ASE A5 Practice Test

1. On a car with disc/drum brakes, the front brakes grab

quickly when light pedal pressure is applied. This problem

could be caused by a bad:

A. proportioning valve

B. pressure safety switch

C. metering valve

D. residual check valve

C

2. The driver of a vehicle with power disc/drum brakes

says that the brake pedal moves slowly to the floor while

maintaining pedal pressure at a stoplight. What could

cause this problem?

A. leaking primary piston cup in master cylinder

B. leaking power brake booster

C. leaking residual check valve in master cylinder

D. internal leak in the combination valve

A

3. Which of the following would MOST LIKELY happen

if the measurements taken from the check shown above

varied from the manufacturer's specifications?

A. noisy brake operation

B. brake grab or pull

C. pulsating brake pedal

D. low brake pedal

C

4. What is the purpose of the master cylinder residual

check valve(s) on vehicles equipped with drum brakes?

A. allows the driver to pump up the brakes

B. prevents air from entering the hydraulic system

C. prevents wheel lockup by reducing the hydraulic

pressure

D. reduces pedal pulsation by controlling hydraulic

pressure

B

5. A technician has just overhauled the front brakes on a

vehicle with front disc and rear drum brakes. However, when

he attaches a pressure bleeder (pressurized to about 25

psi) to the master cylinder, he cannot get any fluid to come

out of the disc brake caliper bleeder screws. Which of the

following is MOST LIKELY the cause?

A. bad proportioning valve

B. bad pressure differential valve

C. proportioning valve release button not activated

D. metering valve release button not activated

D

6. On a vehicle with single piston floating caliper front disc

brakes, the brake pads on the left side of the vehicle are

almost completely worn while the right side is almost new.

Technician A says that too much rotor runout could be

the cause. Technician B says that a binding caliper piston

could be the cause. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

7. What is the purpose of the bar that is being removed

from the brake assembly shown below?

A. to equalize the braking force between the shoes

during normal braking

B. to center the shoes after each brake application

C. to force the shoes into the drum when the parking

brakes are applied

D. to reduce the distance between the shoes and the

drum

C

8. A hydraulic brake line is leaking. Which of the following is

the correct repair procedure?

A. Cut out the bad section and replace with new steel

tubing using compression fittings.

B. Replace the leaking line with double-flared, seamless

copper tubing.

C. Cut out the bad section and replace with single-flared

steel tubing using flare nuts and unions.

D. Replace the leaking line with double-flared steel

tubing.

D

9. The set-up shown above is used to check: (dial indicator on rotor face)

A. rotor parallelism

B. wheel bearing adjustment

C. rotor lateral runout

D. rotor face wear

C

10. Which of the following problems would be caused by

using a residual check valve in a disc brake master cylinder?

A. reduced brake pedal travel

B. reduced brake system pressure

C. increased brake pad wear

D. increased rotor runout

C

11. A customer complains that their vehicle pulls to the

right when the brakes are applied. Technician A says

a restricted brake line to the left caliper can cause this

problem. Technician B says a malfunctioning proportioning

valve is probably the cause. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

12. With foot pressure applied, the brake pedal on a vehicle

with vacuum assisted power brakes moves down slightly

when the engine is started. Technician A says that this

condition can be caused by a leaking power brake booster

diaphragm. Technician B says that the cause could be a

faulty power brake booster check valve. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

13. Technician A says that the tool shown above is used

to adjust the brake shoes. Technician B says that the tool

shown above is used to determine the inside diameter of

the drum. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

14. The hydraulic system on a vehicle with integral ABS is to

be bled. Technician A says that the front brakes can be bled

in a conventional manner. Technician B says that both front

and rear brakes can only be bled using the pressure from a

fully charged accumulator. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

15. A driver complains that the ABS system on his car

engages every time he applies the brakes on a cobblestone

roadway he uses going back-and-forth to work. This

condition means that:

A. The system is operating normally.

B. The wheels are traveling at different speeds.

C. A wheel speed sensor(s) is faulty.

D. both A and B

D

16. Two technicians are discussing the duo-servo type

drum brake design. Technician A says the brake lining on

the secondary shoe is usually longer and thicker than the

brake lining on the primary shoe. Technician B says the

primary shoe is installed toward the rear of the vehicle.

Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

17. All of the following statements about leading-trailing

type drum brakes are true EXCEPT:

A. The leading shoe does most of the forward braking.

B. Both brake shoes are held against a fixed anchor on

the backing plate.

C. They are self-energizing.

D. The trailing shoe does most of the reverse braking.

C

18. Technician A says that DOT 5 brake fluid has a lower

boiling point than DOT 4. Technician B says that DOT 4

brake fluid is silicone-based and should never be used in

an ABS system. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

19. Brakes that drag or fail to release can be caused by

which of the following conditions in the master cylinder?

A. leaking primary cup

B. leaking secondary cup

C. failure of the residual pressure check valve

D. clogged compensating port

D

20. All of the following could cause a hard brake pedal on a

vehicle with power brakes EXCEPT:

A. an engine with the valves adjusted too tight

B. brake fluid on the linings

C. a leak in the brake hydraulic system

D. a frozen caliper

C

21. Technician A says that a caliper seal installed in the

caliper bore is called a stroking seal. Technician B says that

when the brake pedal is released, the piston in the caliper

moves back in its bore due to the action of the piston seal.

Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

22. When replacing disc brake pads, you must bottom the

caliper piston in its bore to create room for the new pads.

Which of the following is the proper procedure?

A. Use a C-clamp or pliers to slowly bottom the piston in

the caliper.

B. Remove half the fluid from the master cylinder

reservoir, then use a C-clamp or pliers to slowly

bottom the piston in the caliper.

C. Connect a hose to the caliper bleeder screw and

insert the other end of the hose into a suitable

container, open the bleeder screw, then use a

C-clamp or pliers to slowly bottom the piston in the

caliper.

D. Remove the caliper from the vehicle, then use a

C-clamp or pliers to slowly bottom the piston in the

caliper.

C

23. Technician A says that all 3-channel ABS systems

use only 3 wheel speed sensors. Technician B says that

a 4-channel ABS system means that fluid pressure is

independently regulated to each of the wheels during an

ABS stop. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

24. Technician A says that when a rotor is machined, an

equal amount of material must always be removed from

both sides. Technician B says that the minimum thickness

dimension cast into the rotor is the dimension that the rotor

can be machined to. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

25. The purpose of an anti-lock brake system is to maintain

tire (wheel) slip at what level?

A. a level between 50-75%

B. 100%

C. 0%

D. a level between 10-20%

D

26. While on a road test, a technician notices that the rear

wheels lockup and the car skids when attempting to stop

quickly from a high speed. The MOST LIKELY cause of this

problem is a defective:

A. residual pressure check valve

B. pressure differential valve

C. metering valve

D. proportioning valve

D

27. Excessive slack in the parking brake cables can be

eliminated on most vehicles by making an adjustment at

the:

A. equalizer

B. star wheel adjusters

C. strut rod

D. pushrod

A

28. A customer complains that the brake warning light

comes on whenever the brake pedal is depressed while

driving. All of the following could cause this to occur

EXCEPT:

A. a leak in the rear half of the hydraulic system

B. a short to ground in the warning light circuit

C. a leak in the front half of the hydraulic circuit

D. a leaking pressure differential switch

B

29. The MOST common cause for premature front brake

pad wear in a disc/drum system is:

A. seized calipers

B. faulty master cylinder

C. improperly adjusted rear shoes

D. malfunctioning metering valve

C

30. Technician A says that DTCs can be accessed from any

ABS system using flash diagnostics. Technician B says that

ABS system tests can be performed with a bi-directional

scan tool. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

31. To determine if an intermittent ABS problem is related to

an erratic wheel speed sensor signal, which of the following

should be used?

A. ohmmeter

B. voltmeter

C. scan tool

D. digital storage oscilloscope

D

32. A few minutes after the engine was turned off on a

vehicle with vacuum power assist, the brake pedal is

applied and it is hard to push. Technician A says that this

is a normal condition. Technician B says that the booster

check valve is leaking. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

33. The above measurement is made when replacing all of

the following components EXCEPT:

A. master cylinder

B. vacuum power booster

C. brake caliper

D. master cylinder pushrod

C

34. During a brake inspection, an area of the vacuum brake

booster below the master cylinder is found to be damp.

