Five free practice questions on suspension, steering and tires: content area D of the ASE G1 Auto Maintenance & Light Repair test, 13 of its 55 scored questions (23.6%). They are in the ASE format: four options, one best answer. Answer each one before opening the explanation. No account, no email.
01The questions
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While disabling the supplemental restraint system (SRS) for a steering column repair, a technician disconnects the negative battery cable as the manufacturer directs, then covers its clamp with insulating tape and secures it away from the battery post. What is this step for?
- So the battery cannot run down while it is off
- So the technician cannot get a shock from the clamp
- So it cannot touch the post and power the SRS
- So the SRS module keeps its stored DTCs
Show the answer
C. Correct. If the loose clamp swung back against the post, the SRS module would be powered again, its energy reserve would recharge, and a bag could fire while a connector is being handled. Isolating the clamp keeps the system dead until the repair is finished and the manufacturer's enabling steps are followed.
Why not the others
A. With the cable off there is no circuit for the vehicle's loads, so the battery cannot be run down through them anyway. The clamp is covered and tied back so it cannot touch the post and power the SRS again while the air bag circuits are handled.
B. A 12-volt battery clamp is not a shock hazard; the danger in SRS work is an air bag firing. Covering and securing the clamp keeps it from touching the post and powering the SRS module again.
D. The module's stored DTCs are not what this step protects; they are read and cleared with a scan tool after the repair. The step keeps the clamp from touching the post and powering the SRS again.
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The power steering warning lamp is on in a vehicle with electric power steering. A scan tool used in generic OBD-II mode reports no DTCs. What should the technician do next?
- Read codes from the steering module in enhanced mode
- Calibrate the steering angle sensor with a scan tool
- Replace the power steering control module
- Replace the steering column torque sensor
Show the answer
A. Correct. Generic OBD-II mode reports only emission-related codes, from the modules that support those services, so a steering fault can be stored with nothing shown there. Selecting the vehicle and reading the power steering module in the enhanced (manufacturer) mode retrieves its DTCs, which are recorded before any are cleared.
Why not the others
B. A calibration done before anything is known is a guess, and it does not show what the steering module has stored. The module's codes are read first.
C. Replacing the module without reading its codes is a guess; many power steering faults are in the supply, ground, sensor or network circuits. The module's DTCs are read first in enhanced mode.
D. The torque sensor is one possible fault among many, and nothing yet points to it. The steering module's DTCs, read in enhanced mode, show which circuit has failed.
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A front-wheel-drive car with MacPherson struts makes a creaking pop, which can be felt with a hand on the right strut tower, when the steering wheel is turned with the car stopped. The steering also returns to center slowly after turns. Which of these could be the cause?
- A worn right outer CV joint
- A binding right strut bearing
- A worn right stabilizer bar link
- A low power steering fluid level
Show the answer
B. Correct. The upper strut bearing lets the strut and spring turn as the wheels are steered. When it binds, the spring winds up and lets go with a pop felt at the tower, and the friction slows the steering's return; the bearing and mount are replaced and the alignment is checked afterward.
Why not the others
A. A worn outer CV joint clicks while the car is driven through a turn under power; with the car stopped the axle is not turning, so it cannot click. The pop felt at the tower points to the strut bearing.
C. A stabilizer link knocks when the wheels move unequally over bumps or in body roll, not when the steering is turned with the car stopped. The pop felt at the strut tower points to its upper bearing.
D. Low fluid makes a pump whine or groan and raises steering effort; it does not make a pop that can be felt at the strut tower. A binding strut bearing explains both the pop and the slow return.
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A car drifts to the right on a level road while cruising with no braking. Any of these could cause the drift EXCEPT:
- less positive camber at the right front than at the left.
- less positive caster at the right front than at the left.
- lower inflation pressure in the right front tire than the left.
- a right front brake caliper that drags.
