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[quote=”andrewbutton442″ post=131209]Yea, most wizard type guys become really independant like that. The ones I have known usually don’t even have shop coowners, its just them in their own little shops. Surprised he does as much as he does if he is as good as you are describing. I have known some guys that were so good at certain tasks they would basically have to assault a customer to be fired. Then again, they usually didn’t like other techs, or customers, just machines. A person like this, their skillset obviously has more pros than the cons for the people writing the paycheck. The smarter and more well trained the tech is, the less they are going to deal with pinhead service writers because they know the shop needs them more than them needing the shop.[/quote]
I think this guy is looking for a chance to leave. I’ve heard from several guys in the shop that he has a steady stream of side work, most of them think he’s just saving money to open up his own shop. He also owns his own house, has a very large collection of tools, and drives an expensive vehicle that he basically built himself. I’m going to be sad if he leaves because he doesn’t mind sharing his knowledge for those who seek it.[quote=”andrewbutton442″ post=131205]when you say electronics, how much knowledge do you mean ? Are you talking about somebody that cannot find a short, or somebody than talk in depth about microfarads and transisor function ?[/quote]
Most of the guys at my shop have a hard time diagnosing simple electronic problems. This particular guy can talk in depth about anything related to electronics, and explain how they work and WHY they work. He’s also very adept at chasing down complicated electrical problems that nobody else in the shop can figure out. He also has a lot of money invested in diagnostic equipment. He could pretty much do most of what scannerdanner does. He is generally the guy who gets automobiles when nobody can figure out what the hell is going on with them.It’s just that he doesn’t care about anything at work. If the store is slow he’ll pull in his own car and work on it, if the shop gets busy and there are waiters, he’ll ignore them and continue working on his own car. He does whatever he feels like and only takes on specific jobs, that is why he keeps getting fired. The dealership has tried to get rid of him, but they haven’t been able to replace his skillset.
I would talk to all of the teachers that run the various programs, and check the dealerships they are affiliated with. Usually you can see a list. I happened to choose Toyota because the teacher seemed the most genuine, professional and skilled. He didn’t try to sugarcoat anything, and he was very honest about his time as a Toyota mechanic. Most of the teachers seemed dishonest, almost a bit sleazy in their representation of their auto company (GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda).
I also checked, and applied at all of the dealerships available for each of these companies. Each teacher essentially got you interviews and such. While I was there I asked the technicians questions when I was done with my interview. I ended up at Toyota because this particular dealership gave me the best starting wage, and from what I understand paid their top techs the most money.
I hear Mercedes, and Audi pay pretty well, but they’re hard to get in at the very first. As a Mercedes tech be prepared to learn a lot about electronics, and computer diagnostics. The only people I have seen go straight to the local mercedes dealerships are UTI, and WYO Tech grads that did very well in school, that said I would still try to get in. I want to try after I’ve been working on Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles for a few years.
[quote=”Pitt” post=131195]Damn Pithy, I went through the same thing with Mechanical Engineering. Got to my senior year and I was like “I’m done”
I think that slowly competent people will come into the field. Not as many as we need, but the repair field is a lot like Nursing. Everyone thinks Nursing is what they see on tv. Glitz, glamour, saving lives, marrying doctors, making tons of money.
Fact is 88% of the nursing field leaves after two years in their field. Because it’s all about whipping an old woman’s ass that just shit herself, dealing with older people that have dimensia and become violent. And some other pretty nasty things like kids drowning and dying.
They will also face a critical shortage of nurses in about 3 years. Just like the automotive field. Many people think the field is what they see on over haulin, counts customs and other shows. What they don’t realize is you have to be competent to work on cars, you don’t get paid what you should. And you spend a lot of your own money buying tools to make money.
Many of us have described what we see, which is “why move up? I make great money as a lube tech doing spiffs”. I also see anyone can be doing that job in 6 months. Not many people out there want, or can be master techs. And they are becoming more and more difficult to find.
Frankly I love the fact that we have so few people coming in, and the one’s that do are bags of crap with no motivation. That opens up doors for me to work hard, move up, and less competition. I honestly believe in 3-5 years if you are a B-tech or higher you can pretty much write your own ticket.
