Quantcast
Jump to content


[Podcast] RR 377: Gary Smith – The Knowledge Of Electricity Is The Basis Of Every Solution To A Diagnostics Problem


Recommended Posts

During Gary Smith ’s career, he worked as a technical field engineer and warranty audit consultant to OEMs and dealership groups in the late 80s and 90s, this experience uniquely positioned Gary to form GSS Enterprises, Inc. in 2000. Today, he focuses on technical training and shop support.

Gary’s business, Auto Master Training creates technical manuals, training classes and web-based training for shops, dealerships and multi-store franchise groups nationally. As a contributor to the curriculum at BG University, Worldpac Training Institute, and other schools and businesses, he has worked with many organizations over the years to create specialized technical subject matter courses and has worked to develop internal train the trainer and web material for automotive companies.

He currently travels for Worldpac Training Institute and Car Quest Training Institute as an instructor teaching several of his drivability related subject matter classes.

Gary specializes in teaching advanced diagnostic techniques and methodology; including physical testing (Drivability, Lab Scopes, Pressure Transducers, Scan Data and 5-Gas Analysis), signal acquisition & analysis, fuel, and lubrication technology as well as vehicle communications data bus diagnostics.

GSS Enterprises, Inc. is an authorized distributor of Launch, Automotive Test Solutions (ATS) and Drew technologies product lines. Gary believes that support after the sale is paramount to be successful at technician development. He actively supports his customers with the automastertraining.com (see link below) hotline which supports hundreds of shop technicians with on-car remote technical assistance.

His hobbies are restoring antique vacuum tube testers and radios from 1910-1950, feeding his audiophile addiction for powerful tube amps and he is a level 4 Extra FCC licensed HAM Radio Operator, call sign W1FES.

Key Talking Points

  • Knowledge of electricity is the single most important requirement in repairing today’s high tech vehicles.
  • Newest class is drawing technicians to class by wrapping up the words advanced in the title.
  • Many technicians have never been to a basic electric class.
  • Survival in today’s repair environment is to never cease your study. You must continually train.
  • Must train on all areas from business to vehicle components.
  • We must be curious in order to solve problems.
  • Techs that attend training must go back to educate the rest of the team. When you teach you learn.
  • The Rolls Royce diagnostics story using a lab scope modeling the circuits not having service information.
  • Gary collects vintage radios.
  • In school, we learned about Edison, but there were many other geniuses that contributed to understanding electricity.
  • Arthur Athwater invented ignition coils for Henry Ford
  • Edward Weston figured out how to measure voltage, current and resistance with a created a voltmeter in a calibrated exact fashion. He dominated the industry with test equipment. (circa 1893)

Resources Mentioned:

  • Thanks to Gary Smith for his contribution to the aftermarket’s premier podcast.
  • Link to the ‘BOOKS’ page highlighting all books discussed in the podcast library HERE. Leaders are readers.
  • Leave me an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one of them.

Subscribe-to-the-INSIDER-Newsletter-6.pn

Be socially involved and in touch with the show:
Facebook   Twitter   Linked In   Email    Events    Speaking

 

This episode is brought to you by Federal-MogulEpisode-Logo-Sponsored-By-v1-300x93.pngMotorparts and Garage Gurus. With brands like Moog, Felpro, Wagner Brake, Champion, Sealed Power, FP Diesel and more, they’re the parts techs trust.  For serious technical training and support – online, onsite and on-demand – Garage Gurus is everything you need to know. Find out more at fmmotorparts.com  and fmgaragegurus.com

Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         13 comments
      Most shop owners would agree that the independent auto repair industry has been too cheap for too long regarding its pricing and labor rates. However, can we keep raising our labor rates and prices until we achieve the profit we desire and need? Is it that simple?
      The first step in achieving your required gross and net profit is understanding your numbers and establishing the correct labor and part margins. The next step is to find your business's inefficiencies that impact high production levels.
      Here are a few things to consider. First, do you have the workflow processes in place that is conducive to high production? What about your shop layout? Do you have all the right tools and equipment? Do you have a continuous training program in place? Are technicians waiting to use a particular scanner or waiting to access information from the shop's workstation computer?
      And lastly, are all the estimates written correctly? Is the labor correct for each job? Are you allowing extra time for rust, older vehicles, labor jobs with no parts included, and the fact that many published labor times are wrong? Let's not forget that perhaps the most significant labor loss is not charging enough labor time for testing, electrical work, and other complicated repairs.  
      Once you have determined the correct labor rate and pricing, review your entire operation. Then, tighten up on all those labor leaks and inefficiencies. Improving production and paying close attention to the labor on each job will add much-needed dollars to your bottom line.
  • Upcoming Events

    • March 24, 2023 01:00 PM Until 09:00 PM
      0  
      Hi all,
      AutoLeap is hosting Amplify 2023, a virtual auto repair conference for shop owners, on March 24. We have 22 incredible speakers, and 13 industry associations and training institutes participating in this virtual event. The conference is free of cost.
      You can book your complimentary, virtual seat today using this link: https://bit.ly/3EXvfWY
      Amplify 2023 speakers include: Joe Marconi, Co-Owner AutoShopOwner and Elite Business Coach @Joe Marconi Aaron Stokes, ShopFix Academy Cecil Bullard, The Institute for Automotive Business Excellence Chris Cotton, AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching Darrin Barney, Elite “G” Jerry Truglia, Automotive Technician Training Services Greg Bunch, Transformers Institute Jeremy O'Neal, AdvisorFix The conference will cover essential topics such as:
      Navigating through the current industry challenges Tackling the technician shortage through employee retention Creating memorable customer experiences Growing & expanding your business in 2023 Financial planning & KPIs to measure And that’s not all.
      The interactive, dynamic conference also offers live networking opportunities, and fun games and prizes.
      You can book your complimentary, virtual seat today using this link: https://bit.ly/3EXvfWY
      #AutoLeapAmplify23
  • Similar Topics

    • By carmcapriotto
      How do you create an amazing customer experience in your business? Guess what? No one is born with those skills, but your employees are can turn talent into a skill with proper training. 
      Joe Marconi, Executive Council Member, Elite Worldwide. Auto Shop Owner. Joe’s Episodes HERE. @Joe Marconi
       
      Show Notes:   https://www.autoshopowner.com/
      It's never too early in business to prepare for the unexpected and your eventual exit. Life can throw you a curveball, and we have all heard the stories of a shop owner that had a life-changing illness or worse. As a shop owner, are you prepared for life's curve balls? And what about your family?  In addition, the primary responsibility of the business owner is to create an exit strategy.  It's not that you are selling tomorrow, but preparing for an exit strategy grows a successful business and is worth more. Curveballs and Exit strategies go hand in hand.  Build your business as a home; build it to sell in the future THA 316 surviving health scare Delivering an amazing customer experience is taught, not assumed Amazing customer service is lacking these days, and so is creating a world-class customer experience. By the way, customer service and customer experience are different. All too often, we blame the employees, especially younger people, for not having the people skills to create an amazing customer experience. Well, no one is born with those skills, and just like the skill of playing the piano or shooting a basketball, having the talent is one thing, but to hone that talent into a skill takes training.  What is great customer service? What does it look like? Do you have in-house training in place for everyone in the business?  Be prepared for customers- lower their anxiety. Get into the hearts and minds of the individual- personalize it, make notes Talent comes first, develop the skills comes second
      Thanks to our Partner, Dorman Products. Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour
      Connect with the Podcast:
      -Join our Insider List: https://remarkableresults.biz/insider -All books mentioned on our podcasts: https://remarkableresults.biz/books -Our Classroom page for personal or team learning: https://remarkableresults.biz/classroom -Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/carm -The Aftermarket Radio Network: https://aftermarketradionetwork.com -Special episode collections: https://remarkableresults.biz/collections
      Check out today's partner:
       


