How Long Does It Take to Become an Automotive Mechanic?
How long does it take to become an auto mechanic? Explore this role and how to pursue a career in the industry with training from UTI!
Key Points
- Comprehensive Training in Power & Performance®: The Power & Performance® portion of the 51-week Automotive & EV Technology program at Universal Technical Institute (UTI) offers a specialized nine-week set of three courses.7,37 They focus on engine building, tuning and automotive performance enhancements, including the use of turbochargers, superchargers and nitrous oxide for power boosts.
- Hands-On Learning Experience: Students engage in practical learning in the Power & Performance® courses by performing a full engine teardown, blueprinting and rebuild.18They then test and tune the engines they've built using a T-bucket setup, develop performance tuning maps and apply these skills on various vehicles using a chassis dynamometer.
- Collaboration with Industry Leaders: UTI collaborated with Roush Yates Engines, a leading engine builder for Ford Performance, to develop a curriculum that reflects the modern racing experience. This ensures that students are learning the latest techniques and practices in engine performance.
- Three-Stage Structure: Power & Performance® is divided into three distinct three-week courses covering engine building, bolt-on performance enhancements and computer performance tuning. This structure allows students to progressively build their knowledge and skills, culminating in the ability to optimize vehicle performance through advanced automotive tuning methods.
- Accessibility and Career Preparation: No prior experience is required to enroll in UTI's Power & Performance® courses, making the curriculum accessible to individuals with varying backgrounds. The classes are offered at 12 campus locations across the United States, providing students with the opportunity to start training for a career in automotive tuning and performance enhancement at their convenience.1
The smell of the octane, the sound of motors revving and the sight of beautiful, eye-catching rides can only mean one thing … you’re in the Power & Performance® lab at Universal Technical Institute.
If you’re passionate about making cars faster and more powerful, you’ll feel right at home in UTI’s Power & Performance® courses. As a student in the 51-week Automotive & EV Technology program, you’ll take automotive tuning classes that in just nine of those weeks cover topics like engine building, exhaust systems and everything in between.7,37
Keep reading to learn all about this exciting curriculum and get a behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in the Power & Performance® lab.
What are Automotive Tuning Classes?
Automotive tuning classes teach you how to enhance vehicle performance by adjusting engine settings, upgrading parts and optimizing systems. Students learn hands-on skills in areas like engine tuning, fuel management and performance diagnostics.
What Are Automotive Performance Classes?
Automotive performance classes focus on improving how vehicles run, handle and perform. Students learn hands-on skills like upgrading engines, fine-tuning suspensions, boosting horsepower and optimizing fuel systems.
Learn Automotive Tuning and Performance at UTI
UTI’s Power & Performance® courses are included in the 51-week Automotive & EV Technology program. To develop curriculum based on the modern racing experience, UTI teamed up with Roush Yates Engines, the exclusive engine builder for Ford Performance and winner of more than 350 races.
Designed with speed enthusiasts in mind, Power & Performance® covers converters, camshafts and cylinder heads, turbochargers, cold-air induction and even nitrous oxide power boosts.
Students learn to perform a full engine teardown, blueprint and engine rebuild. They drop the engine they’ve built into a T-bucket to test and tune, build performance tuning maps and then upload those maps to vehicles for testing and tuning.
Once they master the basics, students take their training to the Chassis Dyno lab. Here, they work with performance tuning chips by uploading them to different cars and running them on the dynamometer to test horsepower and torque.
The Power & Performance® classes are a favorite among students — and for good reason! These high-power automotive tuning and automotive performance courses are designed to equip you with valuable skills you can build upon as you pursue a career in the industry.1
Hear from one of UTI’s instructors and follow along as he tests a 2004 Pontiac GTO on the dyno:
A Breakdown of the 3 Power & Performance® Classes
So, what exactly will you learn in the Power & Performance® lab? It is broken into a series of three-week courses, each with a different focus:
Power & Performance® I: Engine Build
In this first course, you’ll learn the intricacies of how a bare engine comes together. You’ll learn how to rebuild an engine when given an exact set of specifications, with an emphasis on high-performance engine building techniques and practices.
