Automotive Technician Work

Automotive technicians service all types of automobiles ranging from bikes, mopeds cars to trucks. They repair and look after the maintenance of all kinds of vehicles and have extensive knowledge of the machines and working mechanism of the vehicles. An automotive technician should possess a degree that can help him understand the technicalities of the working of automobiles or should possess apprenticeship in automobile repairing and maintenance. Automotive technician work is most of the times complex as they have to understand the problems with the vehicles and fix these problems.

Work profile

The design, working mechanism and technicalities of vehicles differs a lot depending upon the type and brand. There are vehicles that run on electricity, petrol, diesel and a lot of alternative fuels. The engine construction and structure of machines also varies depending upon the type of fuel used. An automotive technician has to consider all these factors while repairing the problems of vehicles.

Work Responsibilities of Automotive Technician:

• Understand the performance and technical defects in the automotives, get specifications from the users and plan strategies to repair them
• Oil the mechanical parts, replace deteriorated parts of the automobiles and service them to increase the efficiency
• Guide the users in proper maintenance to increase the life of the mechanical parts of the vehicles
• Perform regular inspection of all the parts of the vehicles periodically of regular customers

Career Scope

Some automobile technicians may be skilled at performing all kinds of repairs and maintenance work while some may specialize in a particular field and may handle repair issues of those specific components only. There are various specialization areas for automotive technicians such as tune-up technicians, front-end mechanics, brake repairers, transmission technicians, air-conditioning repairers, servicing specialists, etc. Their work profile may differ depending upon the specialization

• Tune-up Technicians: They address issues related to ignition, fuel and emission controls and perform repairing and maintenance of spark plugs, ignition valves, etc. Their main role is to increase the efficiency of engine and solve all kinds of issues related to the engines of the vehicles.

• Front-end Mechanics: They repair and supervise front-end machines like balance wheels, suspension systems, steering, etc. They may sometimes handle repair work of some other equipment as well.

• Brake Repairers: Brake repairers specialize in repairing all parts of brake systems. They replace, service and change brake pads and the entire brake system.

• Transmission Technicians: Transmission technicians deal with the most complex parts of the automobiles. They should have sound knowledge of the transmission parts such as hydraulic pumps, gear trains and pumps.

• Air-conditioning Repairers: Service and repair compressor, condenser and all other mechanical parts of air-conditioners of automobiles. They technicians may sometimes also handle front-end automotive repairs and brake repairs.

• Servicing Specialists: These specialists may oil and look after the technical defects in any parts of the automobiles. They then provide specifications of these defects to the specialists and get them fixed.

Work Environment

Automotive technician's work most of the times in their own servicing centers or sometimes may be employed at some servicing centers. They have to deal with the heavy machines and may suffer from physical stress at work. Hence, they should be physically fit.

Employer's Requirement

Employer's seek individuals who specialize in servicing a particular part of the automobiles. They also look for individuals who are physically fit and have ability to work for prolonged hours individually.

Career Path and Growth Opportunities

Automotive technicians may work as supervisors or trainers or sometimes open their own servicing center if they are experienced. They have good opportunities in automobile manufacturing companies at different positions apart from servicing specialists as they have good technical knowledge.

The above automotive technician work profile can help you in knowing the job opportunities in this field.