Ten ASE G1 Auto Maintenance & Light Repair questions in the ASE format: four options, one best answer. They are free to use, print and share, and there is nothing to sign up for on this page.
01How to use these
The questions come from the ToolboxPrep G1 bank and are spread across the test's content areas in the proportion the ASE test specification gives them: A (Engine Systems), B (Automatic Transmission/Transaxle), C (Manual Drive Train and Axles), D (Suspension and Steering), E (Brakes), F (Electrical), G (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning). Answer each one before opening the explanation. Every explanation covers all four options, because knowing why the wrong answers are wrong is most of the skill.
- Pace. The G1 test gives you 90 minutes for 65 questions (55 scored, 10 unscored), about 1 min 23 s a question. Try these at that pace.
- Print. The printed version shows the questions and the answer key without the explanations, so it works as a handout.
02The questions
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During a scheduled air filter replacement, a thin, even film of fine dust is found on the clean side of the air filter housing, at its outlet to the intake duct. The old element has no tears or holes, and the intake duct from the housing to the throttle body is intact. Which of these could be the cause?
- An element whose sealing edge was not seated
- An element clogged with too much dirt
- A crack in the duct ahead of the throttle body
- A restricted inlet duct ahead of the filter
Show the answer
A. Correct. Dust can reach the clean side past an intact element only by going around the media, and an element whose rubber or foam sealing edge is folded, pinched or not seated in the housing lets unfiltered air bypass it. The new element is seated fully with the lid clips latched, and the duct is checked for carried-in dirt.
Why not the others
B. A loaded element restricts airflow, but the dirt it holds stays in the media; it does not pass dust to the clean side. Dust beyond an intact element points to air going around it at its seal.
C. A crack in the duct would let dirt in downstream of the crack, not leave it on the clean side of the housing itself, and the duct here is intact. Dust at the housing outlet points to a bypass at the element's seal.
D. A restricted inlet starves the engine of air at high load but cannot carry dust past the element. Dust on the clean side means air went around the element's sealing edge.
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During an inspection, a small crack is found at the root of one blade of an engine-driven plastic cooling fan. The fan still runs smoothly at idle. What should be done?
- Drill a small hole at the end of the crack
- Replace the whole fan with a new one
- Fill the crack with a plastic repair epoxy
- Recheck the crack at the next oil change
Show the answer
B. Correct. The fan spins at engine speed, and a crack at a blade root can let the blade break off and be thrown into the radiator, the hood or a person nearby. A cracked, bent or damaged fan is replaced, not repaired or straightened, and the clutch or hub is checked for wobble at the same time.
Why not the others
A. Stop-drilling is a repair for cracks in some sheet metal, not for a spinning fan blade; the blade can still fail at the weakened root and be thrown. The fan is replaced.
C. Epoxy cannot restore the strength of a cracked blade root, and the patch can upset the fan's balance; the blade can still separate at speed. A cracked fan is replaced.
D. A crack at a blade root can grow and let the blade separate long before the next service, and a thrown blade can damage the radiator and injure someone. The fan is replaced now.
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A vehicle's transmission cooler sits inside the radiator's outlet tank. The ATF on the dipstick is milky pink and stays that way after a sample sits for an hour, and the engine coolant level keeps dropping with no external leak. Which of these could be the cause?
- A transmission cooler leaking internally
- A cylinder head gasket leaking coolant
- Fluid aerated by an overfilled transmission
- Fluid overheated by a slipping clutch pack
Show the answer
A. Correct. The cooler in the radiator tank is the one place where ATF and engine coolant are kept apart by a single wall, so a leak there lets coolant into the fluid, turning it milky pink, while the coolant level falls. The radiator is replaced and the transmission inspected and flushed, because coolant in ATF damages clutch friction material.
Why not the others
B. A leaking head gasket can lose coolant with no external leak, but it sends that coolant into the cylinders or the engine oil; it has no path to the transmission. Coolant reaches the ATF only through the cooler in the radiator tank.
C. Overfilled fluid is churned into a bubbly pink foam, but the bubbles clear as a sample sits, and foam cannot lower the engine coolant level. Fluid that stays milky, with coolant loss, points to the cooler in the radiator tank.
D. Overheated fluid turns dark brown and smells burnt; it does not turn milky pink, and it cannot explain coolant loss. A milky sample with a falling coolant level means coolant is reaching the fluid through the radiator-tank cooler.
