‘Classic’ Online Subscription Course List

Subscribers to Our Virtual Academy gain access to all the courses below. All courses have end tests and Our Virtual Academy certificates.

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FUNDAMENTALS

Essential Electrical Skills

• Introduction to Electrics
• Voltage, Current and Resistance
• Types of Circuit
• The differences between DC and AC
• Facts about Voltage
• Fact One Explained
• Fact Two Explained
• Fact Three Explained
• Fact Four Explained
• Ohm’s Law
• NTC Coolant Temperature Sensor Circuit
• Why Use Volt Drop?
• Relays
• Calculating Resistance of Series Circuits
• Current flow through Parallel Circuits
• Current flow and the unrestricted path
• Calculating identical Parallel Resistances
• Calculating differing Parallel Resistances
• Calculating differing Parallel Resistances continued
• Wiring Batteries into Circuits
• Watt’s Law
• Essential Electrical Skills Course Test

Oscilloscopes

• Principles of Oscilloscope
• Advanced Oscilloscope- Triggers
• Advanced Oscilloscope- Rulers / Cursors

Measurement

• Vernier Caliper
• Micrometer
• DTI – Dial Test Indicator

Further Electrics

• Hall Effect
• The Piezoelectric Effect
• The Principles of MRE Sensors
• Transformers
• PWM
• The Principles of PTC

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VEHICLE ELECTRICS

12V Batteries

• 12V Batteries and their Differences – Part 1
• 12V Batteries and their Differences – Part 2
• How Lead Acid Batteries Work – Part 1
• How Lead Acid Batteries Work – Part 2
• How Lead Acid Batteries Work – Part 3
• Battery Construction
• Battery Capacities
• State of Charge (SoC) – Part 1
• State of Charge (SoC) – Part 2
• Battery Diagnosis – Introduction
• Battery Diagnosis – Safety
• Battery Diagnosis – High-Rate Discharge Testing
• Battery Diagnosis – Carbon Pile Load Testing
• Battery Diagnosis – Picoscope Testing
• Battery Diagnosis – Conductance Testing
• Battery Charging – Rate of Charge
• Battery Charging – Connecting a charger
• Battery Charging – Off Vehicle Charging
• Battery Charging – Charging Voltage
• Battery Charging – Types of Chargers
• Battery Charging – Battery Support
• Jump Starting

Multiplexing

• MOST
• SENT

Power Management

• Power Management Introduction
• Ford Smart Charge – PWM Control
• Ford Smart Charge System Utilising LIN Bus Control
• Analogue Battery Sensors
• Intelligent Battery Sensors
• Load Shedding and System Deactivation

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ENGINE MANAGEMENT

Sensors

• Engine Speed Sensor- Inductive Type
• Camshaft Position Sensor
• The Relationship Between Crankshaft and Camshaft Sensor Signal

Actuators

• The operation of a 6-pin Siemens VDO electronic throttle

Petrol Direct Fuel Injection Systems

• Introduction to Petrol Direct Injection Systems
• High-Pressure Fuel Pump
• High-Pressure Injectors- Piezo

Petrol Emissions

• Understanding Lambda
• Zirconium Dioxide Oxygen Sensor
• The Principles of Catalytic Converters
• 4 Gas Analysis – Introduction
• 4 Gas Analysis – Lambda
• 4 Gas Analysis – Air and Fuel
• 4 Gas Analysis – Perfect Combustion
• 4 Gas Analysis – True Combustion
• 4 Gas Analysis – The Role of the Catalytic Converter
• 4 Gas Analysis – Pre-checks
• 4 Gas Analysis – True Catalytic Converter Operation
• 4 Gas Analysis – Deviations from Lambda 1
• 4 Gas Analysis – Fuelling Maps
• 4 Gas Analysis – Fuel Trim – The Theory
• 4 Gas Analysis – Fuel Trim – The Realities
• 4 Gas Analysis – Fuel Trim – Indicators of Common Faults
• 4 Gas Analysis – Diagnosing using a Gas Analyser
• 4 Gas Analysis – Diagnostic Scenarios

Petrol Ignition Systems

• Fundamental Principles of an Ignition Coil
• Ignition Integrated Phase Detection
• Operating Principles of Wasted Spark Ignition Systems

The Essentials of Diesel Combustion

• Part 1 – Introduction to the Three Phases of Combustion
• Part 2 – The Generation and Retention of Heat
• Part 3 – Diesel Fuel and the Delay Period
• Part 4 – The Uncontrolled Burn and Diesel Knock
• Part 5 – NOx Production, EGR & The Controlled Burn
• Part 6 – Injection Timing

Diesel Components

• Introduction to IMV Common Rail Diesel – Part 1
• Introduction to IMV Common Rail Diesel – Part 2
• Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) – The Chemistry of Combustion
• Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) – Operation
• Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) – Workshop Intervention

