1. If you hear a loud clanking noise from the rear of a rear-wheel-drive, front-engine car, you should look for trouble at
- A. the differential or driveshaft.
- B. the transmission.
- C. the engine.
- D. the clutch.
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
The differential and driveshaft are the big moving parts at the rear of a rear-wheel-drive car with the engine in front.
2. If one engine cylinder does not work right, you should check for problems in the
- A. drive train.
- B. pollution controls.
- C. ignition or fuel system.
- D. clutch.
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
Either the spark plug is not working right or there is a problem with the incoming fuel-air mix.
3. If tire pressure gets low, what will happen?
- A. The tire will lose its shape and create extra friction, reducing gas mileage and possibly overheating the tire.
- B. The tire will not absorb energy from the engine.
- C. Vehicle weight will be reduced.
- D. The tire will get better traction on the highway.
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
Air pressure inside the tire pushes evenly against the entire inside of the tire, allowing it to hold its shape and to respond to unevenness in
the road. Low tire pressure reduces efficiency, and engine power is converted into heat, which warms the tire.
4. If an engine with conventional ignition runs rough, what might you adjust on the breaker points, shown as part B of this diagram?
- A. The gap
- B. The timing
- C. Composition
- D. Lubrication
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
Breaker points send quick jolts of electricity to the coil, which acts as a transformer to raise the voltage enough to spark a spark plug. The gap
must be adjusted during a tune-up, and should be inspected whenever the engine runs rough.
5. One important difference between front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive is that in front-wheel drive,
- A. the layshaft moves the driveshaft.
- B. the engine must be rotated 180° from the normal position.
- C. the driving wheels also steer.
- D. the rear wheels must also drive.
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
Front-wheel-drive mechanisms are complicated because they both drive and steer.
6. Which is the correct sequence in a four-cycle internal-combustion engine?
- A. Intake, compression, power, rest
- B. Reduction, power, compression, exhaust
- C. Intake, compression, power, exhaust
- D. Exhaust, compression, intake, power
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
Intake: The piston moves down, creating a partial vacuum that draws air (and sometimes fuel) into the cylinder. Compression: The piston moves up with both valves closed, compressing the airfuel mixture. Power: The fuel explodes, creating heat and kinetic energy, pushing the piston down. Exhaust: The piston moves up, pushing burned gases from the cylinder through the exhaust valve. Choice A is tempting, but a four-cycle engine has no “rest” cycle. The cylinder is always working.
7. If you suspect insufficient gasoline is entering the engine, what might you check first?
- A. Fuel system
- B. Ignition system
- C. Timing belt
- D. Engine control module
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
The fuel system must deliver enough fuel for combustion inside the engine. Choice D, the engine control module, is the second-best answer.
Although it could cause the problem, the fuel system is the first thing to check
8. When a manual transmission is in a “direct-drive” gear, one revolution of the engine produces
- A. two revolutions of the driveshaft.
- B. one revolution of the driveshaft.
- C. one-half revolution of the driveshaft.
- D. two revolutions of the clutch.
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
Manual transmissions usually have one “direct-drive” gear, where the input speed is the same as the output speed. The drive shaft rotates
along with the transmission’s output shaft. Choice D is incorrect because the clutch moves at the same speed as the engine.
9. In the diagram above, the arrows indicate
- A. viscosity.
- B. brake fluid.
- C. pressure.
- D. temperature.
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
Because the pistons in the wheel cylinders are the only movable objects in the system, when you move the master cylinder, hydraulic fluid forces the pistons in the wheel cylinders to move.
10. What must happen before the starter motor is engaged?
- A. The brakes must be adjusted.
- B. The starter relay must be closed.
- C. The gas tank must be full.
- D. The oil pump must be automatically primed.
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
The starter relay is a big switch located between the battery and the starter motor. Starter motors demand a huge current, which would require an expensive and clumsy cable from the battery to the ignition switch and the starter motor. Instead, the ignition switch activates the starter relay, which temporarily connects the battery to the starter motor.
11. If the exhaust valve does not open,
- A. the fuel-air mix cannot enter the engine.
- B. the car will not pollute.
- C. the engine will run a bit rough.
- D. burned gas cannot leave the cylinder, and the engine will not run.
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
After the power stroke, there is nothing left to burn inside the cylinder. The exhaust stroke clears the cylinder out through the exhaust valve, making room for a fresh fuel-air mixture. The engine will not run at all unless the exhaust valve opens.
12. If the differential ratio is 3 to 1,
- A. one turn of the driveshaft produces three turns of the wheels.
- B. three turns of the jack shaft produce one turn of the wheels.
- C. the ring gear is probably disengaged.
- D. three turns of the driveshaft produce one turn of the wheels.
