Free Courses / Automotive University A-Z

Automotive University A-Z

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Read me first: This course does NOT make you a licensed technician, ASE-certified, or qualified to do paid automotive work alone. High-voltage systems (hybrid/EV), SRS airbags, fuel systems, refrigerants (EPA Section 609 required), and coil spring compression can cause death or serious injury if handled improperly. Practice only the safe activities listed in each unit. Never work on a live vehicle without qualified supervision.

Welcome, future tech 👋

This is a free, 12-unit, ~120-hour course that takes you from zero automotive knowledge to apprenticeship-ready. Every training video is embedded right here — you never have to leave this page. Your progress saves automatically in this browser. Curriculum based on Durham Tech's Automotive Systems Technology AAS (2026-2027).

How to use this course

Do the units in order — each one builds on the last. Plan ~10 hours per week (one unit per week).
Watch each video actively: pause at every new term, write a one-line definition in your own words, then resume. Tick “Mark watched” when done.
Read “The big picture” and “Critical points,” do the practice tasks, then take the quiz — answer out loud before revealing.
Download the unit notes (a one-page summary) and keep them in a binder.
When you meet the “Done when” standard, hit Mark unit complete and move on. Unit 2's safety quiz requires 100% — no exceptions.

🃏 Tool Flashcards

The 8 Hard Stops (memorize before Unit 2)

Never run a vehicle in an enclosed space without forced exhaust ventilation — carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless, and kills in minutes. Even with a garage door open, CO can accumulate to lethal levels.
Never work under a vehicle supported only by a floor jack — jacks slip and fail. Use rated jack stands at the manufacturer's lift points, every time, no exceptions.
Never touch, disassemble, or work near SRS airbag components without disabling the system (battery disconnect + wait time per service manual) — accidental deployment is explosive and lethal.
Never handle high-voltage hybrid/EV systems (orange cables, >60V DC) without HV-rated insulating gloves and formal HV certification — electrocution kills.
Never compress or release a coil spring without a proper rated spring compressor — uncontrolled spring release has killed technicians. Use the right tool or pay a shop.
Never use open flame or create sparks near open fuel systems, fuel tanks, fuel vapors, or refrigerant lines — fire and explosion.
Never handle A/C refrigerant without EPA Section 609 certification — a federal violation, and refrigerant vapor displaces oxygen and can cause cardiac sensitization.
Never mix DOT 5 (silicone) brake fluid with DOT 3 or DOT 4 (glycol) — immediate brake system failure. Always check the reservoir cap spec before adding any fluid.

About the videos and sources

All HIGH-confidence video IDs were verified live (title and channel confirmed via YouTube's oEmbed API) on the course's research date, 2026-06-13, with a 15-year recency window (on/after 2011). Publish dates come from search-engine metadata; where a date could not be confirmed, the video card says 'unverified' and you should check the on-screen date yourself. Topics with no qualifying verified video carry a gap card linking to official OSHA, EPA, NHTSA, ASE, and BLS sources instead, and say so. Safety claims are confirmed against OSHA and CDC/NIOSH sources. Inspection and licensing details vary by state — the course directs you to look up YOUR state's program, not any single state's rules. If a video and an official source ever disagree, the official source wins.