ASE T3 DRIVETRAIN UPDATED ACTUAL
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
●● 2. A manual shift transmission slips out of fifth gear. The MOST
likely cause of this problem is:
A. a broken detent spring
B. too much shaft and gear spline wear
C. worn countershaft bearings
D. a chipped countershaft drive gear
Answer: 2. The correct answer is A. The detent ball lightly holds the
gear lever in place when a shift is complete. With a broken spring, there
will be no pressure holding the ball in the detent located in the shift rail.
Vibration can easily cause the direct drive (top gear) shift collar to slide
and disengage. Answers B and D would cause grinding when shifting
into gear, while answer C would cause a whining noise.
●● 3. The shift lever on a single countershaft transmission is hard to
move. Which of these is the MOST likely cause?
A. bent shift rails
B. galled sliding clutch gears
C. worn detent springs
D. too much mainshaft gear end-play
,Answer: 3. The correct answer is B. Galled surfaces on the sliding
clutches would make it difficult for them to slide along the shafts and in
and out of the gears. Bent shift rails and worn detent springs would
cause the transmission to slip out of gear. Too much mainshaft gear end
play would cause shifting to be next to impossible and the transmission
will exhibit a growling noise.
●● 4. In a transmission that has been taken apart, all of the bearings are
excessively worn. Technician A says the cause could be moisture in the
lubricant. Technician B says the cause could be too high an operating
temperature. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B
Answer: 4. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Bearing
wear often occurs when the viscosity of the gear lube is too low. Water
dilutes the gear lube, thereby thinning it. Heat also thins the gear lube by
breaking it down chemically.
●● 5. A truck with a high-torque, low-rpm engine exhibits a great deal of
gear noise, as well as wear of the splines on various drivetrain parts. The
truck uses a rigid disc clutch. All the U-joint angles are acceptable. The
MOST likely cause of this problem is that the
A Driver abuses the clutch by releasing it too rapidly
,B. Engine produces torsional vibration, which should be removed from
the drivetrain by using a dampened disc clutch.
C. Engine mounts are worn.
D. Engine rating is such that the transmission requires the use of an oil
cooler.
Answer: 5. The correct answer is B. A rigid clutch cannot dampen the
severe vibrations produced by modern high torque diesels. The only
other source of the kind of vibration torque that would cause such
damage would be misaligned driveshafts, and they have been found to
be OK.
●● 6. A truck fleet presently uses transmissions with an overdrive top
gear ratio. It wishes to convert its trucks to the use of direct-drive
transmissions. In order to get approximately the same number of engine
revolutions per mile in top gear, the company would have to:
A convert the gearing in its rear axles to a higher (numerical) ratio
B. convert the gearing in its rear axles to a lower (numerical) ratio
C. it need not convert (the same rear axle ratio will produce the same
engine revolutions per mile)
D. convert to lower-profile tires (which would turn more revolutions per
mile)
Answer: 6. The correct answer is B. On vehicles with overdrive. the
engine turns more slowly than the transmission out put shaft and the
driveshafts at any given speed. With a direct drive transmission, the
engine must turn at the same speed as the driveshafts-in other words,
with the same axle, faster. A numerically lower axle, requiring fewer
, revolutions of the driveshafts, would be the only means of bringing the
required rpm of engine and drive shafts back down.
●● 7. Which one of the following operating conditions does NOT
indicate to the technician that the truck would operate more reliably with
a transmission oil cooler?
A. truck is rated at 350 hp
B. truck has a power rating of 450 hp
C. truck cab has the maximum number of aerodynamic devices to
smooth air flow
D. truck normally cruises in an overdrive ratio of 0.85:1
Answer: 7. The correct answer is A. Any truck rated less than 400 hp is
normally approved for operation without a transmission oil cooler; only
trucks of 400 hp and up require them.
●● 8. A hydraulic clutch slave cylinder is being replaced. What should
the technician do first?
A. disconnect the clutch pedal pushrod
B. remove the slave cylinder from its mounting
C. disconnect the hydraulic line
D. adjust clutch pedal free-play
Answer: 8. The correct answer is A. The clutch pedal pushrod must be
disconnected before servicing the slave cylinder. Damage to the master
cylinder can occur if the pedal is accidentally depressed with the slave
cylinder disconnected.
