Diesel and Truck Mechanics — South Plainfield

The overall goal of this course is to facilitate a smooth transition to school by engaging the student in curriculum focusing on academic, career, and life skills. Students will make connections with key personnel within the school that will assist with their questions and provide guidance throughout their education.

The student will be introduced to automotive systems, industry certifications, and job opportunities. Students will learn essential skills for the vehicle technician including safety, equipment fundamentals, and the proper use of measurement tools such as dial indicators, micrometers, and calipers.

The automotive content will be balanced by an emphasis on skills that will enable students to be successful in school and in life. These skills will include time management, financial management, goal setting, learning strategies, career planning, and critical thinking strategies.

This course is designed to provide the student with practical theory in basic and solid state circuitry, including body electrical systems, operation and service of automotive storage batteries, automobile charging systems, starting systems, and lighting systems. Students will evaluate components using both conventional and electronic diagnostic equipment. Students will learn how to complete repair orders containing customer and vehicle information and corrective action. Students will learn how to research vehicle service information with computer and internet based electronic retrieval systems. Students will learn how to diagnose basic electrical, charging, starting, and lighting circuits through the use of diagnostic equipment to include test lights, multimeters, and continuity testers.

This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to service medium and heavy duty diesel engines. Instruction on the operating principles, construction, design variations, and applications of the diesel engines are emphasized. The student will learn how to perform a complete disassembly and assembly of the diesel engine, to include the cylinder head, block and timing gears, by using the instructions in the engine’s manufacturers service manual. They will also learn the proper methods of inspecting, identifying and naming the components to determine serviceability of the components prior to making a repair. This will include learning how to make all the necessary precision measurements required for diagnosing component failure prior to servicing and repair of the engine. The student will learn how to service, repair and diagnose the cooling and lubricating system of diesel engines. The student will learn the different types of coolants as well as additives and how to test for Supplemental Coolant Additives (SCA) to determine if additions to or replacement is needed. Students will learn how to perform coolant tests with different testing equipment. Students will learn how to research vehicle service information with computer and internet based electronic retrieval systems.

This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to service fuel systems found on diesel powered truck tractors. The student will learn how to perform maintenance, service and repair on diesel fuel systems such as the Common Rail System, Detroit Diesel Electronic Controls (DDEC), different Cummins Systems, and International HEUI systems. The student will learn how to perform tune-ups on diesel engines by following manufacturer’s service procedures and specifications. The student will learn how to identify the different exhaust compounds from a diesel engine and define the ones that are classified as pollutants. The student will learn about the various manufacturers’ exhaust aftertreatment systems. The student will learn how to perform an opacity smoke test and correlate the test results to engine performance and possible component failure. Students will learn how to research vehicle service information with computer and internet based electronic retrieval systems.

This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to service heavy duty truck steering and suspension systems. The student will learn how to identify, diagnosis, service, repair, and adjust as necessary; the components of a heavy duty truck steering system to include toe-in, camber, caster, axle inclination, turning radius and axle alignment and how they affect tire wear, directional stability and handling. The student will learn how to balance truck tires and wheels and perform a wheel alignment to include the rear axle(s) by using computerized wheel alignment equipment The student will learn how to service the major tire and wheel configurations used on heavy duty trucks. Students will learn how to perform bearing and seal service on both grease lubricated and oil lubricated front and rear hubs. The student will learn how to perform the basic checks for frame alignment and geometry and how the frame and chassis components are repaired. The student will learn how to service, repair and replace if necessary, the components on the four types of suspension systems. Students will learn how to research vehicle service information with computer and internet based electronic retrieval systems.

This course has been designed to provide comprehensive information on air and hydraulic brake systems as they apply to medium heavy duty transport vehicles. The student will learn to identify, locate, and diagnose the components of the truck brake systems, as it applies to hydraulic, air over hydraulic, or air brake systems. The student will learn to perform maintenance, service, and repair of brake system components on medium and heavy duty truck. The student will learn to identify, locate, diagnose, service, and repair as necessary, components of ABS, EBS systems on a heavy duty truck and trailer. The student will learn to use LED lights and blink codes to assist them in diagnosing problems with the ABS, EBS systems. The student will learn how to perform maintenance, service, repair, and overhaul of disc and drum brakes as it applies to hydraulic, air over hydraulic, and air brake systems found on medium and heavy duty trucks. Students will learn how to research vehicle service information with computer and internet based electronic retrieval systems.