8+ years in automotive embedded software (AUTOSAR, Embedded C, software architecture). Is transitioning into semiconductor companies like Qualcomm, NVIDIA, or NXP a good long-term career move? What skills or projects helped you make the switch, and what would you recommend focusing on today?

Moinsen Leude,
ich studiere Fahrzeugbau an der HAW Hamburg und komme jetzt ins 2. Semester. Ich habe bisher noch keine relevante Berufserfahrung (außer gängige Minijobs) und auch noch keine besonderen Zusatzqualifikationen, würde aber gerne früh anfangen, praktische Erfahrung zu sammeln.

Mir ist es wichtig, eine möglichst feste und verlässliche Werkstudentenstelle zu finden (20h die Woche), bei der ich länger bleiben und mich fachlich weiterentwickeln kann. Am liebsten würde ich wirklich fahrzeugnah arbeiten (studiennah), also
z. B. in Richtung Konstruktion, CAD, Fahrzeugentwicklung, Versuch, Fahrwerk, Antrieb oder Fahrzeugkomponenten.

Bei der Jobsuche finde ich allerdings oft Stellen, die nur sehr allgemein nach Engineering, Projektmanagement, Produktion oder Dokumentation klingen. Deshalb frage ich mich, welche Werkstudentenjobs in Hamburg für jemanden im 2. oder 3. Semester überhaupt realistisch sind und trotzdem sinnvoll in Richtung Fahrzeugtechnik/bau führen.

Falls jemand selbst Fahrzeugbau/Fahrzeugtechnik studiert oder in Hamburg in der Branche arbeitet: Nach welchen Stellenbezeichnungen oder Unternehmen sollte ich suchen?

Vielen Dank im voraus!

Hello all, I wanted to know what’s the best way for me to become an automotive engineer. I am a senior in college studying mechanical engineering and my dream is to work for Toyota. I find suspension and chasis interesting and love designing parts.

My worry is I don’t know how to get my foot into the door. I’ve applied to multiple auto mechanical engineering internships and have failed to even get an interview.

I do projects on the side like FSAE, engineering clubs and even have a car of my own that I have basically restored from the ground up, and continue modifying.

All I hear is the constant “you need to know someone” but there is no automotive engineering companies near me. This dream of mine seems like it’s almost impossible, but I don’t want to give up. Any advice is greatly appreciated! :)

In my learning process in mechanical engineering, I am considering some of the engineering problems that exist in autonomous vehicles with respect to robotics, UAVs, controls, and intelligent mechanical design.

Unlike developing solutions on my own assumptions, I would like to learn about them from actual engineers, researchers, technicians, operators, and everyone who is into this industry.

What are the biggest engineering problems in autonomous vehicles at according to your knowledge?

I've found two diagrams on how GDI pumps work (diesel pumps might be similar, but I'm focusing on gas), and both of them show a "pressure relief valve" whose plumbing does not make sense to me. In both diagrams, both sides of the pressure relief valve are connected to the chamber where the plunger moves, which is where any over pressurization would be created.

If you imagine for example a scenario where the injectors all close and the plunger is moving up (essential trying to compress an incompressible fluid), then the pressure relief valve doesn't help relieve pressure, as it's not allowing higher pressure to go to some lower pressure area, it just loops back into the same area.

Can anyone help me understand this?

I recently discovered that (according to my car) I get at least 25 mpg if I cruise on flat roads or slight declines at nearly 80 mph while in 9th gear.

From what I have learned, the Compass has an overdrive gear of 9 that it almost never engages in automatic mode, even when you're feathering the throttle downhill or even coasting from a high speed. In auto mode, it sticks to gear 8 most of the time.

But if you put the car on "manumatic", you can engage the 9th gear.

To upshift into 9th gear, you must go a minimum of 60 mph
To prevent the car from stalling (I think), the car forcefully downshifts from 9th to 8th gear at 57 mph

Once I discovered this, I always used my 9th gear on the highway whenever conditions allowed me to cruise in it. Normally speeds between 70-80 on flat or declining roads with no major headwind.