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
The differential has reduction gears so that the engine can turn fast enough to make power. A 3- to-1 ratio means that 3 turns of the driveshaft produce 1 turn of the wheels. Why are the other answers incorrect? Choice A: The engine would run too slowly to make power. Choice B: Cars do not have a jack shaft. Choice C: The ring gear in a differential cannot be disengaged
13. When choosing a slot screwdriver,
- A. use a blade that slips easily into the slot.
- B. make the blade as wide as the screw head.
- C. always use the shortest possible handle.
- D. file out the screw to fit the screwdriver.
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
A blade that is as wide as the screw head will put maximum turning power on the screw.
14. The tool shown above is a(n)
- A. locking pliers (Vise Grips).
- B. arc-joint pliers (Channel Locks).
- C. monkey wrench.
- D. side-cutting electrician’s pliers.
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
Arc-joint pliers, commonly called Channel Locks, can adjust to grip a wide variety of objects
15. A plywood-cutting blade for a circular saw
- A. has a few big teeth because plywood is so much harder than regular wood.
- B. cannot be used with particle board.
- C. must not be too sharp or else it will burn the wood.
- D. has many small teeth, to reduce splintering.
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
Plywood splinters easily, and each small tooth takes a smaller “bite,” reducing splintering. Why are the other answers incorrect? Choice A: Big teeth cause more splintering. Choice B: A plywood blade is fine for particle board. Choice C is dead wrong. In saw blades, sharper is better!
16. Which of the following is a poor use for a claw hammer?
- A. Pulling nails
- B. Hammering nails
- C. Driving screws
- D. Driving wood chisels
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
Choice D is tempting, but a claw hammer can drive some wood chisels without damage.
17. The tool shown above is used for
- A. clamping parts for gluing.
- B. tightening large pipe fittings.
- C. pressing a drill into the chuck.
- D. pressing glass into a window sash.
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
Bar clamps are also handy for holding parts for sawing or drilling, but not for the other three purposes listed.
18. It helps to hit a larger chisel with a bigger hammer because the hammer is
- A. heavier.
- B. more massive.
- C. bigger, and therefore less likely to miss the chisel.
- D. slower-moving.
View Correct Answer
Answer: B
Impact equals mass times velocity, so a more massive hammer makes more impact for any given hammer speed. Why are the other answers
incorrect? Choice A: Mass, not weight, determines the intensity of impact. Choice C: Size alone does not make the hammer more effective.
Choice D: A slower-moving hammer will be less effective at driving the chisel.
19. Plywood is better than regular wood for a subfloor mainly because
- A. it is more weatherproof.
- B. it is lighter.
- C. it is thinner.
- D. it is stronger.
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
Plywood is stronger than regular wood because the grain is crisscrossed, preventing splitting and reducing weakness at knots. Why are the
other answers incorrect? Choice A: Plywood may be weatherproof, but subfloors don’t face the weather. Choices B and C: Plywood may be
lighter and thinner, but that’s not as important as strength in a subfloor.
20. Which tool might replace a hacksaw for some jobs?
- A. A circular saw with a carbide blade
- B. A keyhole saw
- C. A coping saw
- D. An oxyacetylene cutting torch
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
An oxyacetylene cutting torch is made for cutting metal. Why are the other answers incorrect? All the saws mentioned are designed to cut wood.
21. The tool shown above is a
- A. tin snip.
- B. magna-shear.
- C. bolt cutter.
- D. duckbill wrench.
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
Tin snips act like big scissors to shear sheet metal.
22. Which of these tools does not start to clamp until you turn it?
- A. C-clamp
- B. Locking pliers
- C. Pipe wrench
- D. Vise
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
A pipe wrench fits loosely on the pipe; turning activates the grabbing action. The other tools all must be tightened before use.
23. What is not an advantage of a sharp drill bit?
- A. It creates a smaller amount of chips.
- B. It cuts with less pressure.
- C. It cuts cooler.
- D. It cuts faster.
View Correct Answer
Answer: A
A sharp drill bit cuts faster, cooler, and with less pressure on the drill, but it makes the same amount of chips.
24. Which of the following would not loosen a frozen nut?
- A. Heating it with a torch
- B. Pounding it with a hammer
- C. Soaking it in penetrating oil
- D. Dousing it in ice water
View Correct Answer
Answer: D
Cold water will cause the nut to contract and grab tighter on the bolt. A frozen (rusted) nut can be loosened with heat, which causes it to expand, by pounding, which creates vibration, or by penetrating oil, which softens rust.
25. A plumb line makes what kind of angle where it intersects a level line?
- A. Acute
- B. Obtuse
- C. Square
- D. Straight
View Correct Answer
Answer: C
A plumb line is vertical and a level line is horizontal, so the angle between them is square, or 90°.
