Morrisville State College to Host Statewide Automotive Skills Competition

They'll work in teams of two. Their task is complicated—to diagnose and repair vehicles that have been “bugged” on purpose.



When it is all said and done, one team will drive away the winner of the FORD/AAA Motor Company Student Auto Skills Competition being held at Morrisville State College on May 13.



During the competition, 20 of the best and brightest eleventh- and twelfth-grade student automotive technicians from across the state will race the clock to correctly identify and fix intentionally installed “bugs” on identical Mercury Milan Premier vehicles.



The 10 competing teams, from schools across New York state, will face off in the parking lot of the Automotive Technology Building from 10 to 11:30 a.m.



After properly diagnosing and repairing the vehicle, teammates must drive across the finish line, where their accuracy and workmanship will be judged.



Morrisville State College automotive faculty and staff will serve as judges and timers during the event.



Winners will receive scholarships and other prizes and will also represent New York state at the National Finals in Dearborn, Mich. June 13-15, where they will compete against 49 other state finalists to be declared “America's Next Top Auto Technicians.”



The May 13 competition schedule is:

Competition starts at Auto Tech Building 10 a.m.

Competition ends at Auto Tech Building 11:30 a.m.

Trophies and awards in auto showroom 1:30 p.m.



The competition is cosponsored by AAA and Ford Motor Company.



Morrisville State College offers two bachelor degrees, a bachelor of technology degree in automotive technology management and a bachelor of business administration degree in automotive technology, and two associate degrees, one in automotive technology and the other in autobody technology.



The college's Automotive Technology Building, set up like a dealership, includes a technologically sophisticated environment with nine state-of-the-art laboratories including chassis, electrical, emissions, engines, Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training), fuel diagnostic, R & R (remove and replace) and transmissions.



There is also a showroom, three classrooms and a chassis dynamometer room where horsepower, torque, emissions, engine serial data measurements can be taken from a vehicle and transmitted electronically into a classroom. The bays in each laboratory are hard wired into the college's computer network, and a computerized manual system gives students quick access to automotive-related questions.



The Autobody Technology Building contains the most sophisticated equipment in the autobody industry, capable of tackling something as simple as a door ding to the most advanced repairs.



The Ford ASSET program, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, allows students to earn an associate degree while being involved in a cooperative education experience with a participating Ford, Lincoln or Mercury dealership.