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On a transverse engine in a front-wheel-drive car, a strut-type mount (a dog bone) links the engine to the subframe alongside the main mounts. What is its main job?
- Isolating exhaust system vibration from the body
- Carrying most of the engine and transaxle weight
- Limiting engine rocking under drive torque
- Holding the drive axle shafts at their set angles
Show the answer
C. Correct. When the engine drives the wheels, the reaction to that torque tries to rock the engine and transaxle on their mounts, and the strut resists that rocking during acceleration and deceleration. A worn or broken strut bushing lets the engine move more, which shows up as a clunk on throttle changes and extra vibration in the cabin.
Why not the others
A. Exhaust vibration is isolated by the rubber hangers and the flexible coupling in the front pipe, not by an engine mount. The strut's job is to limit the engine's rocking from drive torque reaction.
B. The main mounts carry the weight of the engine and transaxle; the strut is a link that mainly resists the engine's rocking under drive torque. That is why a broken strut is felt as a clunk on throttle changes rather than as a sagging engine.
D. The half-shaft angles come from where the main mounts hold the transaxle and from the suspension's ride height; the strut does not position the shafts. Its job is to limit the engine's rocking from drive torque reaction during acceleration and deceleration.
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Both front tires on a sedan show the same wear: across the full tread width, each rib has a sharp edge on one side and a rounded edge on the other. Pressures are at the placard value, tread depth is even from the inner to the outer shoulder, and there are no dips around the tread. This wear could be caused by:
- incorrect front toe.
- excessive positive camber.
- wheel and tire imbalance.
- low inflation pressure.
Show the answer
A. Correct. A wheel with too much toe-in or toe-out is scrubbed sideways as it rolls, which drags every rib across the road and leaves it feathered, sharp on one edge and rounded on the other. The cure is to set toe to the manufacturer's specification; badly feathered tires stay noisy and may need replacing.
Why not the others
B. Camber out of specification tilts the tire and wears one shoulder faster than the other, so tread depth would differ from the inner to the outer shoulder. Here the depth is even across the tread, which points to toe.
C. An out-of-balance assembly hops as it turns and wears scattered dips (cupping) around the tread, not a feathered edge on every rib across its width. These tires have no dips around the tread.
D. Underinflation lets the center of the tread lift, so both shoulders wear faster than the middle. These tires are at the placard pressure and wear evenly across, so low pressure does not explain the feathered ribs.
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Both rear tires on a high-mileage van have cupped tread: scooped-out dips spaced around the circumference. The tire pressures match the placard, each wheel and tire assembly balances within specification, and rear toe is within specification. Which of these could be the cause?
- Worn rear shock absorbers
- Excessive positive rear camber
- Overinflated rear tires
- Out-of-balance rear assemblies
Show the answer
A. Correct. A shock absorber that no longer damps lets the wheel bounce after each bump, so the tire skips along the road and wears dips around the tread. With pressure, balance and toe ruled out, the rear shocks are checked for leaks, damage and weak damping and replaced in pairs.
Why not the others
B. Excess camber tilts the tire so one shoulder wears faster than the other all the way around; it does not scoop dips at intervals. Cupping comes from the wheel bouncing on worn shocks.
C. Overinflation wears the center of the tread evenly around the tire, and these pressures match the placard. Dips around the tread point to the shock absorbers.
D. Imbalance can make a tire hop and cup, but these assemblies balance within specification. With imbalance ruled out, worn shock absorbers explain the bouncing that wears the dips.
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A car pulls to the left while cruising and pulls harder when braked. After a 5-mile drive with only two light stops, the left front wheel is far hotter than the right and is hard to turn by hand on the lift. Tire pressures and sizes match. Which of these could be the cause?
- A restricted right front hose
- Grease-soaked right front pads
- A left front brake not releasing
- A side-to-side caster difference
Show the answer
C. Correct. A brake that stays applied drags its wheel, which pulls the car toward that side with the pedal released and adds to the pull when braking; the heat and the stiff wheel confirm it. The caliper's piston, slide pins and hose are then checked to find why it is not releasing.
Why not the others
A. A restriction in the right front hose slows the right front's apply, so it could pull the car left during braking, but it cannot drag the left front or pull with the brakes released.
