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Hello Eric,
I agree with you Eric that doing this in your own time with friends is a world away from doing it day in and out with time pressures and environmental conditions and also the politics. I love what I do but we all have those days that you just hate the job. It is a real love hate relationship in this line of work.
Here in Australia the trend is dealers pay less than the independent shops and the trend with dealers that I have seen over the past 3 odd years is the shift from having everyone doing the big jobs and the hard diagnosing jobs to only 2 or 3 guys doing that work and the rest being apprentices doing all the servicing, it does make you wonder what this industry will be like in the next 10 years once all the experienced guys move on or retire. Also with this trend the lube guys tend to be earning more than the guys with the experience and tools doing the more difficult work. Some days it really makes me wonder why I do diagnostics and repair where I do :(.
I have found a lot of the younger guys that are coming into the industry aren’t interested in diagnosing and repairing just want to spin filters and no interest in buying simple tools like a DVOM.
Also here in Australia we are lucky enough that the employers do have to pay a tool allowance and get paid hourly.
Heavy diesel and equipment is almost the only choice if you want to make a very comfortable living in this trade. Diesel technology now is getting very complex compared to 10 to 15 years ago. The largest turn offs for me is hours, pressure and heavy work.
Thanks very much for that ‘international’ input. It seems that the auto repair industry is in a period of ‘reset’. Not sure what that will hold for the future of automotive technicians. I also think that manufacturers are moving more toward a ‘modular’ approach to vehicle design which will lead to more parts replacement over diagnosis. I also think they will do this to ease manufacturing costs. Bottom line, I’m not really sure where the industry is going at this time but I get a lot of input from technicians all over the world and at this time there are very few that are happy with what they are doing at present. Thanks again for your comments.
Hi, Eric. I just wanted to say that I really liked the intro of this ETCG1 video. You’ve perfected it quite nicely. 🙂 Keep up the good work and videos!
A request topic for a future video: Diesel Mechanics. How different are they from regular automobiles? Does it require a lot of extra education? You elaborated a lot on the benefits of working at a diesel fleet shop. But, what are the disadvantages?
[quote=”thegreat1dev” post=63837]Hi, Eric. I just wanted to say that I really liked the intro of this ETCG1 video. You’ve perfected it quite nicely. 🙂 Keep up the good work and videos!
A request topic for a future video: Diesel Mechanics. How different are they from regular automobiles? Does it require a lot of extra education? You elaborated a lot on the benefits of working at a diesel fleet shop. But, what are the disadvantages?[/quote]
That does sound like a good topic for a future video. Thanks for the suggestion and your comments on the video.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=63840][quote=”thegreat1dev” post=63837]Hi, Eric. I just wanted to say that I really liked the intro of this ETCG1 video. You’ve perfected it quite nicely. 🙂 Keep up the good work and videos!
A request topic for a future video: Diesel Mechanics. How different are they from regular automobiles? Does it require a lot of extra education? You elaborated a lot on the benefits of working at a diesel fleet shop. But, what are the disadvantages?[/quote]
That does sound like a good topic for a future video. Thanks for the suggestion and your comments on the video.[/quote]
I would like to hear your two cents on it too.Mind you when someone say “diesel mechanic” i think of power-system techs and the guys you see driving around in the cummins service trucks.
Commercial transport is more what i think you are getting at when you use the term “diesel mechanic”. Working on highway trucks, heavy haulers, logging trucks, etc? I tend to see that trade as the heavy automotive, very similar in a lot of ways.
Then there is heavy equipment techs, things tend to go from super simple to way too complex in a heart beat in this trade.
I have worked at two shops, I am in college for automotive. I do side jobs from time to time and these side jobs make me not want to do automotive any more. I believe it is mostly I worry am I going to finish this job or botch it. anyone else feel this way is it normal?
[quote=”fordranger” post=63910]I have worked at two shops, I am in college for automotive. I do side jobs from time to time and these side jobs make me not want to do automotive any more. I believe it is mostly I worry am I going to finish this job or botch it. anyone else feel this way is it normal?[/quote]
I have found this feeling to be normal. When I work on my on vehicle i go far slower then i do in anys shop environment because i want to be 100% sure i did it right. I try not to work side work to often because if i do mess up and it happens to be a friend or family i would hate for them to hold it against me. It’s even tougher if you are just starting out, because you don’t know everything or enough to do the job.
My advise to you is try not to take on side work to often, or take on side work that is beyond your skill or knowledge.[quote=”W00DBar0n” post=63854][quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=63840][quote=”thegreat1dev” post=63837]Hi, Eric. I just wanted to say that I really liked the intro of this ETCG1 video. You’ve perfected it quite nicely. 🙂 Keep up the good work and videos!
A request topic for a future video: Diesel Mechanics. How different are they from regular automobiles? Does it require a lot of extra education? You elaborated a lot on the benefits of working at a diesel fleet shop. But, what are the disadvantages?[/quote]
That does sound like a good topic for a future video. Thanks for the suggestion and your comments on the video.[/quote]
I would like to hear your two cents on it too.Mind you when someone say “diesel mechanic” i think of power-system techs and the guys you see driving around in the cummins service trucks.
Commercial transport is more what i think you are getting at when you use the term “diesel mechanic”. Working on highway trucks, heavy haulers, logging trucks, etc? I tend to see that trade as the heavy automotive, very similar in a lot of ways.
