Why Mechanics Are QUITTING
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- Опубліковано 24 вер 2023
- Why Mechanics Are QUITTING
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just like everywhere else...it's not a labor shortage...it's a pay shortage
It’s both
Its a pay shortage, i left the industry after 20 year, became an electrician and nearly double my pay.... im telling my kids to work on cars for fun but look for a union job.
@@LuckyLopez777 It's really not. Why work for pennies when you can make dollars in a different field? You would think demand would drive up wages but NOPE...
Sounds like you are kind of in a catch 22
Demographics proves labor is in a shortage and the pay is very low for what is needed to be a mechanic.
This was back in the 80s. On Thanksgiving day my brother ( a locksmith) was called out for a keys in a car. We went out and my brother told the client if the vehicle could not be unlocked in one minute it would be free. My brother unlocked the vehicle in twenty seconds. The costumer than said he was not going to pay for such a easy job. At that moment my brother locked the door with the keys still in the car and we left....
Lol😅
Good move, teach him
💯 Got my respect
😂😂😂
Good for him . I would have done the same thing
I did it for 25 years, quit 18 years ago. I worked at new car dealerships on flat rate. You couldn't get a job anywhere that was not on flat rate. The warranty times got shorter and shorter, the repairs got more and more difficult. I got tired of working 42 hours a week and getting paid for 38 hours. When I left, I was making $17.50, and the dealership was charging $90 for my labor.
U mean the stealership
I agree. If they are charging customers that much, then YOUR services are worth that much.
@@PolymorphicBytes the fun thing is that author of this video pays 20-30$ per hour to his mechanics and charges $120-140 per hour to customers. He puts difference into his own pocket. Yet he made this video where he complains, and cries and licks his snots.
@@danguelph2676 This generation must break free of the "good little worker" mentality. Everyone is a one person business. Our skills and services have value. Our time has value. Don't get involved with any deal (including a job) where that deal is not good.
If you must do it to survive, I get it, it what you should do. However, keep looking for better! Do not be loyal to a bad deal. Businesses chase after profits. You should not feel guilty for doing the same thing!
Flat rate encourages the tech to take short cuts. On the other hand we pay hourly and I find myself telling my guys to quit fkn off. Tough life.
Today's mechanic you have to be an electrician and a software engineer so you better pay more than $40 an hour
Even if you are a good mechanic, people don't treat you with respect.
It's crazy.
It's because of the title. People (mostly women) respect titles. they think a fat guy with a red rag behind his pocket with room temperature IQ
It’s hard to know who is a good mechanic especially when even the dealerships will load up the parts cannons and there are factory trained dealership mechanics here on UA-cam, they are the best mechanics on UA-cam but they still don’t do the jobs right.
@@notme22 that's why I became a mechanic at age 19. And that was back in 1979.
I'm sure over the years I've saved more than $100,000 bucks just working on my own cars.
They were either a Ford or Mercedes. A couple of Honda's and my best friend just gave me a Cherry Nissan 4 wheel drive. His wife blew the engine, but I've already put another engine in it.
My pride and joy is a 427 Ford medium riser racing engine.
Thinking about it, $100,000 is on the low side of savings.
@@jesse75 you’ve got a little over 20 years on me and I’ve definitely saved $100k multiple times but I’ve also been working on cars since well before I started kindergarten and went to college the first time for it before going back and becoming an engineer. Over the years I’ve acquired every tool one could possibly use for working on cars including HVAC and the factory scan tools for some cars. When I was going to college I got an “paid” internship at a “crummy” used car dealership that would get cars that had already been to multiple and would let me play with them until I could figure out how to fix them properly. That was probably the most valuable experience I’ve ever had. If I can’t fix it the cars getting crushed because at that point either they don’t make the part or it’s more economical to just acquire a different vehicle.
That's any profession tbh
He forgets to add that automakers are not designing these cars for repairs anymore. They want 7 years and you junk it and get another. Sealed transmissions. Sealed engines. Spark plugs buried inside an engine. No accessibility in many areas.
So trying to repair these are much harder now than in the past.
You hit the nail on the head.
Yep exactly.
I’m new and been seeing this it sucks lol
Yes sir. Had to replace a oil filter housing on a 2019 Chevy Colorado. It was buried next to the frame...8 hrs. Labor....at 225$ 😅😅 new cars are tough to get to basic parts . Including the spark plugs!!!!!ouch
Just wait until all cars are electric
I'm a good mechanic, and that's why I drive 1983 F250 6.9.
It gives me no troubles and when repair is required, it's easy and very affordable to fix.
I'm not a mechanic, and that's why I drive Toyota 2.5L A25A-FKS with P710 transmission.
It will outlive you and me both and no repairs are required. Drops the mic.....
8 50th@@danguelph2676Monday to❤
@@danguelph2676 found the toyota cultist. yawn.
I'm a good mechanic also, 2017 wrangler I maintain.
Only way I'll buy a new vehicle is well,....never.
My brother was a mechanic. I asked him why he always bought from snap on. He said, when you spent hour trying to get to one bolt. Snap on pulls up. And he's got a wrench designed for THAT bolt. You buy it.
I just spent more money buying specialty tools than I paid for the parts to make the repairs.
Wow lol
He ain't lying, snappy does have a LOT of specialty crap for those pain in the ass spots, it's a good business model really, take mechanic complaints, see the complaint in action, design a tool around the complaint, sell for outrageous price cause you're the only one making it.. like a special wrench that is for one specific car just so you can wedge it between everything to get one sensor or bolt out, may never see that make and model again, but hot damn, snappy just so happens to have it when he pulls up and he wants a premium for it.
When you buy a special tool that may only get used one time I always added it into the repair bill.
@@googleuser868 most managers won't, and force the tech to buy them, and give the BS "it's your repair job, it's your repair tool expense" zero compensation or empathy, and extremely common, another reason you have a labor shortage, techs get fed up with the "you must sacrifice your first born to the shop" mentality.
Most car dealers in South Florida charge around $300-$500 an hour to service customers but wont pay technicians more than $15-$20 an hour so they had enough
They're Boomer-owned. They all want to be a Penske or a Hendrick, at the expense of everyone else around them.
Which dealerships which brand
Gotta be Ferrari or lambo.
Nobody's charging no 500.00 an hour...stop the cap.
@@warrenlewis3977 really? Call a few LUXURY car dealers in Palm Beach county ..
@@jimlarkin7859 RR-Bentley, MB,BMW etc
I had a good business as a mobile mechanic but got overwhelmed and started to look bad because I couldn't keep up. So found a shop for rent and it got even worse. People don't want to wait and they don't want to pay. Got in a big hole financially because of that. Mechanics don't want to work even the shade tree. Found a tech job for the Fed Gov. No 🐂💩 with people's cars and make more than before because clock in clock out and back to my life. They supplied the tools too. Not doing work for anyone anymore. Edit: I've been doing some work at home for a handful good clients that won't leave me alone 😁.
That’s the way to go. Left the dealership field for public transportation maintenance working on transit buses. Best decision I’ve made
Brother how you find these typa jobs?
