The document provides an overview of a refresher course for technicians on basic automotive principles and entrepreneurship. The course objectives are for participants to understand automotive principles, safety categories, and entrepreneurship. It covers topics such as internal combustion engine operation, vehicle components, safety precautions, entrepreneur characteristics, setting up a mini workshop, and managing vehicle systems.

1. A REFRESHER COURSE
FOR
TECHNICIANS ON
BASIC AUTOMOTIVE AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP

2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
COURSE OBJECTIVE;
At the end of the course,
participants should be able to
understand and practically
explain,
(i) Basic automobile principles
and applications
(ii)Safety and categories of safety
(iii)Entrepreneurship, its

3. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
BASIC AUTOMOTIVE
PRINCIPLES.
Understand the principles of operation of
an internal combustion engine
Operating cycles: internal combustion
engines (ICE) e.g. four-stroke spark
ignition
(SI) and compression ignition (CI) cycles,
two-stroke cycle, ;
identification of induction, compression,
ignition, exhaust strokes,
effects of bore, stroke, swept and

4. GENERAL NTRODUCTION
PRINCIPLE OF AUTOMOBILE VEHICLE
Engine configurations and layout: orientation
(longitudinal/transverse);
Position of engine (front, mid and rear);
cylinder arrangement eg single cylinder twin
cylinder, four cylinder, six cylinder, eight
cylinder;
cylinder configuration e.g inline, vee,
horizontally opposed arrangements;
vehicle design and performance eg space
saving, arrangements for power
transmission,
vehicle function (passenger, people carrier,

5. GENERAL NTRODUCTION
PRINCIPLE OF AUTOMOBILE ENGINES
Engine components/assemblies: engine types eg
four-stroke SI and CI, two-stroke
cycle, Wankel (rotary); components and
assemblies eg cylinder block (piston,
connecting rod, crankshaft and bearings),
cylinder head (camshaft, inlet/exhaust
valves, valve operating mechanisms such as over
head valve (ohv), single over
head cam (sohc), double over head cam (dohc),
variable valve timing); flywheel;
inlet and exhaust manifolds

6. SAFETY
What is safety?
Safety can be seen as a state of being free
from danger or a dangerous situation.
While danger can be in form of hazard,
accident or risk.
Hazard; anything that can cause harm to an
individual or group of persons.
Accident; the occurrence of unintended
damage, harm or injury.
Risk; chances of being harmed due to
exposure to unsafe situation.

7. SAFETY
It is the responsibility of everyone in
the workshop to work safely so as to
avoid accidents that can lead to
injuries, permanent disability or
death.
For better understanding of what
safety is all about, it is further broken
down into three arms;
(i) Personal safety
(ii) Equipment safety
(iii)Workshop safety

8. SAFETY
PERSONAL SAFETY; It concerns those things you
do as an individual to reduce or completely
prevent the chances of being involved in a
dangerous situation. There are certain
precautions one must take to protect oneself
from injuries.
WEARING PROTECTIVE GEARS.
 Eye protection; the eye is a very delicate part of
the body which can be infected or permanently
damaged by certain things in the workshop,
therefore the use of eye protective equipment is
very essential while working under a car,
grinding or working with pressured gas or

9. WORKSHOP SAFTEY AND ARRANGEMENT
AXLE
STAND
H Y D R A U L I C
L I F T

10. ENTRPRENEURSHIP
DEFINATION.
Entrepreneurship can be defined as the
capacity and willingness to develop,
organise and manage a business venture
along with any of its risks in order to make a
profit.
This involves identification f opportunities,
evaluate them as viable, and then decide to
exploit. The opportunity is developed by
Entrepreneur to new products, services, firm
to create wealth.

