skm

Things have come a long long way since I have been fixing cars just over 26 years, but how far and how fast is relative. I mean we use to only have black and white tv and you had to get up and change the channel. Now you have 4k and a remote. The tv still does the same basic function provide a picture and sound. (just a whole lot more complicated) Cars had carbs, points, condensers, had key locks and ignitions, now Fuel injection , electronic ignition , Key fobs, and push button starting, all in all the same beast .(just a whole lot more complicated) (just like TV) . that being said things may change but is it always for the best? taking something simple and making it more efficient and a whole lot more complicated. How fast can things develop? For some of us it seems like a whole lot has changed for the younger ones not so much. When I was a kid they said by the time I was old enough to drive, cars would fly. Well that hasn't happened, yes you have a couple prototype flying cars but that is it, so yes we have some electric cars but how long will it take till it is a great enough product and affordable for the common folk? So I think the real future of cars is more of what we have today (just a whole lot more complicated) its all relative !

LOL yes, I could hand out a few myself. Don't know where to get them it came up in a social media feed.

😆 I am sure we all know a few "mechanics" that could wear this proudly . Personally I hate You Tube mechanics, drives me up a wall to see guys trying to figure out car problems with it or even using google !

Right ! Like I always say it is only as good as your worst guy.. A dog sled team is only going to go as fast as the slowest dog.... a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.... they all apply

LOL, so ture, It also seems t o happen when you are the busiest... I had one guy come over to me " I have a little problem, and need to get to work if you could just help me out ", well we all know a little problem means a big problem if it was a little problem why didn't he fix it himself?? So the guy without any prompting tells me his car is right behind my bay and starts to tell me his problem not letting me get a word in ending with I am in a hurry.. ( at the time I was about half way through a timing belt on a acura 3.5 RL,) I said sure, turned around grabbed the 5 or 6 tickets that were already on my toolbox handed them to him, then said sure finish this car up for me then call these other people and see if it is okay if I work on your car before them since you are in such a rush. He gave the tickets back and responded " oh it is like that " one word response YEP ! ... He did end up leaving his car, some might think that is a bad way to handle a customer, but after 26+ years of doing this job I have found that you treat the customer the same way they treat you and they tend to understand a little better. Also after years these things get a little old. Then you have the one that call on the phone and have to tell you their whole life story just to ask if you can take a look at their car the following week, well that is a whole other story I am sure Gonzo has already posted LOL..

LOL, chat is Sunday evenings ...

Nah, I think it is just like the business we are in, there are the ups and downs, things seem to come in waves

yes I use to get an email alert that said "xxxxxx" just liked your post, now you only know if you look at the notifications when you sign in.

just have to be careful about the work quality going down if they are rushing trying to get more done , they also my skip the "little things" just a thought 😉. Maybe more of a long range contest that they may put in the back of their minds in stead of being in the forefront , allowing for better concentration on the task at hand.

Here is another reason I think we need more regulations and certifications for being a Mechanic.. A lady comes into my shop with a broken brake line on the right front of her car, she states that a few months ago she had one replaced at another shop for a lot more money and it was in the back of the car. So I decided to take a look and she showed me the receipt. 240.00 labor and 88.00 for parts. I charged her about 150.00 to run a new line from the right front to the M/C .. I was shocked with what I found, they had replaced about 3 inches of brake line at the right rear wheel, they had also used and illegal compression union to join that line to a rusted piece of line , and the connection was still leaking take a look at the photos below.

I had a customer come in this week wanting the snow tires "HE" put on in November taken off. Not a bad Idea since we have had no snow this winter. When I saw his car I started to laugh, he had studded snow tire on his older buick. Take a look at the picture and you will see why I laughed. Not where the snow tires are !

LOL, I had a guy come in last week with an older camry. He told me it needed a starter it would not start about 90% of the time and he had already replaced several parts and knows it is the starter but did not know how to replace it. He asked me to come out to the car and he pointed to the battery and told me "that is the battery" then he pointed to the alternator and said " that is the alternator" they are new I replaced both of them and still have the problem, I started with the battery and when I took it to sear they told me it tested bad and I bought one and replaced it my self. Then I figured it was the alternator, I asked him why or how he came to that conclusion "My neighbor had the same problem and that fixed it" . I smiled and said look I know what the parts of the car are and how they work, fill out a work order I will look at it later this morning and give you a call. A few hour later I go out to the car turn the key, the one solid click followed by no dash lights, wait a second dash lights come back on well looks like a loose connection at the battery, sure enough both connections were loose.. I tightened them charged him half an hours time for my time spending with him listening to his story and the actual repair. Called him told him what I found and he would not believe that was the problem, told him that I was 100% sure and if that was not the problem come back and I will make any repair related to what I had found for free. He did return a week later to give me a 20 dollar tip.. LOL

Master tech who could help train the other tech I think this will be very hard to do.. In today's auto world there is so much that needs to be learned . Training is a full time job and it also never ends even for the best Master mechanics out there. In my opinion a Master mechanic is out there to make a living not teach. You may want to find a master mechanic then possible look for a few good guys a few years out of automotive school that have the background knowledge and have some practical experience in the field which can for the most part hold their own with a little guidance from your Master mechanic.. The business is only as good as its weakest person.. Just like a dog sled team it can only go as fast as it's slowest dog. just my opinion .