@@AUXTREV usajobs.gov all/most Federal jobs get listed there.
Yes I need to do the same, what do I search up?
County or state jobs basically
Was a lead mechanic and state inspector, and in MD, inspectors are in high demand. Just got tired of busting my ass in shops that didn’t appreciate me, didn’t know how to build a ticket properly, or could treat their employees decently. $130k in personal tools and toolbox, walked away from it all.
Got a govt contract gig. Damn I wish I had done it sooner.
Youngbucks - if you’re smart enough to diagnose/wrench on a modern car, you’re smart enough to find a career that’ll pay better and not hammer your body to hell and back. Trust me.
To bad government isn't much better to work for unfortunately. Very clicky and often hard workers do all the work and the groupies get together do nothing expect give all their work to the hard workers. While giving themselves raises. Your only good if you dont care about what you do which is difficult if your not that kinda person. Good example forest service office in my home town had 50 employees less then 10 years ago and now has over a 100 yet nobody will actually leave the office and go out into the bush and do there job. And the odd ones that do get singled out and driven out of the workplace since they make everyone look like total idiots.
Best advice anyone could give to younger mechanics just starting. I'm certified diesel mechanic,gave up 20 years ago. Every employer Ive had used and abused me and underpaid. Worst career path I could have ever made!
Plus now with most careers, you can live anywhere you want and work from home.
@@Scottydoing, can’t comment as I’m a contractor (not .gov employee), but the gig I got - my only regret is not getting in sooner.
He is absolutely right about the blend door actuator. Mine was fine but the blend door itself snapped. It was $15.00, but just like he says it requires removing the dashboard and windshield for my car (2013 Camaro 2SS). The difference is i was quoted $1200.00. It is indeed a labor intensive job.
Instead, I found a "hack" online where you can cut a small piece of plastic out to the upper right of the gas pedal, slide the blend door out, and slide a new one in.
Took me 40 minutes and cost me maybe $50 bucks for the blend door and tools. I saved myself over a thousand dollars and if the blend door breaks again or i have to replace the actuator, I know exactly how to replace it. That of course was for MY make and model thats not the case for every vehicle.
I pay $125 flat rate to an independant mechanic. We have done business for years. When I was running 3 F350's with V-10 engines he kept me in business. I had them pull in his shop at 7PM and ready for the road at 7AM. If he was doing PM and found something, he fixed it. Cost was and is relative. The revenue I could generate in 10 hours paid for his services. I had those trucks in there every 5,000 miles for PM. I never looked at the time, just the cost, and wrote him a check when he gave me the bill. No credit card swipe fees. Sometimes, it was $12K. But he made me money.
A good mechanic is worth every dime.
Also, those V10's saved your business and made you $$$ since it was a good quality engine Ford put out except for the spitting spark plugs like my 2003 f250 super duty had.
@@j.l.salayao8055 And they would still run one piston down.
True
Dam that sucks that the tec put his life on hold for you. I bet he missed all his kids games because he was sleeping . But at least you made all that money.
@@blockhead3654I was not holding a gun to his head. People in this part of the world are not afraid of work. Puts a roof over their kids head and food in their belly. I don't know where you live but $125 hour for wrenching beats wrangling buggies at Wal☆Mart for $11.00
I've been told many times that being a mechanic/tech is a "noble" profession. It's noble because it requires tons of tools, knowledge, and physical endurance at times for a less than stellar reward. It's satisfying when it goes right, but job satisfaction doesn't pay the bills.
You can’t eat what you don’t pay taxes on.
Snap-on tools required for minimum wage pay and the shop service advisors suck. So you’re paying for tools, you’re doing sales, and at the end of the day some kid at McDonald’s took home more than you
@@quickdiy8127well when a kid at McDonald's brings home 1500 plus a week I'll quit doing what I'm doing
@@shogunofgrowing4839that’s what I make in a month
It sure feels that way, or the service writers bring home twice what you do and all they do is make phone calls and talk. It's almost a joke especially in the toxic environment of a new car dealership not to mention it is the only field where the more you know and better you are you make less money make when every car you touch has been to 2-3 different shops or has been past around the shop and no one can fix it so bythe time you get it you are fixing 3-4 other problems before you can diagnose the original concern and by this time no one wants to pay. The customer has already spent big money with no results, and the dealer has already paid 2-3 other techs in the shop and all they want is for the car to be fixed and fixed now. And don't even get me started on customers who don't want diag. there are way easier and more lucrative opportunitiesout there @quickdiy8127
I worked a salvage yard where a customer needed a mode door motor out of the dash. He wanted to see how to take it out. It was an older model and part was unavailable. So i smashed part of the dash out took out the 3 7mm bolts and handed it to him. He had agreed prior to 50.00. After that he refused to pay saying it wasnt worth that because i didnt put much effort in it. He said it basically wasnt worth anything. I threw in the furnace on the way out to the office (i live in the north east where it's very cold) i said well it's worth something... heat. Then went about filling my next order. I hate walk in customers so much. 😂
I'm a tech at a dealer for 20 yrs now. To all the young people wanting to get in, DONT do it. Until the pay model is changed and flat rate is abolished, it's nothing more of scam. The shortage is a creation in its on making by dealers, manufactures and some shop owners
I had a shop sold it and went back to the military after 5 years . Too many people with $ 1500.00 cars needing $1000.00 in repairs and $ 100.00 in the bank . Just not worth it .
Same here. Shut mine down and went back to the corporate world. Still have it for sale.
Just watched your video I was a Tech from 1979 10 19 94. In 1994 I got into the building trades and never looked back. I used my experience in the automotive industry to make 3 times the Money The text that I see nowadays now a days are terrible. They have no experience, just parts changers. Unfortunately being a mechanic was it thankless job I worked in dealerships and mom and pop shops. I would rather work in mom and pop shops. They appreciate you dealerships, don't thank you.
Yup.. Most people just trade their car in when it starts to need expensive repairs for a new one , while poor people watch youtub videos to keep the old ones going..
@melvinmolly4151
Even 'poor' people will replace. My last car was a 2001 mustang. Regularly having to fix something. Me and my father can't do much with newer cars, and he's getting to old. So in 18, got a 19 accent. 6 years without constantly throwing parts at a car, 2x gas mileage.
Used only makes sense if the cost is below new. When driving an older car can reach repairs costing more on average than a new car price...
And if I hold the car for the full 10 year warranty, my yearly cost will be no more than used car cost.
@icecold9511
Tell me exactly how a 10 year old car costs more than a new $60k or $80k car to repair? I'll wait.
Mechanics are quitting because their customers can’t PAY their bills!
Facts!
Dealerships and manufacturers screwed over mechanics a long time ago.
Spot on !
Everybody is getting fu©ked from every direction right now. But if you follow where it came from, 3verybody would realize that it's the bankers that shafted EVERYBODY, even themselves.
@@LuckyLopez777Don't condone that nonsense. These people are quitting because they can't keep up with the technology. I drive a 40 year old car daily and it's difficult to find guys who understand "timing", "vacuum", etc. Thirdly you can't trust a mechanic for shit!! They are HISTORICALLY untrustworthy. Stop playing dumb.
