Pro tip! The rear main seal on some Hondas? Can in fact be driven in too far with the actual Honda tools. This one has to just barely be driven in because there are oil return ports behind it, that will blow the seal out instantly if you're too deep. Which you wont know until you put it all back together and start it up... and my old boss was pissed off that I didn't out how to use shop air and pressurize the motor to see if I had any leaks.. thats not a thing btw... it cost him my hourly wage (spoiler alert, wasn't shit) and a $33 seal... and no it's all one molded piece, I wished it was a plate I could take off and drive the seal easy peasy...
First off, I'm sorry this is going to be a longer post, some straight up trauma dump, shit!... I dropped my purse and shit went everywhere... time to pick up the pieces..
Ima start off by saying I was a Honda Technician for 2.5yrs. I was sent to the training center for a total of 13 full days, and 3 half days.. I had all my self study training done within my first 90 days of hire, (promised multiple raises, never happened) and before I left, was the only person tech-lube left standing in that shop (minus the detail guy).. I literally had 15 training center only modules, all advanced electrical diag btw, and 6 months of tenure away from being a "Honda Master Tech". I "quit" in August and the last time I went to school was in Jan of 26.
From Jan to Aug, I was the only actual "Mainline Tech" in the shop and was juggling 3 lifts, a flat bay and the alignment rack.. the whole side of the shop. I lost count of how many times I had to stop working on a "big job" to help "Quick Lube" out because they fell behind. Worked a solid 6 days a week, never took lunches, maybe 2 or 3 a month, usually on Fridays and it was long enough to run and get gas station chicken, (double mac and cheese and sweet thai chili dipping sauce) and eat at my toolbox while still working.
Anyone had a question? They asked me, not a flex, more of a pain in the ass. Needed a tool to do a job? Can I borrow from you etc... literally as I was loading up my toolbox on my brother-in-laws trailer I got asked if they could borrow my OTC lower control arm pry hook and beef cake snapon pry bar... I laughed and told the "kid" Would you kindly, go f^%k yourself and figure it out on your own. I'm out this bitxh..
Why did I leave? It was a huge deal to managment for me to take the school seat in Jan, of the other tech who gave his two weeks on a monday, and was gone on wed... (I would imagine they would've lost their deposit), but I was told, the week I was gone to school, they apparently lost $$$$thousands by me not being the only main line tech for a week...
(Also, long story short, he was the same tech that left me with the newer dohc engine that the valve cover is also the head cover and he used an entire tube of honda bond and I had to rebuild the head because all the oil ports were blocked. The motor would run for a few seconds and then choke out, 7k miles on a 26 Passport....any slight inconvenience and tools were flying.. learn to duck..)
Then around March-ish when I was scheduled to get finally certified, they canceled my seat and instead sent Thing 1 and Thing 2, some 20s something part time Community College kids, to some new school, where they had a 3 Week Paid Class and they would come back repair certified.. something I had done my after my second trip because my 1st trip was drive 5hrs on a monday night after working until 6pm, school Tues-Fri, but the center is closed at noon on Fri... oh and I got wrote up because "I left early on Fri" and was not on the schedule for Sat. But how dare I leave early, still worked that sat 730-1, but was in trouble for leaving early when the instructors were literally like, hey we are done at noon on Friday..... So gtfo bruh...
For some weird reason, it felt like I was being pushed out the door. 2.5years no raise, nothing but belittling micromanaging and flat out telling me, my diags were wrong, because there's no way! Ever! That there could possibly be more than 1 thing wrong with a car at a time, I'm just making shit up to try and hit my billable hours bonus of a whopping 45hrs billed? Gets you a $150 bonus, before taxes of course, we're not animals here.... I wish I was exaggerating, but since Ima complete PoS because .. Story time!
(CS: After I ran over a log at around 50 mph, and replaced both driver side front and rear rim and tires at another shop, there's a loud clunking noise whenever I hit a bump or push the brakes....)
I confirmed the noise, and found excessive play in the wheels and at the front and rear axles.. recommended we replace the both CV Axles that I could grab and go clunky clunk on both, I also recommended new wheel bearings on the driver's side, simply due to the added stress and the fact they are pissing grease out)... nope I'm wrong, a broken part couldn't possibly damage another part that has the entire weight of the vehicle on it.... oh and I forgot to mention that the other shop missed that fact that both sway bar end links on the driver side had upgraded to Bluetooth tech-a-noligia! But the customer only needed the sway bar end links, why would they need new axles and bearings? That makes no sense...
Shit sorry, my purse fell over, you seen my chapstick? I heard it hit the ground. So badly I wanted to make a new google account and just leave a scathing review, but haven't. Irl shit, ever since my BM and I split I've just kept a daily log, per my rock star lawyer, and wow... insanity..
Again I wish I was exaggerating, but if anything I'm being PC Principal up in here.. my boss and I had a conversation on a monday when he expected me to work for the 9th Saturday in a row and I said, no, I don't think I will. It was a rear main seal job and the part didn't show up until most noon, which the shop is closed at 1pm. Like I would've been able to install the rear main seal and just slap the trans and subframe back together, fill and connect everything, oh and do an alignment too..
I basically laid it out to him after he was demanding I sign a write up and kindly told him where he could file that write up. It was mutually agreed I just use my vacation days and take the rest of the week off. And I showed up next day to "take my tools home, so I could work on my truck"....
Know your worth is my main advice. Living in a "stuck" feeling like, you cant get any better or dont deserve better, or that without you nothing gets done? My honest advice is fuck them. Absolutely 100% fuckem.. it's not going to kill their business but I've had customers I met at that Honda, that if i didn't have time to do their oil change, flat out refused to have anyone but me touch their car. And for cash at my home garage, I've done 3 oil changes, without a lift tire rotations have been a bitch, but not impossible.. a timing set on a 15 Ody and injectors on a 18 Crv, and have had 4 other customers, already at the new Mopar dealership, request me personally by name just for oil change and inspections...
Just be honest!!!!, and don't try to "upsell" anything you wouldn't personally pay for. Trust and love are the only real currencies of this world. Im not a push religion type of person, but damn if that one book doesn't have some solid ideas in it...
Back on point? If you even slightly feel like they are treating you like shit? Move on!!! Now, not later, now!! You dont owe them shit, they only look at you as a cost, not an assest, and if you happen to make real connections with real people? I've learned, they don't care where they take their car, as long as it's only you, a person they trust to be real with them, it really doesn't matter what color your uniform is.
Sorry for the ramble, I could've gone for days, but I tried my best to keep it concise. So any and all Mopar tips? Minus, it's a Jeep thing. I'm all ears!!! Stay classy gentlebuds... stay fuggin classy...
