ABSTRACT
Technological advancements in vehicles have required more skilled mechanics. Among them have been the automatic transmission (1904), four-wheel drive (1908), the self-starter (1911), hand-operated windshield wipers and rearview mirrors (1916), four-wheel hydraulic brakes (1920), front-wheel drive (1929), V-12 and V-16 engines (1930), air-conditioning (1939), the high-compression engine using high-octane fuel (1948), air suspension (1957), the “four-on-the-floor” gearshift (1963), the diesel car (1968), steering-column ignition locks (1970), catalytic converters (1975), fuel injection (1976), the microcomputer system with digital display (1980), antilock brakes (1985), air bags (1986), and side-impact air bags (1996). Long gone are the days of the “shade tree”, do-it-yourself mechanic; mechanics now need thorough knowledge of computerized diagnostics.
