Automotive Service (1940)

your life [Music] work not so many years ago the automobile was considered a luxury about the only time had received an airing was on Sunday or a holiday today millions of buses trucks and cars travel the highways from coast to coast the number of cars on our city streets offers proof that for millions of people Automotive transportation is almost as much a necessity as a house the good all round serviceman is really four mechanics in one he must be able to make all repairs on the engine such as repairing or replacing the cam shaft he must understand all types of engines thoroughly or although all gas engines are fundamentally the same differences have been developed in the various makes of cars which the mechanic must know for example in cleaning out carbon and grinding valves he may work on the lad type engine one time while the next engine may be the overhead valve type both types provide efficient power but the problems of adjusting them are totally different a good serviceman is also a machinist in an emergency he may be called upon to make completely some m part which may not be in the stock of repair parts the superior serviceman is a welder through accidents and even ordinary usage parts are broken and have to be repaired the expert welder is valuable to any garage and often concentrates on Specialized work at very good pay in addition the all round serviceman is an electrician and must have the knowledge and skill to keep the automobile's electrical system in working order but without the SP Park to fire the engine there would be no power in the early days electrical energy was supplied by dry batteries but the car of today carries its own generating and storage plant the storage battery is of low voltage so a coil and condenser is necessary to step up the current enough to jump the spark gaps and the spark plugs the coil and distributor also must be tested and kept in proper working order besides the ignition system there are the lighting and starting circuits which sometimes need the service of a competent mechanic the use of heaters windshield wipers and radios has further increased and complicated the electrical work of the serviceman because of the high speed at which vehicles travel today the care and adjustment of brakes is a serious and vital part of the serviceman's work the safety of the car on the highway largely depends on good brakes along with correct and Accurate Alignment of the wheels radiator repair and general care of the cooling system system is important and making cars run efficiently and economically so soldering is another of the many kinds of work the serviceman must do in the larger garages the man who becomes expert in servicing engines may find specialized work on engines only there are Body and Fender shops which employ men who are specialists in that line there are battery and electrical shops and other shops which make brake testing and wheel aligning the principal part of their business for any of these jobs a thorough training and general service work is valuable there is an opportunity in the larger garages for the serviceman to advance to service manager or to become a troubleshooter besides technical knowledge and skill these jobs require the ability to meet the public to make a good impression and to explain clearly the work that needs to be done or that has been done some servicemen become automobile salesmen if they have sales ability they are usually successful because they have the advantage of really understanding the cars they sell if you enter the automotive service field your first job will probably be as a helper in the shop of a general service garage or it may be in the pars Department you will have a chance to learn the names of the many parts of an automobile and their relationship to each other you will learn about lubrication and other operations in automobile upkeep while doing these jobs you must be alert to learn everything you possibly can you must also study constantly in your spare time as a basis for study there are numerous service manuals put out by the automobile manufacturers to help train servicemen to do their work correctly these manuals are full of accurate information and they're interesting to study because of their detailed diagrams and illustrations there are many good books on Automotive Service in your school or public library be sure to select books which are up to date however as automobiles are constantly being improved most automobile manufacturers provide training courses for their servicemen regular training conferences are held for employees in the more upto-date garages the manager shop foreman or some other expert discusses the newest automobile developments and how to service them properly movies and slide films are sometimes shown in the local shop manuals for further study are provided along with the films you should never miss such opportunities to learn if you expect to become a successful mechanic another way to learn while working is to attend evening classes dealing with the fundamental principles of the automobile these classes are conducted in the larger towns and cities by the public schools or other local organizations in some of them courses in shop practice are also given don't fail to take advantage of these courses to help you prepare yourself for the better jobs there are a number of private Automotive trade schools which offer good courses but some of them have practical equipment such as this cutway duplicate of a differential you should never choose such a school however without thorough investigation ask your teachers or other authorities about them or you can take a correspondence course which also should be investig ated a correspondence course will be most valuable to you after you actually start working for theory and practice carried on together will give you the most thorough training however you get your training study and hard work are necessary for you to become a superior mechanic able to hold one of the better jobs while you're still in high school you can lay a strong foundation for automotive service the gas engine produces power by burning fuel in a small and closed space in your physics class you'll learn how this is done in physics you'll learn how the cooling system carries off the heat after power has been produced by the burning or combustion process in the engine the transmission of the engine's power through gears and wheels to make the car move can be more clearly understood if you know the principles of physics electrical physics will help you understand the ignition of a car so you can see that physics is not only an interesting subject but very necessary if you were to become a first class autome mechanic take all the mathematics you can for you'll need it in every type of Automotive work you do mechanical drawing will help you in reading the many plans and illustrations in automotive textbooks and service manuals this is especially important if you plan to become a shop foreman in some of the larger Public Schools the school shop is equipped to give practical Automotive Training in others this experience must be found in a Service Garage at the same time that Automotive theory is studied in school school shop training of any kind will help you you develop the coordination of hands and mind which is so important in all mechanical work as an automobile service worker you will have a responsibility for the safe smooth and economical operation of the cars on which you work no matter what the size of the shop there is one rule for Success every job must be done right if you develop the ability to manage your business you may be promoted to garage manager or you may be able to go into business for yourself for this you'll need to know something about bookkeeping salesmanship and business management if you really like to use tools and have aack for mechanical work learn all you can about it at your local Service Garage you'll find some things you may not like but the dirt and grease will wash off try tinkering with an old car and rebuilding it do the best job you can just as though some car owner depended on you when you finished you may have found your life work thousands of new automobiles are manufactured every year although many of them replace cars which are worn out the total number of Motor Vehicles will probably continue to increase for some time to come if you qualify yourself there is a reasonable possibility that you will find employment in the automotive service field [Music]