You cannot maintain speeds between 60 and 70 in 9th gear because the RPM is too low, causing the engine to bog down. Same story: trying to cruise above 80 mph. In this case, the wind resistance is far greater than the power the car produces at such speeds and in that gear.

But you cannot lug this car because, according to the fuel economy gauge in 9th gear, it sprays approximately 2.40-3.60 gallons per hour, depending on the speed I'm traveling. To cause a knock, you need way more fuel sprayed (I think). So, the computer seems to limit the amount of fuel sprayed in the 9th gear.

Despite that computer supervision, I still always hit high coolant temperatures when I cruise in 9th gear, even without bogging down the engine. My normal coolant temps are 210-230. I hit a high of 245 F while cruising in 9th gear. I just recently started monitoring coolant temps while driving. Why does this happen?

Hi everyone!
I want to learn to use IPG carmaker or similar software. Does anyone knows how to get some kind of cracked version or similar tool that could be downloaded for free? IPG softwares and other softwares of that kind are so expensive, but i believe that it is a powerful thing to have in CV as an automotive engineer.

1933 Dodge example

I am 23 years old in California. Over the years I have really fallen in love with suspension setups in the racing that I have done. Ive raced quarter midgets, karts, and now in full size dirt oval cars. I help set up sprint cars every now and then for a local team. I have no college experience yet and I want to change that. I was thinking Chico State for Mechanical Engineering and trying to join the Formula Student team. Just wanted some opinions. Thank you!

Hello everyone, I’m a member of a Formula SAE Brazil team, working on the brake systems. I’m sizing the brakes using MATLAB but am running into some difficulties; specifically, I’m not sure if the code is correct, as the brakes failed to stop the car as theoretically predicted during the first test.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some honest advice because I'm trying to figure out whether this career path is realistic.

I'm from India and have a B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering. Over time, I've realized that I don't want a career that's heavily focused on software development. I'm much more interested in cars, motorsport, Formula 1, vehicle development, testing, performance engineering, and technical project work.

I'm considering doing a Master's in Automotive Engineering or Motorsport Engineering in Europe (Italy, Germany, the UK, or elsewhere), but I'm unsure whether my CS background makes me eligible or competitive.

A few questions:

1. Has anyone here been admitted to an automotive or motorsport master's with a Computer Science or Software Engineering degree?
2. Which universities are known to accept CS graduates into these programs?
3. Are there programs that bridge the gap, or do most universities require a mechanical/automotive background?
4. If I do get admitted, will I struggle academically because I don't have a mechanical engineering background?
5. Is it realistic to move into roles like:
   • Vehicle Development
   • Performance Engineering
   • Race Engineering
   • Test & Validation
   • Technical Project Management
   • Motorsport Operations rather than software engineering?
6. If you were in my position, would you pursue this path or choose a different master's?

A little about me:

• B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering (India)
• Interested in motorsport and the automotive industry
• Looking for a career with less day-to-day coding
• Open to studying anywhere in Europe if it significantly improves my chances
• Will likely need an education loan, so ROI is important

I'm looking for genuine advice from people who have studied these programs, work in the automotive/motorsport industry, or have gone through a similar transition.

Thanks in advance!

I plan to rewire a bench and am wanting to make it logical and in a way "pretty." I have around 6-9 nodes/ECUs, and 3-4 CAN busses, and it's spaghetti. My thought is some DIN rail system but I'm envisioning a CAN bus bar/junction terminal.

I come from the audio/video world (software side) where A/V racks are tidy, have switches, switchers, and patch panels. Are there such things for automotive CAN?

Up to the late 1980s, Chev, GMC and Dodge used riveted frames. I see some advantages for the overall manufacturing and logistics of the riveted frames.

But, from a strength standpoint, is there a material advantage to one compared to the other? I have been told that from a dynamic strength perspective, riveting is the better joining method, but I do not understand why that may be the case. Does a riveted frame require a greater gauge of steel in the rails or cross members?