As a mechanic who's been in this for 3 years, I went to college for a diesel mechanic. Graduated, and wanted to work at the shop where I have my internship. They declined me because of my lack of "efficiency and experience." Like, I am fresh out of college and I really don't have much experience.
In my area, they are always looking for diesel mechanics, but they want the experienced mechanic. Not someone who is fresh out of college. This discouraged me from wanting to working in the shop. I am still frustrated since (May, 2023).
So, I just do some side mechanic work and just work at a manufacturing job. It's tiring but I love it.
Keep looking, there are shops that need mechanic helpers. I did it a year ago, I got no experience, I'm middle-aged, I am an immigrant, I came from working in manufacturing. I work in manufacturing for 2 years but I want to learn another skill because working on production lines just bores me. Sure the pay was a little less than but I'm learning new skills and I'm building up my resume. Next year, if they don't give me a raise, I'm moving to work for others. Right now, I'm doing safety for trailers, I work from 7am to 4pm. Hard job but hey we need to start somewhere. So just don't give up, keep looking, someone, somewhere will take chances on you and build yourself from there.
Hard to find a honest mechanic, who doesn’t ripp people off 💯💯💯
I was always an honest mechanic. Driving OTR, it's hard trying to come across a 4-Wheeler who knows how to drive.
Way too.much stupid in cars thats not needed..............stupid expensive for engineering idiocy........if the car from 1950 still runs good why do we.need $60,000 + on garbage
I was using a mechanic, a fantastic guy with smarts and integrity, for over 9 years to maintain and repair the 4 vehicles that I own. Last month I stopped by his shop to drop off some cookies my wife had baked and he was busy packing up his stuff. He had sold his business. I asked him why and he said 2 reasons; one, his employees were costing him too much money and he was losing money on too many jobs that had to be repeated because of the work they did. Two, new parts that were no good and had to be replaced, for no additional charge. He told me that he felt at least 50% of the parts he got from Napa and other sources were bad and using your example of the $20 blend door actuator, if you take apart the dash and install a part that doesn't work which in some cases you may not know until you've put the car back together and now you have to take everything apart again, you don't get to charge the customer additional labor. Other than learning to do things for yourself, I'm not sure there's a good answer. Repairs are just too expensive.
I was doing parts management for caliber collision for 2 months and walked off the job lol. Hes right 50% return rate, i would spend half the day just hearing the techs complain the parts were damaged and the other half returning the parts and having to hunt down the refund from the dealerships and find replacements for them to be damaged too. Fuck that job i went to lunch one time and never came back.
Where are these crappy parts coming from??
I believe NAPA because they had/have a good warranty. Which of course doesn't matter when you have to pay your staff labor to remove/install/remove/install@@sincerelyrob4240
@@sincerelyrob4240 🇨🇳
100% parts quality just sucks now a days makes it really hard to be in business
Ive been a GM dealer tech for 33 years and have been trying to get into something else for years. It sucks ass and you get treated like shit, unless they want something fixed. If I could do life all over again, I certainly would NOT have become an auto mechanic. I always tell young (and dumb) techs while youre young, get out and do something else. Its my duty as a decent human being to let them know how shitty this business is
Yep
Problem is this is bleeding into every industry. Opportunities are limited, small businesses and middle-lower class people are getting hosed and the basics are less and less affordable, and big corporations are meat grinders.
Me too. Computers repair, computer security. Or PDR auto body repair. Is a easier better career. Carpentry. Mechanics sux now.
Thank God I worked in a shop as a tire tech with auto techs and they hated there jobs fuck that thank God I got out before I even started not to mention what new bs comes out with all under warranty work fuck that
Let AI fix them.😂
I was an ASE Master Automobile tech. $15 to $20 an hour was all most shops and dealers were offering at that time. I gave up due to the crappy pay and piss poor management. Plus, my family once owned an auto repair shop. Taxes, environmental costs, filing fees and the Great Recession put an end to that endeavor. My auto tech career availed me nothing.
Never tell anybody I'm a mechanic. I tell them I'm a janitor...and they leave me alone. No more can you take a look (fix) at my car on my day off.
I experience that to an extent when I tell folks that I'm in information technology, and they're like "You know computers? Can you look at my computer? It's doing XYZ". But I can't imagine how much worse it is to tell someone that you're a mechanic.
I agree with everything he says! Was a line tech for 27 yrs. (Porche, Audi, Volvo, VW) Now retired. When I started it was a good way to make income. NOT NOW!! The flat rate pay system will kill you. Manufactures refuse to pay you to fix their engineers mistakes. So you work for FREE. A LOT! Then spend at least 15 to 20k for your tools. And it will tear your body apart! I have arthritis in my back, hands, feet and hips. Had to have both knees replaced! If someone tells me he wants to be a mechanic, I tell him DON'T DO IT! you will regret it.
i totally agree with you .
The engineers mess up but just remember many of them are being rushed just as much as the mechanics. Many times mistakes will be known and they aren’t given any time at all to fix them
In construction trades, certain ones will mess your body up also n you will be in a lot of pain, like the cement workers, doing concrete work will destroy your back a lot
I took good care of my back doing construction, they tried to injure my back more but I wouldnt let them, I only got a little injury in my back that acts up once in awhile
I could of made a lot more money but I choose to take care of my body more, I see a lot of construction workers in a lot of pain on the job
I wouldn't work every year every week, I took time off n let my body rest n heal if it could
Many jobs n also sports will destroy your body a lot if you work to much each week n don't take time off at times
Young people take care of your body n especially your back cause if you live long enough when you get older you don't want to be in mass physical pain
Another reason many people are drug addicts,cause they are in a lot of physical pain, alcohol is a drug people
Im not a mechanic, but I am a lube tech for a dealership. I dont do anywhere near the amount of work the mechanics do. However, having to work six days a week back to back to back cars with tire rotations, oil changes, and battery swaps, on top of having service writers up your ass about your time per car, its starting to get really stressful. Dealerships suck.
They jam as many cars on dealership techs as possible and pay them diddly squat.
No wonder they can't find anyone to work.
Dealerships are greedy, ruthless, and80% of them hove no integrity whatsoever. Theother 20% do over half the business. Wonder why that i?? In Vancouver, See Dueck on Marine. Factory MSRP sticker is on the car window. NOT the inflated and phony dealer sticker..Their sales people have been there for 5, 10, 20 and even 30 years. Same with their Tech's If you find one of those, bug them for 5 years to get in the door.
I started as a lube tech at a dealership, it doesn't get any better when you move up. You still deal with too many cars, service writers etc, except the stuff your doing isn't as cut and dry anymore which just adds to the stress.
Yo I’m experience the same thing I work at a lube tech and get annoyed how they want you to be quick with everything while trying to Learn.
I quit the job shortly after making that post. I deliver pizzas now and make the same money. Some days, I make even more than I did at the dealership. Fuck that place.
