Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Students will practice the skills", knowledge and attitudes necessary to perform, with supervision, base (non anti-lock) brake and anti-lock brake (ABS) repairs on import and domestic cars and light trucks.
The broader purpose of this course is to provide students, at the beginning of their first year in the automotive program, with authentic experience in basic industry skills and concepts, to ensure their success in later courses and on-the-job. These skills include tool use, fastener tightening and shop safety. Concepts and attitudes that they will put into practice include craftsmanship, professionalism and responsible customer service.

 

Students who successfully complete AM 125 will be able to:

• Perform base brake maintenance and repair with little supervision.
• Use a Systematic approach to determine causes and corrections of ABS brake complaints.
• Perform brake repairs with respect for customers and co-workers welfare and property.

   

Documentation of student performance in the Brake course work may be used in a student’s Certificate or AAS portfolio as evidence toward the achievement of the following PCC Automotive Service Technology Program Outcomes:

A graduate of the PCC automotive Service Technology Program will be able to...

• Repairs cars and light trucks with limited supervision
• Formulates strategies and processes to solve vehicle repair problems
• Performs vehicle repairs to the highest professional and ethical standards

Students will demonstrate achievement of the course outcomes for Brakes III by completing the following tasks:

1. Perform 3 complete brake jobs on customer vehicles (or school vehicles, as needed)
A complete brake job will include the following tasks, to be completed on customer vehicles as required or school vehicles as needed:

Perform complete vehicle brake inspection
Diagnosis of poor stopping or vibration complaint
Overhauling drum and disc brake systems (including machining)
Servicing brake hydraulic components
Performing repairs to correct brake vibration
Performing power assist brake diagnosis
Adjusting base brake systems

 

2. Completion of all six ABS labs

Students will perform the following ABS tasks:

• Perform scanner and manual ABS OBD tests and procedures
• Perform DVOM and scope Wheel Speed Sensor tests
• Perform ABS integral system de-pressurizing and ABS system bleeding
• Diagnose ABS system failures in at least two bugged vehicles
   

3. Demonstrate professional skills and attitudes throughout AM 115 by:

• Maintaining good attendance
• Using safe shop procedures
• Demonstrating respect for other students", school and customer property
• Making good use of class time
  

  In AM 125 students will practice and apply concepts and skills developed in AM105. These concepts and skills are:
 

Health and safety

Hazards of brake dust", importance of shop cleanliness
Hazards of chemicals used in brake systems and repair

 

Professional business and personal conduct

Customer safety
Repeat repairs
Communicating with customers
Customer satisfaction as business strategy
Teamwork
Cooperative problem solving
Work absence and attendance

 

Physical laws

Leverage
Energy transfer
Heat and Friction
Hydraulic theory - Pascals law

 

Specific system and component operation

Hydraulic - caliper", wheel cylinder, master cylinder, quick-take-up Master cylinder, control valves, ABS, brake fluids, brake lines
Disc brakes - floating, fixed, low drag, phenolic, parking brake calipers
Drum brakes - servo, non servo, self-adjusting
Power assist - vacuum, Powermaster, Hydraboost
Parking brakes
ABS brake operation - modes of operation, sensors, OBD, limitations

 

Skills

Hydraulic systems

Evaluate and overhaul wheel cylinders
Evaluate and overhaul Master cylinders
Evaluate and overhaul calipers
Measure and adjust master cylinder push rods
Bench bleed master cylinders
Adjust brake switches
Inspect flexible brake lines for wear
Flare and bend steel brake line
Bleed brakes using gravity, manual, pressure, and vacuum methods
Bleed an ABS systemÆs front and rear hydraulic circuits
Diagnose control valve malfunctions
Properly select, handle, and install brake fluid and dispose used fluid

 

Drum brakes

Measure and evaluate lining thickness
Evaluate hardware condition
Replace linings, using safe procedures
Service backing plate
Perform major adjustment, and parking brake adjustment
Remove, clean, measure, evaluate and machine brake drums

 

Disc brakes

Measure and evaluate lining thickness
Replace pads, remove and install pad/caliper hardware
Service sliding mechanism
Measure and evaluate rotors for thickness, run-out, and parallelism
Refinish rotors
Overhaul calipers

 

Wheel bearings

Service conventional wheel bearings
Adjust conventional wheel bearings

 

Power brakes

Perform and evaluate power booster function test
Perform power booster leak test

 

Parking brake systems

Diagnose parking brake problems
Adjust parking brakes

 

ABS Brakes

Evaluate a Wheel Speed Sensor for open circuit", air gap, tone ring and EMI failures
De-pressurize a high pressure ABS type system
Bleed an ABS system (all circuits) using the recommended scanner
Determine number of wheel speed sensors, hydraulic channels, and type of OBD on a given ABS system; describe OBD parameters
Perform manual ABS code retrieval and erase code
Perform ABS code retrieval and erase code using a scanner
Perform Scanner live data and auto-test