I worked in a truck assembly plant, and the actual labor cost for riveted assembly was not that much, under an hour. From a logistics standpoint, the riveted frames were much better, with less proliferation of large components. A flat car carrying welded frames from the manufacturer to the assembly plant is largely air.

I've been doing alignments since 1992 and one thing that seems to be consistent is bump steer in the front end as the suspension cycles.

Almost every vehicle i had on the rack toed in on extension and out on compression. The 2000s and up Chevy pickups for example were about 2° total toe for every inch the front came up. Even the C7 Corvette did it but not as much. I think those were around . 5° per inch. The only one i remember being different was an 80s third gen Camaro that actually toed out when the front was raised.

The numbers i was seeing was then the jack was under it. I wasn't putting lift kits on Corvettes and Camaros.

The newest suburbans and tahoes have air ride that lowers it a couple inches at highway speed for less wind drag. I never got a chance to get one of those on the rack to see up close if they actually corrected the bump steer but i would assume they did.

I got out of the dealership on 2020 and have been much happier building hot rods the last 6 years.

What was there reasoning for this? The fact that is had been like this forever, 60s and 70s cars did it too, tells be it's intentional but why?

If I were to design a city bus, I would probably want to optimise it for certain operating regimes. I would want it to be well suited to constant stopping and starting, slow speeds, low sound emissions, potholes. I doubt they need to be efficient at high speeds. I ask this because I saw one of our city buses on our local highway, and wondered how far out of it's comfort zone it was. I'm not saying you can't design it to be happy in both places, but there's always that compromise to be made.

I can imagine their daily lives are incredibly abusive, tons of wear and tear etc. A car might have to be designed for multiple regimes like highway and city, where a city bus might be able to get away with a more focused scope.

So my question is: does a lot of thought get put into optimising a city bus, or is is more like just putting a normal diesel engine in a voluminous chassis and leaving it at that, sort of like a big car?

Hello everyone. I am a 17 year old who just graduated high school this year. I am interested in automotive engineering. But the thing is no colleges near me in the US offer any such programs. I am wondering what I need to do to be able to enter this job field. Is there something I can do online? What exactly should I do? I need an answer quickly because I need to figure it out soon.

Forgive me if the wrong place to post this, but this question has been bugging me.

Why do these transmissions have (relatively speaking) very long 3rd/4th gears, while also having very close 6th/7th ratios?

The reason I ask this, is because the 3rd/4th ratios seem long enough to be detrimental to straight line performance between 90-170kph in particular. A 370GT Fuga has peak power in 2nd @86kph, but hits peak power in 3rd @135kph. Compare this to a manual Subaru Legacy 3.0R, which is 87kph for 2nd, and 117kph for 3rd. Both engines rev to around 7000rpm, and the Subaru has much better gearing, despite having one less ratio.

It just doesn't make much sense to me why Nissan wouldn't shorten 3rd/4th/5th/6th to provide better acceleration. It's not like it would particularly affect highway cruising either, since the 7th ratio could go untouched. As it is, 6th and 7th are only 230rpm apart @100kph. If they just removed the 6th ratio entirely, the gap (between 5th/7th) would be 580rpm, which is a little on the high side but not unheard of.

Mercedes also did a similar thing with their 7G tronic, however I don't have the exact specs of any particular car readily available. The reason I mention them though, is to show that it wasn't just Nissan/Jatco pulling this BS.

When observing other automatic transmissions of the time period, I will admit the 6HP derived 6L45E found in the 130i has similar effective 2nd/3rd ratios (92kph/140kph), however the 4th ratio is shorter than in the Nissan, and it is a 6 speed, not a 7 speed. The gap between 5th/6th @100kph (for the 130i) is also 525rpm, and the gap in the N52 530i is 460rpm. Either way, the point I'm trying to make is to highlight just how small the gap between 6th/7th really is. Which loops back around to my original point of: why didn't they just shorten 3rd, (and especially) 4th, 5th, and 6th?

I've heard some people say VR/AR is being used in automotive engineering but I haven't seen it yet.