Diesel Diagnostics

• Leak-off Testing Solenoid Operated Diesel Injectors – Pt. 1
• Leak-off Testing Solenoid Operated Diesel Injectors – Pt. 2
• Testing Negative Low-Pressure Supply Circuits – Pt. 1
• Testing Negative Low-Pressure Supply Circuits – Pt. 2
• Diagnosing Inlet Metered High-Pressure Diesel Pumps – Pt. 1
• Diagnosing Inlet Metered High-Pressure Diesel Pumps – Pt. 2
• Diagnosing Inlet Metered High-Pressure Diesel Pumps – Pt. 3
• Diagnosing Inlet Metered High-Pressure Diesel Pumps – Pt. 4

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ENGINE MECHANICAL

Pressure Measurement

• Relative Compression Testing

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CHASSIS

ABS

• Calculating Slip Ratio
• ABS – Four Channel Four Sensor System

Wheels

• Wheel Dimensions

Tyres

• Tyre tread depth measurement
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – Introduction and Legislation
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – Tyre Dimensions
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – Speed and Load Ratings
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – Aging a Tyre
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – Extra Load Tyres
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – OE Tyres
• Tyre Sidewall Marking – Balancing Dots
• The Anatomy of a Tyre Tread
• Snow and Mud tyres
• Aquaplaning

 

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HYBRID AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Introduction to hybrid

• What is hybrid?
• Hybrid Components
• Types of hybrids
• Micro and Mild Hybrids

Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Safety

• Health Conditions and Working on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
• Ready Mode
• Electrocution
• ECE R100 Standard
• Measuring High Voltage Safely
• Isolating the High Voltage Components (‘03 – ‘09 Toyota Prius NHW20) – Part 1 – The Components
• Isolating the High Voltage Components (‘03 – ‘09 Toyota Prius NHW20) – Part 2 – The De-energising procedure
• Isolating the High Voltage Components (‘03 – ‘09 Toyota Prius NHW20) – Part 3 – Confirming the System is Safe to Work on

Introduction to Electric Vehicles

• Introduction to Electric Vehicles – Part 1

Electric Vehicle-Specific Safety

• Electric Vehicle Ready Mode
• Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System

Hybrid Components

• System Main Relays
• Hybrid Electric Motor Generators (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors) – Part 1
• Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries – Part 1 – Introduction
• Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries – Part 2 – Battery Monitoring
• Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries – Part 3 – Data Analysis
• Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries – Part 4 – Electrolyte Leakage
• Hybrid Braking Systems – Part 1
• Hybrid Braking Systems – Part 2
• Hybrid Braking Systems – Part 3

Hybrid Maintenance

• Dealing with a Hybrid in the Workshop
• Plug-in Hybrid and EV Charging – Safety
• Plug-in Hybrid and EV Charging – Modes
• Plug-in Hybrid and EV Charging – Plug Types
• Plug-in Hybrid and EV Charging – User Experience

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

• An Introduction to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles

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HVAC

The AC Refrigerant Cycle

• Part 1 – Introduction
• Part 2 – The Properties of Refrigerant
• Part 3 – Sensible Heat and Latent Heat
• Part 4 – The Effect of Pressure on Boiling Point
• Part 5 – The Cycle Explained

Components of the Air Conditioning System

• Fixed Swash Plate Air Conditioning Compressor
• The operation of Electromagnetic Clutches
• Variable Displacement Swash Plate Compressor Part 1
• Variable Displacement Swash Plate Compressor Part 2
• The Fixed Orifice Tube Air Conditioning System
• Controlling Air Conditioning Systems – Part 1
• Controlling Air Conditioning Systems – Part 2
• Controlling Air Conditioning Systems – Part 3

Servicing Air Conditioning Systems

• Performance Testing Air Conditioning Systems
• The Lubricants of Air Conditioning Systems
• Servicing A/C Systems – Part 1 Introduction
• Servicing A/C Systems – Part 2 Connecting the Machine
• Servicing A/C Systems – Part 3 Recovery
• Servicing A/C Systems – Part 4 Vacuuming Down the System
• Servicing A/C Systems – Part 5 Charging the System

Air Conditioning Safety

• Working Safely with Refrigerants

Legislation and Environmental Impact

• Legislation and Environmental Impact – Part 1
• Legislation and Environmental Impact – Part 2

Refrigerant Handling

• Introduction
• Safety
• Virgin Bottles
• Recovery Tanks
• Recovery Tanks Capacity Calculation
• Refrigerant Identification Techniques
• Transferring Refrigerant

Air Conditioning – Diagnostics

• Part 1 – Introduction
• Part 2 – Insufficient Cooling at the Condenser
• Part 3 – Low Compressor Efficiency
• Part 4 – Blockage in the Refrigerant Circuit
• Part 5 – Low Refrigerant
• Part 6 – Variable Displacement Compressor Faults
• Part 7 – Summary
• Leak Detection