Battle of the mechanics: Petrol Mechanic vs Diesel Mechanic

The automotive industry in South Africa is vast. We rely so much on private and public transport that without them, South Africa would not be able to function. That being said, it stands to reason that automotive jobs would be a very stable career to get into in South Africa. You might think that all you need to do is become a mechanic but this isn’t quite accurate. There are two different types of vehicle mechanic jobs in South Africa and these are diesel mechanic jobs and motor mechanic jobs. Both of these jobs involve vehicles and engines but the responsibilities and the engine types vary greatly. If this difference confuses you then keep on reading.

The difference between motor mechanic jobs and diesel mechanic jobs

A petrol mechanic, or automotive service mechanics, repair various vehicles like cars and trucks that have broken down or that need to be maintained. In the past, petrol mechanics used to only fix the physical mechanisms inside these vehicle but, due to the modern day electronic systems installed in vehicles, they now need more complex knowledge on truck systems and diagnostic equipment. Petrol mechanics have to make sure a vehicle is in one hundred percent working condition which now includes the electronics and fuel systems. Due to the fact that there are so many different systems in a modern day vehicle, people working in motor mechanic jobs will often specialize in a specific area like braking systems or engines.

Diesel mechanic jobs are a bit different as these type of mechanics strictly work on diesel engines of large vehicles like trucks, busses and even construction equipment like bulldozers or cranes. Due to the nature of this work, many diesel mechanic jobs in South Africa involve the mechanic working for a freight company that have a large fleet of diesel powered transportation vehicles. These companies need to have full time repair and maintenance for their vehicle fleet. Diesel mechanic training varies greatly from the training of a petrol mechanic.

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Let’s go into a bit more detail with regards to these automotive jobs and what kind of education you will need.

Interested in petrol mechanic jobs?

These types of motor mechanic jobs mainly involve diagnosis and repair of small vehicles. A petrol mechanic will normally have a damaged vehicle brought to them and you will have to quote the customer on a price to fix or maintain it. You will often get dirty and have to spend a lot of time interacting with clients and ordering parts from suppliers.

You will need to be mechanically minded with a passion for cars or bikes. You will have to have very good interpersonal skills and be good with your hands. Being a problem solver is a huge benefit and having the ability to be able to work in a team is essential.

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Petrol mechanic training

Petrol mechanics receive their training by entering into a learnership, apprenticeship with any approved employer in the automotive industry or through an FET college.

There are three ways to qualify as a registered petrol mechanic:

1) A four year apprenticeship under a qualified artisan, 12 week theoretical training course at a TVET college and the writing and passing of a trade test.
2) A three year learnership at a registered training provider.
3) Study at an FET college that offers theoretical training via the new National Certificate Vocational (NCV) course. This is a practical three year course where learners are exposed to a workshop environment.

Interested in diesel mechanic jobs?

These types of motor mechanic jobs mainly involve the maintenance and repairs of large diesel engines and vehicles. This includes busses, truck and construction equipment. Most of your day will involve performing routine checks and finding faults in large machinery. There is a lot more noise involved in these types of automotive jobs as opposed to normal petrol mechanics as the engines you are working on are designed to power massive vehicles as opposed to small personal vehicles.

If you want to be employed under diesel mechanic jobs in South Africa, you will need to be mechanically minded and be good with your hands. You will need to be a hard worker, observant and have very good problem solving abilities. There is also a lot of responsibility here as you will be fixing things that could very well be transporting hundreds of people every day.

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Diesel mechanic training

Diesel mechanics training is basically the same as a petrol mechanic except for the fact that the courses you will take are diesel mechanic courses and the places you apprentice at will work with diesel mechanic type vehicles. Diesel mechanics receive their training by entering into a learnership, apprenticeship with any approved employer in the automotive industry or through an FET college.

There are three ways to qualify as a registered Diesel mechanic:
1) A four year apprenticeship under a qualified artisan, 12 week theoretical training course at a TVET college and the writing and passing of a trade test.
2) A three year learnership at a registered training provider.
3) Study at an FET college that offers theoretical training via the new National Certificate Vocational (NCV) course. This is a practical three year course where learners are exposed to a workshop environment.

Automotive Jobs listed on Job Mail

Looking for an exciting opportunity in your field of specialisation? Why not see what Job Mail has to offer?

Qualified Truck Trailer Mechanic

Toyota Master Technician

Petrol Mechanic

Diesel Mechanic in Port Elizabeth

If you have a love for all things mechanical and want to work on engines and cars for a living, then why not browse the many different motor mechanic jobs on Junk Mail? Petrol mechanic jobs and diesel mechanic jobs in South Africa are on the rise, so use it to your advantage. Register your CV on the Job Mail website and start applying for automotive jobs today.