Even now if you can rebuild trans, or engines. You are a diamond.[/quote]
Yeah, Engineering is very tedious work, that is very mind numbing. I can understand very well why you decided to say “nope”. Engineering pays well, but it definitely can make you feel dead as a person. It’s one of those jobs that would have led to a quiet life of longing (at least for me).I understand what you’re saying about people being attracted by those shows, the kid that I work with is one of those people and his work ethic sucks, and sense of entitlement is very high.
I think another thing is happening though, and that is a change in the automobile culture. I’m seeing less, and less 16 year olds get licenses. When I was in high school people couldn’t wait to get them, now people could care less. People also care about cars less than they used to. They see them as appliances, not as a hobby, or even as a pleasurable event. Instead of advertising driving dynamics, horsepower, and moddability they are advertising safety ratings, cheap maintenance. The car culture is dying off slowly in the younger generation, this is killing the technician talent pool.
There really is a very SMALL talent pool for the dealerships to draw from right now. Only a few guys in shop can work on electronics. One guy breaks all of the shop rules, and he’s been fired three times, but they have to keep hiring him back because he’s one of the only competent people with electronics in the shop. It seems only few people have a diverse skillset, and the rest just hang parts. My bosses, and the owners at the dealership realise this, and are seriously panicking, and I can see it. It really makes me wonder what is going to happen in the future in this industry. My dealership can hardly function right now with the technicians that we have.
[quote=”R. Ski” post=127684]Hello to all in the forum,
I am the proud owner of a 1998 Honda Civic EX with an automatic transmission and just rolled 165,000 miles. I purchased the vehicle for $3,200, 3 years ago at 130,000 miles. I am noticing the vehicles performance slowly diminishing. The specific symptoms consist of the following:
1) lack of power resulting in slow acceleration and difficulty maintaining highway speeds, requiring me to shift manually into a lower gear to get back up to speed. Overall, the car is running under-powered.
2) When the car shifts gears it is occurs at high RPM’s, usually between 4,000 and 5,000.
I will soon be faced with a decision which will consist of the following options:
1) Sell the car while it is still in good working condition to apply the money from the sale towards another used vehicle. (Its worth between $1,500 and $2,000)
2) Repair the car under its current conditions. (No current assessed cost or diagnosis. I understand that this makes the decision making process difficult for this option which is why I included the vehicles performance behavior above)
3) Buy a new engine and transmission. (About $5,000 in parts alone. Labor cost not assessed)
4) Drive it until it becomes an unusually large driveway ornament. (Priceless. Think of the old MasterCard commercial)
My concern is not necessarily the money in this matter as all options are affordable to me. I am curious to know what the best investment is or rather what will result in the best turnout as far as having a reliable vehicle for the longest time. What I am really trying to avoid here is having a monthly car bill. All of the vehicles I own are paid off and I would like it to stay that way which is why buying a new car is not one of my options. I realize that the answer may be a combination of the options listed above and could include other elements I have not foreseen, thus making the options I listed not all inclusive. This is all the more reason to reach out to a community such as this to help me consider this in more depth and I thank you in advance for sharing.
Please share your opinion on this matter and I look forward to all responses.
Very respectfully,
R. Ski
(P.S. A shout out to Eric. I have been watching your videos since the early days and you have helped me with various repair matters resulting in savings in the amounts of hundreds of dollars. In return I continue to recommend this site and the videos to others for guidance in repair matters. In short, Thank you)[/quote]
If you’re worried about your car getting worn out, take it into a mechanic and ask for a leak down, and compression test — or if you’re mechanically inclined do it yourself. That should give you a good idea of your engines overall health. If you have good compression then your engine most likely still has life left. After that I would replace the spark plugs and wires, maybe even change the distributor cap. If you haven’t done those things in awhile your cars performance will suffer considerably.On a side note, has the car had its timing belt changed? I believe every 90 k they need to be changed (at least on Toyota’s they do, i think its a similar story for Hondas). If it hasn’t been changed it needs to be immediately. If the timing belt breaks your engine will essentially tear itself apart. Sometimes when timing belts get worn the timing gets knocked off by a little bit and performance suffers. Also check your transmission fluid.