35 years in collision repair, and I thank you for such a good video. The trade has been a blessing to me, and that mixed with construction, and I was able to retire at 50. The only problem is I enjoy the field and the problem solving, so I keep going back. The worst part of the trade is bad employers/ managers. Finding a good boss ( even if they don't pay as much) is like gold.
I went to school so I could be my own mechanic. It’s been a blessing.
thats what id like to do pretty much for that only ..as a hobby
I got out of the industry several years ago and got a great paying job in mechanical maintenance at a packaging plant. If you enjoy turning wrenches, you'll make a better living in just about every other trade besides auto repair. With every new generation of vehicles, there are fewer and fewer things you can service, which means less and less money. The writing is on the wall. It doesn't surprise me that good mechanics are hard to find.
And even less with EV cars/trucks.
That’s great you landed in a better place…
@@HiPlains1 EVs are big giant smartphones. Battery is shot? Swap it for half the cost of the car.
@@abel4776 Half the cost? Not if they follow Apple's lead. They will price the repair beyond the price of a new vehicle.
@@jamesschneider3329 And the new year models won't be compatible with the existing batteries.
I'm a finished carpenter and it's the same thing. We were building skylight boxes and it was about $50 in materials and $900 in time per box. A lot of people don't understand that someone's time is oftentimes more expensive than materials by a wide margin
Was thinking about joining.
Same here
Meanwhile your tools are being made with forced labor in china.... a 1k sky box is why India and South America will dominate. Those people will make the same thing for 200......
Very educational and enlightening video!! Thanks for the MOTIVATION!!!
I was a mechanic at a new car dealer. One thing I hated is telling the service manager what was going on with a warranty repair and being told only to fix part of it. Reason is if there are too many $$$ in warranty the dealership could lose self approval on warranty repairs. I always had an open bay policy with my customers. If they wanted to see what was wrong I welcomed them to spot check me. Warranty times became a joke, it was time to move on. I then got on with the state of California as a heavy equipment mechanic where I retired from.
Let me add one time I replaced an engine in a Galant. Car came back 2 weeks later and owner said I broke the lighted N on the gear indicater when I replaced the engine. Service Manager tells me I most likely broke it. I said it worked when it left and I didn’t replace the engine through the dash. BS I had to replace the build for free. I left a week later.
@@ko9446maybe you stressed the wiring when you were navigating the engine through the N of the shifter display. Happens to the best of us.
Smart move. You didn't have to work as fast and got a retirement after 20 years. Can't work on commission and do that. I should know, I was a mechanic for 23 years before I decided to do something else. lol
@@LynxStarAuto thank god I wasn’t the only one who stresses a light bulb lol
Experienced this right here a lot. Case in point, at Acura, customer comes in with a 2020 MDX 30k miles under bumper to bumper. Complaint; squeal from rear when applying parking brake. The actuator in the calipers go bad for the electric parking brake, no big deal. But both sides are making noise, not just one. So instead of repairing both, we fix one side, give it back to the customer, and make them come back for the other one lol. So backwards.
Most ridiculous thing to me is all the tools mechanics have to buy to do their jobs. Employers should supply employees with everything they need to do their job. And the cost of these tools puts so many technicians in endless debt.
I've suggested that it's tool companies who own all the auto manufacturers, which is why so many different specialty fasteners show up in vehicles.
It’s actually a law in California for entry level mechanics. The dealership supply’s the tools
Buying unwisely puts them in debt. I prefer to own my tools so I can have everything the way I want it, I've wrenched since the 1970s on a wide variety of vehicles and machines. I consider what I spend on tools a bargain and even have a decent home machine shop bought the same way a small business does, a piece at a time.
@@buttslappingpirate the automobile corporations and the tool companies get together and develop new fittings and screw heads and clips because they don't want the average consumer to work on their cars themselves yourselves.
You say that but most guys will take care of the tools THEY had to spend their hard earned money on..tools supplied to techs free of charge go missing, mistreated, broken, etc..they never get treated like the ones you buy..
I’m glad I took a different route for work. I have lots respect for auto mechanic’s.
I got out of it because the pay just isn't there. You have to buy your own tools (which is fine, cuz they're yours), you gotta learn at school, entry level jobs don't pay well, there's no guaranteed pay, you can't show up to work without the promise of being paid (unless I get to leave and go home.) If I'm staying all day I'm getting paid. Everyone thinks that you're there to steal their money. The pay just isn't high enough. Repair times on some of these jobs are just a joke, especially warranty work. The newer stuff just isn't as reliable, way harder to fix also. I make way more money doing what I'm doing now. I use the skills I've learned to save thousands in repair bills. Plus I can make more money on the side when I'm not at work, where I get to keep all the money. Not a shop, with some guy that in some cases doesn't even want to pay you.
I've been a dealership mechanic, and I've been a equipment mechanic in the military. I wouldn't recommend anyone become an auto mechanic. It's not "getting better" yet. Just a week ago I saw a dealership with a sign out front advertising "Now Hiring Technicians". My first thought was "No, you aren't, you're HOPING for technicians." The military always treated me better and paid me better than the auto dealer did.
The pay outright sucks for the work required. Don't ever discount the extra wear and tear that being a mechanic does to your body. If you make it to 62 years old and can still turn wrenches, you'll be one-in-a-million. Make them pay you as if you're going to retire early. If you're smart you'll get out and find a less stressful job by age 40.
The most scummy salesmen are treated like rockstars while technicians are treated as second-class employees. Never sell your ethics away, and never tolerate an employer who favors someone who does.
The automakers are making cars more complicated, but withholding necessary data from technicians. We saw this back in the OBD-I days where we had to interpret winky lights because there was "no way to pull data stream". Now there are tools to pull the data stream from those old cars - the factory engineers were lying to us, even as dealer technicians. God help you if you aren't a dealer tech, or are working cross-brand.
Warranty pay is a cruel joke.
It doesn't help that there are a lot of bad actors on the technician side. I recently had a shop quote me $2000 to replace the water pump and radiator on an '09 Chrysler 300 - about a four hour job and about $250 in parts. No, thank you, I towed it 200 miles to do it myself and still saved money.
Mechanics don't break stuff to make money, they break stuff to make easy money. I saw it as a tech myself. I had a customer quoted nearly $1000 for brake repair. The technician had bent the backing plate to rub on the rotor. I fixed it for free, educated the customer, and stole the customer away with good behavior.
Yes, customers can be whiny complainers. If they whine you can politely tell them to walk. Call their bluff. They'll be back, and if they aren't, they were going to be high-maintenance and not worth your time.
Spot on about inexpensive tools! I have a handful of expensive tools for specific purposes, but I also buy mostly cheap tools. I never owed the Snap-On man.
Used to be a dealer tech a decade ago and left the crummy industry. You are spot on with everyting!
“Winky lights”…..love it! I have a ‘91 Mustang and that is exactly what I had to figure out…..lol. Great post!
100% right on the money. I quit working on cars 2 years ago. Held out until I was 50 and that was about 10 years too long. It sucks everything out of you physically and mentally and the reward just isn't there.
