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No matter how much you know, or think you might know there is always more you can learn. I come from the perspective that although I may know a lot, there is always room for improvement. Sometimes some older tech(or in much rarer cases a younger tech) will show you a better or more efficient way of doing a job, something you may have not realized before, or a new way to look at something. Now, I won’t say all, but alot of younger people don’t understand this and think they know it all. They are disrespectful to older people trying to help them succeed and as a younger person myself(26) it disgusts me. Learning happens everywhere and experience is what matters most. Look, I went to school for automotive and have been working on cars and tinkering for a long time..but noone knows everything. You know where I learned the most? My dad and people older and more experienced than me. School teaches you alot but you don’t get the full picture unless you listen to the older more experienced people who are not instructors or professors. I see kids nowdays that come out of school that think they know everything and don’t have their mind open to learn anymore…it frustrates me.
Thoughts anyone?
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I am only a little older then you at 29. I see the exact same thing. The reason why I am on these forums and watch every eric the car guy video I can is I want to know more. I also know a lot and when it comes to the computer side of things and electrical side of things more so then most IT people. I was self taught computers for over 10yrs doing IT for friends, family and a 50 member gaming guild. I also learned from my dad he was a millwright mechanic for 35yrs and is still hands down the best mechanic I have ever seen and that is not just because he is my dad. I also went to school but, when I was younger if something in my house was broken we fixed it and fixed it right. We would find out how a professional would do it if it was his own home and do it that way. That way it stayed fixed. It might take longer to do it the 100% proper way but, the outcome from it was always the same when you did.
Nowadays I see kids come out of school and think they know everything and are not willing to listen. I am always willing to learn a new way to do things. Sometimes I will try it other times I will do it the slower way it all depends on my end product, the risk of safety, and the fact that the other way might break something causing me to spend more time then I would normally. I got yelled at before by tech I asked to teach me their way when I did it different afterwards but, I explained to them I ask everyone how they would do it combine it and do it the way that is best from a combination of insights.
I have had mechanics come through who constantly broke things and I still managed to learn from them mainly from their mistakes but, also sometimes a new tip or trick that wouldn’t hurt me or what I was working on. I tend to head more towards my current mentor and my dads old ways of doing things which takes a little longer but, the end product is almost always better. I have had 3 come backs in a yr and a half of doing this professionally. The main reason for taking longer is figuring out the why and how and not that it is just broken. That how and why can take simple jobs and turn them into nightmares but, it can also take things that seem like nightmares and turn them into replacing one piece of wire.
When I was in school I saw the end products of the school and majority of them scared me to think they might be working on my family or friends cars one day. I was that annoying guy that would not let up until the teacher explained it in a way I could understand and always asked the teachers about how to do shortcuts and any advice after class or during down time in labs.
Exactly MDK22, experience comes not just from school, but also from many other outlets. You can’t base a person’s skill on how much experience they’ve had in just one area as the experience most likely came from multiple sources. If a kid today just goes to school for automotive and isn’t open to any other learning, they were doomed in the trade from the start.
I once knew a guy that I would get advice from. Absolute genius of a mechanic. He liked to work on old European cars no else would touch because he liked the challenge. Lucas wiring, CIS, Bosch mechanical fuel injection from when it was first invented, D-jet, Land Rover electrical nightmare issues (YUCK) he did fixed this type of stuff in his sleep. Don’t think he ever had any training in any schools he just got from his mind. I used to joke with the other techs that knew him that it was downright frightening how he was pretty much always right in what he advised –even when logically it seemed odd. It was years and years and years seeing patterns, and knowing what worked and what didn’t, ect. He never played the been there done that thing either, just gave friendly advice on anything one wanted to know. He would be the first guy to tell you, he didn’t know everything either. Working in that guys shop would teach one more in a month than a school could teach in a year. I myself have been working on cars (specifically Oldsmobiles, Fords and Pre fwd Chryslers) since before computers existed in cars and I still learn stuff everyday about old cars I didn’t know from all sorts of people, books, ect. I myself am to old and set in my ways to have any desire to learn the newest technology. If it’s technology I can integrate into an older car, I am good with it otherwise For what I do and what I fix, I have no interest or need. My paragidm will always be greasy corner shops with gas pumps. I leave Hybrids, dash screens and serial busses, ect to younger guys out of schools with current training ASE, what not.
