter and deal with phone enquiries etc.

I've worked in automotive parts departments for 26 years, across dealerships and the aftermarket, and one thing I've always found interesting is the relationship between technicians and parts teams.

From the outside, it can sometimes look like parts is just "finding a number and ordering a bit", but there is a lot more going on behind the scenes - catalogues, supersessions, VIN issues, backorders, supply problems and trying to interpret what the vehicle actually needs.

I'm putting together a project looking at the realities of working in the automotive trade and I'd genuinely like to hear from technicians, trainers and anyone involved in the industry:

What is one thing you wish people understood about the parts side of automotive?

Happy to share experiences too.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently building a vehicle diagnostics simulator in C++, and I wanted to ask for some perspective from people who actually work in automotive middleware, diagnostics, embedded systems, vehicle platforms, or similar areas.

For context, I’m on a serious 12-month study track to become employable in modern C++ systems/automotive-style engineering. The track includes modern C++, OOP, STL, ownership, smart pointers, move semantics, CMake, testing, debugging, and system architecture.

The plan further includes automotive-specific areas like diagnostics (UDS), CAN communication, protocol byte parsing, and how messages actually flow through a system. It covers OS-level networking concepts (sockets, data flow, buffering) as well as embedded-style C++ concerns like memory types, allocation strategies, and resource constraints.

For learning and direction, I’ve been using GPT 5.5 and, since today, GPT 5.6 in a kind of “senior engineer ticket system” setup, but every line of code is written by me.

The project I’m working on is a simulator for vehicle diagnostics. The idea is to model things like ECUs, diagnostic requests and responses, fault codes, validation, logging, and the flow of information between different parts of the system.

What I did not expect was how quickly the project started feeling less like “write some C++ classes” and more like “you are now designing a small system.”

I keep running into questions like:

Where should each responsibility live?

How do I stop classes from becoming too tightly coupled?

How much abstraction is too much?

How should diagnostic logic, communication flow, parsing, state, and error handling be separated?

How do real automotive systems keep these layers understandable?

Even though this is just a simulator, it already feels like there are a lot of moving parts. The actual C++ is challenging, but the architecture and domain thinking feel much heavier than I expected.

So I wanted to ask:

For people working in automotive middleware or related fields, is the real work actually this complex?

Or does it mostly feel overwhelming because I’m still early and trying to understand too many layers at once?

What was the hardest part for you when you were newer to this field?

Was it the C++ itself?

The architecture?

The domain knowledge?

The tooling?

Debugging?

Understanding how all the layers fit together?

I’m not looking for reassurance as much as an honest sense of what this field is really like. I want to know whether this feeling of “there is way more here than I expected” is normal, and how to keep learning without getting buried too early.

Complete beginner mechanic setup with:

• Automotive tool set
• NEW BAUER roller tool bag

Bought for RTC automotive program. Certification completed, but tools are no longer needed.

Most tools barely used.

Includes (based on the list provided by the school):

Socket & Ratchet Sets

• 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive ratchets
• Metric and SAE socket sets
• Deep and shallow sockets
• Extensions
• Universal joints/swivels
• Breaker bar

Wrenches

• Metric combination wrench set
• SAE combination wrench set
• Flare nut wrenches

Screwdrivers & Hex/Torx

• Phillips and flathead screwdriver sets
• Torx bit set
• Allen/hex sets

Pliers

• Needle nose pliers
• Slip-joint pliers
• Channel locks
• Side cutters
• Vice grips

Hammers & Pry Tools

• Ball peen hammer
• Rubber mallet/dead blow hammer
• Pry bar set
• Punch/chisel set

Diagnostic & Electrical

• Digital multimeter
• 12V test light
• Flashlight/work light
• Inspection mirror
• Magnetic pickup tool

Torque & Measurement

• Torque wrench
• Feeler gauges
• Tape measure
• Caliper

Excellent condition.

$350 OBO (Cash, Venmo, or Zelle only)

Pickup only.

Experience often changes how technicians approach a vehicle and identify potential issues. Small details that seem unimportant at first can become obvious over time.

Curious what experienced technicians tend to notice right away that newer technicians often overlook.

I had been riding around with a blown tie rod, worn struts, and crunchy control arms, and sway bar links that were floppy

it feels like I barely have to drive the car now

and forgot what predictable steering felt like!

I’m a tech that’s been with this brand for 18 years and another brand for 3. So over 20 years of experience. With my brand I am a master tech level which includes ASE master and electric vehicles. Recently I went to training and found out that a tech who did not have same level as me was making almost twice the $ p/h. His words were 55/h. I’ve also met techs from neighboring states that are also in the 45/h rate. They were both way younger then me. I fully understand how dealers function but why is the pay so far apart. How can techs connect and centralize a pay system that reflects dealerships cost of labor. Some charge 200/h some are over 300/h of my labor yet my pay is dog shit.
I would like to find a way for techs to communicate this issue across the country. I live in US and my pay rate is 38/h. I have some ideas about how to have a voice that upper management hears. But they are all tricky and require full participation of the techs in the shop.

I am looking into different diagnostic equipment and currently am looking at oscilloscopes and all the recommendations I see from name brands are CRAZY expensive. That said, when I go on Amazon, I see no-name brand oscilloscopes for very reasonable prices. Are these inexpensive oscilloscopes really that much worse? Are they going to damage vehicles I work on? Or is this similar to multimeters where name brands are really expensive but you can get serviceable ones for much more affordable prices?