That's why I tell everyone I meet who likes wrenching to do it for a hobby (saving many tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime like it has for me) and join the Air Force for a CAREER. Following your passion off a cliff is questionable but once you vest a government retirement you can afford to explore other jobs (and if you played it wisely won't need to). Show me a line mechanic job that lets you retire at 47 (I enlisted late in my twenties) while your peers have to wreck their bodies and deal with horrible retail customers in the auto mechanic world.
There are too many people who work cheap and undercut everyone else which has always depressed compensation. I've spun wrenches on industrial machinery, cars, trucks and more but never considered a career outside military aviation. If you work until 65 then you only have a few unhealthy years left before your dirt nap. Choose wisely!
Ever thing you say is true
I work at a European repair shop in California and our policy is to be compensated for all Diagnostics. If it takes 5 hours they pay 5 hours. I've been doing this for 40 years and I really think too many places are just afraid to charge. Sure some people say I'm not paying that... those aren't our customers. But there are plenty that'll pay. Book time is the biggest problem with the industry.
The book time has not way of being accurate for the most common problem, connectors and cables. The number of pin connections is to large and the bus is not protected from the other modules. The $2500 tail light controller repair on the F150 is the prime example. The module needs 3 inputs and 7 outputs to LEDs. There are something like 7 inputs and 35 outputs on the F150 tail light controller, the cable for the rear body is cheap at $200 but takes 2 hours to remove and replace. If it stops the automobiles bus the truck is a brick at the side of the road.
Tweakers pretty much disassemble the entire car and then diagnose the problem.I imagine there’s a ton of them in Vegas. A lot come from chop shops and are trying to work “honestly”. Pretty damn funny watching them work though.
Yes
How do you like that misfire code ?
Kudos. Own a indy shop in northern california $225 per hour. The whole industry needs to charge more.
You are 100% correct on the tools! some tools you have to pay top dollar but must hand tools you don't!
I have a rusty 2002 Sonoma 4WD that I’ve been working on since late 2023. I’ve replaced valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, oil return lines, and am now rebuilding the entire front end suspension including upper and lower control arms. All I’m using are Harbor Freight tools along with 2 Icon torque wrenches. I do have a Milwaukee impact wrench. Most of my kit comes from the Pittsburgh 225 piece set. I beat the living crap out of these sockets as everything is solid rust. Nothing has failed yet other than my body from wrenching on the ground 😂👍
I own a 2 bay cinder block building next to my house and charge $105/hr. My wife does the books and estimates and I do the work. We are as busy as we want to be and I can pick and choose what I am willing to deal with as far as customers and jobs. We don't advertise at all strictly word of mouth and to be honest I'm picky about who I do work for. I mostly take care of locals in the community. You have to charge what it's worth. Not rip people off but don't rip yourself off. Build trust with your customer base and you will have them for life. I've worked at dealerships and independents and yes they will run you ragged. There's plenty of work out there to go around.
Thank you. You are an honest hard working Mech who is a professional. Guys like you are HARD to find
Are you a legal repair shop?
@@garagekeys are you a legal US citizen?
@@VWLIKEWHOA I am going to take that as a No and that you are not a registered shop with the dept of motor vehicles. That explains it
@VWLIKEWHOA how can you be an illegal US citizen, that doesn't even make sense
One of the main reasons for techs leaving is warranty cutting time like crazy, recently has been worse. I moved to a fleet shop that pays hourly and good benefits, and at that fleet shop, we are getting a crazy amount of technicians applying, and most of them are dealer techs. Dealers are losing way too many techs due to underpaid warranty jobs.
Is it because the car makers being cheap to the dealerships ?
@@MontyGumby Pretty much. When a warranty order is issued, the shop time that the manufacturer claims is necessary is usually significantly understated. And, the manufacturers don't pay the same labor rate as you or I would pay - they pay maybe half, at best, of what a walkin customer would pay.
That's why I retired at 62.
Exactly, dealers also stopped diag time ,starts tossing parts instead I'm firm believer in diagnosis,no guessing....No more sick feeling in tummy guessing if fixed
I wanted be best at what I did,good reputation..Want it right the first time.I live by the three C's 1.complaint..2.cause..3.then the Correction..... Most so-called techs only correct,missing the cause n repeated repairs customer pays for🤨
You're right about the tools. As long as you don't abuse them, any decent set will serve you well.
I left the dealer at 19 years old in 2008 I started as a helper at 16 from HS . I listened to the older guys who were awesome and didn’t make much at all and they gave me great advice . I got into low voltage controls and did very well before becoming a operating engineer. I’m 35 and do very well and have to since I’m a father now . Always do what’s best for you and your family . Of the 30 techs that’s worked at the Benz dealer I worked at if they are still in the industry they are in fleet work much less stress and good benefits . Things seem to have gotten better since I left . For one you don’t need to go crazy with tools anymore there are good quality cheaper tools . Community colleges with manufacturer training for cheap . There are some options compared to years ago .
Respect the knowledge!! People who work with their hands are not idiots! Everyone should respect the training and knowledge of mechanics
I graduated Auto Mechanic School in 1983 and realized, even back then it would not be a job where I'd be properly compensated or appreciated.
Ended up becoming a helicopter pilot in Manhattan for thirty-five years.
Best decision I could have made.
I keep my cars and trucks going to this day without difficulty even if it involves replacing engines or transmissions.
"Properly compensated"... what do you think a decent enough mechanic should make??
@@warrenlewis3977
$80,000+
you are much smarter than I
@@warrenlewis3977 Well I think they should make at least as much as the average plumber in the same zipcode. Because cars are 100 times more complex to work on than a toilet, and we have to own far more expensive tooling.
@@TheDeezelsmoke Tools are the cost of doing business. Tired of hearing you dudes whining about "tools". I guy who replaces a starter or a alternator shouldn't make as much as a plumber. Engine rebuilders, transmission rebuilders, dudes that are hard to find and replace should make about 35-45 an hour. A guy replacing brake pads should not.
Most mechanics doesnt realize it's more of a hobbie than a career. Im glad i did. It's a never-ending headache, backbreaking, tedious job. And you still have to go to classes to update on new types of cars.
I really like how you tell it like it is, minimal filtering, you hit a lot of good points, I do want add a couple more reasons. Burnt out from the industry and generally “hurting” all the time. 10-12hr days 5-6 days a week. Doing it that way almost 15yrs and me myself, I’m tired
I was a technician off and on for the last 40. I started back in the 80s when electronic fuel injection was new. I did not go to tech school, I learned from doing. And now I have experience in working on just about everything on the road. I had all snap-on and matco tools and boxes.
Cars became more and more complicated and the paid was not worth it. Now I am a mechanical engineer, with all harbor freight tools . I still do side jobs for friends and family, but I will never work in a shop again. Everything you said in the video is 100% accurate.
I'm 68 and wrenched all my life. This guy is giving good advice and i suggest listening to him. Especially about tools. No way in hell i would buy snap on, mac or cornwell unless it is a specialty tool that i can't get anywhere else. They are overpriced and always complain if you need something warrantied.
