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So following up on a previous post, I decided to go ahead and enroll in my community college’s auto tech program. Right now I’m just trying to plan some things out as far as work goes. What in your opinions would be a good brand to work with at the beginning? The goal for the future is to get good enough to work on high end stuff (I was thinking maybe Teslas), or work at/start a performance shop. There have been openings at a couple Honda and Hyundai dealers, but I’ve seen a post on here sayingg Hyundai isn’t a good brand to work for, and Eric himself said working on Hondas will ruin you, lol
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I’ve always felt that the most important thing is to work for a brand whose products you respect. Few things in this business are worse than to “fix” something you believe was junk from conception and should never have made it off the drawing board.
To address you specific interests, I can say from experience that working for Mitsubishi has provided me with the next level of understanding transmissions and engine management. I used to work for Kia/Hyundai, and they are more of a “throw a unit in” attitude and the training reflects that. Mitsu wants you to take a automatic trans apart to change $3 wave spring that’s broken, or replace a loose piston if it’s their warranty dollar. They expect more than average out of their techs. I hear GM and others teach trans/engine stuff work, but I feel like Mitsu is frequently more complicated units that are built more precisely.
[quote=”KeithLG” post=138840]So following up on a previous post, I decided to go ahead and enroll in my community college’s auto tech program. Right now I’m just trying to plan some things out as far as work goes. What in your opinions would be a good brand to work with at the beginning? The goal for the future is to get good enough to work on high end stuff (I was thinking maybe Teslas), or work at/start a performance shop. There have been openings at a couple Honda and Hyundai dealers, but I’ve seen a post on here sayingg Hyundai isn’t a good brand to work for, and Eric himself said working on Hondas will ruin you, lol[/quote]
I’ve also worked for Hyundai/Kia and they are trash. They literally took Honda, reverse engineered the cars and made their own version with far cheaper production and quality.
To be honest I would work for the company that offers you the most potential. Ford, Chevy, dodge, Toyota, Nissan all have suv’sm, full size trucks, mini vans and high end versions. Other than dodge.
[quote=”Fopeano” post=138849]I’ve always felt that the most important thing is to work for a brand whose products you respect. Few things in this business are worse than to “fix” something you believe was junk from conception and should never have made it off the drawing board.
To address you specific interests, I can say from experience that working for Mitsubishi has provided me with the next level of understanding transmissions and engine management. I used to work for Kia/Hyundai, and they are more of a “throw a unit in” attitude and the training reflects that. Mitsu wants you to take a automatic trans apart to change $3 wave spring that’s broken, or replace a loose piston if it’s their warranty dollar. They expect more than average out of their techs. I hear GM and others teach trans/engine stuff work, but I feel like Mitsu is frequently more complicated units that are built more precisely.[/quote]
In that case I wouldn’t work for Mitsu unless it was exclusively Evos lol, or most of the German brands.
[quote=”Pitt” post=138876][quote=”KeithLG” post=138840]So following up on a previous post, I decided to go ahead and enroll in my community college’s auto tech program. Right now I’m just trying to plan some things out as far as work goes. What in your opinions would be a good brand to work with at the beginning? The goal for the future is to get good enough to work on high end stuff (I was thinking maybe Teslas), or work at/start a performance shop. There have been openings at a couple Honda and Hyundai dealers, but I’ve seen a post on here sayingg Hyundai isn’t a good brand to work for, and Eric himself said working on Hondas will ruin you, lol[/quote]
I’ve also worked for Hyundai/Kia and they are trash. They literally took Honda, reverse engineered the cars and made their own version with far cheaper production and quality.
To be honest I would work for the company that offers you the most potential. Ford, Chevy, dodge, Toyota, Nissan all have suv’sm, full size trucks, mini vans and high end versions. Other than dodge.[/quote]
I was thinking going with Nissan, then maybe moving up to Infiniti down the line, it seems like the natural progression, and I guess if you know Nissan then you know Infiniti. Also the school has GM ASEP, so that’s an option as well. I was thinking about applying for this Hyundai opening though, just to have a job while I’m in school (the program actually requires holding a job in the industry), but the thing is that if I wanted to move on to a different brand after I finish school, I’d probably would have to start from the very bottom, which means starting from the bottom of the pay scale.
Work for whomever is willing to sign a pay check for you. The first few years are all about learning. Although you should be learning your entire career, most of it is lumped into the beginning. After 4 or 5 years you should have enough knowledge and certifications to go work wherever you want. So if you’re looking for or need a job during the class, pick whomever expresses an interest in helping you further yourself. Just be weary of anyone promising you everything and the moon, they’re usually full of shit.
In all honesty I picked the brand that breaks the most. It makes life hell when you are working on them because it is a brand like Fopeano said to stay away from where the engineers are clueless and almost all the designs never should have made it off the drawing boards. There is a couple reasons why I did this one is you are rarely slow though this did not prove true over time. If you can work on the worst and cheapest brands out there anything else becomes a cake walk. You also will know very quickly if this job really is for you or you hate what you are doing. You will also be on the path to hating everything about the job as well. So doing this is not for everyone.