From cylinder-head designs, to valve-train geometry, to roller rockers and lifters, you’ll learn all aspects of building an engine and how to select components that complement each other for optimum results. According to UTI instructor Mike Salvo, students in this course create a relationship with what they’re building — it becomes their own.
Power & Performance® II: Bolt-On Performance
In this next automotive performance course, students put their engine into a T-bucket and run it on the dyno. They learn about the operation of dynamometer testing, with an emphasis on tuning and computer selection for optimum performance. Both chassis and engine dynamometers are used to help students understand engines and rear-wheel horsepower.
As students run their engine on the dyno, they’re able to see how it performs. They’ll use dynamometer data to understand how changes to an engine’s induction, exhaust and fueling system affect its performance.
Power & Performance® III: Computer Performance Tuning
In this last course, students focus on all things automotive tuning. They learn how vehicle modifications and performance equipment can change the engine’s ability to function at its peak.
Using aftermarket software, students change the calibration of the vehicle’s powertrain control module to manage performance enhancements and modifications. The objective is to build an engine that creates as much horsepower and torque as possible but is also long-lasting.
By the end of the Power & Performance® courses, students should feel accomplished. In just nine weeks, they learn what goes into building and testing an engine that’s ready to hit the track!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Power & Performance® course?
Power & Performance® comprises three, three-week courses, making it nine weeks in total, which are included in the 51-week Automotive Technology program.37
What is dyno tuning?
Dynamometer tuning involves adjusting a vehicle’s ignition, fuel and air supply to achieve as much horsepower and torque as possible while keeping the proper air-fuel ratio. Power & Performance® teaches students how to tune an engine after they learn about engine building.
Do students learn about superchargers and turbochargers?
Students in our automotive tuning classes learn about both superchargers and turbochargers. They learn to size superchargers and turbochargers correctly in order to make power.
Does UTI use nitrous in the cars?
Yes. Nitrous, which is often referred to as “horsepower in a bottle,” is used in the program. Students learn to identify what an engine can handle in order to use nitrous correctly.
Horsepower vs. torque: What’s the difference?
Horsepower and torque are covered in Power & Performance®. Essentially, torque is a rotating force produced by the crankshaft in an engine. The more torque, the more work the engine performs. Horsepower is the measure of how quickly an engine can accomplish this work (a helpful way to look at it is torque multiplied by RPM).
When do students get to use the dyno?
Once students learn about engine building and demonstrate their understanding, they have the opportunity to test on the dyno.
Do I need prior experience to train at UTI?
At UTI, we have students from all backgrounds and skill levels. Our programs are designed to build your knowledge from the ground up, so no prior experience is required!
Start Training for Your Career in UTI’s Tuning Courses
UTI’s Power & Performance® courses, which are part of the Automotive & EV Technology program, are available at multiple campus locations across the country.
The Automotive & EV Technology program starts multiple times throughout the year, which means you can get going and start preparing for a career sooner. To learn more, visit our program page and request information to connect with one of our Admissions Representatives. Or, if you’re ready to take the leap, enroll today!
Source Links:
Roush Yates: https://roushyates.com/
Dynamometer tuning: https://www.rspmotorsports.com/what-does-dyno-tuning-do/
Superchargers and turbochargers: https://www.mobil.com/en/sap/our-products/why-mobil/driving-performance-and-protection/turbochargers-vs-superchargers-how-they-work
Horsepower and torque: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a15347872/horsepower-vs-torque-whats-the-difference/
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*UTI now offers all of its automotive, diesel, motorcycle and marine technician training in a blended learning format consisting of online lecture courses along with in-person, hands-on lab training.
1 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
2 ) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.
7 ) Some programs may require longer than one year to complete.
18 ) UTI now offers all of its automotive, diesel, motorcycle and marine technician training in a blended-learning format consisting of online lecture courses along with in-person, hands-on lab training.
37 ) Power & Performance courses are not offered at UTI Mooresville. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois, Inc. is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.