Excellent video. Ths is is good content. Thanks for sharing. You're right, the best to start is at a local shop and NOT at a school.
I have been a tech for 14years and i have to say i picked the wrong field. Long hours, low pay, and the toll it takes on your body. I took a management job in the shop. And yes i will be buying cars and fixing and flipping them soon. Working for yourself is the only real way to make money. My son likes cars but i have told him he wont be getting into the field.
Im 14yrs auto tech & you said it perfectly. Cars are more complex now & the pay doesn't match. I shifted to Raodside Assistance, every job is quick simple easy & no bs. The extra knowledge i use on my own cars & jus educate customers with what they may have problems with.
I'm a retired journeyman machinist, I went to a two year vocational school, then a four year apprenticeship, six years total to earn my journeyman-ship. The machine trades are just as bad if not worse than mechanics, you put in time and money into your career to make a little bit more than the pizza guy. I married a school teacher, my cousin once asked me if it bothered me that she had a college degree. I explained to him that I had more time invested in my training than she did and that I felt that my training was equivalent to a four year bachelor's degree. I feel that high tech professions that take years to learn should be degree programs. Today in our complicated world technicians need to know most of the same things that engineers know one of the main differences is that the technician isn't in a clean air conditioned office.
20 years in automotive vs 20 years working for Costco.
I worked in the automotive industry for 24 years to be specific collision repair and while I made good money it was without any real benefits like great health insurance, sick pay or vacation pay as you only earned the hours you flagged, I never blamed the collision repair shops as it was the insurance companies that really controlled what was being paid. I finally got worn out and tired of not being compensated so I took a job with a cut in pay but provided all the benefits I was not being paid for, fast forward 20 years and I have over $1,000,000 in my 401 and make $74 k per year not including benefits with 5 weeks of paid leave plus 80 hours of personal / sick pay per year and a company that matches my 401 at 8%.
Why i could never be a mechanic was because i was to slow with many of the jobs . It would pay 3 it would take me 5 . I only fix my own stuff now and saves a bunch of money and i can go at my own pace . I give much respect to the fast mechanics that do a good job.
Actually, nowadays the medical industry and doctors are starting to get a pretty bad reputation in the United States due to the lack of preventative medicine, absorbitent medical costs and also because of the stuff that happened in 2020.
yep and because med schools resist any serious training in 'nutrition'...when what we EAT is 90% of what ails us. They want to push pills and surgery...and not PREVENT the disease in the first place. They say patients won't listen to diet advice, so why waste time informing them? Lousy and unconvincing excuse.
I've been in the auto repair industry for 30 yrs. Shop owners are the problem , not customers. I Now work for Hi tech company and much happier.
Stuff, jesus that had Nothing to do with medicine, that was the worlds biggest SCAMM IN HISTORY & transfer of wealth too I will add not to mention what the POISON INJECTION did to so many, it's no wonder no one with a brain doesn't Trust them anymore.
The medical industry, the car market, the housing market, the entertainment and news media companies, the food companies selling poison. Whats good about the US anymore? Oh we can have guns? Wow. So that way we can possibly have a bloodbath of a civil war in case the government wants to take them away? Just so we can maintain what shitty lives we have on this fucked piece of soil? Awesome, love you America.
Doctors can't be trusted. A lot just want to make $ off medication and their troubleshooting is terrible. They barely ask a patient questions. I went to the hospital and was told I would die if I didn't get an ultrasound...dumb shi*
Very good video. In 1969, I was working at a Merc dealership. I made the decision to leave and go to engineering school. I kept auto mechanics as a hobby. Later, I expanded into antique garden tractors when I retired. Good Luck, Rick
You right on. But it’s a lot deeper than what you discussed, I been doing it all my life over 20 years shop experience. Now I’m doing mobile for my self trying to find location for my shop. Which seems impossible because of rent price’s. And I don’t see any tech that I would hire (I have high demands for quality of work if bolt needs to be wire brashed it got to be done) I take my time to do jabs the way they will last that is not many making but it pays off other way. Just resonantly talk to one of my old customer I rebid his Subaru in 2003-2005 . I asked him how long that car lasted? The answer made my day. They still have it in a family and it still in use. They moved to different state and asked me if I would go there to work on their other cars they will cover travel expenses. But as it is now I can’t afford to rent a shop because it is only me working. And mobile does not pay off if you honest. Like me. I don’t replace parts unless I know it going to fix it and don’t use any brands that I’m not sure about. And if something else should be done as well. Like rear main seal wen you do transmission even if it is not leaking et. Only with oem seal. Some people think I trying to rip them off. The ones that agreed have no problem. And others take cars to someone who just put’s in transmission and about a year later asking me how much to replace it? I’m like you remember I told you 700 labor. Other guy did it for 300 no seal. Go to that guy again. And than they come back to me a week later. That guy doesn’t do seals it takes to much time and special tools. Can you do it for 500 no I can’t. That’s example or wen some one want me to use cheap parts I don’t do it unless you sign a warranty release form. No body signed yet they went to other guys and some time later coming back to me asking how much was it with good parts? I’m like some one put that cheap one on. Yea but we can’t get ahold of them for warranty. And stuff like that.
My husband just quit his dealership after 18 months. They had a school they ran that was free and they paid him while he was there, worked the lube line until he graduated with 4000 dollars worth of tools they bought then sent him to some more outside classes and moved him to a mainline tech. It was the customers and a crappy service writer that made him leave but for the better. He’s now working for a county and uplifting police cruisers. They pay is slightly less but the benefits outweigh it all. When his dealership found he was leaving they offered him a raise he told them it’s not about the money but my home life. Great video
Sounds like a two income house
My cousin was an over the road truck driver. His wife convinced him to take a local job so he could be at home at night.
Our shop/lot/wrecker service is aware of the people issue too....5 years ago my daughter told me she wants to be a tech. I wanted to guide her and told her just because she grew up with shops, wreckers and race cars she doesn't need to do this to make me happy. She laughed and said no way she is going automotive and dealing with customers, she was going into aviation! Fast forward to now and she is an A/P and working on jets!!! Plus she's a new mom doing it all on her own because fiance split before baby came.
Perfect choice hopefully with big airline for pensions and insurance…! 👏
What is A/P and how is the industry in that field?
@@TheSeaOfAsher Airframe and powerplant for aircraft. If you're smart, a great mechanic and can pay attention to details on all your paperwork it might be a career for you too!
I flipped cars for years using nothing but craftsman and pittsburgh tools never had an issue both have lifetime warranty.
This is the content we need..I so appreciate the straight on perspective .
Thankyou
Whenever my mechanic fixes my car in super record time. I'm always happy and grateful because he knows I need to be on the move. Knowing how to fix the car is awesome, knowing how to fix it fast is priceless. In my case I see it as a kindness. I made it home to my parents in an emergency several times due to my mechanic being awesome at his job.