11. ENTREPRENUERSHIP
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
1. Passion and Motivation.
2. Risk taking.
3. Self-belief, hard work and
disciplined dedication.
4. Adaptability and flexibility (sponge-
like).
5. Understand your offering and its

12. ENTRPRENEURSHIP
CHARACTERISTICS.
The characteristics of a successful entrepreneur
are listed below;
1. Passion and Motivation; An entrepreneur must
be driven by the quest for deeper purpose
beyond the sheer mechanics of operating
business. Passion and motivations determined
through the follow questionnaires;
(i) Is there something that I can work on over and
over again, without getting tired?
(ii) Is there anything that keep me awake because
I have not finished?

13. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ENTRPRENEUR
(iii) Is there something that I have built and want to continue
to improve upon again and again?
(iv) Is there something I enjoyed the most and want to
continue doing for the rest of my life?
Your passion and motivation will determine your success in
any entrepreneurial venture.
2 Risk taking; Entrepreneurs are risk takers, ready to dive
deep into a future of uncertainty. Successful entrepreneurs
are willing time and money on unknowns, but they also
keep resources, plan and bandwidth for dealing with
unknown. When valuing risk, a successful entrepreneur will
ask himself, is this risk worth the cost of my career, time
and money, and what will I do if this venture doesn’t payoff?

14. CHARACTERISTCI OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
3. Self-belief, hard work and disciplined
dedication; Entrepreneurs enjoy what they
do, believe in themselves and are confident
and dedicated to their projects.
4. Adaptability and flexibility (sponge-like);
Successful entrepreneur welcomes all
suggestions for optimisation or
customisation that enhance their offerings
and satisfy clients and market needs.

15. CHARACTERISTCI OF AN ENTREPRENEUR
5. Understand your offerings and its markets;
Entrepreneurs know their products, offerings inside
and out. Remaining unaware of change, needs,
competition moves and other expectations can
bring even great product to failure.
Money Management and Planning; It take time to
get to profitability for any entrepreneurial venture.
Till then, capital is limited and needs to be utilised
wisely. Do a feasibility analysis, identify time and
capital threshold, take a deep dive with your limited
resources. If your thresholds are crossed, look for
alternatives and be prepared to take the next exit.

16. HOW TO SET UP A MINI-MECHANICAL WORKSHOP.
The basic requirements before
you set up a mini-mechanical
workshop are;
(1)Technical know-how
(competence).
(2) Tools and (safety) equipment
(3)Workshop space and a mini-
store
(4)Documents for records

17. HOW TO MANAGE A MINI-MECHANICAL
WORKSHOP
The basic procedure or routine operations
required to manage a mini-mechanical
workshop is outlined below;
(1)Receive customer complaints
(2)Verify/confirm faults by
inspection/testrunning.
(3)Create a job order
(4)Take inventories of valuables
(5)Plan repairs (locations, tools, parts and

18. CONTD. HOW TO MANAGE A MINI-WORKSHOP
(6) Commence repairs.
(7) Request for parts.
(8) Test run the parts
(9) Install using right tools
(10) Complete repairs
(11) Test run the vehicle or generator
(12) Take inventory and wash
(13) Prepare bill
(14) Deliver to customer and get a feed
back.

19. A TYPICAL STANDARD WORKSHOP

20. CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Remember your business is set up to satisfy
needs of, or render services to people who you
will convert to your customers.
Hence, your business is not about your products
and services, or about prices you charge, or
competitors etc. But it is all about customer.
Must be customer focused including policy,
warranty, payment options etc.
The first question a potential customer will ask
himself is, can this entrepreneur or technician
meet my needs or solve this problems?