Technician A says that this is a normal condition. Technician

B says that any evidence of fluid indicates a leak and the

master cylinder must be replaced. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

35. Technician A says that tapered roller bearings can be

adjusted using a torque wrench. Technician B says that

tapered roller bearings are adjusted using a dial indicator.

Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

C

36. All of the following could cause a pulsation to be felt in

the brake pedal EXCEPT:

A. brake drum out of round

B. normal ABS operation

C. lateral rotor runout

D. seized caliper piston

D

37. Technician A says that, when testing a proportioning

valve, the pressure at the outlet port to the rear brakes

should rise at a faster rate, once transition pressure is

reached. Technician B says that vehicles with diagonallysplit

hydraulic systems must have the proportioning valve

tested twice. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

38. All of the following disc brake rotor measurements can

be performed using a micrometer EXCEPT:

A. parallelism

B. thickness

C. runout

D. taper

C

39. Which of the following disc brake caliper designs

usually allow the brake pads to be removed without

removing the caliper?

A. fixed

B. floating

C. sliding

D. all of the above

A

40. After applying the brake pedal several times to deplete

the fluid reserve in the accumulator of a Hydro-Boost

system, a technician applies the brake pedal with moderate

pressure and starts the engine. What should the technician

feel at the pedal if the Hydro-Boost system is operating

properly?

A. The pedal should initially rise before moving

downward.

B. The pedal should initially move downward before

rising up.

C. The pedal should move downward.

D. The pedal should rise.

B

41. All of the following can cause disc brake squeal

EXCEPT:

A. loose or missing anti-rattle springs

B. grease on the linings

C. glazed linings

D. dirt embedded in the linings

B

42. Technician A says that when rebuilding a caliper with

a stroking seal, the condition of the caliper bore surface is

critical. Technician B says that when rebuilding a caliper

with a fixed seal, the condition of the piston surface is the

most important consideration. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

C

43. All of the following can cause a vehicle to pull to one

side when the brakes are applied EXCEPT:

A. seized caliper piston

B. worn strut rod bushings

C. blocked master cylinder compensating port

D. brake fluid soaked linings

C

44. Technician A says that ABS wheel speed sensor gap

should be adjusted with a non-magnetic feeler gauge.

Technician B says that a paper spacer can be used to

adjust ABS wheel speed sensor gap but the paper must be

removed before the vehicle is operated. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

45. When discussing wheel bearings, all of the following

statements are true EXCEPT:

A. Tapered wheel bearings are most commonly used on

drive axles.

B. Sealed ball bearings are not adjustable.

C. A new grease seal should be installed when bearings

are repacked.

D. The races on tapered wheel bearings cannot be

interchanged.

A

46. All of the following could cause the parking brake to not

hold a vehicle on a grade EXCEPT:

A. seized cables

B. excessive rear brake shoe-to-drum clearance

C. seized wheel cylinder

D. broken parking brake linkage

C

47. To determine the serviceability of a brake drum, all of

the following should be checked EXCEPT:

A. diameter

B. minimum thickness

C. out-of-roundness

D. taper wear

B

48. A vehicle's brake pedal is pumped rapidly 20 times and

then held down. The master cylinder cover is then removed

and when the pedal is released, a geyser is seen coming

from the reservoir. Technician A says that this indicates

that air is trapped in the system. Technician B says that

this means that fluid is being forced out of the cylinder

bore through the compensating ports and is normal master

cylinder operation. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

49. Technician A says that RWAL ABS systems must be

diagnosed using a scan tool. Technician B says that the

ABS warning light will only come on when there is a fault in

the system. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

50. Technician A says that any imperfection found in a

phenolic caliper piston warrants replacement. Technician B

says that a phenolic caliper piston should be protected with

a block of wood when installing it into the caliper bore with

a C-clamp. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

51. Which of the following should be used to measure the

thickness of a scored rotor?

A. vernier caliper

B. outside micrometer with flat anvil and spindle

C. inside micrometer

D. outside micrometer with pointed anvil and spindle

D

52. During routine vehicle maintenance, the fluid level in the

master cylinder reservoir is checked. When the reservoir

cap is removed, purple colored fluid is found in the

reservoir. Technician A says that this means the fluid should

be topped off with DOT 4, which has a higher boiling point

than regular brake fluid. Technician B says that this means

that the fluid is contaminated; all rubber parts in the system

must be replaced and the system flushed. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

53. A complete front brake service has just been performed

on a vehicle with disc brakes: rotors turned, calipers rebuilt,

new brake pads, bearings repacked and adjusted. However,

when the vehicle is road tested, a pulsation can be felt

through the pedal. Which of the following is the MOST

LIKELY cause of the pulsation?