It is hard enough to learn how to diagnose constantly changing technology. But when you top it off with customers mentality, the terrible toll on your body, the nightmare of getting quality parts in a crumbling supply chain, and being paid less than a kid working at a pizza place, a career change to wrestling alligators in a pit of razor wire can be appealing.
Yup
@@mizzouxc3824 I was self employed, so the boss was making $30.00/hr. The customers was spare no expense when it came to buy the gizmo filled glorified golf carts, but when I charged $80.00 for a brake job, they acted like I was stealing money from the widows and orphan fund.
nailed it
I'm so happy to see this happening. Dealerships are so damn shady, and they are trying to pump the money to the front of the store instead of fairly distributing it to the mechanics.
They're no shadier than any other business. I'll bet you didn't know that most dealers break even, at best, on new car sales. Their profit is in used cars and service.
The issue is shops. Shops wanna charge 180 an hour and pay 20$ an hour to the tech. Who then has to buy their own tools…
i went with milwaukee for most of my tools. i’m am impressed with the quality, and a lot of the tools have little differentiators that make them that little bit better. 450 for 1/2 3/8 and 1/4 socket set with a nice ratchet and 2 extensions each. the sockets are squared off on the ratchet side so if you can’t fit one on you can use a normal wrench to turn it. husky has a nice set of ratcheting flex head wrenches for decently cheap. a bit too thick sometimes but that’s expected for a ratcheting wrench. us general box is a great starter box, i’ve got around 3500 in tools stuffed neatly and it still closes and locks. personally i think the big name brands are sometimes worth it, but you have to gauge wether the price difference is worth the gain for each tool.
i’m 19 working on my ases and currently make 20/hr flat rate.
Master tech that specialized in hybrid vehicles. 10 years of real world experience no education all learned on the job fixing everything. I'm 33 years old and in my prime, but 3 months ago i relocated to Phoenix AZ and retired. Now I'm a service advisor at a powersports dealer until I can line up the funds/paperwork to start flipping cars myself. I'd love to pay to learn from you, Lucky.
What made me decide to leave was the nonsense on getting paid. Having to meticulously track your hours, walk up to the office and provide proof as to why you were shorted on this job (it shouldnt be my job to get paid correctly). Having to spend 2 hours replicating, then diagnosing (PROPERLY) an intermittent hybrid warning light due to a frayed battery-to-invertor main cable and not get paid a dime because the brand (well known japanese brand) "doesn't pay for warranty diagnosis" and no shop has ever, ever, had the balls to step up and pay a tech when a brand won't. No one wants to step up and do what's right? Well, then my box has wheels for a reason.
If someone in the east valley (or western US) hit me up offering to properly compensate me, i'd prob go back to it. but im too entrepreneurial and i cant look past the 10 hours working for 7 hours flagged loss of my valuable time. until then, my power probe and impact gun sitting inside my matco 4S w/ hutch will just be big chillin in my storage unit. I've had enough of the failures in compensation.
Flip tip dealer style:
I worked for one who never technically "financed" but charged X price then took payments. That completely gets around finanicial regs because you are simply NOT financing (lending money at interest). If you set up a small dealership but with ample storage for auction buys and organ donors that does not come under "salvage" permitting rules because you never sell parts to the public (and I do mean never because Uncle Sugar loves taxes). Then after you've stripped out your donor vehicles and have the usual 100 car minimum you call in a portable crusher to get paid for the scrap at the time of your choosing. Call the cat buyer first because they pay cash off the books and do all the removals. Never store cats where outsiders know their location.
The shop did their own repos but they didn't have to do many because the owner told buyers he knew life happens so if they returned a car they could not pay off he wouldn't dun them for the rest of the debt but would sell them another ride when they got on their feet. He had GENERATIONS of customers from the same families.
Had a brother in law finish Auto School, got himself a Snap On $20,000 starter kit chest. He worked 2 weeks at the dealership and quit. Needless to say, hes still making payments on his tool box and tools. He tried to sell for $15k, but folks only been offering him 8k to 9k
Ouch, seems like everything is overpriced as well, otherwise it would have retained its value.
Hahaha 😂
I'll offer him 2k max, take it or leave it. Its just a Snap On, you snap it and its on, nothing special about it.
@@abel4776 Toolboxes are high markup items unlike many tools. Judged by money (the whole point of working!) the best deal is buy cheap new (Harbor Freight have some good boxes) or buy used when the tool truck repos a box Bubba should not have wanted. I've outfitted USAF tool rooms and dealt with every brand on the high end that matters. I even got the Lista and Snap-on reps to cooperated getting laser cut foam for the Listas because grownups like to make salea. My personal boxes are used Lista, Mac and Kennedy (I have small home machine shop) but also select Harbor Freight which work just fine. For an individual mechanic the best place to save money is on the tool box while focusing on key hand tools.
I never buy power tools or welders off anyone's truck. That's just silly because they're overpriced in a highly competitive market.
Snap on is a curse
Glad you touched on tooling aspect of this field.
Thinking about opening a shop. Real Estate Broker and this industry has slowed big time. So thinking of diversifying...love working on cars when I have the time...which has been nill until recently. Good info no nonsense.
I am a current A.S.E. certified Tech in my early 60's, I retired at 60 but actually stopped wrenching at 30 due to a serious on the job injury, and went into auto service management and service contract administration. IMHO just about all aspects of auto repair / service / and extended service contract administration basically suck. Back in the 70's, 80's, 90's the cars were easier to diagnose service and repair and (adjusted for inflation) the pay & benefits were much better. I don't recommend anyone become an auto tech, unless you plan to go into business for yourself which could actually be "worth it". I often regret not opening my own shop, could have made a lot of money especially when cars were much simpler and easier to service than today
I am not trying to be a jerk. But you haven't been a mechanic for 30+ years. You maintained a certification for credibility in your career past being a tech.
You do understand that the ASE has to be renewed every so often right
@@mph5896 He literally said he'd quit at 30 yrs old due to injury, not sure why you had to jump on his sht for that.
Our family auto shop has been around since 1969 when my dad & his brother went into business..i got into the shop at age 18 in 1978 I finally got out in 2013 at age 53 due to cars becoming too complicated & too many expensive specalty tools to purchase..P.S. our shop is still alive & well
That's why I stayed to read car's manuals watch videos and started doing my own repairs at least it's really complicated I bring it to an experienced mechanic and I acknowledge and recognized their experience, patience and habilities without complaints
Holy shit I found the most honest person in all of UA-cam land well said
Yes! Harbor Freight Icon series tools are great! Been getting this line for young local guys who are learning. Always pay cash for your tools, or pay off your card at the end of the month.
Locally the auto repair shops are charging around $135 an hour. No idea what they actually pay their mechanics. But I've had problems with (for example) wheel lugs not properly tightened after a tire change and the wheel flew off about two miles down the road as I doing about 70 (I managed to control the car with minimal damage to it); and a simple oil change where the plug wasn't tightened and blew/fell out ten minutes later as I was driving leaving a trail of oil that the car following me noticed and motioned me over. I change my own tires and my own oil these days.
You got a lube tech and they got paid $15 to $18 an hour.
