Basic College 8-Week Course on Basic Car Maintenance

More about the course

This 8-week college certificated course is perfect for anyone looking to build a strong foundation in car maintenance, whether for personal use or as the start of a potential career in the automotive industry. Aimed at beginners, the course covers essential skills and knowledge needed to maintain a car in good working order, providing both theoretical understanding and practical, hands-on experience.

Throughout the course, students will learn how to perform routine checks and services, including checking fluid levels, changing oil, replacing air filters, checking and maintaining tyres, as well as basic troubleshooting techniques for common car issues. Emphasis will be placed on safety, the use of tools, and recognising potential problems before they become serious repairs. By the end of the course, students will have the confidence and ability to carry out essential maintenance tasks on their own vehicles, saving time and money while increasing their understanding of car mechanics.

In addition to the basic car maintenance course, we also offer the addition of a Body Shop Repair and Respray introduction for students interested in expanding their automotive skills. This specialised proposal would provide an understanding of car body repairs, including techniques for handling dents, scratches, rust, and other bodywork issues.

The respray element of the course would teach students about surface preparation, the different types of paints and finishes, as well as the tools and safety procedures required for a professional-quality respray. Students would gain practical experience in masking, priming, sanding, painting, and polishing, ensuring they can restore a vehicle’s bodywork to a high standard.

This course would be perfect for students looking to specialise in automotive body repair or those who wish to enhance their DIY car restoration projects. It would be taught by industry professionals, providing hands-on training with real-world applications.

How often does this course run?

Entry requirements:

You will need to be aged 19 or older.

What will I achieve?

What will I learn?

Week 1- Introduction to Car Maintenance and Safety

Overview of the course and expectations.
Introduction to basic car components: engine, tyres, exhaust, etc.
Car safety fundamentals: tools, equipment, and personal protective gear.
Basic car safety checks before starting any maintenance task.

Week 2 - Understanding Engine Fluids and Maintenance

Importance of engine oil, coolant, brake fluid, and transmission fluid.
How to check, change, and top-up fluids.
Overview of common fluid-related issues and how to troubleshoot them.
Hands-on practice: Changing engine oil and oil filters.

Week 3 - Tyre Care and Maintenance

Understanding tyre types, pressure, tread depth, and wear.
How to check tyre pressure and how to use a tyre pressure gauge.
How to change a tyre and perform a wheel alignment.
Hands-on practice: Checking tyre pressure, changing a tyre.

Week 4 - Air Filters and Basic Engine Checks

Importance of air filters and their role in engine efficiency.
How to inspect and replace air filters.
Checking spark plugs, belts, and hoses for wear.
Hands-on practice: Replacing air filters and inspecting belts and hoses.

Week 5 - Braking System Maintenance

Understanding brake pads, discs, and fluid systems.
How to inspect brake pads and fluid levels.
Signs of brake wear and troubleshooting issues.
Hands-on practice: Checking brake fluid and inspecting brake pads.

Week 6 - Electrical Systems and Battery Care

Introduction to car electrical systems: battery, alternator, lights, fuses.
How to check and maintain a car battery.
Troubleshooting common electrical problems.
Hands-on practice: Checking and cleaning battery terminals, changing a fuse.

Week 7 - Basic Troubleshooting and Diagnosis

How to diagnose common car issues: overheating, unusual noises, poor performance.
Understanding error codes and warning lights.
Using basic diagnostic tools (OBD scanner, multimeter).
Hands-on practice: Diagnosing common issues using an OBD scanner.

Week 8 - Putting It All Together

Review of all learned skills and knowledge.
Hands-on assessment: Completing a full car maintenance check.
Discussing future car maintenance strategies.
Course feedback and certification presentation.

How is the course taught?

How am I assessed?

Course costs:

Call us: 01562 820811

Email us: enquiries@kidderminster.ac.uk

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Daily tasks:

Repairs and services air conditioning, heating and engine-cooling systems.
Installs additional electrical amenities such as radio/CD players, aerials.
Checks condition of electrical/electronic systems and carries out servicing tasks.
Diagnoses faults in electrical/electronic circuitry, removes faulty components and fits replacements.
Carries out routine maintenance checks on oil and air filters, brakes and other vehicle parts/systems.
Reassembles, tests, adjusts and tunes the appropriate parts, systems or entire engine.
Removes, dismantles, repairs and replaces defective parts and prepares new parts using appropriate tools.
Visually checks, test drives or uses test equipment to diagnose engine and mechanical faults.

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Median Salary

£27,940 View more

Daily tasks:

Positions, secures and repairs external fittings including windows, doors, door handles, catches and roof attachments.
Installs and repairs interior fittings including seats, seatbelts and fascia in cars, sinks and special features in caravans and mobile shops.
Hammers out dents in bodywork, fills in small depressions or corroded areas in solder, plastic or other filler compound and replaces body panels using hand and power tools.
Repairs damage to chassis and engine mountings using hydraulic rams, jacks and jigs.
Selects, cuts, shapes and assembles materials to form parts of vehicle underframe, framework and body.
Diagnoses job requirements or ascertains work specifications from drawings or instructions.

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Median Salary

£26,527 View more

Vehicle Technicians, Mechanics and Electricians

Daily tasks:

Repairs and services air conditioning, heating and engine-cooling systems.
Installs additional electrical amenities such as radio/CD players, aerials.
Checks condition of electrical/electronic systems and carries out servicing tasks.
Diagnoses faults in electrical/electronic circuitry, removes faulty components and fits replacements.
Carries out routine maintenance checks on oil and air filters, brakes and other vehicle parts/systems.
Reassembles, tests, adjusts and tunes the appropriate parts, systems or entire engine.
Removes, dismantles, repairs and replaces defective parts and prepares new parts using appropriate tools.
Visually checks, test drives or uses test equipment to diagnose engine and mechanical faults.

Median Salary

£27,940 View more

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Vehicle Body Builders and Repairers

Daily tasks:

Positions, secures and repairs external fittings including windows, doors, door handles, catches and roof attachments.
Installs and repairs interior fittings including seats, seatbelts and fascia in cars, sinks and special features in caravans and mobile shops.
Hammers out dents in bodywork, fills in small depressions or corroded areas in solder, plastic or other filler compound and replaces body panels using hand and power tools.
Repairs damage to chassis and engine mountings using hydraulic rams, jacks and jigs.
Selects, cuts, shapes and assembles materials to form parts of vehicle underframe, framework and body.
Diagnoses job requirements or ascertains work specifications from drawings or instructions.

Median Salary

£26,527 View more

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Your courses

Basic College 8-Week Course on Basic Car Maintenance

Start Date: 28th April 2025

More about the course

How often does this course run?

Entry requirements:

What will I achieve?

What will I learn?

How is the course taught?

How am I assessed?

Course costs:

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Adults 19+

What can I do with a qualification in Basic Car Maintenance?

Daily tasks:

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Median Salary

Daily tasks:

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Median Salary

What can I do with a qualification in Basic Car Maintenance?

Vehicle Technicians, Mechanics and Electricians

Daily tasks:

Median Salary

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Vehicle Body Builders and Repairers

Daily tasks:

Median Salary

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