Automotive Emission Systems Engineer Mock Interview

Master 30 Automotive Emission Systems Engineer interview questions covering catalyst design, regulatory compliance, and diagnostic testing.

Question 2 of 30

What formal problem-solving and process improvement methods do you use?

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Carilee Moran

Carilee Moran is a retired automotive engineer with 30 years of experience writing and editing technical reports.

In the long history of engineering, there have been many attempts to package common sense, organizational discipline and statistics into marketable 'systems.' If you are a recent college graduate, you may not have heard of any of them. But if this is not your first rodeo, you may know quite a few quality program buzzwords. Mention as many as you can think of, then expand a little on one that you have personally found to be of value.

Carilee Moran

Carilee Moran is a retired automotive engineer with 30 years of experience writing and editing technical reports.

"I have been trained in a number of quality programs, starting with Phil Crosby's 'Quality Is Free,' accompanied by his mantra, 'Do It Right the First Time.' It's never been my experience that quality was actually free, but we all got the point: the money you spend to get quality may be cheaper than paying for the warranty returns for a poorly designed or made product. In the years since, I have taken several Taguchi Robust Engineering classes. I found these valuable for the statistical tools they provide. When I need to do structured experiments, I get out my Taguchi experimental layout tables to use as a guide. I've heard of Six Sigma, but I have more familiarity with Shainin's Red X and Green Y programs. In fact, I have earned apprentice status in Red X and journeyman in Green Y. Red X is directed more at problem-solving, providing a structured method of defining the problem and then, as they put it, 'splitting the dictionary' - using the clues in front of you to help you go down the right branch of a decision tree to find the root cause of the problem. Green Y is my favorite, because it is a proactive method. With Green Y, you are not just trying to fix a problem that already occurred, you are using a process that helps you to design it well in the first place. It makes you think through the functions of the part or system and helps you to use statistical tools to optimize the functional performance. I am comfortable with these tools and ready to learn new ones that your company may use."

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30Automotive Emission Systems Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

Common

1.What experience do you have working with international suppliers?

Scenario

2.What formal problem-solving and process improvement methods do you use?

Common

3.What made you decide to leave ABC Corporation?

Common

4.Are you more interested in theoretical research or applied research?

Common

5.What part of your previous job did you like best?

Scenario

6.Tell me about a time when you did a car or home repair. What was it, how did you proceed, and how did it turn out?

Technical

7.Draw an octane molecule for me. Hereâ€™s pen and paper.

Technical

8.Describe generally your understanding of the main components of a gasoline vehicle engine emissions control system.

Behavioral

9.Earlier, I asked you to describe how an oxygen sensor works. Your answer was not correct. How would you go about remedying this lack of knowledge?

Behavioral

10.What do you need from your boss in a work setting, and what do you expect from your peers?

Behavioral

11.I see from your resume that you were part of the on-board diagnostics team at XYZ Corporation. What method of diagnosing a stuck-closed charcoal canister did you provide to our mutual customer, ABC Corporation?

Scenario

12.Your customer has asked for a specific software change that you do not believe will solve the very real problem that they are experiencing. What do you do?

Behavioral

13.If you were interviewing someone for this job, what one question would you be sure to ask them?

Technical

14.Describe what engine or vehicle calibration work you have done, and what you found to be the biggest challenges.

Common

15.You speak English very well. I just hear a slight accent. Where are your parents from?

Scenario

16.You are testing some new engine control software on a vehicle. You are ten miles from anywhere and the car quits running. Now what?

Common

17.I see here that you graduated 10 years ago with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and that you have been employed at one company since then. What has been your approach to staying current on technical developments in your field?

Behavioral

18.It says here on your resume that you are familiar with Matlab. That is an important tool that we use in engine management systems work at ABC Corporation. In your view, whatâ€™s the best thing about Matlab?

Technical

19.What would be some of the considerations an engineer would need to take into account in managing fuel and emissions control for CNG as a fuel instead of gasoline?

Scenario

20.A customer is complaining about an engine stalling problem. Two engine management system solutions have been identified. One requires a change in your area of responsibility. The other would require a change in another subsystem. What should you do?