The other thing is toolboxes have wheels for a reason. Just because you work on one brand to learn does not mean you have to stick with that brand. Make sure whoever you work for you print off copies of all the training you do. There is normally a certificate you can print out. I know this seems stupid but, when you go into an interview at another location you can bring that with you to show hey I am not a complete idiot you can give me things other then brakes and oil changes. This will help address the starting at the bottom thing at another dealership/shop. I would also suggest you take pictures/videos of any side work you do even if it is to your own car it is another great thing to be able to bring to an interview.
Since you want to work on Tesla’s I would say go for Toyota or another brand known for their hybrids because those are the closest things you are going to get besides actually working on all electric cars. If you want to work in performance you need to work on a brand with a lot of performance vehicles.
You will also find out how obscenely dangerous electric and hybrid vehicles are to work on. The voltages/amperages you deal with can normally jump 5-6″ min. Also the voltage/amperage combo will kill you if you mess up. They actually have special insulated sticks to pull the body from the truck so as to prevent them from bursting into flames and to preserve the body for the funeral. Just keep that in mind. Because of this there are special tools, gloves, boots, mats, etc for working on hybrids and electric vehicles. Also just because you through the lock out tag out does not necessarily mean it worked or cut the entire system from all voltage. There are normally capacitors and such that still store voltage. There are also all kinds of special safety procedures associated with hybrid/electric vehicles. We have hybrid diesel trucks the stuff is crazy dangerous. Only one guy in our shop is certifiable and certified enough to work on them. He is also consequently the best electrical/diag guy we have. I have done all the training but, have not done the hands on class required to work on them.
I am not trying to talk you out of it especially cause it is likely the future of cars in like 20-50yrs. I am just trying to give ya the facts. In between diesels will reign supreme. That is my opinion anyway. Regardless of where you work you are not likely to do any engine work or anything complicated for at least 2-3yrs normally 4-5yrs. You start to hit your stride normally around year 3. The only way to get around that is working for a brand new shop where they hire all new techs though that is rare. You also should become as proficient as you can at electrical diag. This will help you advance quicker.
[quote=”KeithLG” post=138878]…the thing is that if I wanted to move on to a different brand after I finish school, I’d probably would have to start from the very bottom, which means starting from the bottom of the pay scale.[/quote]
Not true. The easiest way to get a raise in this business is to get a new job. Once you are competent and have a few years experience, new employers will normally match (and sometimes exceed) whatever wage you tell them you’ve been getting paid. I’ve never jumped to a different dealer without getting a raise in the process, and all but one time I was changing to a different brand.
Also keep in mind that Evos are the least lucrative Mitsubishis to work on. Nothing’s ever simple with them, the cars are usually modified, and customers bring in aftermarket parts of any quality to put on them. Think a clutch job that pays 10 hours, but then you get in there and have a aftermarket downpipe in the way that’s seized onto the turbo, then open the new clutch box and find out it’s a twin or triple plate setup. The customer never mentions this, is quoted a “stock” price, and nobody wants to hear about charging extra time to deal with such things.
[quote=”Fopeano” post=138897][quote=”KeithLG” post=138878]…the thing is that if I wanted to move on to a different brand after I finish school, I’d probably would have to start from the very bottom, which means starting from the bottom of the pay scale.[/quote]
Not true. The easiest way to get a raise in this business is to get a new job. Once you are competent and have a few years experience, new employers will normally match (and sometimes exceed) whatever wage you tell them you’ve been getting paid. I’ve never jumped to a different dealer without getting a raise in the process, and all but one time I was changing to a different brand.
Also keep in mind that Evos are the least lucrative Mitsubishis to work on. Nothing’s ever simple with them, the cars are usually modified, and customers bring in aftermarket parts of any quality to put on them. Think a clutch job that pays 10 hours, but then you get in there and have a aftermarket downpipe in the way that’s seized onto the turbo, then open the new clutch box and find out it’s a twin or triple plate setup. The customer never mentions this, is quoted a “stock” price, and nobody wants to hear about charging extra time to deal with such things.[/quote]
I’ll definitely be taking that into account. Thanks man.
[quote=”Fopeano” post=138897][quote=”KeithLG” post=138878]…the thing is that if I wanted to move on to a different brand after I finish school, I’d probably would have to start from the very bottom, which means starting from the bottom of the pay scale.[/quote]
Not true. The easiest way to get a raise in this business is to get a new job. Once you are competent and have a few years experience, new employers will normally match (and sometimes exceed) whatever wage you tell them you’ve been getting paid. I’ve never jumped to a different dealer without getting a raise in the process, and all but one time I was changing to a different brand.[/quote]
Most bosses I’ve ever had: “you’re all replaceable” and so on. Then when you leave: “Why are you leaving, I thought you liked it here?”. They then replace you with someone that can barely do the job for the same pay and everyone is complaining because apparently, you weren’t actually replaceable.