If you don’t have the cars service manual I would by it. That will tell you exactly what you need to do to keep your car running. If you follow the service schedules, and procedures you can keep that Civic running almost indefinitely.
You should also keep this video in mind, if your throttle response is not what it used to be this could be the reason why: Check out Eric’s 0 dollar performance upgrade video.
[quote=”Kevin_1500″ post=127872]I’d take a Camaro with the proven LS3 over any turbo car, I have an LS powered vehicle now and it’s never failed me (knocks on wood).
Toyota really dropped the ball on the FRS it could have been so good. It’s made for the market of kids in high school or weekend track warriors , yet is underpowered and over priced just like the joke of a civic si that Honda keeps pumping out. The kids want turbos and power hence how many genesis, focus st and Mazdaspeed 3’s are on the road today. Toyota needs to up the quality and get back in to the performance game, it’s been more than a decade since the last celica and supra. :angry: but I’m just a tech what do they care for what I say?[/quote]
Here is the thing about performance vehicles, Kevin. They usually aren’t volume sellers unless they are an iconic brand such as the Mustang or Camaro. They are usually used as beta testers for new technologies. For example the new Mustang was essentially used to test the capabilities of Fords new independent rear suspension. That technology is going to trickle down to other vehicles in the Ford line-up.Another reason why performance vehicles are important is to build, and maintain brand loyalty. They are giant advertising pieces for companies. How many people actually went out and bought a Supra or NSX? Not as many as these companies would have liked i’d venture. Many corporate bean counters would consider the number of these cars sold as being “underwhelming”, especially when compared to Civics or Camry’s. Hence why these two cars don’t exist anymore.
The issue here is that these cars are the ones that reeled in young new car buyers. They captured our attention, and imagination, they brought attention to the brand itself, and perhaps got people into new cars even if they weren’t NSX’s or Supras. These kind of cars, and the technology that went into them perhaps even spurred us technicians to get into the field.
The corporate bean counters are starting to kill off these cars and its leading to apathy. People only see their cars as appliances, they don’t care for anything else. It is also starting to narrow down possible talent pool in our trade, the backbone of the car dealerships. I maintain that even though performance cars are not volume sellers, that they are just important to auto manufacturers.
[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=127889][quote=”Kevin_1500″ post=127872]I’d take a Camaro with the proven LS3 over any turbo car, I have an LS powered vehicle now and it’s never failed me (knocks on wood).
Toyota really dropped the ball on the FRS it could have been so good. It’s made for the market of kids in high school or weekend track warriors , yet is underpowered and over priced just like the joke of a civic si that Honda keeps pumping out. The kids want turbos and power hence how many genesis, focus st and Mazdaspeed 3’s are on the road today. Toyota needs to up the quality and get back in to the performance game, it’s been more than a decade since the last celica and supra. :angry: but I’m just a tech what do they care for what I say?[/quote] Put an FRS or BRZ next to me on the drag strip…I will leave it whirring it’s engine on the line. The FRS makes what power it has WAYYY high up in the RPM range. Not even it’s 4.10 gearing in the rear can compensate for it’s lack of grunt. The TORQUE my engine makes low end plus the power it makes mid to upper range is more than twice what the FRS makes at 6k RPMS. That’s just my engine too…nevermind my gearing. Pretty sad when my 41 year old heavy duty gas truck can beat a modern “performance car” Ain’t no replacement for displacement. All Toyota had to do was increase displacement a bit and add forced induction. Instead they stuck with a wimpy 2.0L that doesn’t have the balls to get off the line.[/quote]
The FRS was never meant to be a drag racer, it is a canyon carver. It’s center of gravity is extremely low, and it has damn near close to a 50-50 weight distribution. It has an impressive independent rear suspension set up giving the car a planted feeling when you’re going around corners. You get supercar like handling from a sub 30,000 dollar vehicle. The issue is that is one of the ONLY redeeming features of the FRS/BRZ. I hear that engine block can handle insane amounts of horsepower, and that the engine itself responds to forced induction very well in its stock configuration — simply put it’s an easy car to tune. The issue is; who wants to spend 27k, only to then void the warranty by making modifications? For the price you would spend massaging power out of this car, you could probably buy a Porsche Cayman.The main issue here is that as an everyday driver it seems like it would be extremely boring. You can’t drive it to its full potential unless you’re on a curvy mountain road or on a racetrack, and even then you’re at a severe disadvantage if the car is in its stock configuration. It has crappy economy tires, akin to something that you would find on a Prius, and it doesn’t particularly have a good power to weight ratio. As you mentioned before, the engines torque figures are beyond pathetic for a “performance” vehicle. Toyota really missed the mark on this one.
