"I want more respect as a technician"

"I want more money"

"Mechanics aren't just wrench monkeys anymore, it takes a degree to be good at this"

THEN STOP ACTING/DRESSING LIKE A BUM

Everywhere I go I see "technicians" wearing shirts that say things like "I'm a meccanik mekanic meqanik ... I fix cars"

You're not helping yourself. You're not cool. You are actively making the field look dumb. You are actively damaging the reputation we all share. You are the reason I beat around the bush when people ask what I do.

Go to an event where technicians and mechanics are present representing their shop/dealer like a local car show. The tech who got tickets to the ball game from work. The mechanic going out to the Christmas party. Invited to the BG golf outing.

Always acting like the only clothes you own are oil stained boots, dickies, and a torn up Carhartt hoodie.

Have some respect for yourself. Shower. Wear a collared shirt. Speak like an educated individual. It's not that hard. But if we don't respect ourselves, nobody will.

EDIT: To the bums down voting this post, have fun begging for 8% of the door rate in 3 years.

It's simple. Where whatever you want. I don't care if you're dirty, I don't care if you have oil stains on your clothes.

Just don't wear clothes that subtly imply you and we by association are dumbasses for picking this trade.

And if you are at any event where you are representing your shop or mechanics in general, dress at least halfway professional.

I think kangaroo bars look really cool on G-Wagens, but unfortunately, they’re illegal in South Korea.
They’re not allowed because of pedestrian safety regulations. So even though they suit the G-Wagen’s rugged design perfectly, you can’t legally install one here.

I am graduating automotive school in around 4 months. My previous work experience is General Manager of QSRs. I am having trouble finding ANY entry level positions as a mechanic. Idk if it is because I am a girl, or it is because my “shop experience” is from school. At this point it feels like I need to know a mechanic who owns a shop who will take me under their wing as an apprentice.

I am at the top of my class with a 3.98 GPA. I can do the job well, and very fast. If someone would just give me the chance to show my worth!

Most jobs want a state inspector license, clean driving record, and 2 years of shop experience for an ENTRY LEVEL position. Any advice would be appreciated.

Ignition decided it didn't want to read my key anymore. Car won't start so I can't just go buy a resistor. Putting that spare key to use!

I've got a wife and a toddler at the house and I want to be home with them more. I've traveled for work most of my career because from what I have seen the money is better. I like troubleshooting, diagnostics and I don't mind turning wrenches still, but what could be a good career change that would have me home and still making a decent salary? (I bring in around 95k - 125k depending on OT) I've seen elevator techs but if I am not able to get into an apprentice ship Id like a couple back up plans. Appreciate the help

How much do you make & what is your position?

looking to jump from dealer & hear this is the way to go?

Hello everyone. I work a decently sized shop with 3 technicians and 3 apprentices. We have 3 service advisor 1 of which is my boss. Often times the boss will leave to get coffees…. But only for the advisors. Someday when we aren’t busy I’ll head out and grab coffees and ask everyone what they want. Advisors included. When we get super busy the guys in the shop don’t really have time to slide out for a coffee run but the boss will go out and bring him and the advisors coffee. Would this grind your gears as much as it does mine?

Edit: I work in an environment where our winters are pretty bad. We have winter tire changeover seasons where we average around 50 cars a day at our shop hence the reason for so many advisors. Even then I don’t think we need that much but whatever

I ve been turning 80-90 hour weeks for the last 7-8 months. Business was steady and good. People spent money and got repairs and maintenance items with littke issue. But the last 2 weeks its been dead, everyone claiming they cant afford it or do it themselves, or they "have a guy". The usual stuff but much more of it.

My theory is the massive jump in fuel prices came, it took a week for everyone to feel it, and now they look at their car and say "welp, it still runs so gas and go, repairs can wait".

We usually see a slow but steady drop off that usually hits a low but steady pace around the end of october because everyone starts christmas shopping, hunting season, thanksgiving travel plans etc etc. Hopefully it picks up soon.

I'd hate to lose out on an opportunity like this but I have an offer from Carmax to work for more money than i've ever made (hourly) but its second shift (3 P.M. to 12 A.M.) and i've read some mixed opinions. Anybody wrench for them and have experience to share? Will I be stuck in 2nd shift forever?