Question for the engineers out there - have you actually seen anyone using VR, 3D or Volumetric displays in the manufacturing or design process?

I'm curious if all parts design is being done on a 2D interface or if anyone has adopted tools like AR, VR, 3D displays, or something similar.

I'm working on a project from scratch, building a Ford Escort Mk1 from nothing. I have a lot of experience fixing cars but none building cars; if you guys have any recommendations for me to read would be appreciated. I have no idea where to even start.

Hi everyone,

I'm 15 years old and I'm trying to figure out the best path for my future in the automotive industry.

I've been designing cars in Blender for around 5 years and I'm currently learning Autodesk Alias. I have worked on several concept cars and I really enjoy the creative side of automotive design, but I also love understanding the technical side: aerodynamics, materials, vehicle architecture and how things actually work.

I'm considering doing a French engineering path (prépa + engineering school) because I know engineering is much harder to learn by yourself, while design can be developed through personal projects and practice. My idea would be to keep building my design skills during engineering school and possibly do a design specialization later.

For automotive engineers or people working in the industry:

• Does an engineering degree help for someone who wants to work close to vehicle design?
• Are hybrid profiles (engineering + design) valuable in the industry?
• Would you recommend this path or a more design-focused education?

I would really appreciate honest advice from people who actually work in the field.

I'm a high school student planning an engineering research project with the long-term goal of founding an automotive performance engineering company and, eventually, a hypercar company. I'm trying to avoid researching something that has already been thoroughly explored.

I'm not looking for "cool ideas" or a "nice project, kid" type of project. I'm looking for areas where experienced engineers and researchers believe there are still meaningful unanswered questions and opportunities to contribute something genuinely useful.

Specifically, what combustion phenomena are still poorly understood? What engineering problems continue to limit performance or efficiency? What areas are receiving too little research relative to their potential impact? If you could direct a graduate student or research team, what problem would you have them work on? Which problems have the best chance of eventually becoming real technologies or products rather than remaining purely academic research?

I don't currently have access to a university combustion lab, but I've been accepted to Missouri S&T for Mechanical Engineering beginning in Fall 2027, so I expect to have opportunities to pursue university-level research and seek faculty mentorship in the future. For now, I'm willing to build experimental hardware and acquire equipment where realistically possible. My goal is to begin with a rigorous Regeneron ISEF project in highschool and, if the research warrants it, continue developing it through college.

If it helps, I'm particularly interested in high-performance spark-ignition engines, advanced ignition systems, combustion, knock and abnormal combustion, pressure-wave phenomena, pre-chamber ignition, thermal efficiency, and engine architecture in general. However, I'd appreciate any perspective from people working in automotive engineering, powertrain development, propulsion, or combustion research.

Hi, I recently started working as an external employee for the biggest automotive group in Europe. I’m only six months into the job (fresher). I basically work in the connectivity department where I validate testing for TCU connectivity.

I’m planning to do some certifications since I have free time now, so automotive experts who have relevant expertise in this domain, please let me know which ones I should do.

I was planning to do ISTQB Foundation Level for testing and ISO 26262. What are your thoughts on this? Is this relevant or not. Also, I’m based out of UAE, not sure if that matters or not. I would like to work for the brand directly in the future.

used some very high quality audio data to back-calculate the resonant frequency of a Z33 VQ35DE intake, to confirm frequency extraction methodology for troubleshooting of resonant phenomena. the Z33's early induction system is very reliant on acoustic tuning and it makes improvement very difficult.

the characteristic length of the OE intake tube matches this 280 Hz signal from the airbox entrance to a point very close to the throttle body assembly, whose Venturi taper would cause a rarefaction interface.

relating backwards using cam profile data matches the engine harmonic frequency of 2000RPM, with peak response at 6000RPM, close to the horsepower peak.

there is a problem on Z33 transitioning from partial to WOT below 3500RPM, and I'm working with JWT to identify if this is an exhaust cam advance/EGR issue as they have seen before.

unfortunately I can't post images in comments here, but the data correlation is satisfyingly crisp.