Five free practice questions on cab and hood checks: content area B of the ASE T8 Preventive Maintenance Inspection (PMI) test, 5 of its 50 scored questions (10%). They are in the ASE format: four options, one best answer. Answer each one before opening the explanation. No account, no email.
01The questions
-
A tractor's washer pump feeds one hose through a check valve to a tee, and from the tee a separate hose runs to the spray nozzle on each wiper arm. With the washer switch pressed, the pump runs and the left nozzle sprays strongly, but no fluid comes from the right nozzle. Which of these could be the cause?
- A check valve stuck partly closed
- A kinked right-side branch hose
- A washer pump motor that runs slowly
- A clogged inlet screen on the pump
Show the answer
B. Correct. Everything up to the tee serves both nozzles, and the left one sprays strongly, so the fault must lie in the right branch: a kinked, pinched or disconnected right hose or a plugged right nozzle. The branch is traced from the tee to the arm and the fault recorded or corrected.
Why not the others
A. The check valve sits in the single hose ahead of the tee, so a restriction there would weaken both nozzles. The left nozzle sprays strongly, so the fault is in the right branch after the tee.
C. A weak pump would lower the spray from both nozzles, since both are fed from the same tee. A strong left spray with nothing on the right points to the right branch hose or nozzle.
D. A clogged pump inlet starves the pump, so both nozzles would spray weakly. With the left spraying strongly, the restriction has to be between the tee and the right nozzle.
ID T8-B-002 · Task T8-B-13 (ASE task list)
-
A tractor's driver seat rides on an air suspension, and the driver's seat belt is anchored to the seat frame. What do the seat's tethers, the straps running from the seat frame to the cab floor, do?
- Hold the seat up if its air spring leaks down
- Damp the seat's bounce over rough road
- Limit how far the seat can rise in a crash
- Keep the seat from sliding on its tracks
Show the answer
C. Correct. In a crash or rollover the belted driver pulls the seat upward, and the tethers stop the suspension from extending so the belt stays tight and its load goes into the floor. Tethers are inspected for cuts, fraying and loose anchors along with the belts.
Why not the others
A. A seat that loses air settles onto its lower stop; the tethers do not hold it up. They limit upward travel so the belted driver is held in a crash.
B. The seat's shock absorber damps bounce. The tethers stay slack in normal driving and only come tight to stop the seat rising in a crash.
D. The fore-aft track latch holds the seat's position on its tracks. The tethers run vertically from the frame to the floor and limit how far the seat can rise in a crash.
ID T8-B-007 · Task T8-B-10 (ASE task list)
-
A sleeper tractor's diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) starts itself whenever the batteries fall below a set voltage or the sleeper temperature leaves its set range. Before its drive belt's tension and condition are checked by hand, what should be done?
- Let the APU cool after its last run
- Shut down the tractor's main engine
- Turn off the sleeper's climate control
- Disable the APU's automatic start
Show the answer
D. Correct. An APU set to start on battery voltage or cab temperature can crank at any moment, with hands at the belt and pulleys. Its automatic start is disabled by the maker's procedure before the belt, pulleys and leaks are checked.
Why not the others
A. Letting it cool prevents burns but leaves the automatic start live, so the APU could still crank with hands at the belt. Its automatic start is disabled before the check.
B. The APU runs on its own engine and its own start logic; stopping the main engine does nothing to keep it from starting. Its automatic start is disabled first.
C. Turning off the climate control may stop the temperature trigger, but the APU can still start itself when battery voltage falls. Its automatic start is disabled as the maker directs.
ID T8-B-008 · Task T8-B-32 (ASE task list)
-
At a PMI, a truck's A/C compressor is watched with the engine idling while an assistant switches the A/C on and off. Each time the clutch engages, the whole compressor body rocks on its bracket, though the clutch pulls in fully and does not slip. What does this show?
- A loose compressor mounting
- A wide clutch air gap
- A low refrigerant charge
- A worn clutch pulley bearing
Show the answer
A. Correct. When the clutch engages, the torque needed to turn the compressor reacts through its bolts and bracket; a sound mounting holds the body still, so a body that rocks has loose bolts or a cracked bracket or mounting ear. A loose compressor also pulls its pulley out of line and wears the belt, so the mounting is recorded for repair.