Then there is heavy equipment techs, things tend to go from super simple to way too complex in a heart beat in this trade.[/quote]
You’re right, I was speaking in general terms there. There are a lot of diesels in manufacturing, construction, transport, and probably some other things I haven’t thought of yet. My point was is that there seems to be a lot more opportunities for the diesel technician than there is for the automotive technician these days. For that reason I recommended looking into the diesel repair field.
What I was really trying to address in the video was the questions I get about getting into the repair field. I have a lot of people come to me with assumptions about what it is to live and work as an automotive technician. Most of these assumptions are wrong. The video was an attempt to address some of these false assumptions to perhaps help those looking to get into the repair field avoid a bad career choice. I don’t think that a lot of the people looking to get into the repair industry really understand the work that’s involved, not to mention the investment in education and tools. If you’re going to make that kind of commitment I think you should at least have SOME idea of what you’re getting into. I have a lot of people come to me and tell me that they got into the repair industry only to find that the pay is crap and they aren’t being treated very well. I think part of that is due to the industry, but I think it’s also a matter of expectations. Just because you spent a bunch of money on school that doesn’t mean you’re ready to be a technician. It also doesn’t mean that you don’t need to pay your dues when you get to that ‘first job’.
Part of what I do as ETCG is to bring attention to these things. If nothing else start a discussion about them. At the very least if I can get someone to seriously think about their future and what they want from it, I will have done my job. Even better if I can in some small way, help them succeed.
There are more opportunities because its a much more broad trade; ranging from cars, to ships. The size of the trade is the main reason for more jobs and more money. Fleet isn’t the only way to go in these trades, there are dealers, field service and service shops. But what most younger people i meet getting into these trades think is a lot of the work is on diesel engines. This is wrong, it could be tire changes, transmissions, pumps, motors, hydraulic/pneumatic cylinders, undercarriage(tracks), valves, etc. What is done is these trades is larger in scope and size then automotive.
What i am getting at is its hard for some people to understand the size if they’ve never been near it.I agree you should know what you are getting your self into before you try getting a job in a field like automotive or “diesel”. Shouldn’t wear rose coloured glasses to long in these trades because they will be stained black really quick.
Keep ETCG1 up, and i hope to hear back about your thoughts on the diesel trade. Hope you cover a lot on it, and what it takes to be in these trade.
I was thrown in at the deep at at my place of work, I started 4 weeks into my college. (2 year course) and on my second day I was taking a gear box out of a car! Luckily I had a bit of brains about me (not meaning to be big headed) But that could have easily been a 16 year old fresh from school!! and it could have easily pushed them out of a job they were looking forward to doing.
The schooling over here in England is free (under 21) so you get around 30 people in one class, and around 10 will actually go on to being employed. the other 20 just float between courses.
As for side projects I totally agree, I had one. I sold one in bits! after a long hard day of working on customers cars the last thing I wanted to do it do my own stuff. I do friends and family’s cars as they pay better per hour than my work!!
I say if you like doing it as a hobby and your good at doing it as your hobby, keep it that way. I cant have a hobby as my work. Worked in a bike shop – hated fixing my bike. or maybe that’s just me!
Speaking from a place where Diesel is the Norm it’s about 50/50 petrol/gasoline for cars on the roads. My diesel and most peoples diesels needed far more regular servicing than petrol cars. Diesel is hard to burn completely thus they get dirty get coked up with carbon from incomplete burning fuel easily. Especially on modern diesels with various emission controls you need to pretty specialist stuff to clean it out and keep or return it to running like or close to as new condition.
Actually most garages I do not have the very best or not very effective tools to clean our diesel Engines and those vital EGR valves and DFP’s effectively and easily. I’m pretty sure the best stuff I’ve used to restore an diesel engines was an american innovation and still pretty rare over here in the UK.
I hate diesels personally, often loud and rough sounding engines, alot of maintenance, really hard to maintain like new performance and the Emissions contain alot more of the nasty stuff that affects air quality, causes smog and ailments like asthma. But the torque is great for heavy good vehicles.
I keep getting yelled at by my parents and my Sister, they keep saying why don’t you get into the automotive trade. They keep seeing that I manage all the electronic stuff and sorting out that side of the my neighbours cars, ( 2 of which where trained mechanics but are retired), with ease. I try to talk them through the basics, how it works. I usually end up with blanks stares as if I’m talking some distant alien language. It’s like on my home made scope I showed one of them what his lambda sensor was doing vs what a working one. I dunno if he’s just jaded or doesn’t have a clue. Those guys seem to be fine with anything mechanical, introduce electronics and computers and you may as well be on another planet.
I guess my family don’t realise just how many tools you can end up with even if your trying to keep it small and DIY.
Ether way I like working on cars right now, I really don’t want to hate it ether, I can see that happening if it becomes my job.
If you go into this trade knowing that it’s not like working on your own car on the weekend with some friends and beers then you’re already a huge step ahead of a lot of the younger guys wanting to do this. I’m a technician and I love every minute that i’m in that shop. I’m payed starting wage and I could not be happier right now. I actually enjoy it more than working on the weekend on my own car. I have all of my tools, fluids, lift, etc. right there at my disposal. I like telling people i’m an auto tech cause to me it’s still a reputable trade. Sure there are a few pricks who try to ruin it for us, but we have a knowledge that most people do not have. Only downside is once people know i’m a technician they keep calling me and asking me to work on their car haha. But aside from that, I liked working on cars before when I was a backyard diy, but now I love it.
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