Ashley Moloney

At RMR diesel I worked as a light vehicle mechanic, focusing on 4 wheel drive vehicles. This job offered a range of different areas and vehicles to learn and develop my skills in.

Areas included:

-Custom suspension setups tailored to customer needs (lift kits, upgraded arms, stabilisers etc)

-Engine performance upgrades (turbo, exhaust, injectors, engine management, intake systems and much more)

-Electrical accessories fitted and modified to suit (lighting, sound systems, engine components, control systems)

-Basic fabrication of components for vehicles (intakes, chassis bracing, exhaust and parts modification)

-Engine remap and tuning (varying reading hardware to suit each vehicle, including PCM, Kess3 and HPtuners)

-Mechanical diesel injection tuning (boost compensation and varying styles of pumps)

-Engine rebuilding (OEM spec and modified diesel engines)

-Differential rebuilds and overhauls

-General vehicle accessories (bar work, roof racks, winches, wheels and tires)

-Dyno operation for tuning and diag

This work mentioned, along with standard logbook servicing, maintenance, and diagnosing faults were my duties in this role.

The vehicles ranged from Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, LDV and more. Plus a range of models from each brand. This was a diverse job with access to learn about almost every aspect of these vehicles.

At Torque Tech I worked as an LV mechanic on fleet hire vehicles for a private owned workshop in a FIFO role. Fleet vehicles were hired to mine sites and maintained through us. Companies we associated with were Hertz, Budget, Avis and others. As well as hire companies, we also did service and repair work on general public customers.

The work tasks included at this workshop were:

-Servicing

-Repairs

-Diagnosing faults

-Tire fitment

-Windscreen replacement

-A/C diag, repairs and charging systems

-Basic electrical fit outs and repairs

At this workshop, the range of vehicles varied including Toyotas, Ford, Isuzus, Mazda, and more. As well as passenger vehicles, I also worked on light trucks and heavy machinery.

At Stans Machinery I worked through my apprenticeship as a light vehicle mechanic working on Kubota tractors and farm machinery. This role was highly interesting to learn on agricultural equipment whilst aiming for a qualification in automotive vehicles. Despite the circumstances, i performed this with excellence and exceeded my peers of whom were working on passenger cars daily. Stans offered equipment that is comparable to passenger cars in relation engine capacity and operation, whilst adding systems to learn about also.

This role taught me to think about additional components, different methods and helped me develop skills in alternative fields.

including:

-Servicing and maintenance

-Repairs

-Rebuilding equipment

-Assembly of new equipment

-Hydraulic systems

-Dyno testing

-Attachments and accessories (fitment and servicing)

This job offered a range from small engines in mowers, to 170hp tractors with 6ft wheels, and machinery related to these.