ASE B-5 Mechanical/Electrical
A battery has to be recharged. What is the best procedure?
A. start the engine and let it idle for some time
B. check the fluid levels in the battery and slow charge overnight
C. check the fluid levels in the battery and quick charge
D. replace the battery - ANS-B
Slow charging a battery at 2 amps is the least destructive action. Quick charges are
hard on battery plates. Unless the battery is damaged, it does not need replacement.
A circuit is wired in series. Technician A says the resistance of the circuit is equal to the
sum of the individual resistances. Technician B says the current flow through each part
of the circuit is the same. Who is right? A, B, Both or Neither - ANS-Both technicians
Current remains constant throughout a circuit, and the resistance of the circuit is equal
to the sum of the individual resistances.
A driver's side airbag was cut during a collision but did not deploy. What is the proper
action?
A. use plastic repair adhesive to repair the cut and refinish the bag
B. return the bag to the manufacturer for recycling
C. replace the bag with an OEM part, deploy the old bag before disposal
D. replace with a salvage part - ANS-C. replace the bag with an OEM part, deploy the
old bag before disposal
Only OEM parts should be used. Any damage to an airbag module requires
replacement.
A five-year old vehicle is in the shop for a repair to the front end after a collision. After all
the body repairs were completed, the CHECK ENGINE light was illuminated on the
instrument panel. Technician A says the car has to go to the dealer for diagnostics and
they are the only ones capable of the work. Technician B says his generic scan tool can
diagnose the problem. Who is right? A, B, Both or Neither - ANS-Technician B only
,A generic scan tool that can read fault codes on vehicles built after 1996 can read the
OBD 11 fault codes and will provide information to guide the technician in the repair.
Generic scan tools are more affordable and easier to use than ever.
A front wheel drive vehicle was damaged in a collision, the right front wheel taking most
of the impact. The estimate lists the replacement of the tire, wheel, steering knuckle and
subframe. Technician A says the outer CV-joint should not be replaced because of the
boot is not ripped. Technician B says the condition of the boot is not an indication of
damage to the CV-joint. Who is right? A, B, Both, or Neither - ANS-Technician B only
While a torn boot would indicate possible damage due to lack of lubrication of a
CV-joint, it does not necessarily mean the joint is damaged by way of impact. The
criteria for replacing a CV-joint would include obvious physical damage, such as broken
parts, introduction of foreign matter into the joint itself, damage to the splines and
excessive runout.
A late model pickup truck was involved in a collision to the left rear bedside. The left
rear wheel and tire were also damaged in the accident. The correct course of action
would be:
A. replace the wheel and tire only
B. replace the wheel and tire assembly and check the axle for runout only
C. replace the wheel and tire, and check the 4 wheel alignment only
D. none of the above - ANS-D. none of the above
All of the above service procedures have to be performed. Once an impact to the wheel
is sustained, alignment can and often will be affected. In addition to possible changes in
wheel alignment on the rear axle, an impact to the wheel will transfer the collision
energy to the rear axle, bearing the axle housing. The axle and/or the housing could be
bent. In addition, the impact to the assembly will often damage the bearing, although it
might not be immediately evident when driving the truck. A check of the runout will
reveal excessive play in the assembly , a sign the bearing was also damaged.
A repaired vehicle has an intermittent fault in a taillight. Technician A says to check the
connectors and jiggle the wires until the trouble is found. Technician B says to check the
bulb filament. Who is right?
A, B, Both, Neither - ANS-C Both
An intermittent fault could be caused by a bad connector, a fault in the wiring harness or
a bad bulb. As is often the case in a collision, bulb filaments are jarred loose in the
, impact, alternately causing an open and closed circuit. Replace any bulbs that you
suspect are damaged.
A repaired vehicle is found to have an SAI difference where one side is within specs
and the other side is out. Technician A says to bend the strut on the out of spec side to
get it to align. Technician B says that cradle might have shifted. Who is right?
A, B, Both, or neither - ANS-Neither A nor B
While the equipment to straighten bent struts has been on the market for decades, it is
common knowledge that struts should never be bent, EVER! If the cradle had shifted,
SAI on both sides would have changed an equal amount. If SAI is off, the place to begin
looking is the upper and lower mounting points for the strut. One of them will be found to
be out of position.
A seat belt pre-tension device is activated in an impact. The restraint system works with
which of the following devices?
A. a pre-loaded spring
B. an explosive charge
C. a catapult
D. none of the above - ANS-B. an explosive charge
A pre-tensioner is activated in an impact much in the same way as an airbag. There is
an explosive charge that will tighten the seat belts on passengers in the car, which will
keep them in the proper position in the collision. Airbags will not perform properly if the
passengers are not securely in their respective seats.
A vehicle has a blown fusible link. Technician A says to replace it with the same size
in-line fuse. Technician B says to replace it with a fusible link two gauges heavier to
keep it from blowing again. Who is right?
A, B, Both, Neither - ANS-Neither
Fusible links should only be replaced with another fusible link of the same size. Don't
re-engineer the vehicle by changing the size of fusible links. Find the cause first; then
replace it.
A vehicle has excessive body roll. Which of the following components is used to control
body roll?
A. sway bar