01
Start Here — Apprentice foundations
Foundations, Electrical & Testing, Drivability & Diagnostics, Brakes 1, and Steering & Suspension 1 give newer technicians a clean first lane built around inspection, basics, and repeatable test habits.
Curriculum
Train technicians on a real path, not a flat shelf.
AutoTech Academy is now big enough that the job is no longer just adding courses. The job is making the path obvious: where a newer tech starts, what comes next, and how managers intentionally move people through systems, diagnostics, and leadership.
02
Diagnostic Core
Foundations 2, Electrical 2, HVAC 1, Engine Performance 1, Transmission / Driveline 1, Engine Mechanical 1, and ADAS / Calibration 1 build stronger complaint framing, proof discipline, and system separation.
03
Systems Specialist
Brakes 2, HVAC 2, Engine Performance 2, Advanced Electrical / Network, Advanced Drivability / Scope Strategy, Network Diagnostics 2, Scope Strategy 2, ADAS / Calibration 2, Hybrid / EV, and Diesel courses deepen real specialty capability instead of pretending advanced work is leadership by itself.
04
Lead Tech / Leadership
Shop Workflow / Leadership, Comeback Prevention, QC / Final Check, Handoff & Escalation 2, and Diagnostic Leadership 2 turn strong technicians into better case owners, escalators, coaches, and shop stabilizers.
Live academy
Start with the core path, then branch by system, depth, and role.
Apprentice / Early Technician
Best for newer technicians and developing B-techs who need a strong operating system first.
Start here with inspection discipline, cleaner electrical habits, drivability basics, and honest undercar inspection reps.
Foundations for Modern Automotive Technicians
Apprentice / Early Technician · Recommended order #1
New technicians, apprentices, and service-minded B-techs.
- 4 weeks · 9 lessons
- Build techs who can work clean, document clearly, and troubleshoot from facts.
Electrical Testing That Actually Solves Problems
Apprentice / Early Technician · Recommended order #2
B-techs, diagnosticians in training, and shop owners raising electrical confidence across the team.
- 5 weeks · 9 lessons
- Get technicians comfortable proving circuits instead of replacing parts on hope.
Drivability Diagnostics for Real-World Shop Pressure
Apprentice / Early Technician · Recommended order #3
Diagnostic technicians, lead techs, and owners building a stronger diag culture.
- 6 weeks · 9 lessons
- Help technicians diagnose faster, explain findings clearly, and stop bouncing between guesses.
Brakes 1 for Real Inspection, Safe Decisions, and Defensible Recommendations
Apprentice / Early Technician · Recommended order #4
Technicians who need stronger brake inspection discipline, better complaint interpretation, and cleaner recommendation logic.
- 5 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can inspect brake systems with confidence, identify the real failure lane, and communicate brake recommendations without drama or guesswork.
Steering & Suspension 1 for Honest Ride Complaints, Solid Inspection, and Safer Recommendations
Apprentice / Early Technician · Recommended order #5
Technicians who need stronger ride complaint interpretation, undercar inspection discipline, and cleaner steering/suspension recommendation logic.
- 5 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can turn vague ride complaints into real inspection findings, identify worn or unsafe steering and suspension conditions, and communicate repair logic without guessing.
Diagnostic Core
Best for technicians moving from basic competence into reliable diagnostic ownership.
Build stronger proof, better complaint framing, and more confident system separation across the problems shops see every week.
Foundations 2 for Dependable Technicians Under Pressure
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #1
Technicians who already understand basic workflow and now need better judgment under pressure.
- 4 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who protect paid time, preserve diagnostic value, and communicate proof clearly when cases stop being easy.
Electrical 2 for Intermittents, Control Strategy, and Higher-Confidence Proof
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #2
Technicians who already understand basic circuit testing and now need stronger proof strategy on harder electrical cases.
- 5 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can narrow difficult electrical problems faster, prove the lane cleanly, and stop turning intermittent clues into random part replacement.
HVAC 1 for Honest A/C Diagnosis, Airflow Complaints, and Defensible Repair Logic
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #3
Technicians who need stronger A/C complaint framing, better airflow-vs-refrigeration separation, and more credible HVAC recommendations.
- 5 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can take vague hot-or-warm air complaints, test the right lane, and explain HVAC repair logic clearly without replacing parts on hope.
Engine Performance 1 for Complaint Framing, Fuel-Air Thinking, and Higher-Confidence Proof
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #4
Technicians who need stronger complaint framing, better lane selection, and more disciplined engine-performance diagnosis under real shop pressure.
- 5 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can frame engine performance complaints cleanly, test the right lane, and explain fuel-air-spark-control repair logic with stronger proof.