Scenario

21.A friend of yours loves old cars and race cars. He tells you that he has read some articles that say that when you consider every part of the lifecycle of the electric vehicle, it worse than an internal combustion engine vehicle. What do you say to him?

Technical

22.Talk to me about EGR.

Technical

23.Tell me your understanding of how an oxygen sensor works and its function in an emissions control system.

Common

24.Tell me about any experience you have with on-board diagnostics.

Common

25.Are you more interested in hands-on work like calibration and testing, or more software-related work such as creating controls algorithms and software?

Common

26.Are you able to travel when needed? As the job description says, up to ten percent of your time may involve travel, and it may be for several weeks at a time in remote areas. Would that work for you?

Common

27.What experience do you have writing requirements for hardware or software components? How do you approach it?

Behavioral

28.When you have a choice between walking over to a colleagueâ€™s desk, phoning, emailing or instant messaging to communicate with them, which would you choose and why?

Technical

29.Tell me what vehicle data acquisition methods you are familiar with.

Technical

Automotive Emission Systems Engineer Mock Interview

What formal problem-solving and process improvement methods do you use?

30Automotive Emission Systems Engineer Interview Questions & Answers

1.What experience do you have working with international suppliers?

2.What formal problem-solving and process improvement methods do you use?

3.What made you decide to leave ABC Corporation?

4.Are you more interested in theoretical research or applied research?

5.What part of your previous job did you like best?

6.Tell me about a time when you did a car or home repair. What was it, how did you proceed, and how did it turn out?

7.Draw an octane molecule for me. Hereâ€™s pen and paper.

8.Describe generally your understanding of the main components of a gasoline vehicle engine emissions control system.

9.Earlier, I asked you to describe how an oxygen sensor works. Your answer was not correct. How would you go about remedying this lack of knowledge?

10.What do you need from your boss in a work setting, and what do you expect from your peers?

11.I see from your resume that you were part of the on-board diagnostics team at XYZ Corporation. What method of diagnosing a stuck-closed charcoal canister did you provide to our mutual customer, ABC Corporation?

12.Your customer has asked for a specific software change that you do not believe will solve the very real problem that they are experiencing. What do you do?

13.If you were interviewing someone for this job, what one question would you be sure to ask them?

14.Describe what engine or vehicle calibration work you have done, and what you found to be the biggest challenges.

15.You speak English very well. I just hear a slight accent. Where are your parents from?

16.You are testing some new engine control software on a vehicle. You are ten miles from anywhere and the car quits running. Now what?

17.I see here that you graduated 10 years ago with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and that you have been employed at one company since then. What has been your approach to staying current on technical developments in your field?

18.It says here on your resume that you are familiar with Matlab. That is an important tool that we use in engine management systems work at ABC Corporation. In your view, whatâ€™s the best thing about Matlab?

19.What would be some of the considerations an engineer would need to take into account in managing fuel and emissions control for CNG as a fuel instead of gasoline?

20.A customer is complaining about an engine stalling problem. Two engine management system solutions have been identified. One requires a change in your area of responsibility. The other would require a change in another subsystem. What should you do?

21.A friend of yours loves old cars and race cars. He tells you that he has read some articles that say that when you consider every part of the lifecycle of the electric vehicle, it worse than an internal combustion engine vehicle. What do you say to him?

22.Talk to me about EGR.

23.Tell me your understanding of how an oxygen sensor works and its function in an emissions control system.

24.Tell me about any experience you have with on-board diagnostics.

25.Are you more interested in hands-on work like calibration and testing, or more software-related work such as creating controls algorithms and software?

26.Are you able to travel when needed? As the job description says, up to ten percent of your time may involve travel, and it may be for several weeks at a time in remote areas. Would that work for you?

27.What experience do you have writing requirements for hardware or software components? How do you approach it?

28.When you have a choice between walking over to a colleagueâ€™s desk, phoning, emailing or instant messaging to communicate with them, which would you choose and why?

29.Tell me what vehicle data acquisition methods you are familiar with.

30.Can you describe for me what happens in a full cycle of a four-stroke internal combustion engine?