A. non-directional finish not applied to rotors

B. wrong lining compound chosen

C. over-torqued lug nuts

D. incorrect bleeding sequence

C.

54. Brake fluid leaking from a cracked brake line causes the

brake light on the dashboard to come on in response to the

loss of hydraulic pressure. Which of the following valves in

the hydraulic system switched on the light?

A. metering valve

B. pressure differential valve

C. proportioning valve

D. residual check valve

B

55. Technician A says that an integral ABS system is an

add-on system. Technician B says that a non-integral ABS

system is a high-pressure system. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

56. The diameter of drums mounted on the same axle

should measure within how many thousands of an inch of

one another?

A. 0.001

B. 0.005

C. 0.010

D. 0.020

C

57. Absorption of 3% moisture can reduce the boiling point

of DOT 3 brake fluid by what percentage?

A. 10%

B. 20%

C. 25%

D. 50%

C

58. All of the following are procedures for removing air from

a hydraulic system EXCEPT:

A. bench bleeding

B. power bleeding

C. manual bleeding

D. vacuum bleeding

A

59. All of the following can be used to apply a nondirectional

finish to a disc brake rotor EXCEPT:

A. sanding block

B. fine file

C. lathe attachment

D. sanding disc

B

60. All of the following can cause a problem in the Hydro-

Boost system EXCEPT:

A. loose power steering pump belt

B. leaking power steering hoses

C. low power steering pump pressure

D. leaking check valve

D

61. A customer says that he has just replaced his front disc

brake pads himself and now the ABS warning light is on.

Which of the following could be the cause?

A. damaged wheel speed sensor

B. incorrect wheel speed sensor gap

C. stuck ABS solenoid valve

D. all of the above

D

62. Drum brake drag can be caused by all of the following

EXCEPT:

A. frozen parking brake cables

B. frozen star wheel

C. restricted brake hose

D. swelled wheel cylinder cups

B

63. Technician A says the type of fitting shown above is

common to all brake systems. Technician B says the flare

shown was formed with an inverted flaring tool. Who is

right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

64. Technician A says the rear brake shoes should be

properly adjusted before adjusting the parking brake.

Technician B says the parking brake lever should be

disengaged before adjusting the equalizer. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

65. Which of the following should be used to clean a disc

brake rotor after it is machined?

A. compressed air

B. solvent tank

C. soap and water

D. brake cleaning solvent

C

66. A front brake hose is being replaced. On this type

of hose, the male end threads directly into the caliper.

Technician A says the end of the hose that attaches to

the steel brake line should be connected first. Technician

B says that a new copper sealing washer should be used

when the hose is connected to the caliper. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

67. Technician A says that surge bleeding is used in

conjunction with manual or pressure bleeding. Technician

B says that surge bleeding is used to remove air that is

trapped in the brake hydraulic system. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

C

68. All of the following are cause for brake rotor refinishing

EXCEPT:

A. hard spots

B. heat checks

C. scoring

D. thickness variation

A

69. In the above illustration, Technician A says that new brake

shoes are being adjusted after installation. Technician B says

that the procedure shown above is being done so the brake

drum can be removed. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

70. The front disc brake pads are being replaced on a

vehicle with composite rotors. The left front rotor is scored

below the 'machine to' but not the 'discard' thickness.

The right front rotor has minor heat checks but otherwise

checks out OK. If cast rotors are the only available

replacements, which of the following is the proper course

of action?

A. Machine both rotors, being careful not to exceed the

'discard' thickness.

B. Replace the left front rotor and machine the right front.

C. Replace both rotors.

D. Replace the left front rotor and leave the right front alone.

C

71. Which of the following brake symptoms can be caused

by wheel bearing problems?

A. pedal pulsation

B. brake pull

C. grabbing

D. all of the above

D

72. Which component in the Hydro-Boost system provides

power assist if there is a loss of hydraulic pressure to the

system?