Transmission / Driveline 1 for Complaint Framing, Honest Testing, and Defensible Repair Calls
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #5
Technicians who need stronger transmission complaint framing, better separation of driveline vs transmission symptoms, and more disciplined recommendation logic.
- 5 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can frame transmission and driveline complaints clearly, test the right lane, and explain repair logic without turning every symptom into a full unit replacement story.
Engine Mechanical 1 for Compression Thinking, Timing Truth, and Defensible Mechanical Calls
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #6
Technicians who need stronger engine-mechanical diagnostic discipline before recommending teardown, timing work, engine replacement, or other heavy repairs.
- 6 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can frame mechanical-engine complaints clearly, test the right lane, and explain compression, timing, sealing, and restriction concerns without bluffing or overcalling the failure.
ADAS / Sensor Calibration 1 for Prerequisites, Responsibility, and Defensible Calibration Decisions
Diagnostic Core · Recommended order #7
Technicians and shop leads who need stronger ADAS calibration judgment, safer repair planning, and cleaner customer-facing explanations.
- 6 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can identify ADAS-related repair triggers, confirm prerequisites, perform or route calibration responsibly, and document the logic without bluffing or shortcut language.
Systems Specialist / Advanced Diagnostics
Best for strong diagnostic technicians expanding into more complex modern systems.
Tackle networked systems, advanced drivability, ADAS, electrification, and diesel with more structured high-level reasoning.
Lead Tech / Shop Leadership
Best for senior technicians, lead-tech candidates, and people carrying more shop signal.
Turn solid individual technicians into better escalators, handoff writers, case owners, and shop stabilizers.
Manager Operating Standards v1 for Placement, Reassignment, and Cleaner Training Control
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #1
Owners, managers, and lead-tech operators responsible for assigning learning, monitoring progress, and deciding when a technician should stay, move, or get coached differently.
- 4 weeks · 6 lessons
- Build managers who can run the academy like a shop system: assign the right starting lane, intervene when movement stalls, recognize near-completion correctly, and reassign people based on real readiness instead of vibes.
Progression / Readiness Checkpoints v1 for Honest Lane Completion and Next-Lane Moves
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #2
Owners, managers, and lead-tech operators who need a credible way to decide when someone has actually completed a lane, when they are nearly ready, and when the next-lane move should wait.
- 4 weeks · 6 lessons
- Build a training system where lane completion means something operationally, managers know what readiness really looks like, and promotions through the academy happen from evidence instead of vibes.
Shop Workflow / Diagnostic Leadership for Cleaner Handoffs, Better Time Protection, and Stronger Shop Credibility
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #3
Technicians growing into lead-tech, foreman, or high-trust shop roles who need stronger workflow judgment, handoff discipline, and diagnostic leadership habits.
- 6 weeks · 8 lessons
- Build technicians who can own cases more cleanly, improve handoff quality, protect paid time, and communicate diagnostic leadership in a way that helps the whole shop perform better.
Comeback Prevention / Final Verification Discipline for Cleaner Deliveries, Fewer Repeat Failures, and Stronger Lead-Tech Judgment
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #4
Technicians moving toward lead-tech or shop-operator trust who need stronger final-verification habits and better comeback-prevention judgment.
- 6 weeks · 6 lessons
- Build technicians who can verify repairs more honestly, catch incomplete work before delivery, and model lead-tech discipline around comeback prevention.
QC / Final Check Process for Consistent Releases, Better Shop Signal, and Fewer Quality Escapes
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #5
Technicians, lead techs, and operators who need stronger process discipline around quality control, final checks, and delivery readiness.
- 6 weeks · 6 lessons
- Build technicians who can run a trustworthy QC pass, separate true completion from hopeful completion, and support a cleaner release standard across the shop.
Handoff & Escalation 2 for Better Case Transfer, Smarter Support Requests, and Stronger Team Throughput
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #6
Technicians already comfortable with basic case handoff who now need stronger multi-person workflow, escalation timing, and lead-tech coordination habits.
- 6 weeks · 6 lessons
- Build technicians who can escalate earlier and cleaner, transfer cases without value loss, and behave more like lead techs supporting total shop throughput instead of just their own bay.
Diagnostic Leadership 2 for Case Direction, Coaching Under Pressure, and Shop-Operator Level Decision-Making
Lead Tech / Leadership · Recommended order #7
Lead techs, senior diagnosticians, and owners/operators building stronger case direction, coaching habits, and shop-level diagnostic leadership.
- 6 weeks · 6 lessons
- Build technicians who can lead the diagnostic floor more effectively, coach the team's next move, and think beyond single-case success toward whole-shop quality and throughput.