Show the answer
A. Correct. Less positive camber at the right front means the left front has more, and a car drifts toward the side with more positive camber, so this would pull it to the left, the opposite of the complaint. Camber and caster are compared side to side against the manufacturer's cross-camber and cross-caster limits.
Why not the others
B. This could cause it. A car tends to drift toward the side with less positive caster, so the right front having less caster than the left pulls to the right.
C. This could cause it. A tire low on pressure has a smaller rolling radius and more rolling drag, so the car tends to drift toward the low tire on the right.
D. This could cause it. A caliper that does not fully release keeps dragging the right front wheel with the pedal up, and the extra drag on that side pulls the car to the right while cruising.
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The original tires on a car are 225/60R17 99H (load index 99, H = 130 mph). The manufacturer says replacements must be the same size with a load index and speed rating no lower than the originals; a higher load index number means a higher load capacity. Which of these replacements meets that rule?
- A 225/60R17 98V tire, V-rated for 149 mph
- A 225/60R17 99V tire, V-rated for 149 mph
- A 225/60R17 99T tire, T-rated for 118 mph
- A 235/60R17 99H tire, H-rated for 130 mph
Show the answer
B. Correct. This tire keeps the original size and load index 99 and raises the speed rating from H (130 mph) to V (149 mph), so it is no lower than the original on either rating. A higher rating is acceptable; a lower one is not.
Why not the others
A. The V rating is higher than the original H, but load index 98 is lower than the original 99, so this tire carries less load than the originals and fails the rule.
C. The load index matches, but a T rating (118 mph) is lower than the original H (130 mph), so this tire fails the speed rating rule.
D. The ratings match, but 235/60R17 is wider and taller than the original 225/60R17, and the manufacturer requires the same size.
02Answer key
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Q1 | C |
| Q2 | A |
| Q3 | B |
| Q4 | A |
| Q5 | B |
03What area D covers
This content area covers suspension, steering, alignment and tire service: power steering fluid, pumps, belts, hoses and gear boots, steering linkage, ball joints, control arms, springs, struts, shocks and stabilizer links, air suspension and ride height, wheel bearings, driver assist sensors, alignment measurement and adjustment, and tire inspection, rotation, mounting, balancing, repair and TPMS service.
The ASE test specification calls this content area “Suspension and Steering”. It carries 13 of the 55 scored questions, 23.6% of the test.
- Disarm the SRS for steering column work
- Service power steering fluid, pumps, belts and hoses
- Inspect steering linkage, ball joints and control arms
- Inspect springs, struts, shocks and stabilizer links
- Check ride height and air suspension components
- Set camber, caster, toe and steering wheel center
- Inspect, rotate, mount, balance and repair tires
- Service tire pressure monitoring systems
04What the questions turn on
Tire wear points to the cause
Ribs feathered sharp on one edge and rounded on the other come from incorrect toe scrubbing the tire sideways. Cupped dips around the tread, with pressure, balance and toe ruled out, point to worn shock absorbers.
Did the drift follow the tires
If swapping the front tires side to side reverses a drift, the cause travels with a tire, such as one whose belt is built off center so it rolls like a cone. That tire is moved to the rear or replaced.
Alignment order matters
Rear toe sets the thrust line, so the rear is adjusted first. Caster and camber changes alter toe, so front toe is set last. The steering wheel is centered by lengthening one tie rod and shortening the other by the same amount.
Checking wear-indicator ball joints
A load-carrying ball joint with a wear indicator is checked with the vehicle's weight resting on its wheels. The joint is replaced once the raised boss around its grease fitting has receded to the wear limit the manufacturer gives.
05The other content areas
The G1 test has seven content areas. Each has its own page of free questions:
The ASE G1 Auto Maintenance & Light Repair practice test page describes the full question bank. How these questions are written and checked: how our questions are made. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.
ToolboxPrep is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE (the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence). Our questions are original practice questions written to the published ASE test specifications; they are not actual test questions.