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This forum is started by suggestion from one of the forum members, SpawnedX. The idea behind it is to have a place where technicians can talk about their experiences and ideas concerning their careers and profession. Think of it as sort of an extension to ETCG1 were we talk about things that concern us and the automotive industry. This is for technicians only so please don’t post automotive questions here. If you are a technician welcome to this forum, if not please stay behind the yellow line. Perhaps we can start by introducing ourselves.
I’m Eric Cook aka EricTheCarGuy. I’ve worked as a professional technician since 1996 and have been an ASE master technician for the past 15 years. I worked for Acura at the dealer for about 8 years and spent the rest of my time working at aftermarket shops on both imports and domestics. I’m also an Acura certified master technician which I got as a result of my training at Acura. For a brief time I ran a Carx after I lost my job at Acura, that was interesting and challenging in many ways but I did work with some good people there and learned a lot about running an automotive business as a result of that experience. Now I have a successful auto repair show on the internet as well as a successful website and forum. To be honest my favorite job so far has been working as ETCG, it seems my entire career including my termination from Acura has led me to this place and I could not be happier with the result. I suppose that just goes to show you never know where you’re going to end up.
Welcome to the Technicians Only forum, I look forward to getting to know you and your work better.
ETCG
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Hi everyone, I’m Johnny.
I wanted to be a philosophy professor, and earned my degree in philosophy. After graduating, I decided the trades was where I wanted to be, since I was absolutely useless with my hands. I’ve done brief stints as a carpenter, electrician, pipe-fitter, but decided that auto technician was the best choice. I started the trade in ’05, but got out in ’07 to go get shot at and nearly blown up in Afghanistan (I was a reservist). Came back to the trade in ’10 and have been aggressively learning as much as I can. I am currently in school for two months to finish up my four year apprenticeship. Hope to be a Journeyman about a month from now (I think that’s the equivalent of an ASE Master Technician).
I’m a Canadian tech with Toyota dealership experience, but I’ve mostly worked at independent shops. Our apprenticeship program sounds very different than the American ASE one. Legally, you must be registered with the government to work as an auto tech up here, starting out as an apprentice. It’s a four year program where you work for ten months, and attend school for two months every year for four years. It’s pretty intense training, and I’d say ten times more difficult than your average university degree, but the pay off is more valuable for sure.
Looking forward to future discussions 🙂
JC
Hi everyone, I’m Johnny.
I wanted to be a philosophy professor, and earned my degree in philosophy. After graduating, I decided the trades was where I wanted to be, since I was absolutely useless with my hands. I’ve done brief stints as a carpenter, electrician, pipe-fitter, but decided that auto technician was the best choice. I started the trade in ’05, but got out in ’07 to go get shot at and nearly blown up in Afghanistan (I was a reservist). Came back to the trade in ’10 and have been aggressively learning as much as I can. I am currently in school for two months to finish up my four year apprenticeship. Hope to be a Journeyman about a month from now (I think that’s the equivalent of an ASE Master Technician).
I’m a Canadian tech with Toyota dealership experience, but I’ve mostly worked at independent shops. Our apprenticeship program sounds very different than the American ASE one. Legally, you must be registered with the government to work as an auto tech up here, starting out as an apprentice. It’s a four year program where you work for ten months, and attend school for two months every year for four years. It’s pretty intense training, and I’d say ten times more difficult than your average university degree, but the pay off is more valuable for sure.
Looking forward to future discussions 🙂
JC
hi my name is german im i current student at NTI in arkansas ive been watching eric talk about the flat rate system and about how sometimes there is too many techs for steady work and it makes me question about my future career
hi my name is german im i current student at NTI in arkansas ive been watching eric talk about the flat rate system and about how sometimes there is too many techs for steady work and it makes me question about my future career
[quote=”midnightbluS10″ post=48932]I’m Justin, 31 yrs old. Been working on my own stuff since 14 and went to school in 2008-2010. So I’ve only been doing it professionally for about three years.[/quote]
Looks like I got canned today. The machine shop screwed up the engine for an ’04 Mach 1 Mustang I was doing. Since they wouldn’t take fault for what they did, the boss canned me because he said he couldn’t be sure it wasn’t my fault. That a piece from the previous destruction traveled backwards through the valves, into the lower and then upper intake manifold, where it lodged itself until I started it up initially. Then it pushed it back into the engine, where it destroyed #7 piston.
I told him….if it was my fault, there will at least be valve damage where it went through the intake valves. He wouldn’t even let me disassemble the engine to check it. Just jumped to conclusions, blamed me, and let me go.
Wow.
[quote=”midnightbluS10″ post=48932]I’m Justin, 31 yrs old. Been working on my own stuff since 14 and went to school in 2008-2010. So I’ve only been doing it professionally for about three years.[/quote]
Looks like I got canned today. The machine shop screwed up the engine for an ’04 Mach 1 Mustang I was doing. Since they wouldn’t take fault for what they did, the boss canned me because he said he couldn’t be sure it wasn’t my fault. That a piece from the previous destruction traveled backwards through the valves, into the lower and then upper intake manifold, where it lodged itself until I started it up initially. Then it pushed it back into the engine, where it destroyed #7 piston.
I told him….if it was my fault, there will at least be valve damage where it went through the intake valves. He wouldn’t even let me disassemble the engine to check it. Just jumped to conclusions, blamed me, and let me go.
