iii Modern Automotive Technology is an easy-to-understand, up-to-date textbook detailing the operation, diagnosis, service, and repair of automobiles and light trucks. It has been designed to help prepare aspiring technicians for exciting and productive careers in automobile technology. It also provides the information needed to prepare for ASE automobile certification tests. No longer can the untrained person effectively diagnose and repair modern vehicles. As technology has evolved, even the most basic automotive systems have become dauntingly complex. Multiple onboard computers are now used to monitor and control the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, emission controls, and other vital vehicle systems. As the demand has grown for technicians who can diagnose and repair these increasingly sophisticated automotive systems, so has the need for a learning solution that prepares students for entry-level employment in this exciting field. Modern Automotive Technology will give you the tools you need to succeed in the challenging and ever-changing world of automotive technology. The 2017 edition of Modern Automotive Technology is organized around the ASE automobile test areas and correlated to the NATEF Task List. It has been thoroughly revised by the author and carefully vetted by a panel of experts in the field of automotive education, as well as a team of technical editors, to make sure the material is technically accurate, up-to-date, and presented in the most logical and effective manner. Modern Automotive Technology has been painstakingly designed to provide a student-focused approach to learning. Short sentences, concise definitions, and thousands of color illustrations will help you learn quickly and easily. Information is presented using a building-block approach that starts with simple principles and general rules, and progresses gradually to more complex subjects. Each major automotive system is covered in two or more chapters. The first chapter explains the construction and operation of a specific system. The second chapter expands on this by discussing diagnosis, service, and repair of the same system. As society transitions from printed textbooks to digital learning tools, we know it is important to provide the content you need in the format you need it in. The Modern Automotive Technology textbook and the accom- panying workbook and shop manual are available in both print and digital formats, and are supported with professionally developed, user-friendly online resources. These resources include electronic study tools, videos, animations, simulations, and interactive activities designed to prepare you for success in your studies and career. We congratulate you on your study of automotive technology and encourage you to take advantage of all the resources available as part of the Modern Automotive Technology learning solution. James E. Duffy has devoted much of his professional life to developing educational materials that help people understand vocational and technical subjects. Mr. Duffy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology from Indiana State University. After college, Mr. Duffy worked as an automotive instructor at Brandon High School in Brandon, Florida, and at Hillsborough Adult Education Center in Tampa, Florida. After teaching for several years, Mr. Duffy joined Goodheart-Willcox Publisher as a technical editor and eventually began writ- ing textbooks. In addition to Modern Automotive Technology, Mr. Duffy’s books include Auto Electricity and Electronics, Auto Engine Repair, Automatic Transmissions and Transaxles, and Manual Drive Trains and Axles. Preface Preface About the Author About the Author