For the training program, we provided the following facilities to take care of vehicles

built before 1996.

A one cylinder two stroke engine petrol generator

A Peugeot 504 GR – with single barrel Solex carburettor,

An Audi 80 – with bosch KE-Jetronic fuel injection system

A VW Golf GTi 1.8 – Bosch LH-Jetronic, (Digifant II)

A Mercedes 200 ( W123) – Stromberg CD carburettor

A Mercedes 230e (W 124) KE3 Montronic

A 1989 Toyota Camry 16v , EFI A VW 2.8 VR6 - Bosch Montronic , OBD I diagnostic socket, A Model Engine of a one quarter scale Dogde Hemi 426 cu inch V8 to be assembled A Mistubishi Galant 3.0 V6 quad Cam Stroboscope Timing Light , Fuel Pressure Gauge , Automotive Analyzer , Automotive digital Tester , Torque wrench , Basic tool set , Jacks, Relays , Multi-media Projector , 3- laptops , OBD 1 Adapters and Software (VAG 3.11) and Technical manuals

7.0 Enthusiasm unlimited

The first part of the training dealt with workshop safety procedures. This was because of

our familiarity with several mechanics with missing fingers – collected by the Coolant Fan Blade -and others with colon cancer – after decades of drinking raw petrol and some with broken rib – caused by failed jacks and wrong jack procedure.

Having worked in a workshop that was destroyed by fire and seen vehicles cremated by road side mechanics, we had no choice but to drum the safety issues into the trainees ears.

Charged with excitement and fear (from the ladies) we bulldozed on to the second part of the program which involved a detailed discussion and multimedia presentation of the various automobile subsystems.

9.0 An then they were ten – remember they were eleven

As the class gathered for the second part of the program someone noticed that one person was missing in the class and we waited and waited and he did not come back. It then dawned on us the safety training had made him flee for safety. All this talk about fire and missing fingers and colon cancer was just too much for the dude to appreciate.

10.0 Signal Over Load

As the lectures on the workings of the various subsystems continued, the recurring theme we noticed was that the trainees seemed not to correlate what they thought they knew with the images projected on the multi-media projector screen.

Even after several attempts to explain certain processes, the trainees were still not able to easily repeat not to talk of understand the explanations given. We then realized that – as one of them informed us - that English language was really not part of the Engineering curriculum.

The confusion experienced by some of the trainees when given a laser pointer to describe an automobile subsystem bordered on panic. The words were just not forthcoming and in cases where they came, they came out distorted and incomprehensible. By the end of the first week, these signs of stress had been transmuted by some of the trainees into anger with the whole training program.

Some wondered why they should be made to go through this process after surviving it through school. Others complained that they could not see the correlation between what we were teaching and their ability to repair cars.

Some asked to be exempt from the seminar session as their skills lay in the practical aspect and that then their actions will speak louder than our words.

Though we were still not satisfied with the trainees’ theoretical understanding of the automobile subsystems even after an extra two weeks extension, we decided to proceed to other parts of the course work.

The tacit agreement amongst the trainees was that they would understand it better when the real thing started.

We assured them that we were really dealing with the real thing because before you go to fix anything, you must thoroughly understand the working principles of the subsystem, a well defined theory of failure and finally a mental picture of your trouble shooting procedure. Without these, you are like a blind mouse running across a room with a hungry cat.

10.0 Coefficient of unaccounted losses

 On the first day of lecture for the third part of the program, cell phones started ringing during the class sessions and excuses were being thrown at the lecturers every so often, so that the phones can be answered.

Signs of lack of seriousness were showing as several trainees started asking management and business related questions. Some wanted to know just how much one can make doing this job as compared with picking up a ‘well paid’ job, others started confessing that now that they had gotten a little bit of experience that they really did not think they loved doing this kind of work.

A few were getting constant calls from home forcing them to explain over and over again what exactly they claimed they were doing. One of the trainees excused himself to attend the burial of his great-great-grand mother After due deliberation with the trainees, we all agreed that the best way to start the practical session was to use the Model Dodge Hemi Engine as a means of integrating the theoretical aspects of the engine knowledge acquired.

Following a briefing on the great American eight cylinder engine that had just resurfaced in a lot of trucks and SUVs, we also informed the trainees that this model engine was designed for children from the ages of twelve and above and as such we did not consider it a problem for the trainees.

Every one was excited as the packaging was being unwrapped, luckily, there was also a step by step instruction manual on how to go about the assembly, and a final picture of what the end product would look like. We provided the model glue which was not

part of the packaging and made photocopies of the assembly manual so that everyone will be prepared for day of assembly.