It is an independent, non-profit organization created in 1972 in response to consumers needing to distinguish between incompetent and competent automotive technicians.

The goal, said Stuart Rosenthal, an association vice president, was to build a training base for automotive technicians.

A Labor Department study in May 2005 found that there was a growing need for automotive technicians.

She prefers the term "diagnostician" for herself, and calls the 21 men in her repair crew "automotive technicians."

The system will record where the problem is occurring and assist automotive technicians in diagnosing and repairing emission control malfunctions.

Motorists must seek information and education to empower themselves in dealing with automotive technicians in all situations.

For this reason, automotive technicians often advise operators to turn on the heater and set it to high if the engine is overheating.

The center trains about 100 people a year as entry-level automotive technicians and assists them in finding employment.

Work on the conventional parts of the car-including the brakes, tires, and body work-can be performed by any qualified automotive technician.

Every year, millions of small weights are attached to tires by automotive technicians while balancing them.