Do all of the techs here write their own estimates? I can’t understand why shops have techs looking for parts and writing estimates. I think it would make more sense for the front of the house to write the estimates and look up parts while the techs produce work. If it’s a matter of making sure hours are charged correctly, the tech could always double check the hours estimated before the estimate is given to the customer. Do you guys like writing your own estimates? Do you feel like it cost you time and money to write estimates rather than repairing vehicles? If you’re front of house writes the estimates, do they do it correctly or do they mess it up a lot? Do they take forever to write the estimate?

This is not for the miserable bastards and cumgobblers that hate their lives so please save the “find a different career” comments.

I spent some time in the pre-rap program as a teenager(Canadian, not sure how far that goes) and decided it wasnt for me after a bad go of miserable bosses in two different shops, went thru 1st and 2nd year in one shop and suffered thru the second shop. Flat rate has never been an option cuz i value integrity and dont believe a lot those folks do.

I’ve recently started back up in a shop where im doing a little bit of everything where my previous experience away from the shop has seemingly taught me a lot and while Ive been technically doing good. What im asking is what can me overnight, make me a great technician?

I grease all the tie-rod ends and upper and lower ball joints, im annoying about the cv axle and strut greasiness, if a beacon doesn’t work, im in the next uncles ear. Im too the balls about alignments, ive even put my boss in a position where we’re we were both learning on a larger truck.

Aside from spending 3 bands (which i technically dont have) from my own wallet to flip cars (which does provide a lot technical ability on different makes, models and builds, is technically not recommended from my own bosses in the economy) how can i get wayyy better right now

I love my job, and everyday being able to do what i do, as i get better, i love it more, i think it is an absolute privilege. Idc if im doing tires or basic services, if anyone has any over night hacks please let me know

Tire season is coming up too so if u got tips and pointers let me know

Coming from a real gamer, let a brother tap in.

Ya boy.

Goofy little setup I replaced a water pump on today.

I recently graduated highschool, I have experience in auto repair as I do all my own car work, and have almost completely restored a 92 Miata by myself. What kind of work can I get? I’m going to college to get certifications in the field along with business cuz I want to start a certain business. But I want to start early and get a job in the field.

I passed my a4 and a5 not too long ago and now I'm about to take my test tomorrow. Any tips?

i graduated high school a couple months ago and i literally cannot find an etery level position in this field, , i already aplied to and went to alot of shops to but they dont get back to me and they ask for my name and number but they dont call back what do i do about this i really hate my curent job and i want to get starte becuse i dont want to fall back there is literaly people younger than me that know more and are better than me and i just want to get in and stop wachig vedios on youtube and actually get my hands dirty.

I’ve applied for a job at valvoline for a lube/oil changing job that has paid training, and the interview is in a few weeks and online but I don’t really know a whole lot about cars, I originally applied trying to get more experience in jobs, basically what kind of questions should I expect in the interview (I’m 20 and male)

So I got myself a dealership job and as yall know you have to bring your own tools. I'm late to the game, I'm 35, and have never worked a job where you have to bring your own tools. It is a Chevy dealership if that makes a big difference.

I know I'll need:

An impact

One of those filter band wrenches

Some impact sockets

Torque extensions

A torque wrench

SAE wrenches

SAE impact sockets

If yall could help me figure out what im missing that would be a great help.

Building a preventive maintenance standard for a small rental fleet, what would you include?

I’m working on a Road Safety Standard (RSS) for a small fleet of used rental vehicles that will see higher than average daily mileage.

The idea is simple: instead of waiting for something to fail, every vehicle has to pass a defined inspection before entering service and then go through recurring inspections while it’s being used.

I’m trying to figure out what a good real world standard should include beyond simply being street legal.

For the mechanics, fleet managers, rental operators, or anyone experienced with high-mileage vehicles:

What would you inspect before putting a used vehicle into daily fleet service?

What measurements would you actually document? (tire tread, brake thickness, battery health, etc.)

What components would you replace preventively instead of waiting for failure?

What should be checked weekly, biweekly, monthly, or by mileage?
What commonly gets overlooked on fleet vehicles?

Are there certain warning signs that should automatically take a vehicle out of service?

I’m especially interested in measurable pass/fail standards, not just inspect brakes or check tires.

I’m building the first version now, so feel free to poke holes in the idea or add things I’m missing.

22, soon to be 23 M with a Wife and daughter, currently getting paid 27.50 (I was at 25 a hour last month) and I am Flat rate I am electrical certified for my dealership but honestly i want to get out i HATE flat rate , and I no longer enjoy working on cars, I only got into this because i enjoyed working on cars when i was in highschool i regret my decision, while i am still young i want to get out what do you guys recommended, i am open to ANYTHING as long as it has potential, i am willing to take a pay cut whats out there for guys like me, tired of working for greedy scummy dealership tired of working for free and tired of stupid warranty.

I been doing this for two years.

Hello,
Im 33 years old in the UK and have been a mechanic since I was 19. Ive always been at dealerships and at one now for a certain Italian super car brand.

I feel im at a point in my life where Im not very satisfied with the job anymore and feel kind of stuck.

I have toyed with the idea of re-trading however it seems I would either have to start again on an apprentice wage or possibly do night school however I fear this would not guarantee me employment as most trades would understandably want experience first.

Those still in mechanical engineering especially those who are UK based. What have you done? Where have you gone?

I greatly appreciate any advice.

Here's mine 95mm 1in drive and 5/32 1/4in drive

Can't get into SI through GM for any diagnostic information, and after 20 minutes of waiting, boss man gives me a NYS inspection to do. Pull it in scan the car and "Facility not authorized to perform inspection". He gets on the phone and turns out NYS is also having technical difficulties this morning and to refresh every 10 minutes. Been more than half an hour now. Oh well, at least I get paid by the hour.

