studying auto and looking for a career...

[The_Jeff]

My cars are pretty durable on the OBDII front even past 150k.

The annoyance is EVAP leaks on mine & my friends' stuff. I understand a smoke machine might find the source. You're never going to have a happy customer though, as fixing it won't make the car run any better, and it can take hours and hundreds of bucks.

Around here you can get by fixing rust, struts, ball joints, alignments, brakes, and exhaust. Powertrains keep on keeping on.

In ten years there will probably be more techs retiring than joining so there'll be a labor shortage. Retired guys get all the money so keeping their caddys running so they can go to bingo will give you a slice of their savings.

And fixing older cars no matter where they're made is value added on these shores. With an aging fleet, work as a mechanic should be steady for the mid-term.

 

[Silk]

I've been a mechanic for over 40 years - I come across a lot of people who ''used to be a mechanic'',I don't ever want to become one of those.I've worked on nearly everything that has an engine,cars,trucks,motorcycles,equipment etc,and had my own workshop for over 10 years - now I have a cushy low stress,low pay job in a small dealership.

In New Zealand we have an apprenticeship system,in my day we worked for low pay and were taught by experienced mechanics,we went to night classes 2 nights a week,and day courses 3 weeks a year,and exams every year.The final exam was a half day practical.In the '60's and '70's a mechanic from NZ could get a job anywhere in the world,our training and experience meant we could fix anything - most race teams in Europe had a Kiwi in the team,and that's still the case today.

But the young guys coming through today just don't seem to have a depth of understanding - oh,they are smart on the electronics and all that,but they never pull an engine down,all they do is replace parts.Unless you have a complete in depth understanding of all systems in a motor vehicle,all your diagnosis will be reading from an electronic screen.

Judging by the employment advertisements the last few years,I'd get into trucks or heavy equipment,there is a never ending demand for mechanics in this area.I'm too old to get back into trucks.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: brelandt
After all these years of working on both planes and automobiles I had decided to earn my certification as an auto mechanic. I work full time and have very little time at home for school, so I went with a study from home course (took auto mech in college back in the mid 90's and earned 104 for the semester). The lesson are VERY complete and tough even for a person like me that knows a lot.
Once I'm finished I want to head towards earning a ASE and one day in the future a master mechanic.
I gave a lot of thought towards what I like as far as mechanic works goes and I am leaning towards fleet work. I love keeping things in good clean working order which is why I'm on BITOG!
I just need some advice from you guys out there with similar experiences.
BTW I would want to stay here near home in the bay area. Thanks!
Check out the auto program at Skyline Jr.College in San Bruno. I was a continuing student there to keep up with all the new tech. I retired in 2000 . So if it hasn't changed,,, I liked it and really learned.

 

[brelandt]

Wow, silk that is exactly the way things ought to be. I want to learn everything I can from school with constant testing and OJT. I have 20 years of experience with engines of different types but never had a paper proving it.
Steve S I'll look into this as I'll need to keep up with my studies so that in a couple of years I can pass my ASE.