Books to study before going to school?

[Josiah]

Sorry, didn’t mean to post in this category. I would delete and re post in the right category but can’t find a delete button. Sorry about that!

I am looking for books to study before going to school. I found a set (a series) study guide. What are those? Are they training books?

Here’s the link to the books I am talking about.

https://www.passthease.com/car-light-truck/a1-a9-packages?gclid=CMXJr4WgncYCFQ8kgQodmKYASQ

Thanks!

Topic

[Lee Ann]

[quote=”Mechanic2001″ post=139743]Sorry, didn’t mean to post in this category. I would delete and re post in the right category but can’t find a delete button. Sorry about that!

I am looking for books to study before going to school. I found a set (a series) study guide. What are those? Are they training books?

Here’s the link to the books I am talking about.

https://www.passthease.com/car-light-truck/a1-a9-packages?gclid=CMXJr4WgncYCFQ8kgQodmKYASQ

Thanks![/quote]

The link that you found is to additional study materials for the ASE Certification exams. These additional study materials would be especially helpful if, after passing your college course work, you felt you needed a bit more practice before the certification test. However, ASE has their own study materials and practice tests at a fraction of the cost of Motor age. I have included a link to the ASE site.

http://www.ase.com/Tests/ASE-Certification-Tests/Certification-Testing.aspx

Also, the library at your school will more than likely have free study materials.

You may find that you won’t need additional study materials if you are especially attentive in your coursework. Only you will be able to gauge that. I don’t recommend spending money unnecessarily since you will be entering a profession of perpetually costly tool buying.

My Automotive Electricity and Electronics text book includes 1 ASE practice exam and the Task List that your Motor age link offers.

A good (but very expensive if you buy it new) book to have on your shelf:

http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/en/US/storefront/US;CMGTJSESSIONID=YWvGVGmQlTJJFPHGLQPpflhzfGs9QwD0XMmKw2dRb0TCg5GQ2NgL!-1797249233?cmd=catProductDetail&gclid=CNm8sfSxncYCFZEBaQod9HwA5Q&entryPoint=storefront&cid=GSEM1&ISBN=9781111128616&forceRegion=US&messageType=catProductDetail

If you are enrolling at a Community College for your automotive education, it is likely that this book will be recommended for your first semester class Introduction to Service Procedures. A good book to have regardless. You may be able to find a gently used copy at a fraction of the cost of new.

Good luck.

[Mike]

Engineer To Win by Carroll Smith covers basic metallurgy of automotive materials and the design characteristics of strong and weak parts:

The High Performance Honda Builder’s Handbook by Joe Pettitt covers the intricacies of engine performance to a level that school will never come close to. It’s irrelevant if you have no intention of dealing with Hondas at all, 80% of the book applies to all 4 stroke spark-ignition engines:

Maximum Boost by Corky Bell. Understanding it will allow you to appraise the quality and packaging of any turbo system you see, and there are just going to be more and more turbo cars on the road:

And here is a picture I’ve posted here many times showing the books I used to become a successful A level tech without having gone to school:

The book all the way to the left is a high school technical program textbook from the mid-90s . It is partially obsolete now, but I started with this book and recommend getting a current general automotive technology textbook like that. Such a thing can be found on Amazon for well under $100, but I’m not in a position to recommend one because I haven’t read one. Internet research and manufacturer training has kept me up to date on automotive technology quite well.

[James O’Hara]

For a more updated car engine book there is this:
Automotive Service: Inspection, Maintenance, Repair by Tim Gilles
UTI Version – Much Cheaper as used and sold by UTI flunkies

For Big Rig Diesel Engines:
Medium/Heavy Duty Truck Engines, Fuel & Computerized Management Systems by Sean Bennett

The automotive one listed above is good for a general knowledge type thing doesn’t go very deep into the subjects but, touches on almost everything. The Diesel one I listed goes in depth and is extremely good though you want the 4th edition as the 5th is missing illustrations and also cut a lot of good information out of it.

For ASE books I suggest Delmar:
http://www.delmarlearning.com/browse_catalog.aspx?cat1ID=AU&cat2ID=ASE

[Josiah]

OK, thanks for all the suggestions. What do you think of this one?

[Mike]

It looks like a very good choice.

[Mike]

I actually forgot to mention one other book that covers the incredibly important subject of electrical, which my forum brother Pitt reminded me of. This book is basic, but you really have to understand what’s in it before you will understand complex circuits.

How To Diagnose and Repair Automotive Electrical Systems by Tracy Martin:

I’m afraid I don’t know books that cover more advanced types of automotive circuits. Understanding this book fully was enough for me to be better than average a electrical troubleshooting when I first got into the business. It’s just the right knowledge level to make you able to work competently as a professional, even though there is still more to learn. The rest of my education on electrical has been manufacturer training for Hyundai/Kia, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi, as they are brands I’ve happened to work for. All of their training on electrical is very strong, and this book prepared me well for getting into more advanced types of manufacturer-specific control circuits.

One incredibly important thing that is new since this book is the Power Probe Circuit Tester, the current industry standard test light. You can touch it to anything and it will tell you if it has power or ground present and can also supply power or ground to operate components. I had the first generation of this tool as a backyard guy working on my car before I started working professionally.

[Author]

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