[quote=”andrewbutton442″ post=124730]I once knew a guy that I would get advice from. Absolute genius of a mechanic. He liked to work on old European cars no else would touch because he liked the challenge. Lucas wiring, CIS, Bosch mechanical fuel injection from when it was first invented, D-jet, Land Rover electrical nightmare issues (YUCK) he did fixed this type of stuff in his sleep. Don’t think he ever had any training in any schools he just got from his mind. I used to joke with the other techs that knew him that it was downright frightening how he was pretty much always right in what he advised –even when logically it seemed odd. It was years and years and years seeing patterns, and knowing what worked and what didn’t, ect. He never played the been there done that thing either, just gave friendly advice on anything one wanted to know. He would be the first guy to tell you, he didn’t know everything either. Working in that guys shop would teach one more in a month than a school could teach in a year. I myself have been working on cars (specifically Oldsmobiles, Fords and Pre fwd Chryslers) since before computers existed in cars and I still learn stuff everyday about old cars I didn’t know from all sorts of people, books, ect. I myself am to old and set in my ways to have any desire to learn the newest technology. If it’s technology I can integrate into an older car, I am good with it otherwise For what I do and what I fix, I have no interest or need. My paragidm will always be greasy corner shops with gas pumps. I leave Hybrids, dash screens and serial busses, ect to younger guys out of schools with current training ASE, what not.[/quote] Heh Hybrids are something I don’t know squat about..other than don’t touch the orange wires unless you want to be fried lol.
One my friends just got ASE certified in Hybrids. I will stick with knowing about 727 torqueflites or something more interesting. He can work on Priusus and I will stay working on Mopars. Not a hard choice for me…I don’t know much about that yellow cabling other than to say I’ll pass on having anything to do with it.
[quote=”andrewbutton442″ post=124755]One my friends just got ASE certified in Hybrids. I will stick with knowing about 727 torqueflites or something more interesting. He can work on Priusus and I will stay working on Mopars. Not a hard choice for me…I don’t know much about that yellow cabling other than to say I’ll pass on having anything to do with it.[/quote] I would much rather learn about hydrogen engines/fuel cells than hybrids personally. While I am good with electricity, I don’t expect this electric car/hybrid thing to last. The electric car failed in the early 1900s and IMO it will falter to diesel and hydrogen cells in the future.
I don’t think the learning will ever stop for someone coming into to the trade fairly recently this has been the case for me every day there is something new.
One thing I have noticed is the 3 years practical experience i had in school is dwarfed by 1 year working as technician and i look forward to many more years (sort of) 😛
I have issues with hybrids and the training for them and i have a pretty good understanding of how they work. I also know that orange wires are a no no and in some of them even if you throw the master switch some of them can still have power enough to kill you. Oh joy. I have tried to do the training for them several times for the dealership it is not fun. Yes, they have them for big rigs just like they have propane or Compressed Natural Gas Diesels. Which apparently last a lot longer run a lot cleaner and hardly dirty oil. Kinda makes you wonder.
[quote=”MDK22″ post=124832]I have issues with hybrids and the training for them and i have a pretty good understanding of how they work. I also know that orange wires are a no no and in some of them even if you throw the master switch some of them can still have power enough to kill you. Oh joy. I have tried to do the training for them several times for the dealership it is not fun. Yes, they have them for big rigs just like they have propane or Compressed Natural Gas Diesels. Which apparently last a lot longer run a lot cleaner and hardly dirty oil. Kinda makes you wonder.[/quote] They also require special equipment such as special insulated gloves to prevent you from getting electrified. Truth is, even the major manufacturers know that hybrids and electric cars ain’t the end all. GM has their sights set on hydrogen and diesels, Dodge is diesels and CNG. Toyota has dismissed the electric car altogether(minus the prius because it’s a cash cow) in favor of hydrogen tech research. The adoption rate is slow and the infrastructure ain’t there. The infrastructure is there for CNG, Hydrogen and Diesel. Learning CNG, Diesel and Hydrogen in my opinion is where the focus should be placed. Personally, I know CNG and Diesel but hydrogen is something I will look into as another thing to learn. In school, I never took the hybrids course..but I took Diesel and CNG as electives instead.
From the moment I got out of school I worked with a couple of old timers who taught me more than the schooling ever hoped to, and these guys where from a time where they started sweeping the shop floors and worked there way up. I have a huge respect for that, since then they have both retired leaving me the lead tech roll in the shop. And thats when it it me that you have no idea just how much you don’t know until there is 5 guys looking to you for help. learning something new every day may be an understatement. on a side note I have also noticed that with my generation (I’m 27) there is so much more of there EGO invested, to the point where new hires often tell me I’m doing something “wrong” just because i do things a different way, hey if its safe and efficient I say go for it, but that is a totally different conversation.
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