Description
Automotive battery technicians assemble, install, inspect, maintain and repair batteries in motor vehicles. They use electrical test equipment to confirm good working condition after installation. They evaluate batteries to determine the nature of power problems. They also prepare old batteries for disposal.
Other titles
The following job titles also refer to automotive battery technician:
automotive battery tester
battery installer
truck battery technician
bus battery technician
lorry battery technician
dry cell battery technician
automotive battery installer
coach battery technician
dry cell installer
car battery installer
automobile battery technician
dry cell repairer
technician of automotive batteries
car battery technician
automotive battery repairer
automotive battery assembler
motor vehicle battery technician
installer of automotive batteries
dry cell tester
motor vehicle battery installer
vehicle battery technician
automobile battery installer
Minimum qualifications
Automotive battery technicians typically need a high school diploma, but for some jobs, an associate’s degree may be required. Though not necessarily a requirement, a background in engineering helps battery technicians understand how batteries work.
Some prospective battery technicians may opt to complete an apprenticeship. Courses for battery technicians may include physics, battery technology, circuits, and soldering.
ISCO skill level
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
- the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
- the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
- the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Automotive battery technician is a Skill level 2 occupation.
Automotive battery technician career path
Similar occupations
These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to automotive battery technician.
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Long term prospects
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of automotive battery technician. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of automotive battery technician with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
electromechanical engineering technician
hydroelectric plant operator
aircraft maintenance engineer
geothermal power plant operator
projectionist
Essential knowledge and skills
Essential knowledge
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of automotive battery technician.
- Battery fluids: The characteristics and properties of battery fluids.
- Chemical products: The offered chemical products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
- Battery chemistry: The different battery types according to the representative chemical components used in the anode or the cathode such as zinc-carbon, nickel-metal hydride, lead-acid, or lithium-ion.
- Battery components: The physical components, such as wiring, electronics and voltaic cells that can be found in batteries. The components vary according to size and type of battery.
Essential skills and competences
These skills are necessary for the role of automotive battery technician.
- Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves.
- Read standard blueprints: Read and comprehend standard blueprints, machine, and process drawings.
- Operate battery test equipment: Operate equipment used for battery testing, such as a soldering iron, a battery tester, or a multimeter. Detect flaws affecting the battery’s performance, test the battery’s capacity for accumulating charge, or test its voltage output.
- Use technical documentation: Understand and use technical documentation in the overall technical process.
- Apply health and safety standards: Adhere to standards of hygiene and safety established by respective authorities.
Optional knowledge and skills
Optional knowledge
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of automotive battery technician. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Electric current: Flow of electric charge, carried by electrons or ions in a medium such as an electrolyte or a plasma.
- Electricity: Understand the principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.
Optional skills and competences
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of automotive battery technician. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
- Apply soldering techniques: Apply and work with a variety of techniques in the process of soldering, such as soft soldering, silver soldering, induction soldering, resistance soldering, pipe soldering, mechanical and aluminium soldering.
- Install transport equipment batteries: Install batteries in transport equipmentby using hand and power tools. Make sure the battery fits the model of the transport equipment.
- Dispose of hazardous waste: Dispose of dangerous materials such as chemical or radioactive substances according to environmental and to health and safety regulations.
- Handle the disposal of chemicals: Dispose of chemicals and treatments safely according to site waste management procedures.
- Repair battery components: Repair battery components through replacing cells, repairing wiring, or spot-welding cells.
- Operate lifting equipment: Transport heavy objects using lifting equipment such as cranes, forklifts etc.
- Keep records of work progress: Maintain records of the progress of the work including time, defects, malfunctions, etc.
- Set up automotive robot: Set up and programme an automotive robot working on machine processes and substituting or collaboratively supporting human labour, such as the six-axis automotive robot.
- Operate soldering equipment: Use soldering equipment, such as a soldering gun, a soldering torch or a gas-powered iron, to melt and join together pieces of metal or steel.
- Assemble automotive batteries: Manufacture batteries for motor vehicles by using hand tools, power tools or automated machines. Read and understand blueprints and technical plans to comprehend specifications and requirements.
ISCO group and title
7412 – Electrical mechanics and fitters
References