Technician A says one thing, Technician B says another, and you have to decide who's right. These questions are all over the ASE tests, and they trip people up because you're really answering two true-or-false questions at once.
Every question here is a Tech A / Tech B question from across the tests. Judge each tech on their own before you even look at the answer choices. That one habit fixes most of the mistakes.
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Question 1 of 15
Technician A says tire runout is measured after the tire is warmed by driving, so flat spots from sitting don't affect the reading. Technician B says hub flange runout can make a good wheel appear to run out. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
Tires can take a temporary flat spot after sitting, which a short drive removes, so runout is measured warm. Technician A is right. The wheel bolts to the hub, so hub flange runout adds to wheel runout; the hub is checked before a wheel is condemned. Technician B is right too.
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Question 2 of 15
Technician A says light tan or gray deposits on a spark plug show a misfire problem. Technician B says wet, black oily deposits can show oil getting into the cylinder. Who is correct?
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Answer: B. B only
Light tan or gray deposits show normal combustion. Technician A is wrong. Wet, black oily deposits point to oil entering the cylinder, such as past worn rings or valve seals. Technician B is right.
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Question 3 of 15
Technician A says freeze frame data stored for misfire and fuel system faults takes priority over freeze frame data from other DTCs. Technician B says freeze frame data shows engine conditions at the moment the DTC set. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
Misfire and fuel system freeze frames have higher priority and can replace an earlier, lower-priority snapshot. Technician A is right. A freeze frame is a snapshot of key data, such as rpm, load, temperature and fuel trims, when the code set. Technician B is right too.
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Question 4 of 15
Technician A says each new cam bearing's oil hole must line up with the block's oil passage. Technician B says that after the bearings are installed, the lubricated camshaft should turn freely by hand. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
A bearing whose oil hole doesn't line up starves its journal and anything fed from it, so each one is checked as it's driven in. Technician A is right. A camshaft that binds in new bearings points to a damaged bearing or misalignment, so it's checked for free rotation before the engine is assembled. Technician B is right too.
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Question 5 of 15
Technician A says that on many front-wheel-drive cars the engine must be supported from above before transaxle removal, since a mount comes out with the transaxle. Technician B says that with both drive axles out, a tool can be installed to hold the differential side gears in position. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
On a transverse powertrain, the transaxle mount often carries one end of the engine, so a support fixture holds the engine while the transaxle is out. Technician A is right. With both axles removed, the side gears can move out of position; service information often calls for a holding tool so the axles can be reinstalled. Technician B is right too.
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Question 6 of 15
A bearing's outer race has been spinning in its case bore, which shows fretting and wear. Technician A says a new bearing will restore the fit, so the case can be reused. Technician B says bore wear doesn't matter if the new bearing is tight on its shaft. Who is correct?
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Answer: D. Neither A nor B
A race spinning in its bore wears it oversize, so a new bearing is still loose there and loses its support and alignment. Technician A is wrong. The inner fit on the shaft doesn't hold the outer race in the bore. Technician B is wrong too. The bore is repaired only by a method service information approves; otherwise the case is replaced.
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Question 7 of 15
Technician A says fuel pressure can be within specification at idle while volume is too low to supply the engine under load. Technician B says a volume test measures how much fuel the pump delivers in a set time. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
A weak pump or a restriction can hold pressure when demand is low and fall short under load. Technician A is right. A volume test collects the fuel delivered over a set time and compares it with the specification. Technician B is right too.
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Question 8 of 15
Technician A says a valve bridge (crosshead) lets one rocker arm open two valves at once. Technician B says the bridge and its guide pin are checked for wear, because a worn bridge can open the two valves unevenly. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
On four-valve heads, the rocker pushes on the bridge, and the bridge opens the pair of valves together. Technician A is right. A worn bridge, guide pin or contact pad lets it tip, so one valve opens less than the other and the parts wear faster. Technician B is right too.
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Question 9 of 15
Technician A says the front and rear driveshafts can be swapped if their lengths are close. Technician B says the grease fitting on a double cardan joint's centering yoke can be ignored, since the joint is sealed for life. Who is correct?
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Answer: D. Neither A nor B
Each driveshaft is made for its position, with the right length, slip travel, joints and balance. Technician A is wrong. A grease fitting on a double cardan joint's centering yoke is there to be used; a dry centering ball wears and causes vibration. Technician B is wrong too.
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Question 10 of 15
Technician A says a misfire that stays in the same cylinder after a coil swap proves the ECM is faulty. Technician B says a misfire that moves with the coil proves the spark plug is bad. Who is correct?
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Answer: D. Neither A nor B
If the misfire stays, the cause stayed with the cylinder: the plug, injector, wiring or the engine itself, which further tests separate. Technician A is wrong. If it moves, the coil or its boot is suspect, not the plug left behind. Technician B is wrong too.
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Question 11 of 15
Technician A says flywheel runout is measured with a feeler gauge between the flywheel and the bell housing. Technician B says any flywheel can be resurfaced as long as it's flat, whatever its thickness. Who is correct?
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Answer: D. Neither A nor B
Runout is measured with a dial indicator against the friction face while the flywheel is turned, following service information. Technician A is wrong. Resurfacing removes metal, and a flywheel below its minimum thickness can overheat and crack, so it's replaced instead. Technician B is wrong too.
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Question 12 of 15
Technician A says a strut's upper nut isn't removed until the spring has been compressed with a spring compressor. Technician B says coil springs are replaced in pairs on the same axle. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
The upper nut holds the spring's full force; removing it with the spring uncompressed can launch the parts. Technician A is right. Springs sag with age, so replacing one side leaves the ride height and handling uneven; they're replaced in pairs. Technician B is right too.
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Question 13 of 15
Technician A says the MIL goes out as soon as the fault stops occurring. Technician B says some transmission DTCs are not emissions-related and can set without lighting the MIL. Who is correct?
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Answer: B. B only
Once an emissions-related fault is confirmed, the MIL stays on until the related monitor runs and passes on several consecutive trips, typically three, so it doesn't go out the moment the fault stops. Technician A is wrong. Some transmission codes aren't emissions-related; they may set a transmission warning or simply store, without the MIL. Technician B is right.
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Question 14 of 15
Technician A says the PCV system draws crankcase vapors into the intake so they're burned. Technician B says many PCV systems bring in filtered fresh air from the intake duct to ventilate the crankcase. Who is correct?
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Answer: C. Both A and B
Blowby vapors are drawn from the crankcase into the intake manifold and burned rather than vented. Technician A is right. A fresh-air inlet, usually from the filtered side of the intake duct, lets clean air sweep the crankcase. Technician B is right too.
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Question 15 of 15
Technician A says a power steering high-pressure hose can be replaced with heater hose as a temporary repair. Technician B says some systems have an inline filter or a fluid cooler that should be inspected. Who is correct?
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Answer: B. B only
The high-pressure hose carries far more pressure than heater hose can hold, so it's replaced only with the correct hose assembly. Technician A is wrong. Many systems have a cooler loop and some have an inline filter, which are inspected for leaks and restriction. Technician B is right.
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Watch out for words like always and never. A tech who says something always happens is usually the one who's wrong.
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