      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By Joe Marconi
      Joe Marconi will be speaking at the upcoming virtual conference Amplify 2023, hosted by AutoLeap, with an exciting session to help shop owners be prepared with their business!   Joe's session is titled "You Can & Will Survive an Economic Downturn". For most repair shops, the recent years have been smooth sailing for business. Although it's impossible to predict our economic future, does that mean you shouldn't always be prepared for what's next? The COVID pandemic brought a variety of challenges, and while it didn't bring significant negative impact to the repair industry, it does offer the opportunity to reflect and properly prepare for a time when an economic event could.   Join Joe in this live session to dive deeper into this topic, happening at Amplify 2023 on March 24th, 1:00pm ET!   Book your complimentary, virtual ticket today. https://bit.ly/3XSdY8b  
    • By carmcapriotto
      This episode is sponsored by AutoLeap. AutoLeap is a cloud-based all-in-one automotive invoice software that helps you supercharge your mechanic shop. Their customers have experienced:
      30% increase in revenue by improving transparency and trust 50% reduction in time spent researching and ordering parts 10% increase in profit margins through robust reporting Click here to learn more about AutoLeap and schedule a demo:  
      AutoLeap Link: http://bit.ly/3GRgO88
       
      During Today's episode #101 Leadership Gold Experience Is Not The Best Teacher, I’m going to be talking about: How Will Experience Mark You, Gaining From Experience, How Often Do You Pause to Reflect on your experiences? How do you record what you’ve learned? How to Evaluate your year?
      Don't forget to rate and review us!
      Connect with Chris:
      [email protected]
      940.400.1008
      www.autoshopcoaching.com
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching
      Youtube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
      To listen to more episodes, make sure and go over to iTunes and or Spotify.
      Don't forget to rate and review us!
       
      Connect with Chris:
      AutoFix-Auto Shop Coaching
      www.autoshopcoaching.com
      www.aftermarketradionetwork.com
      940-400-1008
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutoFixAutoShopCoaching
      YouTube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
      Email Chris: [email protected]
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By carmcapriotto
      "Forget the Past: Focus on the Future"...sometimes easier said than done. The past is familiar and comfortable. We can also get hung up on our past mistakes, which hinders us from moving forward. Listen to 3 shop owners share their perspectives on the past and the future of the automotive industry.
      Watch Episode HERE
      Frank Scandura, Frank’s European Service, Las Vegas, NV. Frank’s previous episodes HERE. Al Wright, John’s Automotive, Cedar Rapids, IA. Al's previous episodes HERE Jimmy Alauria, 3A Automotive and Diesel Repair, Phoenix, AZ. Jimmy’s previous episodes HERE
      Show Notes:
      Don't be afraid of change, what we did in the past or how we did it may not work today. Take care of yourself and let go of old habits. Be healthy and reset! Service advisor is now 4 different jobs: customer service rep, parts manager, service manager What is your break even point? It's not the 'cost' of the service advisor position, the biggest expense is what you are currently doing and what you could and should be doing. Everyone hates change, but the only constant in life is change- lean into change. Hiring top talent vs. Creating top talent- Are "A" technicians made? Have grace when someone makes a mistake Don't get analysis paralysis. Don't let past mistakes stop needed changes for the future. Doing something is better than doing nothing.  
      Connect with the Podcast
       
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Subscribe on YouTube
      Visit us on the Web
      Follow on Facebook
      Become an Insider
      Buy me a coffee
      Important Books
      Check out today's partners:
       
      Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com

           
      Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. DelphiAftermarket.com

      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By carmcapriotto
      Join Carm as he interviews students and local shop owners at Erie Community College's Student Career Fair.
       
      Show Notes:  
      Erie Community College Student Career Fair Students realize the future of automotive will be more on laptops and diagnostics. Looking into different fields with automotive than just the dealership "More than just banging wrenches and changing parts." Know the 'why' and ask questions  
      Connect with the Podcast:
       
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Subscribe on YouTube
      Visit us on the Web
      Follow on Facebook
      Become an Insider
      Buy me a coffee
      Important Books
      Check out today's partner:
       
      Dorman gives people greater freedom to fix vehicles by constantly developing new repair solutions that put owners and technicians first. Take the Dorman Virtual Tour at www.DormanProducts.com/Tour
       


      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...