Topic: thinking about being a tech (Read 7952 times)

bryantaylor · « **on:** May 25, 2009, 07:38:14 PM »

i need some input from guys that are dealership techs on here. lately i have been thinking about working on cars for a living. after finding out how much techs can make where i work now (im at a acura dealership) and that i actually know more than over half of the guys there, i think it would be a easy job to do. ideally i would want to be at a mazda or ford dealership, but whats the best way to get started in it? i was thinking just starting as a lube tech somewhere and move up. any input?

glustic · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2009, 07:48:25 PM »

Quote from: bryantaylor on May 25, 2009, 07:38:14 PM

i need some input from guys that are dealership techs on here. lately i have been thinking about working on cars for a living. after finding out how much techs can make where i work now (im at a acura dealership) and that i actually know more than over half of the guys there, i think it would be a easy job to do. ideally i would want to be at a mazda or ford dealership, but whats the best way to get started in it? i was thinking just starting as a lube tech somewhere and move up. any input?

worst idea ever. my buddy is a lube tech, fucking makes 2% off of every oil change he does. No hourly wage

spoonfedcrx · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2009, 08:29:46 PM »

Get a job at delaership doing oil changes. Then work your way up. Then when you are a dealer tech move from dealership to dealership every few years at least thats what everyone does around here.

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2009, 08:40:24 PM »

Quote from: bryantaylor on May 25, 2009, 07:38:14 PM

im at a acura dealership

you will make more money behind the desk in time

Tech's have to be fast and correct. Mistakes cost you time and money

Zeniceguycrx · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2009, 08:49:44 PM »

Im a mechanic
Im very happy at my job
I make 27/h and will be at 30/h once I write my Class A in july.

If you love cars and injoy working on them its great.

bryantaylor · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:09:10 PM »

Quote from: Zeniceguycrx on May 25, 2009, 08:49:44 PM

Im a mechanic
Im very happy at my job
I make 27/h and will be at 30/h once I write my Class A in july.

If you love cars and injoy working on them its great.

i do, and i already have plenty of tools. only would have to get a box and a couple of little things.

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:22:51 PM »

you can never have enough tools as a tech, the list never ends

snap-on=strap-on

Be prepared for that.

bryantaylor · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:25:25 PM »

Quote from: Conceptz-X on May 25, 2009, 09:22:51 PM

you can never have enough tools as a tech, the list never ends

snap-on=strap-on

Be prepared for that.

oh no doubt. i walked onto the snap-on truck on day and almost passed the fuck out.

highroller54 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:28:55 PM »

I have over 60g's in snap on tools.

dvst8r · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:33:41 PM »

Quote from: highroller54 on May 25, 2009, 09:28:55 PM

I have over 60g's in snap on tools.

Yeah well I have an empty snapon truck on my driveway.

weirtech · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:37:27 PM »

fuck that shit. i hate working on other people's cars. that's why i only do fab. let them install it.

Conceptz-X · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2009, 09:48:12 PM »

Quote from: weirtech on May 25, 2009, 09:37:27 PM

fuck that shit. i hate working on other people's cars. that's why i only do fab. let them install it.

I hear ya there, I miss sitting at a tig most of the day

Travis · « **Reply #12 on:** May 25, 2009, 10:04:33 PM »

i dont know how anyone can make money in a dealership. if i were to do something like that, get into truck and trailer or heavy duty, then make bank. few of my friends work in a mine in fort crack alberta, making 70/hr, 12 hour days, 14 on 7 off hitch. niggaz got mad bank

Robb · « **Reply #13 on:** May 26, 2009, 11:12:39 AM »

Its doesnt suck, but right now isnt the greatest time to try and jump into the industry. Dealers are laying ppl off right now, so if you can find a job, you will get the shit end of the stick.

As a rule of thumb, independent shops usually pay the techs better than dealers, and you dont have to deal with warranty. But you dont have anyone to back you up if you get stuck in a jam with a problem car. So kinda a double edged sword.

Location also makes a difference in certain car lines. For example, I could double what I make in this small town if I moved to say Atlanta or something, but then Id be living in Atlanta...

Kain · « **Reply #14 on:** May 26, 2009, 11:38:28 AM »

atlanta aint so bad.

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #15 on:** May 26, 2009, 12:08:24 PM »

I mock Atlanta.

Kain · « **Reply #16 on:** May 26, 2009, 12:26:26 PM »

i dont care.

Robb · « **Reply #17 on:** May 26, 2009, 02:12:30 PM »

Quote from: Kain on May 26, 2009, 11:38:28 AM

atlanta aint so bad.