Why not the others
B. A clutch air gap set too wide makes the clutch slow to pull in, slip or chatter; it does not move the compressor body, and this clutch pulls in fully without slipping. Body movement at engagement points to a loose mounting.
C. A low charge lightens the compressor's load and, on a system that cycles its clutch, can make the clutch switch on and off often, but it cannot make the body rock on its bracket. That takes a loose or cracked mounting.
D. A worn pulley bearing lets the pulley wobble or growl whenever the engine runs, A/C on or off, while the compressor body stays put. A body that rocks each time the clutch engages is loose on its mounting.
ID T8-B-010 · Task T8-B-29 (ASE task list)
-
With a truck's engine idling during a PMI, the engine stops and the gauges drop to zero whenever the ignition key is pushed lightly sideways in RUN. Flexing the dash harness, the battery cables and the ECM connector while it idles causes no stalls. Which of these could be the cause?
- A loose battery cable terminal
- A worn ignition key switch
- A failing ECM power relay
- A poor cab-to-frame ground strap
Show the answer
B. Correct. The stall follows the key's movement and nothing else, so the RUN contacts are opening inside a worn switch or a worn cylinder is letting it slip out of RUN. The switch and its mounting are recorded for repair before the truck returns to service.
Why not the others
A. A loose cable would cut power when the cables were flexed, and they were flexed with no stall. Only pressure on the key stops the engine, which points to the switch or cylinder.
C. A failing relay would drop out with heat or vibration, not each time the key is pressed sideways. The key pressure acts on the ignition switch, so its contacts or cylinder are worn.
D. A poor ground would show up with electrical load or vibration, not in step with pressure on the key. The fault follows the key, so the switch or its cylinder is at fault.
ID T8-B-011 · Task T8-B-1 (ASE task list)
02Answer key
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Q1 | B |
| Q2 | C |
| Q3 | D |
| Q4 | A |
| Q5 | B |
03What area B covers
Area B takes the inspection into the cab and around the hood. It covers keys, switches, gauges, warning lamps and the air bag lamp, horns, wipers and washers, glass, mirrors, seats, belts and tethers, the safety equipment and papers a truck must carry, the ELD mount, door and hood hardware, cab mounts and cab air suspension, tilt cab parts, pedals, HVAC and A/C parts, and the APU.
The ASE test specification calls this content area “Cab and Hood”. It carries 5 of the 50 scored questions, 10% of the test.
- Check keys, switches, gauges, warning lamps and the SRS lamp
- Test horns, wipers, washers, defroster and HVAC controls
- Inspect glass, mirrors, seats, seat belts and seat tethers
- Confirm safety equipment, permits, papers and ELD mounting
- Inspect and lubricate door and hood hinges, latches and locks
- Inspect cab mounts, cab air suspension and tilt cab parts
- Check pedals, steps, bumpers, fenders and record body damage
- Inspect the A/C condenser, compressor, cab air filters and APU
04What the questions turn on
Let the working parts narrow it
Whatever still works clears the parts it shares with the dead item. One washer nozzle spraying strongly clears the pump, check valve and tee, leaving the other branch. An actuator that sets every mode but defrost points to the defrost door or its link.
Cab ride height against its range
Cab ride height is measured at the maker's point, with the system at cut-out, and compared with the full tolerance range. A cab low on both sides, with no leaks and a leveling valve that fills and exhausts, needs its linkage adjusted and rechecked.
Normal operation is not a defect
An air horn fed through a pressure protection valve stays silent at low pressure and works once pressure passes the valve's opening point; that needs no repair. An air bag lamp that lights for its check, then goes out with no codes, is normal.
Records judged by the rules
Federal rules require no driver inspection report on a day with no defect found, so a file holding only defect-day reports can be complete. An open safety recall applies by VIN whether or not a symptom has appeared, so it is noted and scheduled.
05The other content areas
The T8 test has five content areas. Each has its own page of free questions:
The ASE T8 Preventive Maintenance Inspection (PMI) 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, not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE (the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence). Our questions are original, written from ASE’s published test specifications and task lists and other public sources. They are not actual ASE test questions and not recalled or “brain dump” questions. ASE is a trademark of its owner, and we never use the ASE logo. Standards and service information are cited, not reproduced.