[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=127857][quote=”Kevin_1500″ post=127855]The ridiculous part is it has a Subaru boxer engine WITHOUT A turbo. I mean come on! Make a red edition or something at least. It’s absurd, I would pick a genesis 2.0t over that car that’s how bad it is.[/quote] I wouldn’t get anything with a turbo in it period. We still don’t know how durable these new small displacement turbo fours are. They haven’t had enough time to show their true colors. Turbocharging is for diesels and racing..not fuel mileage. I prefer superchargers anyways B)[/quote]
The thing is the FRS was meant to be a performance car. It has no practical applications, no human being with legs can fit in those back seats. It’s purpose was to be more of a toy that could be daily driven if needed. That is why I was going over the horsepower numbers of the Z, Camero, and Stang’. They’re all priced about the same, and they all are in the same category, yet the little FRS is pushing about 150-200 horses less than its competitors.[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=127820][quote=”Jasonw1178″ post=127810]Sounds like our customers. “I ain’t wanna pay nuttin” blah blah they bought the car there, ect, ect. Yeah, well go find the salesman who sold it to you and have him diagnose it. That’s what I want to say anyways.
It’s like this, if I can just simply look at it and tell what it is, I’m not going to charge, but if I have to hook up equipment and/or spend time on it, take apart thigns, there needs to be a charge.[/quote] Time is money. Any diagnostic work should be charged unless like you said, its a quick road test or a quick look. If it’s going to take up my bay for a bit, I’m getting paid for it.[/quote]
Most customers do not know anything about the cars that they drive, heck I bet most of them don’t even know the basic theory behind an internal combustion engine. They are ignorant on the subject, they just know that the car is broken, and they want it fixed now.There seems to be a common misconception that all we technicians need to do is plug in a computer, and that computer will tell us what is wrong with the car.
[quote=”Kevin_1500″ post=127835]It has really changed my view of them, on top of all that the FR-S is under selling we have about 80 on the lot that just sit.[/quote]
It’s not hard to see why… They only have an anemic 200 horsepower, and 151 ft pounds of torque. The FRS is also overpriced. They cost 27,000 dollars which puts it in the same price range as the 400 horsepower Mustang GT, Camaro, and Challenger, and it even has domestic competition with the 350 horsepower 370z landing squarely in that price range. If the FRS was closer to 20,000 dollars, and perhaps branded as the Toyota Celica I think they might have something.[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=127831][quote=”Pithy Radish” post=127829][quote=”Chevyman21″ post=127818]Take my advice, you don’t want a Toyota nowdays. You will be happier with the Subaru.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/-General-Automotive-Discussion/56186-toyota-quality-quietly-going-down-the-crapper%5B/quote%5D
Corolla’s aren’t bad, haven’t seen anything that would warrant concern. If I were to buy any new Toyota it would be either a Corolla or a 4runner, Tundra or Tacoma. Those seem to be the most solidly build vehicles in Toyota’s lineup from what I’ve seen.[/quote] Heres what would concern me from what I’ve seen and heard, Toyota’s customer service. We know Toyota’s corporate policy now(deny deny deny and blame the consumer). I would not want to support a company like that nor would I feel safe letting someone I care about be subjected to it. Horror stories galore from people I know personally about just how horrible Toyota’s customer relations have become. I’m just speaking from what I see, and I see deceptive and shameful business practices. If I buy a brand new car/truck, the company should stand behind their product..which Toyota from what I see does not. The way I see it, they are simply skating on their reputation however this won’t work forever.
