Are You Smart Enough to Be an Auto Mechanic?

AUTO

By: Zoe Samuel

5 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Once upon a time, illiterate people could be auto mechanics. High school dropouts would spend their weekends tearing down and rebuilding engines, tweaking suspensions, or replacing exhaust manifolds. Boy, how things have changed.

Today, having a car that is governed by a computer is no longer a novelty. All modern cars have computers that oversee the engine, run the infotainment system, and monitor the suspension. Today, the magnetically actuated, computer controlled suspension system developed by General Motors for Cadillac and Chevy is licensed to Ferrari and other makes. It uses a suite of sensors to monitor the road surface, vector of the vehicle, and power from the engine, and input from the driver to decide how best to make a ride hard and sporty, or gentle and comfortable. Being an auto mechanic means being able to fiddle with the physical components and troubleshoot the software overseeing the whole physical system.

So how would you fare at a contemporary auto shop? Would you have the mechanical IQ to rebuild an engine? The technical ability to fine tune steering? The intelligence to install, maintain, or modify the computers that make everything work in concert? There is only one way to find out! Take this quiz to know if you have the brains to be an auto mechanic.

If a computer does not start, and makes a beeping sound, what is the first thing you would check?

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If a computer will not respond at all when you try to start it, what is the first thing you would check?

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What is a turbocharger?

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What is a supercharger?

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What is special about Mercedes-Benz turbocharged V-8?

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What does AMG allege about all engines it builds?

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What is special about Mazda's new Skyactiv-3 engine?

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What feature sets the Cadillac CTS and most Ferraris apart from other cars?

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What futuristic new feature is the most useful one on the Cadillac CT6?

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Why do so many modern cars have terrible blind spots?

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What technological feature is shared by Alpine, Alfa Romeo, Bently, and Buick?

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What is a differential?

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What is a drive train?

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What is a Wankel engine?

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What is a straight 6?

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What was the operating system of your first computer?

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Why is a boxer called a boxer?

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What level of autonomous driving does Tesla currently have?

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What brand of car has historically taken safety to extremes?

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What nationality was Volvo in the early 2000s?

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What is the difference between VRAM and RAM?

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What nationality is Volvo today?

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What is the most technical software you know how to use?

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What usually fixes most computer problems?

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What is the most overlooked aspect of cars that really matters?

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What does having bigger wheels do to a car?

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What advantage does sports exhaust give the driver?

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What is a unibody?

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What is a beltline?

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What is the advantage of body on frame construction?

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About Autoversed

Welcome to Autoversed: your online auto destination. If you consider a vehicle more than just means of transportation; if you treat your ride with love and care; if, even after years of driving, the feeling of accelerating hard on the open road still gets you revved up – you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re a daily commuter looking for a reliable ride, a car enthusiast thinking about your next hot rod, or a parent who needs to get the kids from A to Z, Autoversed has something for you. We’ve got the lowdown on hot exotic rides, pricy luxury vehicles, eco-friendly green machines, rugged off-roaders, and more. Come take a look!