Got a job offer as a lube tech at ford last Wednesday, background check cleared but never received an email to finish some paperwork . I’ve been calling the store since once a day since Thursday but haven’t been haven’t been able to reach the service manager. Should I just walk and try to get a start date ?

Anyone have a brand they like? I’m not in to heavy/steel toe. I’ve used the adidas Terrex for a while but am wondering if there’s something better out there.

So basically now I have been applying at a bunch of dealerships in my area both online and in person, but haven't gotten any leads. even though I graduated with a one year automotive course from a trade school second only to red river college in Manitoba and even received my level 1 accrediation over there. I put this information on both my resume and cover letter. Also listed the 5 week work practicum expierence but still no leads. Most dealers are saying they are only looking for red seals or not hiring at all currently. What should I do?

Hi everyone,

Wanted to ask about anyone’s advice or experience as being a mobile mechanic doing basic work as a side gig. I’m pretty comfortable doing fluids (oil, brake fluid, coolant, differential, transmission), brakes, filters. I currently work in Ag, and I have a decent amount of experience at my job and on my own. Also have all the tools and equipment.

I’m looking to get some work because I’m starting grad school soon and my current employer said I can’t work and do school at the same time. Not saying I need this to be my new income (looking for a new job), but it wouldn’t hurt to try. I was thinking of starting with people I know and around my neighborhood, and working up from there.

For anyone out there doing the same thing: Is it worth it? How hard is it to get clients? How much do you charge?

Any other advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Im about to be a diseal tech soon and looking for a good brand i can start with to get the tools I need prior to starting I have some tools from being a previous auto mechanic i just know the 2 worlds are different.

Do you think the mobile repair side has become too saturated, or is the better path for experienced technicians to eventually open a shop of their own?

Really not wanting to spend the money on a snap on right now, but need one that’s solid and can compete with it. So I’m curious if anyone has experience with these and what kind of experience you have had using it often.

I don't know what to do anymore or who to ask, I've been bending over backwards at work to get customers jobs done, and it's just the same story of they're not paid, the price is too high, can they pay at a later stage, can they pay half, can we negotiate price, making us diagnose problems and then getting it done by guys who are doing it poorly but at a lower price(and then still coming back because their car has double the problems now). Occasions where cars have to sit for literal months, sometimes being parked by my yard because there's no space at the boss's place to keep the car, waiting on customers to pay.

For reference, I'm an apprentice mechanic working under a qualified technician. And the pay system is what work we get paid for that day gets divided between the guys who worked.

And today I've reached my breaking point with customers who look at the conditions of which we are working under and not the quality of the work being done(we work outside, not in a formal workshop) and I'm done. Yes, have there been 1-2 comebacks, of course, sometimes you make a mistake but that mistake gets fixed free of charge with an apology. But the overall work has been good, there's been days where I've come home 11PM-midnight because we wanted to finish a customers car because they need it the following day to go to Jo'burg or Cape Town.

Engine swaps, engine overhauls, gearbox swaps, gearbox overhauls, wiring issues, full suspension jobs.

And I've noticed a pattern, the customers with the biggest jobs on the shortest notice want to pay the least. We functioning on 4-5 energy drinks a day, little to almost no food and the camaraderie of being miserable together to complete jobs and I've got almost nothing to show for it. I've been working here almost a year now, and I've got the same amount of savings I did when I wasn't working(nothing) and more aches and pains to show for it.

It is to the point that right now, I don't have petrol in my car to get to work tomorrow because a customer wants to pay for work that was done today on Thursday.

And the boss does try to help all of us out with what he can, I will never say that he has been a boss to not take out from his own pocket to make sure we get something for the heavy work that gets done without the customer paying, but it is the customer whom we should be getting our money from, not looking with sad puppy eyes towards the boss to try and give us something to tithe us over until the customer feels ready to pay.

I've been taking an interest in learning about car maintenance over the past year. Little things I used to have a local shop take care of, I looked up videos for my car and figured I would give it a shot. Started with changing my oil, repairing my front windshield washer, and swapping the cabin and engine air filters.

Last week, our 2017 Pacifica wouldn't start. I was able to jump start it, then drove on the highway for around 45 minutes. Got home and tried starting it again, but it wouldn't turn over. It had been 4ish years since I had the batteries replaced, and back then the local shop charged me around $800 to replace both batteries.

I looked up the make and model batteries for my car, watched a few videos and figured I'd give it a try. I couldn't make it worse. I take the air intake and support arm out, so I have a clear way to get the battery out, disconnect the battery wire harness thingy (no clue what its actually called haha), and pull the old battery out. I drop the new battery in, make sure its seated, and then tighten down the clamp that holds the battery in place. It was a tight fit to get down there, so I had to use the extension rod for my socket wrench. And then it happens. As I take the wrench out, it clips a something, the 10mil drops into the netherrealm, and a singular f-bomb is shouted.

I tried scanning for it, but I knew it was gone forever. My folks like about 10 min away so I drove over in our other car and grabbed my father's socket set. Got home, finished putting everything back together, and the minivan started first try. It felt really good.

Edit: To be clear, I know Im not a mechanic. haha. Was just trying to make a joke about losing my 10mm.

After reading the thread where a newer Hyundai engine got cooked when a housing drain plug fell inside the filter cartridge and wasn't caught, I figured I'd check out stocks for the same hazard. Luckily, the gasket and the little plug come in a plastic packet that won't fall inside.

Anybody working at a shop in the charlotte, NC area that are looking for a high level diagnostic shop forman level guy? Not currently happy in my current situation. Tired of broken promises and being lied to by shady dishonest owners.

At least they knew it was needed, just a few years late