Joe took the words right out of my mouth !! I refer to myself as a 'mechanic" , I have found that "MOST" that refer to themselves as technicians are as what I referred to in your last article as "you tuber's". My thoughts on a technician is some one working in a lab wearing a white coat. I for one would not be able to keep a white coat clean for long. As a mechanic I also find it very hard to have a conversation with the "You Tuber's" about cars.

Great I love it !! These guys I now call the " YOUTUBERS" they use to be called shade tree, but times have changed for sure ! LOL

Hopefully 2017 will be better for all of us ! Glad it is looking up for you !

Merry Christmas to all !

Merry Christmas xrac, and a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays to everyone !

HA HA HA! OR HO HO HO! LOVE IT !

I have been a mechanic at the same shop for 26 years.. I do get 50% of labor but that is it, I buy all my own diagnostic tools and all other tools. I don't get medical insurance, I get 10 days paid vacation a year and that is it.. no retirement, no a/c in the summer we suffer and yes it is hot here. I get no sick leave no Christmas bonus to speak of 50 bucks. No paid holidays which aren't many a year anyway just the big ones. No perks what so ever ! I have to pay 740 a month out of my pocket for health insurance.. basically I live paycheck to paycheck and have no retirement. So 50% may sound great but really it sucks!

we have had to measure tint for a long time here in MD. Anything below 35% has to go.. removal is messy but not to bad.. just pull off the film and use a solution of dish soap and water saturate the window let it sit for a few minutes keeping it very wet . With a razor blade remove the glue comes off pretty easily this way.(I use a plastic blade for the rear window and am very gentle over the defroster). After all the glue is activated with a soap solution so removal is the same.. just be careful around the defrost lines in the rear glass. As far as the equipment I recall it not being to expensive two hand held monitors one on each side of the glass very simple takes half a second to do. I usually charge an hours labor to remove all the tint. Here in Md. all AS3 windows can have tint in fact they can be blacked out, you only find this on suv's .

I can only offer my advice from a mechanics stand point who has many years 26+ of being in the field.. there are a lot of things to consider. 1. do you want to be a mechanic or a shop owner? or both? takes a very dedicated hard working person to be both 2. what kind of shop do you want? are you planning on having several techs or just your own one man band? 3. if a small one man band, is it possible to find a place where rent/utilities and equipment needed to repair to days cars will be less than your income where you can make a profit? 4. are you prepared to invest countless hours and years of dedication to get the reputation to have a profitable long lasting shop? 5. if you plan on being just a shop owner would it be wise to find a turn key shop and take that over? (I would recommend some sort of business class if that is the case) those are just a quick few.. but you most of all the one main thing I can't emphasize enough is reputation, quality work, and putting yourself in the customers shoes, understanding what the general public thinks of mechanics and try to show them that it does not relate to all mechanics. My advice to you would weigh all your odds, don't rush into anything, work towards your goal of owning a shop as you become the best mechanic you can be. I am sure a lot of others can confirm for you this industry has changed so much over the years. Cars are not what they use to be and it takes a very well trained person to fix them. It also costs a lot more to fix them to both the mechanic/shop as well as the customer. That being said research research research, I wish you the best in your ventures and the best in your future shop. You are a very young man and still have a lifetime a head of you . You can get there and achieve your goals just don't rush them, but don't put them on the back burner either or they may never happen. Best of luck to you

great Gonzo, The wife and myself were just talking about this last night.. As I think it is time to look for another job. One of the first things that came out of her mouth was, why don't you try a totally different job! You are so smart you can learn a new career quickly..Ouch how can I do that? I am at the top of my game when compared to a lot of "mechanics" out there. Not to mention all the money time and learning I have put into this . Nope just time to look for another place to get my clothes and hands all greasy, I mean how could I live with out all the little nicks and cuts on my hands and the burns on my arms from those cheap metal caged drop lights? Why would I want anything else? That is my life solving problems that most can't.

xrac, Thanks for the kind words. I am going to put my feelers out there and see what happens. Yes it is crazy with the health care, I remember years ago when you paid a fair amount and got coverage for everything, no out of pocket etc.. yes my deductible went up to 3500 for individuals and 8600 for family.. unreal. Then again it something that we all do need. Probably the biggest problem is no caps on what these hospitals/doctors charge for services. It is unreal an office visit with very little exam costing 600.00+ with the insurance company paying a small fraction "the allowed amount" . So if you didn't have insurance you would be on the hook for the whole amount.. That is probably the biggest reason why the costs are so high . Put a cap on it set prices and all these crazy insurance rates would plummet . Not to mention allowing more insurance companies so there is a choice then they are forced to cut costs to win clients .

I was wondering what employers are looking for when hiring mechanics/techs? I am coming to a point where I need to start looking for a new job. I have been at the same place for 26 years. Ase Master tech, L1, state inspection license and master Emission license. I get paid 50% commission with 10 days paid vacation a year and that is it. No other benefits. I do have a guarantee of 1000 a week before taxes. The problem is the shop is not run properly kind of backwards diagnostics don't pay much 50 bucks. Which in to days age is very low in my opinion. It seems that in the last several years pay has gone backwards, probably due to a lot of factors the industry being one. I use to be able to put money away in savings but now a days that is not possible. One of the reasons I am thinking of moving on is I just got a letter from my health insurance that is now going to be over 700 a month and that is even less money I will have. So any advice on what employers are looking for and what most offer now a days will be appreciated. Thanks.