21. BASIC SYSTEMS IN AUTOMOBILE
VEHICLES AND GENERATOR
The basic systems in internal
combustion engines are;
(1)Fuel system
(2)Cooling system
(3)Lubricating system
(4)Ignition system
(5)Exhaust system

22. HOW ENGINE WORKS.

23. FUEL SYSTEM IN VEHICLE AND GENERATORS
Understand the principles of operation
of fuel supply systems
Petrol combustion process: fuel principles e.g.
composition of petrol, characteristics of petrol,
composition of air, air/fuel ratio.
combustion process e.g. mixing of fuel/air, flame
spread, exhaust emissions;
effects of pollutants/causes of undesirable
emissions e.g. weak mixture, rich mixture, oil
control problems; symptoms of incorrect
combustion process e.g. detonation, pre-ignition;
fuel supply method e.g. fuel injection, mechanical,
fuel system components e.g. tank, petrol filter, air
filter, supply/pressure pump, pressure regulator,
injectors

24. FUEL SYSTEM IN DIESEL ENGINES
Diesel combustion process: fuel
principles e.g. composition of
diesel, characteristics of diesel,
air/fuel ratio;
exhaust emissions e.g. normal,
excess air, excess fuel, effects of
pollutants;
Fuel supply method e.g. rotary, inline,
unit injector; fuel system
components e.g. low pressure
(tank, filter(s), supply pump), high

25. ALTERNATIVE FUEL SYSTEM
Alternative fuel/power: systems e.g.
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),
natural gas,
hydrogen, hybrid; adapted/additional
components e.g. fuel tank,
additional
modifications, cooling system,
management control system,
performance;
legislation e.g. emissions, tax, health

26. FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM, (DIRECT INJECTION)

27. ENGINE COOLING SYSTEMS:
types of system e.g .air-cooled (cylinder
construction, fan, shutters, thermostat),
water-cooled (radiator, radiator cap,
expansion tank, water pump,
viscous/electric/mechanical fans, thermostat,
hoses,
types of coolant, level indication, anti-freeze
protection, effects and prevention of
corrosion);
cooling control systems eg engine temperature
sensor, ambient air temperature sensor,
thermostatic control valves (mechanical and
electrical), cooling air flow control (air flow
control via flap for warm up);
Engine management system eg overheating,
fuel cut-off

28. ENGINE LUBRICATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS

29. ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM:
system components e.g. wet/dry sumps, oil
pump, pressure relief valve;
engine oil types and filtration methods eg
viscosity, Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE) rating, multi-grade oil;
filters eg full flow or bypass;
lubrication control systems e.g. sensors,
level indicator (mechanical, electrical);
pressure sensors e.g. absolute and gauge
or lamp;
low pressure safety system e.g. engine

30. PETROL AND DIESEL ENGINE PERIODIC/ ROUTINE
MAINTENANCE
Be able to carry out engine service and repair
procedures
Routine engine service: procedures e.g. changing
engine lubricant, filters (air, lubricant, pollen, fuel),
checking and adjusting engine timing (ignition,
camshaft);
working to instructions e.g. manufacturer’s service
schedules/data, dealership work schedules/job
cards;
use of tools and equipment eg hand tools, vehicle lift
equipment, oil drainer, on-board service indicators;
safe working procedures e.g. personal and vehicle
protection (personal protective equipment, vehicle
covers, mats);
control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH);
safe disposal of waste products

31. PETROL/DIESEL CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE
Major engine repair: procedures e.g. strip and inspect bore
and crankshaft journals for wear, cylinder head for
distortion, valves for seating and damage;
working to instructions eg manufacturer’s repair manuals,
web-based information, dealership work schedules/job
cards/supervisor’s instructions;
use of tools and equipment eg engine crane, chains, slings,
torque wrenches, micrometers, dial test indicators (DTI),
timing tools, locking devices, cleaning equipment;
safe working procedures eg personal and vehicle protection
(personal protective equipment, vehicle covers, mats),
manual handling, use of lifting and support equipment, use
of cleaning solvents;
safe disposal of waste products

32. COURSE PRATICALS
(PETROL AND DIESEL ENGINES)
Practical details;
Identification of parts
Methods of diagnosis
Methods of repairs.

33. QUESTIONS
AND
ANSWERS

34. THANK YOU