To the OP, buy what you like best but just keep these things in mind.[/quote]
I do agree with what Chevyman is saying here (and this is coming from an employee of Toyota) — Toyota is simply skating by on reputation now. Since about 2006 their vehicles have been going downhill. Their customer service is not very good either, Toyota corporate does not care about you, nor do they care about your car.[quote=”Kevin_1500″ post=127822]I agree with toyotas going down the crapper my parents have owned plenty toyotas, I came home from the hospital in a 93 Camry V6 (that car was a champ) they bought a 4-runner which has given stupid little problems (dashboard cracks and wiper problems) but since working at the dealer I don’t know if it’s owners or the cars themselves but it’s gone downhill the Lexus techs are CONSTANTLY pulling engines on the is250-350 for the carbon build up recall, valve covers leak like it’s going out of business and water pumps are practically guaranteed every day I come to work. The FR-S has some sort of problem with fuel pumps as well..Toyota needs to get it together![/quote]
I see FRS’s needing major repairs practically every week. That is sad considering that it came out not that long ago, and there are not many of them around[quote=”voltizar” post=127816]Corolla does seem the best choice, and I like the looks as well.
Did not think about the Fit, because its cheapest way to make a car. Handling and what not might not be great.
Cargo space is bigger than my Accord, this is news to me thanks for the recommendation will go for test drive this weekend.[quote=”Pithy Radish” post=127811][quote=”voltizar” post=127808]danielthechskid:
Thats good to know, that its more automatic than it is CVT.This might actually make me want the car more.
It would still be above 30 i would think for short trips… which is more in par with other gasoline cars like Corolla.Pithy Radish:
Thats a shame, is there something specific thats going out?[/quote]
Many of the new Toyota’s are having a problem with defective piston rings from what I’m hearing, Highlanders, Camry’s, Xb’s and Prius’s have been especially bad from what I have seen. Defective piston rings is bad news for the engine, it’s definitely a weak spot in Toyota’s lineup. I’m an entry level technician at a Toyota Dealership, I’ve been disheartened by the decline in Toyota quality lately. I’ve seen some Prius’s starting to burn oil at 50,000 miles. Repairs can also be fairly pricey when a component goes out on a Prius.The Corolla is the most solid vehicle that you listed in my opinion. Haven’t seen very many Corolla’s have problems. We’ve got a rental, and parts runner Corolla from 13′ that is abused by the dealership. It so far has had zero problems. I’ve seen one Corolla come in that suffered from a rough idle, that is it. It is also more fun to drive than the Prius by far, zippy around town, and enough passing power on the freeway to keep you happy.
Subaru’s are a bit of a niche car. You’re going to take a hit in fuel mileage compared to most similarly sized Hondas, and Toyotas due to its AWD system. They also run a different type of engine called the boxer. Instead of sitting upright in the engine bay, the engine sits on its side. This makes maintenance items such as spark plugs and spark plug wires a bit more expensive. A common failure point in older Subaru’s was the head gasket, I’m not sure if this is the case on newer ones, it’s worth checking out. Subaru’s most definitely do have more expensive parts than Honda or Toyota. They also don’t respond very well to aftermarket oil filters from what I hear.
All in all Subaru’s are reliable vehicles, maintenance is inherently more expensive due to the AWD system, and parts cost. Every vehicle has pattern failures, some worse than others.
On a sidenote have you looked up the Honda Fit? It’s a small vehicle, that has great gas mileage and a lot of space (an oxymoron I know).[/quote][/quote]
The Honda Fit is probably my favorite car from the Honda line-up. They are fun cars to drive, and they offer very good utilitarian function. A family member of mine owns one, I drive it quite a bit. It has great acceleration, and you can throw it into corners at high speeds, it actually handles quite well. It feels almost like the Honda’s that everyone has fond memories of from the 90s. If you’re not using the back seat they fold down flush to the floor leaving you with a shocking amount of space.[quote=”Chevyman21″ post=127818]Take my advice, you don’t want a Toyota nowdays. You will be happier with the Subaru.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/-General-Automotive-Discussion/56186-toyota-quality-quietly-going-down-the-crapper%5B/quote%5D
Corolla’s aren’t bad, haven’t seen anything that would warrant concern. If I were to buy any new Toyota it would be either a Corolla or a 4runner, Tundra or Tacoma. Those seem to be the most solidly build vehicles in Toyota’s lineup from what I’ve seen.