Wow.
Hello everyone.
I am chris from glasgow. I currently work as a heavy plant fitter for a drilling company where i work on everything from small 2 and 4 stroke engines on saws and pumps to 4x4s(landrovers) to large diesel compressors and 30 ton lgp drill rigs and everything in between. I have worked all over the automtive industry and also ran my own garage for a short time. I started as an apprentice for a forklift/plant company where i speacilized in heavy equipment repair and worked in field service for 5 years before moving on. hopefully i will be able to use my experinace to contribute to this site in someway.by the way i am a time served mechanic forgot to mention that.
P.S
Sorry to see you lost your job Justin had that happen to me before but i managed to prove it wasnt my fault you never even got the oppertunity which is wrong.Hello everyone.
I am chris from glasgow. I currently work as a heavy plant fitter for a drilling company where i work on everything from small 2 and 4 stroke engines on saws and pumps to 4x4s(landrovers) to large diesel compressors and 30 ton lgp drill rigs and everything in between. I have worked all over the automtive industry and also ran my own garage for a short time. I started as an apprentice for a forklift/plant company where i speacilized in heavy equipment repair and worked in field service for 5 years before moving on. hopefully i will be able to use my experinace to contribute to this site in someway.by the way i am a time served mechanic forgot to mention that.
P.S
Sorry to see you lost your job Justin had that happen to me before but i managed to prove it wasnt my fault you never even got the oppertunity which is wrong.Hi Eric
My name is Dave, I have been repairing things officially since 2004 but my family history is that we have always been mechanics or farmers. I do not have any ASE certifications just experience I did complete several training certification programs that my employer wanted me to, Most recently Advanced Alignment Diagnostics for our Hunter Elite alignment machine. Most of what I do is routine maintenance oil changes, tire installation, alignments, transmission flushes, and replacing parts as needed. We also do a majority of the farm business in the area and put tires on tractor semi-trailers. The shop that I am at now has been there since the 30’s, It has always been family owned.
I like it here and am content to be a grease monkey. I get dirty everyday and go to bed tired smelly and sore. It suits me fine. I like fixing things no matter what it is and go out of my way to make sure our customers are more than satisfied. Because our shop cannot compete with bigger places on price but we can sure beat them on customer satisfaction. some of our customers are 3rd or 4th generation comming there.
I see the need for educating myself on the newer cars and trucks and I think that I can get a lot of that practical knowledge here.
Hi Eric
My name is Dave, I have been repairing things officially since 2004 but my family history is that we have always been mechanics or farmers. I do not have any ASE certifications just experience I did complete several training certification programs that my employer wanted me to, Most recently Advanced Alignment Diagnostics for our Hunter Elite alignment machine. Most of what I do is routine maintenance oil changes, tire installation, alignments, transmission flushes, and replacing parts as needed. We also do a majority of the farm business in the area and put tires on tractor semi-trailers. The shop that I am at now has been there since the 30’s, It has always been family owned.
I like it here and am content to be a grease monkey. I get dirty everyday and go to bed tired smelly and sore. It suits me fine. I like fixing things no matter what it is and go out of my way to make sure our customers are more than satisfied. Because our shop cannot compete with bigger places on price but we can sure beat them on customer satisfaction. some of our customers are 3rd or 4th generation comming there.
I see the need for educating myself on the newer cars and trucks and I think that I can get a lot of that practical knowledge here.
Hey folks,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Pete from New Hampshire. I went to school in northern NH, WMCC’s diesel program of 2010. I started working for a site preparation contractor fixing anything under the sun. I helped maintain a fleet of GM pickups, heavy equipment, the dump truck fleet, or whatever else needed fixing. I left that job to work for a Caterpillar dealership, which was the job I really wanted. I’ve been there over two years now. I perform services, engine, transmission and power train work, hydraulic work. I’ve done numerous certified rebuilds, which takes the machine down to the frame and back up again like new. I love the job, working to help customers and fixing/figuring out the problems they could not.
I’m not much of a car mechanic but I have been known to work on the family vehicles and tractors.Looking forward to further discussions with all of you! B)
-PeteHey folks,
Let me introduce myself. My name is Pete from New Hampshire. I went to school in northern NH, WMCC’s diesel program of 2010. I started working for a site preparation contractor fixing anything under the sun. I helped maintain a fleet of GM pickups, heavy equipment, the dump truck fleet, or whatever else needed fixing. I left that job to work for a Caterpillar dealership, which was the job I really wanted. I’ve been there over two years now. I perform services, engine, transmission and power train work, hydraulic work. I’ve done numerous certified rebuilds, which takes the machine down to the frame and back up again like new. I love the job, working to help customers and fixing/figuring out the problems they could not.
I’m not much of a car mechanic but I have been known to work on the family vehicles and tractors.Looking forward to further discussions with all of you! B)
-PeteHello guys!
My name is Tyler, I went to Nova Scotia Community College for automotive service and repair, and currently a apprentice mechanic at a local service station, i hope to continue my knowledge on this forum with the rest of you!
Hello guys!
My name is Tyler, I went to Nova Scotia Community College for automotive service and repair, and currently a apprentice mechanic at a local service station, i hope to continue my knowledge on this forum with the rest of you!
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