Vehicle maintenance

Gemma is doing a Motor Vehicle Maintenance Apprenticeship at Exeter College, spending one day a week in college learning technical skills and four days on work placement putting her skills into practice.

Training on the job gives Gemma the opportunity to develop the skills she needs in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Each day presents different challenges so Gemma uses technical equipment to diagnose and solve problems, which she finds very rewarding. In this clip she analyses exhaust fumes to diagnose malfunction.

With thanks to: Exeter College

Curriculum topics covered:

• Burning hydrocarbon fuels
• Air pollution

Also in this film:

• Changing from university to college
• The college day
• The reward of working with customers

Suggested practicals:

Identifying the products of combustion
In the film, Gemma uses a probe to identify the components of a malfunctioning car’s exhaust gases. This experiment shows that water and carbon dioxide are produced when a hydrocarbon burns.

Acid in the air
Burning fossil fuels such as petrol releases acidic substances into the atmosphere, and these can corrode metals.