Automotive Technology

Summarizes the operation and service of typical air bag systems, utilizing a combination of live-action footage and computer animation. Covers air bags on both the driver's and passenger's side of the vehicle, and their construction, operation, and service, with special attention to servicing the sensors that operate this life-saving component. (21 min.) A Meridian Production.

This exciting 12-part series offers a complete crash course on how to make damaged vehicles look new again. Ideal for introducing, reinforcing, and reviewing essential body shop practices, procedures, tools, and techniques. Safety is stressed. Each informative video starts with a demonstration of the proper tools and preparations and then follows an apprentice technician through the job at hand. Automotive experts thoroughly explain key technical points. Viewable/printable instructor's guides available online provide learning objectives, program summaries, educational standards, vocabulary terms, auto tech trivia questions, discussion and assessment questions, video scenarios, student activities, and lists of additional resources. Correlates to the standards for the Collision Repair and Refinish Technician Training Certification Program, from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. A Shopware Production. 12-part series, 15-24 minutes each.

Welcome to the auto body repair shop! This video introduces basic repair concepts, safety procedures, and NADA service ethics. A wide range of tools is presented, and the metalworking and refinishing areas of a typical shop are shown. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to the standards for the Collision Repair and Refinish Technician Training Certification Program, from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. A Shopware Production. (21 minutes)

It's easier to understand how to repair and rebuild cars after you've seen them being put together. This video travels to an automobile factory to take a look at front end assemblies, suspensions, major panels and components, and eight different types of frames. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to the standards for the Collision Repair and Refinish Technician Training Certification Program, from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. A Shopware Production. (15 minutes)

See what's being done to help drivers stay safe in the dark, look at where concept cars might be headed, and take an environmentally friendly ride with a world champion racer. Innovations featured in this program include: BMW's Night Vision and High Beam Assist systems, the diminutive Mini Geneva and dramatically sculpted Saab Aero X concept cars, Mazda's RX8 hydrogen-power technology, an impressive arsenal of green automotive strategies from Volvo, and the Audi R10 Le Mans-the world's first-ever diesel-powered sports prototype racing car, with commentary by Head of Audi Sport Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen. (25 minutes)

Listen in on a driver's conversation with his car, watch General Motors resurrect a classic, and see what happens when the world's most celebrated racing circus comes to town. Achievements featured in this program include: the OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation system which allows a back-and-forth dialog between commuter and computer; another GPS system, this one from BMW, which swivels a car's headlamps at the same angle as its front wheels; the latest version of the Chevy Camaro, with commentary from GM head Rick Wagoner; and the fleet of trucks, equipment, and customized parts-as well as the army of elite technicians-that accompany traveling Formula One events. (25 minutes)

Take a seat inside a state-of-the-art driving simulator, experience a revolution in truck tires, and look at biofuels from the perspective of America's oldest operating car manufacturer. Design developments featured in this program include: the Volvo C30 and its sophisticated safety additions; a dynamic BMW simulator that reproduces the motions and pressures a driver feels behind the wheel; water-dispelling Michelin tires with Raindrop and Double Wave sipes; and Ford's innovations in hybrid technology-specifically, a computer that can tell a vehicle which propulsion system to use based on road conditions. Roelant de Waard, Chairman of Ford Britain, explains the system's benefits. (25 minutes)

Examine efforts to cut vehicle pollution, see what goes into designing a winning racer in the 21st century, and discover a futuristic car with an unlikely name-from an unlikely source. Automotive milestones featured in this program include: the Hydrogen 7-Series sedan, which puts BMW ahead of the game in hybrid production, although it still can't match a gas-powered car in performance; Britain's Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, which sets green goals for the year 2010; and a carbon-fiber-and-Kevlar-bodied two-seater V8 surprise called the Redback Spyder, from Australia's Carbontech-better known for their Lamborghini Countach replicas. (25 minutes)