A. boost piston

B. check valve

C. accumulator

D. open-center spool valve

C

73. A customer complains that the parking brake will

not keep his car stationary. The car has four-wheel disc

brakes. Technician A says the caliper levers could be out of

adjustment. Technician B says the brake shoes could need

adjustment. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

C

74. When replacing an integral hub/bearing assembly on

a front wheel drive vehicle, all of the following must be

removed EXCEPT:

A. brake rotor

B. brake caliper

C. steering knuckle

D. wheel

C

75. A wheel cylinder has been disassembled and corrosion

and light scoring have been found in the bore. Technician

A says the bore can be refinished using a small hone

lubricated with cutting oil. Technician B says oversize

pistons and cup seals can be installed if the hone removes

too much material. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

76. Two technicians are discussing traction control

systems. Technician A says that some traction control

strategies do not use the brakes to control wheel spin.

Technician B says that a fault in the ABS does not affect

traction control. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

77. When rough machining a brake drum, the depth of cut

and spindle feed rate should be:

A. 0.010-0.015-in. at high feed rate

B. 0.010-0.015-in. at low feed rate

C. 0.005-in. at high feed rate

D. 0.005-in. at low feed rate

A

78. In the test shown above, vacuum should:

A. exist on the engine side but not on the booster side

B. exist on the booster side but not on the engine side

C. exist on both sides

D. exist on neither side

B

79. Technician A says the number on the brake drum

shown above indicates the maximum diameter, beyond

which the drum should not be used. Technician B says the

number indicates the maximum diameter the drum can be

machined to. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

A

80. A vehicle's brake warning system schematic is shown

above. All of the following could cause the brake warning

light to stay illuminated EXCEPT:

A. a short to ground between C105 and C201

B. a stuck closed parking brake switch

C. an open between C237 and C305

D. a leaking wheel cylinder

C

81. A technician wants to check the condition of a vehicle's

brake fluid. Where should he get the sample to make the

most accurate determination?

A. master cylinder reservoir

B. brake caliper

C. combination valve

D. wheel cylinder

B

82. Two technicians are discussing brake bleeding

procedures. Technician A says gravity bleeding is a relatively

quick way to bleed a brake system. Technician B says

silicone brake fluid cannot be gravity bled. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

D

83. Which of the following is the MOST cost-efficient

method of correcting excessive lateral runout on a disc

brake rotor?

A. indexing

B. shimming

C. machining

D. replacement

A

84. New disc brake pads have just been installed.

Technician A says the new pads must undergo a burnishing

process during the road test to 'cure' the pads. Technician

B says the new pads must be burnished to seat them on

the rotor. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

C

85. The parking brake pedal on a vehicle with automatic

parking brake release remains depressed when the vehicle

is placed in drive.

All of the following are possible causes EXCEPT:

A. defective vacuum motor

B. faulty release switch

C. vacuum leak

D. seized cables

D

86. Two technicians are discussing Electronic Stability

Control (ESC) systems. Technician A says the ESC control

module uses inputs from the steering wheel rotation sensor

and wheel speed sensors to calculate the driver's intended

path. Technician B says the ESC control module uses

inputs from the lateral acceleration and yaw rate sensors to

calculate the vehicle's actual path. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

C

87. A vehicle exhibits intermittent ABS activation, but when

the technician connects a scan tool to the DLC, no DTCs

are found. Which of the following could be the cause?

A. damaged tone wheel teeth

B. loose wheel bearing

C. rust under the wheel speed sensor mount

D. all of the above

D

88. Technician A says as brake fluid ages, it can corrode

ABS control valves. Technician B says brake fluid corrodes

the copper in the brake lines. Who is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B

89. Which of the following is the MOST correct wheel

cylinder repair procedure?

A. disassemble, loosen the bleeder screw, clean and

hone, clean and assemble

B. disassemble, clean and hone, clean and assemble,

loosen the bleeder screw

C. loosen the bleeder screw, disassemble, clean and

hone, clean and assemble

D. disassemble, clean and hone, loosen the bleeder

screw, clean and assemble

C

90. A vehicle's ABS warning light is on and a DTC for the

left front wheel speed sensor is found in the computer's

memory. When check with an oscilloscope, the waveform

for the left wheel speed sensor is erratic and uneven.

Technician A says the sensor air gap is excessive.

Technician B says the tone ring is probably damaged. Who

is right?

A. Technician A only

B. Technician B only

C. Both A and B

D. Neither A or B

B