[quote=”DaFirnz” post=138932]
Most bosses I’ve ever had: “you’re all replaceable” and so on. Then when you leave: “Why are you leaving, I thought you liked it here?”. They then replace you with someone that can barely do the job for the same pay and everyone is complaining because apparently, you weren’t actually replaceable.[/quote]I love this it happens every time I leave a place of business. That and they realize all the little things that I did to make shit run smoothly. That is like every time they put me in a place suddenly productivity of everyone goes up. Because i point people to the right person to ask for advice on that job.
i had chance to touch almost every pos under sun, work for vw, volvo, hyundai, kia, multi brand dealer(subaru,mb, smart, sprinter, bmw),mopar, gm
european brands are my favorite…but, training wise, volve and gm is one of better brands for that…hyundai and kia training is kind of vague, i was certified with them back in 2013 but, i left because of over warranty crap work with bs employer attitude…
indy shops are fine as long as you can learn proper way…not just hack way. anywhere you can obtain hack technique anyway.
good luck to you.keep learning
[quote=”kevk62″ post=138959]i had chance to touch almost every pos under sun, work for vw, volvo, hyundai, kia, multi brand dealer(subaru,mb, smart, sprinter, bmw),mopar, gm
european brands are my favorite…but, training wise, volve and gm is one of better brands for that…hyundai and kia training is kind of vague, i was certified with them back in 2013 but, i left because of over warranty crap work with bs employer attitude…
indy shops are fine as long as you can learn proper way…not just hack way. anywhere you can obtain hack technique anyway.
good luck to you.keep learning[/quote]
That’s definitely something I’ve heard about Kia/Hyundai, the huge amount of warranty work.
[quote=”KeithLG” post=138961][quote=”kevk62″ post=138959]i had chance to touch almost every pos under sun, work for vw, volvo, hyundai, kia, multi brand dealer(subaru,mb, smart, sprinter, bmw),mopar, gm
european brands are my favorite…but, training wise, volve and gm is one of better brands for that…hyundai and kia training is kind of vague, i was certified with them back in 2013 but, i left because of over warranty crap work with bs employer attitude…
indy shops are fine as long as you can learn proper way…not just hack way. anywhere you can obtain hack technique anyway.
good luck to you.keep learning[/quote]
That’s definitely something I’ve heard about Kia/Hyundai, the huge amount of warranty work.[/quote]
Hyundai and Kia have very long lasting warranties from what I understand. I think it is a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty. While they are better than in years past, I still hear that many have a myriad of issues that come well before that 100,000 mile warranty is up.[quote=”Pithy Radish” post=138982] While they are better than in years past, I still hear that many have a myriad of issues that come well before that 100,000 mile warranty is up.[/quote]
They definitely still have some quality issues with suspension related parts, had one a couple of weeks ago. A 2011 Santa Fe with 36,000 kilometers (just over 22000 freedom units), the front struts were blown right out. Oil everywhere and the front end had as much rebound control as a bouncy ball.
That being said my parent have a 2007 Santa Fe with everything except nav and it’s held up pretty well. Nothing that I could easily deem as such has prematurely failed.
Meanwhile as far as this thread, my problem is that apparently I’m supposed to do a majority of my training at home on my own time. Our computers in the shop suck and are shared so you can’t just plop yourself in front of it for a few hours. So I took my notebook one day figuring I could find some wifi, nope. The “free” wifi for the customers is just strong enough to cover our customer lounge and while there is a strong signal from a network with the company name on it. Apparently us plebs aren’t important enough to gain access to it. This should prove awesome when Honda randomly decides to lock down warranty and recall work based on factory training levels. They have so far not given any sort of indication what their intentions are or how much trainging will be required for what tasks, but there’s something over 120+ individual “courses” in the program.
General Motors is my bread and butter. However, working in an independent shop I work on all brands. Here’s the thing, I’ve worked at a dealer and a GM dealer at that. What I can tell you from my experience is that an independent shop is superior from a learning standpoint(you work on all makes and get more challenging work) as well as a “shop politics” standpoint(less drama, less pressure, less insiders etc). I find an independent shop more personable as well as more challenging. When I worked at the dealership, it was drama, recalls, warranty work etc and alot of turnover. The independent shop I’m at has had the same guys for many years. That’s not to say the dealership was all bad, as it had a great benefits package but the work flow was poor(most of us stood around on occasion waiting for work) and it was just too easy for a guy like me who enjoys being challenged.
I would base my decision on how many recalls a manufacturer has had in the last 5 years. Unfortunately that rules out nearly every automaker except the Germans. My advice is DON’T work for a dealer.
GM is the best out there,they let out their computer information very well.Only one that you can reuse an used computer in over again.Ford,the worst to work on and getting crappy with their computer information.Ford has it one way engineering wise,the hard way only.Ford won’t even give out their computer information out anymore,lot of times it is called take it to the dealer with computer headaches.Misfires with a Ford is real easy to fix,replace the coil or coils.Basically eat them like candy.The foreign cars,takes longer to change the timing chains.Did one in a 2006 NIssan Pathfinder with the 4.0 V6,took 2 hours longer than a domestic.
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