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS COMPLETE STUDY GUIDE
●● 2. A manual shift transmission slips out of fifth gear. The MOST
likely cause of this problem is:
A. a broken detent spring
B. too much shaft and gear spline wear
C. worn countershaft bearings
D. a chipped countershaft drive gear
Answer: 2. The correct answer is A. The detent ball lightly holds the
gear lever in place when a shift is complete. With a broken spring, there
will be no pressure holding the ball in the detent located in the shift rail.
Vibration can easily cause the direct drive (top gear) shift collar to slide
and disengage. Answers B and D would cause grinding when shifting
into gear, while answer C would cause a whining noise.
●● 3. The shift lever on a single countershaft transmission is hard to
move. Which of these is the MOST likely cause?
A. bent shift rails
B. galled sliding clutch gears
C. worn detent springs
D. too much mainshaft gear end-play
,Answer: 3. The correct answer is B. Galled surfaces on the sliding
clutches would make it difficult for them to slide along the shafts and in
and out of the gears. Bent shift rails and worn detent springs would
cause the transmission to slip out of gear. Too much mainshaft gear end
play would cause shifting to be next to impossible and the transmission
will exhibit a growling noise.
●● 4. In a transmission that has been taken apart, all of the bearings are
excessively worn. Technician A says the cause could be moisture in the
lubricant. Technician B says the cause could be too high an operating
temperature. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B
Answer: 4. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Bearing
wear often occurs when the viscosity of the gear lube is too low. Water
dilutes the gear lube, thereby thinning it. Heat also thins the gear lube by
breaking it down chemically.
●● 5. A truck with a high-torque, low-rpm engine exhibits a great deal of
gear noise, as well as wear of the splines on various drivetrain parts. The
truck uses a rigid disc clutch. All the U-joint angles are acceptable. The
MOST likely cause of this problem is that the
A Driver abuses the clutch by releasing it too rapidly
,B. Engine produces torsional vibration, which should be removed from
the drivetrain by using a dampened disc clutch.
C. Engine mounts are worn.
D. Engine rating is such that the transmission requires the use of an oil
cooler.
Answer: 5. The correct answer is B. A rigid clutch cannot dampen the
severe vibrations produced by modern high torque diesels. The only
other source of the kind of vibration torque that would cause such
damage would be misaligned driveshafts, and they have been found to
be OK.
●● 6. A truck fleet presently uses transmissions with an overdrive top
gear ratio. It wishes to convert its trucks to the use of direct-drive
transmissions. In order to get approximately the same number of engine
revolutions per mile in top gear, the company would have to:
A convert the gearing in its rear axles to a higher (numerical) ratio
B. convert the gearing in its rear axles to a lower (numerical) ratio
C. it need not convert (the same rear axle ratio will produce the same
engine revolutions per mile)
D. convert to lower-profile tires (which would turn more revolutions per
mile)
Answer: 6. The correct answer is B. On vehicles with overdrive. the
engine turns more slowly than the transmission out put shaft and the
driveshafts at any given speed. With a direct drive transmission, the
engine must turn at the same speed as the driveshafts-in other words,
with the same axle, faster. A numerically lower axle, requiring fewer
, revolutions of the driveshafts, would be the only means of bringing the
required rpm of engine and drive shafts back down.
●● 7. Which one of the following operating conditions does NOT
indicate to the technician that the truck would operate more reliably with
a transmission oil cooler?
A. truck is rated at 350 hp
B. truck has a power rating of 450 hp
C. truck cab has the maximum number of aerodynamic devices to
smooth air flow
D. truck normally cruises in an overdrive ratio of 0.85:1
Answer: 7. The correct answer is A. Any truck rated less than 400 hp is
normally approved for operation without a transmission oil cooler; only
trucks of 400 hp and up require them.
●● 8. A hydraulic clutch slave cylinder is being replaced. What should
the technician do first?
A. disconnect the clutch pedal pushrod
B. remove the slave cylinder from its mounting
C. disconnect the hydraulic line
D. adjust clutch pedal free-play
Answer: 8. The correct answer is A. The clutch pedal pushrod must be
disconnected before servicing the slave cylinder. Damage to the master
cylinder can occur if the pedal is accidentally depressed with the slave
cylinder disconnected.
