IMILV01 Carry Out Routine Light Vehicle Maintenance Assessment 2026

IMILV01 Carry Out Routine Light Vehicle Maintenance

Overview    

This NOS is about conducting routine maintenance, adjustment and replacement activities as part of the periodic servicing of light vehicles.

Assessment

1.

A) With a typical procedure for checking fluid level in a fully automatic, light vehicle transmission, first have the engine and transmission at normal working temperature. Put the vehicle in park, remove the transmission dipstick, but with the engine still and not moving. When the dipstick is removed, make sure the oil level is somewhere in the middle of the maximum level and minimum level. If it is not at the correct level or hitting the minimum mark, then top it up.

B) Three checks to a front wheel drive shaft to ensure serviceability during routine maintenance are: checking for leakages, checking for too much free play, and checking for unusual noises such as knocking whilst road testing.

C) Changing the engine oil and filter:

• The engine should be warm, not cold.
• Have the engine cap taken off.
• Take out the drainage plug.
• Drain out the oil into an appropriate empty container.
• Remove the filter along with the seal.
• Use a new washer when refitting the drain plug.
• Fit filter.
• Refill with new oil at the right quantity.
• Start the engine to check the levels are okay.

D) While carrying out routine maintenance, three vehicle systems that need checking are:

• Engine
• Tyres/wheels/rims
• Chassis

2.

A) Using the correct depth indicator, the tread of the tyre should be measured, and this should be done at 90-degree turns measure around the full width of the tyre tread. You should also do a quick visual check around the circumference of the tyre tread for any bold spots.

B) The minimum legal tyre requirement relating to tyre tread depth is 1.6mm at the middle ¾ of the tyre tread.

C) How to check the steering rack, steering box, and ball joint as part of routine maintenance:

• Ball joint: look for a lift in the ball joint as you have your partner turn the steering wheel left and right really quickly.
• Steering rack: while your partner is moving the steering wheel left and right very quickly, ensure the rack mountings are secured and look out for too much free play at the joints, and also check if there are any visible splits in the gaiters.
• Steering box: Have your partner move the steering wheel left and right in a fast motion. Look for any issues in the box, such as whether or not it is secure. Look out for whether the drop arm or joints have a lift in them. And also look out for if the box is spilling oil.

D) It is important to maintain the tyres correctly as part of routine maintenance to avoid any further issues with tyre such as over-inflating the tyres to the point where they could wear out quicker at the centre of the tread. Make sure the tyres are fitted according to the manufacturer's data, which includes using the correct type of tyres for that vehicle. This is to make sure the tyres meet legal road requirements. It is also important that the tyres are maintained correctly so that the vehicle is up and running at its best and that there isn’t any decrease in the handling of the vehicle or really bad fuel economy e.t.c.

3.

A) During maintenance inspection on an exhaust system, two checks that should be carried out are:

• Checking the security of exhaust mountings.
• Checking for any Deep damages or holes in the system.

B) Checking the exhaust gas of a light vehicle spark ignition engine would be checked to make sure it meets confirmed legal requirements:

• Have vehicle in park.
• Have the engine working at its normal working temperature.
• Accelerate the engine up to about 1,200-1,500rpm to clean out any impure substances from the exhaust pipe.
• Connect an exhaust gas analyser into the exhaust with the engine still running at a steady pace.
• Measure the exhausts for gases such as hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and carbon monoxide.

C) Four checks you would make to assess the condition and serviceability of a telescopic suspension damper:

• Visual check for leaking fluids.
• Visual check for damage like dents or cracks.
• Check that the damper does its job and can absorb impact by checking the spring.
• Visual check on checking if all mountings are secure.

D) If there is a defect you discover during routine maintenance that is not included in the vehicle manufacturer’s scheduled maintenance list, you should tell your supervisor so that he/she can inform the customer. Also, keep a note of further defects found.

4.

A) Three checks that would be made to a light vehicle battery as part of routine maintenance are:

• Visual Check for damage around the battery casing if anything is coming out.
• Visual Check if the Carrier for the battery is secure and stable.
• Visual Check that the terminals of the battery are stable and secure

B) Procedure for checking the serviceability and condition of the rear lights as part of routine maintenance:

• Have your partner Start car and gradually reverse so that you can see from behind to see if the reverse lights work. Then have your partner turn on the left and then the right indicators to see if they are operating properly from viewing them from behind. Also, tap lightly after testing each rear lamp to check for a loose connection.

C) Procedure for checking the headlamp alignment as part of routine maintenance:

• Go in the car and pull on the lever.
• Lift the hood and prop it up with the steel stand.
• You will see that there are adjustment screws and mounting screws at the bottom, at the top and at the side of the headlight.
• have the vehicle Parked approximately 25 feet from a nearby wall,
• have a piece of tape placed at a horizontal level at about 4 feet high on the wall the vehicle is facing.
• Have a headlamp beam tester applied to each headlamp and then have the low beams switched on. Have the headlights adjust so that
• they are shining on the low tapes switched on. Have the headlights adjust so that they are shining on the low tapes switched on.

5.

A) Explain the following terms associated with lubricants used in basic vehicle maintenance:

i) Viscosity- it is a measurement of oil for the change in viscosity according to the temperature, as well as its Flow resistance. This is usually used to check the characteristics of viscosity. The lubricant viscosity is closely connected to its ability to lower levels of friction when contact with solid objects is made.

ii) Multi-grade oil: Multigrade oils is an oil that must achieve two viscosity identifications, the viscosity grades amount up to two numbers, for example, 10W-40: the amount 10W is according to a low temperature of viscosity, so this will be shown in winter, whereas 40 refers to a viscosity of high temperature, so this will be shown in Summer.

B) Three reasons why it is important to use the recommended parts, service intervals, and correctly trained technicians to carry out the work:

• Every vehicle uses specific parts according to its manufacturer's manual, as the parts specified for that vehicle could be the only right-sized part for that vehicle, and if fitted with the wrong part, that vehicle may not function like it's supposed to, and if the part is too big, it could cause surrounding parts to rub against it and become damaged.
• To also maintain the warranty of the manufacturer.
• It is important that only a correctly trained technician can carry out work on a vehicle because they would know what they are doing, and there is a reduced chance of them messing things up while doing the maintenance. If the job on a vehicle was carried out by someone who is not trained, there is a more likely chance that manufactures would not be maintained.

C) Two regulations against which road worthiness of a vehicle is assessed:

• To keep vehicles that haven’t had a correct MOT test and are unsafe off the road.
• To secure/make sure of the obedience of construction and use regulations.

D) After completing routine maintenance on a vehicle, three things that should be checked to ensure it meets customer expectations are:

• Make sure the steering wheel isn't dirty and greasy.
• Make sure there are no Grease marks on the body of the vehicle.
• Make sure everything is returned to normal according to how it was first given in to repair by the customer.