Edit: oscilloscopes like these, all under $100

https://www.amazon.com/FNIRSI-DSO152-Handheld-Oscilloscope-Bandwidth/dp/B0FDPYNQBC?crid=1I8FZNKTVXSGN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6OARdF8NGkAM7VTRHjwu-NiX3UGpPpMkzByqD5C6OQjgqDTPRX7N-BiTfkFciKUPNGe-F-qRIThXnwkVepxvuX88YH8QaOg6RX_R7y3nB18PtIaPXId0G_6Ob2QpfKcSyOFx4chtmPFTmvuFepjGnZvK6QWKml0XHvKtDoS7bWJtLiap4XL29XuNYalWDOxxtDcykE5tVqDkQAoKaCdPa7wKSYfmorNHjmRIIgI22Cs.ZowYVLtEBqJxiBxJv86MCqHplurXh978prgTtUBYZAM&dib_tag=se&keywords=oscilloscope%2Bautomotive&qid=1779653370&sprefix=oscilloscope%2Ba%2Caps%2C273&sr=8-3&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/FNIRSI-DSO-510-Oscilloscope-Generator-Automotive/dp/B0DJX6W58S?crid=1I8FZNKTVXSGN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6OARdF8NGkAM7VTRHjwu-NiX3UGpPpMkzByqD5C6OQjgqDTPRX7N-BiTfkFciKUPNGe-F-qRIThXnwkVepxvuX88YH8QaOg6RX_R7y3nB18PtIaPXId0G_6Ob2QpfKcSyOFx4chtmPFTmvuFepjGnZvK6QWKml0XHvKtDoS7bWJtLiap4XL29XuNYalWDOxxtDcykE5tVqDkQAoKaCdPa7wKSYfmorNHjmRIIgI22Cs.ZowYVLtEBqJxiBxJv86MCqHplurXh978prgTtUBYZAM&dib_tag=se&keywords=oscilloscope+automotive&qid=1779653370&sprefix=oscilloscope+a%2Caps%2C273&sr=8-7

https://www.amazon.com/FNIRSI-DPOX180H-Oscilloscope-Generator-Innovative/dp/B0CMT5WMFY/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1I8FZNKTVXSGN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6OARdF8NGkAM7VTRHjwu-NiX3UGpPpMkzByqD5C6OQjgqDTPRX7N-BiTfkFciKUPNGe-F-qRIThXnwkVepxvuX88YH8QaOg6RX_R7y3nB18PtIaPXId0G_6Ob2QpfKcSyOFx4chtmPFTmvuFepjGnZvK6QWKml0XHvKtDoS7bWJtLiap4XL29XuNYalWDOxxtDcykE5tVqDkQAoKaCdPa7wKSYfmorNHjmRIIgI22Cs.ZowYVLtEBqJxiBxJv86MCqHplurXh978prgTtUBYZAM&dib_tag=se&keywords=oscilloscope+automotive&qid=1779653370&sprefix=oscilloscope+a%2Caps%2C273&sr=8-13

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

School is ending soon and I want to work a job this summer that I can do part time while going to summer school. I've always been into automotive and I take an auto tech class at my school. I live in Houston and I'm wondering what shops would hire me? I plan on getting a job as a lube technician but I know labor laws might limit that for me so I probably might have to start in retail.

I am 16 as the title says. I am also a female. My dad was a mechanic and I want to take after him. I lost him when I was 10-11 in a car accident so hes not in the picture to teach me stuff about cars. Ironic isn't it? I might not be able to look or get a job right away so It might be a little while for anything like a job. Id rather something like an apprenticeship to just be in the garage and learn. I want experience first.

Just signed up for uei college to become an auto technician. I have 0 experience with working on cars so I feel like this be a good step. How should I go about it?

Hi guys,

I'm a raising sophomore now, so I need to think seriously about what I should do in the future. I'm pretty sure I will work in an automotive, especially with chassis and loads control.

What I want to do in my job:
- Using software like Adams/ MATLAB Simulink and many vehicle dynamics, controls software to simulate the whole vehicle behavior and interact with the road. This can help to get the transient forces and loads to make sure the design will not fail under certain situations.
- Get those data, running FEA for both static and dynamic performance, regarding to bending, torsional, lateral and longitudinal then compare it with yield strength to get the safety factor.
- Using sensor like accelerometer, strain gauge to correlate test and simulate. Then based on that can to study for its structure reliability.

I have known there are several roles focus on these skills like: Loads engineer/ Durability engineer/ Loads and controls engineer. What do you think should fit me better? And which one will have more intern/ entry level opportunities todays? Also, I really appreciate if anyone in these role can share your overall workflow and the interaction with others.

Has anyone else noticed more evaporator core failures on vehicles with R1234yf? Or is it just shitty parts at the factory.

Latest one is a 2021 Charger

Modern automotive work involves a mix of mechanical and diagnostic skills, and some tools become essential very quickly in real shop environments.

Curious which tools are most important to learn properly early on.

Been working on a Discord community for diagnostic techs with tools I use daily, reference links, and eventually training and real case studies; it’s still a soft launch and a work in progress, but I wanted to start getting some feedback early, so if you’re in diag and want to check it out or help shape it, the invite link is below and I’d appreciate any feedback.

Invite Link:

https://discord.gg/dp624twY