Quote from: Kain on May 26, 2009, 12:26:26 PM

i dont care.

xpert787 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 26, 2009, 02:57:25 PM »

Why do we hear about all these poor mining towns, when they are paying 70/hr, working out to 200k a year if you calculate the hours based on the working days you posted. 200k Canadian is 177k american still a shit load. If that is true then I am going to look into getting my brother a mining job, screw college.

chris · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2009, 03:30:23 PM »

The automotive field is trashed right now so stay where your at if it doesnt look like your getting laid off. The economy will recover but its a couple years away

Travis · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2009, 04:00:11 PM »

I live 45 min from 2 potash mines, soon to be the third and even working as a general labor man, you start at $21/hr which is awesome. Cost of living here is so low, I pay $600 a month for a 3 bed house, with a new garage. New siding, whole nine yards. And to top it off, there are no niggers in my town, just old folk. And the car scene for a 15k pop town is pretty awesome, lots of 10/9 sec cars roaming the streets.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potash_Corporation_of_Saskatchewan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esterhazy_(town_of)

Quote

today the two joint mines, K1 and K2, combined produce more potash than any other mine in the world, granting Esterhazy the title of "Potash capital of the world." [1]

anyone gets on can live at my house

Spanish-rice · « **Reply #21 on:** May 26, 2009, 11:51:44 PM »

i didnt mind being a tech at a dealership because at a dealership you kind of get into a rythem of things that tend to fail. like the same models that all have the same problems and you get quick and fixing them meaning big $. small shops tend to suck cause you never know what will come through the door. astro van one day, freddys old ass le baron the next. i couldnt do that shit.

personally the only thing i didnt like was communicating with people. i have more fun bullshitting and talking cars than i do working on other peoples shit. thats why i went after service writing. i make enough money and i love my job so thats another option to think about. and the shit ass economy is currently helping me out :yes:

darkelvis · « **Reply #22 on:** May 27, 2009, 12:00:43 AM »

Quote from: Spanish-rice on May 26, 2009, 11:51:44 PM

i didnt mind being a tech at a dealership because at a dealership you kind of get into a rythem of things that tend to fail. like the same models that all have the same problems and you get quick and fixing them meaning big $. small shops tend to suck cause you never know what will come through the door. astro van one day, freddys old ass le baron the next. i couldnt do that shit.

working on the same thing every day would fucking kill me, the common failures you see in a dealership will still fail after warranty so I will see the same common failures in an independent...I will just see the common failures on the hondas,chevs,fords,chryslers,etc instead on just one brand...I like working on an astro van one day and freddys old ass lebaron the next, which is why I could NEVER work dealership...I'll stay independent.

caged · « **Reply #23 on:** May 27, 2009, 03:18:19 AM »

Id go independant but the dealerships pay way more over here. BTW we also have snap on tools but our dollar is 1/2 of the american and then we have to pay the import costs as well

Robb · « **Reply #24 on:** May 27, 2009, 08:27:22 AM »

Quote from: caged on May 27, 2009, 03:18:19 AM

Id go independant but the dealerships pay way more over here. BTW we also have snap on tools but our dollar is 1/2 of the american and then we have to pay the import costs as well

You'll find snap-on in my box only for things I use often, screwdrivers, sockets, etc. Everything else is matco or mac. I dont believe in paying large sums of money for something I only use once in a blue moon.

Spanish-rice · « **Reply #25 on:** May 27, 2009, 08:42:19 AM »

Quote from: darkelvis on May 27, 2009, 12:00:43 AM

Quote from: Spanish-rice on May 26, 2009, 11:51:44 PM
i didnt mind being a tech at a dealership because at a dealership you kind of get into a rythem of things that tend to fail. like the same models that all have the same problems and you get quick and fixing them meaning big $. small shops tend to suck cause you never know what will come through the door. astro van one day, freddys old ass le baron the next. i couldnt do that shit.

working on the same thing every day would fucking kill me, the common failures you see in a dealership will still fail after warranty so I will see the same common failures in an independent...I will just see the common failures on the hondas,chevs,fords,chryslers,etc instead on just one brand...I like working on an astro van one day and freddys old ass lebaron the next, which is why I could NEVER work dealership...I'll stay independent.

i can see that, and thats for some people and not for others i suppose. but if youve been there long enough and its always the same shit, you can pump that stuff out in no time and thats where the money is at when youre flat rate. i mean dont get me wrong , an all-around good technician will do anything quickly but if you can cut any and all diag time out of something you do all the time its going to go much faster. but everyones different i guess

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #26 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:02:09 PM »

Fifteen years ago I bought a lot of Matco stuff. I don't know where their product has gone in the interim, but at that time the stuff was 2/5ths priced Snap-on. I have a set of their (rebadged S&K) 1/4" drive floppy sockets that I used on an extension w/ impact gun and never had a problem with - stuff was prime.

Robb · « **Reply #27 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:05:05 PM »

Quote from: Joseph Davis on May 27, 2009, 07:02:09 PM

Fifteen years ago I bought a lot of Matco stuff. I don't know where their product has gone in the interim, but at that time the stuff was 2/5ths priced Snap-on. I have a set of their (rebadged S&K) 1/4" drive floppy sockets that I used on an extension w/ impact gun and never had a problem with - stuff was prime.

Yeah, Im happy with matco. I guess it helps that my tool guy owns a Cayenne and hooks me up/ vice versa.

Joseph Davis · « **Reply #28 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:07:09 PM »

Joe Gaulin?

bryantaylor · « **Reply #29 on:** May 27, 2009, 07:24:23 PM »

well bitches. i actually have a interview tomorow morning at my local mazda dealer.

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Author Topic: thinking about being a tech (Read 7952 times)

chris