B. Grease on the right front pads would cut that wheel's braking and pull the car left only while braking. It would not heat the left front, make it stiff to turn or pull the car while cruising.
D. A caster difference can pull a car while cruising, but alignment does not heat a wheel or make it hard to turn by hand. Those findings point to a brake that is not releasing.
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On a duo-servo drum brake, the self-adjuster cable runs from the anchor pin around a guide on the secondary shoe to an adjuster lever at the star wheel. When does this adjuster turn the star wheel?
- During brake applications in reverse
- During every forward brake application
- Each time the parking brake is applied
- When the pedal is pumped at a standstill
Show the answer
A. Correct. In a reverse stop the secondary shoe is dragged away from the anchor pin, and the cable then works the lever, which turns the star wheel a tooth once lining wear has opened enough clearance. A vehicle seldom braked in reverse may need its adjustment checked.
Why not the others
B. In a forward stop the secondary shoe is pressed against the anchor pin, so the cable does not move the lever. This design adjusts in reverse stops, when the secondary shoe moves away from the anchor.
C. On this design the parking brake spreads the shoes through its own lever and strut, not through the adjuster cable. The adjuster works in reverse stops.
D. With the vehicle stopped, the drum does not drag the secondary shoe off the anchor, so the cable does not work the lever. Adjustment happens in stops made while backing up.
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After a steering column repair, the supplemental restraint system (SRS) is re-enabled. The service information says the air bag warning lamp should light for about 6 seconds at ignition on and then go out. On this vehicle the lamp does not light at all when the ignition is switched on. What does this result mean?
- An open air bag circuit turned the lamp off
- The system found no faults and is ready
- The lamp or its control has a fault
- The lamp waits for the engine to start
Show the answer
C. Correct. The lamp check at ignition on proves the lamp can warn the driver; a lamp that never lights could hide a real SRS fault. The lamp, its circuit or the module that commands it is diagnosed before the vehicle is returned, and the lamp check is repeated afterward.
Why not the others
A. An open in an air bag circuit is a fault the module reports by turning the lamp on, not off. A lamp that does not light at all points to the lamp or its control.
B. A fault-free system still lights the lamp for its check and then turns it off. A lamp that stays dark has not shown the system is ready; it means the lamp or its control is not working.
D. The service information says the lamp should light at ignition on, with no need for the engine to run. A lamp that stays dark at ignition on has failed its check, so the lamp or its control is at fault.
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A vehicle with an unknown service history comes in for an A/C recharge. Before the recovery machine is connected, which of these shows what refrigerant is actually in the system?
- The refrigerant type on the underhood label
- The reading from a refrigerant identifier
- The design of the system's service fittings
- The static pressure on the manifold gauges
Show the answer
B. Correct. An identifier draws a small sample and reports whether it is pure R-134a or R-1234yf or is contaminated, and many units also flag flammable hydrocarbons. Knowing that first keeps the recovery machine and its stored refrigerant from being contaminated by what comes out of the vehicle.
Why not the others
A. The label tells what the system was built with or converted to, not what was put into it later. With an unknown history, someone may have added a different refrigerant or a blended product, so the contents are tested with an identifier.
C. The fittings show what the system was designed for, but adapters can be used to force another refrigerant in. They prove nothing about the present contents; an identifier test of a sample does.
D. Static pressure follows temperature, and R-134a and R-1234yf have pressure-temperature curves only a few psi apart, so a gauge reading cannot reliably tell them apart or reveal a mix. An unusual reading is at most a hint; an identifier test shows what is in the system.
03Answer key
| Question | Answer | Content area |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | A | Engine Systems |
| Q2 | B | Engine Systems |
| Q3 | A | Automatic Transmission/Transaxle |
| Q4 | C | Manual Drive Train and Axles |
| Q5 | A | Suspension and Steering |
| Q6 | A | Suspension and Steering |
| Q7 | C | Brakes |
| Q8 | A | Brakes |
| Q9 | C | Electrical |
| Q10 | B | Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning |
04Questions by content area
Working on one part of the G1 test? Each content area has its own page with five more free questions.
05More free questions
The G1 study guide covers each content area and how to study for it, and the ASE G1 Auto Maintenance & Light Repair practice test page describes the full G1 question bank. The same free format is available for the other eight tests.
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.