Enjoy the latest in motorsport magic, witness what could be the end of the flat tire, and take a ride across the English Channel-in a small Italian car. Triumphs of ingenuity featured in this program include: the Prodrive P2, the MB Supercar, and the MIRA track where both were tested; PAX, Michelin's potentially invulnerable auxiliary-supported run-flat tire system; new methods of organization and operation in racing pits; and the watertight Panda Terramare 4, a Fiat revamped by Italian engineer Maurizio Zanisi with an inflatable pontoon and waterjet propulsion system. Zanisi explains the process of developing and testing his prototype, which in 2006 he drove" from England to France, then home to Italy. (24 minutes)"

Witness the rebirth of a 40-year-old classic, see what kinds of toxic life forms can grow inside an automobile, and check out a virtual muscle car comparison. Technological milestones featured in this program include: the resurrection of BMW's popular 2002 model four decades after its original release; innovations that combat everything from mold and bacteria growth on upholstery to aerodynamic problems on a car's exterior; the sporty design of the Alfa Romeo 159; and computerized simulations of Mustang and Camaro models-that haven't been designed yet. Stanford University Center for Turbulence Research director Parviz Moin and Motor Trend experts provide insight. (24 minutes)

Watch car design students putting their work to the test, and study revolutionary new forms of vehicles-and roads-that are coming into real-world use. Key developments featured in this program include: a silent, battery-powered urban vehicle from Global Electric Motorcars; paving technology made from recycled tires that helps create new highways over old railway lines; the ethanol-powered Dodge Grand Caravan and Ram Flex Fuel vehicles; and the sophisticated design and engineering processes that went into the Mercedes Benz R-Class. A visit to Britain's Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome and Proving Ground reveals the challenges faced by students from around the world as they build engineering skills. (24 minutes)

Meet a car that parks itself, examine life in the fast lane on two wheels, and explore the ins and outs of seat belts. Noteworthy achievements featured in this program include: BMW's experimental Connected Drive model that can literally put itself to bed; the BMW R 1200S motorcycle, which the company hopes will lure riders away from Japanese and Italian sportbikes; and restraint equipment that can improve both racing and commuter safety, according to F1 expert Christian Danner and Dr. Johannes Stoiber of the Allianz Centre for Technology. An additional segment shows how the computerization of cars is rapidly turning automotive repair into a white-collar profession. (24 minutes)

Discover the secrets of crash testing, how manufacturers and professional testers enhance car safety, and what a modern racing driver wears to work. Driver-friendly innovations featured in this program include: rigorous procedures used to test the safety of the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster; the painstaking work of the Thatcham Car Test Center in Great Britain, focusing on everything from brake effectiveness to seat shape; and pioneering full-body protection, such as computer-designed helmets and three-layer fire-retardant Nomex suits, considered standard equipment by today's racers. The importance of anti-theft car security is also explored by the Thatcham researchers. (25 minutes)

See history re-created in a modern concept car, visit the hottest test-track on earth, and then go testing again-in the opposite extreme. Automotive landmarks featured in this program include: the BMW 328, unveiled and driven at the 2006 Mille Miglia by nine-time winner Guliano Cane; a hot-weather proving grounds in Arizona, near Death Valley-essential for developing safeguards against dust as well as overheating; and an equally challenging test site in Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle, used by Volvo and other manufacturers to determine car safety and effectiveness in icy weather. Die-hard test drivers Rikard Vevang, Anders Polheimer, and Veronica Anderson provide commentary. (25 minutes)

Sit in on police driver training, explore the common ground between car and motorcycle, and learn about the long history of victorious V8s. Groundbreaking accomplishments featured in this program include: teaching techniques applied at the Volvo driving academy in Sweden, where British cops come to train on icy roads and frozen lakes; the VW GX 3, a three-wheeled two-seater with a motorcycle's lightness and speed; the BMW Clever, or Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport, which also has aspects of a bike; and the 70-year saga of celebrated Mercedes-Benz eight-cylinder technology, culminating in the advent of AMG's 6.3-liter model. (24 minutes)