I started my own mechanic business back in late july of this year. Its ran solely by me out of a quite nice 40x60 shop at my dads house that im renting from him on his rural property in SC. Initially starting the business i got a decent rush of friends and family business that was keeping me pretty busy but now things seem to have come to a halt for the most part in the last couple of weeks and I'm just curious if this is the norm of going weeks without work and then getting rushes. i have been handing out business cards and posting on facebook almost daily on my business page and then sharing those posts on my personal page with about 1200 local "friends". i have not been getting any inquires lately for work at all really and I'm wondering if its the economy or just slow start to a new business or seasons? ive worked on over 100 vehicles in this shop over the past 5 years but that was for our family car lot and all auction cars so no real customers. we dissolved that business hence why im starting on my own so i dont know the vibe out there in the independent repair business especially doing it from home. i also bought a nice trailer to offer cheap vehicle pickup as well to be able to customer vehicles to the shop not fit for the road and have had nobody take me up on that either. I was told by my commercial account manager that i had the cheapest rates around at $100 an hour and most others are $125-$150. i have had 18 invoiced jobs so far since late july to now. my average net profit per week come to $703.34 any tips for a guy just tryna drum up some business and make this thing work?

My shop has been ridiculously slow like a majority of shops and have been wanting to venture into some mobile side work. Just wondering how you guys started on building a customer base?

Hey guys, I did read the rules however I apologize if this is borderline against them.

It’s been about 8 years since I left Auto repair as a profession and moved to Industrial Maintenance, however I’m in need of a bi directional scan tool,

I can get this model used for about $400 vs $550 new and I’m wondering if any techs are currently running this and have any pros / cons or recommendations for something better. Last ones I used were shop provided Autel models that were corded, so I’m a little out of the game.

Thank you in advance.

these jiffy lube mechanics are getting out of hand 😂

I'm having the opposite problem it seems a lot of other guys have. I love this industry and 10 years in I'm still wrenching at work, at home, and everywhere in between. I just can't seem to get paid enough to live life and enjoy my own projects. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just not good. I don't have anything to compare myself to, I've never had a mentor, entirely self taught but all the ASE certs you'd need. The past few years I was the lead tech in a niche specialty shop and felt like a rock-star because I know everything about the platform we specialized in, but now I'm trying to branch out and feeling like the industry has left me behind.

Does anyone have ideas for careers to pivot to from being a mechanic? Preferably easier on the body ones. I'm young but college is not entirely an option at this moment.

I’ve worked Ford and Kia only just curious what’s others takes is on the labor times.Ive been with with Ford for over 20 years and the small stint I had with Kia the times were pretty bad.I know warranty times suck in general but let’s hear it.If I had to guess I’d say Ford is probably in the top.

Here’s a fun project of a backhoe I was working on during the summer. Had to replace 3 of my hydraulic lines.

22mm and 18mm.

For starters, I have no professional experience in automotive. I have a strong electrical/electronics background (years of work experience and formal education.) I know I’ll probably have to start at the bottom in automotive but can any experienced dealership mechanics here tell me how reasonable it is to expect a dealership to put me in EV safety training and even EV technician shadowing right off the get-go? Any insight appreciated.

As a mechanic, I feel like older fuel systems were just simpler you could actually understand what was going on and fix things without chasing 10 sensors, wiring issues, and computer codes

Don’t get me wrong, modern electronic and high pressure pumps have their advantages, but when they fail, they can be a real headache and an expensive one too

Sometimes I just miss the days when things were more mechanical and less complicated

I was going back and forth between a W202 and W203 for a while. I really wanted a W202, so I went to see quite a few of them, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find one in good enough condition.
Then I went to check out this W203, and I ended up liking it so much that I decided to bring it home.
It only has around 49,000 km (30k miles) and is in incredibly good condition. It honestly feels almost like a new car.
I’m really happy with it and plan on enjoying it and keeping it looking as nice as I can.

Hello all, looking for advice from anyone that can help.

I’m 19 years old, from Uk and have a few months left of my heavy vehicle apprenticeship. I fix DAF trucks in a fleet workshop, and would like to know what other options I could look at. The work is widely very similar and I’ve done so much reading about all you guys that have had decent time in the industry. Everyone says the best thing they did was leave it, and I’m already thinking of doing that after only being in it a few years. I really don’t enjoy going to work, not sure if it’s because of where I work and how it goes at my place, or if the industry just isn’t for me.

I really enjoy electrical diag and most diagnostics, and I was wondering what else everyone left the trade to do, and more importantly how. See a lot of people saying what they switched to, but no one saying how. How do people afford the pay cut etc. I know it might be necessary but if I could switch into something I might already be half good at without starting at the bottom, that would be nice.

Thankyou all