@@davekohler5957 Whatever it was, it was too much. But I never thought either of these guys were actually mechanics.
I call 🧢 u ignoring the fact that alot of mechanics now a days arent honest. They lie and do half ass jobs. I tell everyone buy your own tools and learn to work on your own car. The info is out there
Shops rush there workers to hurry up get it out the door to get next one in and out 😂
15 years on the tools was enough for me. Shit pay, shit conditions, shit customers. It's little wonder nobody wants to work on cars anymore.
Good video. Very,very truthful!!!
Every Mechanic I know developed serious back problems. One chose to go into service adviser role, and took his experience and credentials to get a Manager role at a Hospital Ambulance Garage that was solely for a ambulance company that did Insurance calls. From there, he got a job as a Director of Fleet Maintenance for a National Rental company. Now he works for a Department of Public Works as a director of their fleet maintenance. All the others who were Mechanics/Techs quit after 20 or so years in the business. They just could not take the abuse, low pay, and back pain any longer. All those gys were Muscle Car or Sports Car enthusiasts, and they generally exited the racing scene too...right around 2019/2020 they all quit. All of them dropped out around age 38 to 42.
When I do repair jobs on my cars, I always say how the heck do mechanics deal with the ohysical part of this and especially their back. I am constantly leaning over or getting up and down. Its a very physical demanding job.
Humans are made for pursuit hunting not heavy lifting. Nearly everyone WILL have a bad back eventually no matter what their job but I make a game of building ways to lift and move basically anything from shipping containers (my home shop incorporates five 40' High Cubes) on down. The smart play is move upward and don't BE a 20-year mechanic. By then you should have moved up and or laterally.
Good day, I am good Auto Mechanic and would love to come and join your team, or get a job as an Automobile mechanic over there. I currently residing in Nigeria but am willing to relocate
Interesting points but we both know that there are plenty of crooks in the automotive industry. The reputation is earned. Not only that but many auto repair bills are $1k+ per incident (especially with newer vehicles) and most people don't have thousands of dollars stashed away for auto repairs. This is why I learned to work on my own vehicle. I maintain my vehicles and keep them 10-15 years. It has served me very well.
many mechanics are rip-off artist and many just are any good. Customers treat them badly because mechanics treat customers
badly
When techs and writers upsell parts and services that aren't need. That destroys the relationship. Everyone is greedy in automotive because it's all commission based. The owners of dealerships make out like bandits ripping off both customers and employees. The majority of millionaires in the US are dealership owners.........
I'm a rural mail carrier, i can fix most things on my old 69 mustang, but its gotten so aggravating to do what should be simple maintenance on the newer stuff. Had to buy a caliper tool to twist them back in to just do brakes. Where as a block of 2x4 and a Cclamp did the job for most of my life. I quit replacing parts of the engines myself, too much a headache. Always used one particular shop, mostly treated me fairly over the years, but finally changed mechanics due to the many small issues over the years. Some things i'll still use them, but I trust my coworkers son a bit more, partly because the coworker assists him when doing many of the repairs. And he found an issue i'd been trying to get the shop to fix, but they couldnt seem to be bothered that it'd die constantly when stopped at mailboxes. (08 chevy uplander flex fuel option)Turns out it had a bad vacuum leak in the brake booster every time i pushed the brakes in anything but Park. I dealt with that issue for a good 6 or more months and the shop couldnt be interested in finding the issue even as it dealt with fuel pump failure twice(one was a new pump even)
Your correct. I used to work in shops and then ran a heavy equipment shop and rebuilt transmissions and diffs and whatever. Didn’t get paid enough. Finally I focused on a particular vehicle that was popular with people. I would buy vehicles with bad trannys. They sell dirt cheap. And are easy to fix. You pay nothing for them. Then fix them and turn around and dell them for thousands more than you paid for them. My favorite vehicle was the Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. They sold like hot cakes. Only thing is now used cars are getting top dollar for the ones that have bad things wrong with them. Parts do cost, but when you can’t buy a used car cheaply you have to watch your costs to make sure you can flip it for profit.
I once watched a documentary on how to be an Army Tank mechanic. The final exam involved the teacher reaching into the middle of the engine block and taking apart one little electrical connection. "Let's see exactly how long it takes someone to find that little non--connection. " the teacher muttered under his breath as he invited the student in
I love doing this.
Reminded of a story from back in the 60's where some reporters were testing auto mechanics across the country... they'd pull one of the wires loose from the the distributor cap, come in complaining that the car ran rough (of course) and see what happened. They had everything from one minute "I plugged it in" to people literally pulling the connector off the wire so they could charge more to replace it, to gas additives out the wazoo....
@@MephiticMiasma They used to do that in the '70s, and the '80s, and the '90s. Don't know if they still do that. The whole point was: anyone who even charged a basic diagnostic fee was a rip-off, and anyone who took a quick look, plugged the high tension wire back in and didn't charge for it was a good mechanic.
Never mind that the mechanic, and by extension, the shop, didn't make any money on the job.
@@tetedur377 That mindset is exactly what this video was about.
@@tetedur377 back then mechanics and auto shops had integrity. We now became a greedy con artist society.
My two brothers and my son run an automatic transmission rebuilding shop since 1977 ,my son over 20 years ,the local college sends teachers to us to learn how to teach automatic transmissions
100 Percent great advice. Great points about the industry.
What a wholesome video.. The kind of person I would want to work for... Thank you
McDonald’s pays more than being a auto technician. 😂
People do go to the doctor and go get a second opinion. Maybe not when your leg is broken, but everything else we do. Cuz most people (doctors, lawyers, mechanics) are abusive and take advantage of people. That's why.
You can't trust "mechanics" for shit.
Let me guess, "You can't trust the people who told you your tires were bald when you came in for a simple oil change." @@warrenlewis3977 get real
9/10 users we talk to think Mechanics are dishonest.
Exactly. Pepboys tried to charge me for a 3 hour job, which took less than an hour. I just drove the car until it stopped running and junked it.
Agree, doctors are overrated when it comes to their ability to diagnose anything more complicated than colds/flu/broken bones.
Our ford dealership in Northern California is in a small town. Our seasoned techs all make over 100k per year.
We can’t hire them so we find them at UTI or a tire shop etc. then we have them stert all the over 200 online courses before we send them off to the 2-5 day classes.
It works for us
The days of paying $15-$20 an hour went out with the 20th century
I took off from being a mechanic for years due to ailing health problems but as luck would hold I got over those problems and made a come back. What I notice is a lot of what you are talking about in that some book worm says that it only takes this amount of time to do something when in reality it takes like double or even triple the time when you factor in things must be removed to get too the broken part and then everything needs to be torqued correctly so that the repair holds for a descent amount of time.
Being a mechanic now is not how it used to be in the good old days in that most of the time now what actually goes wrong with the car is a sensor that never use to be there in the first place. Like you said troubleshooting all of these different systems takes time but on the bookworm pay chart it's only supposed to take this fraction of the time. I have found that they leave out the fact that in order to get to that broken part you must take apart the entire front end of the car.
But I digress as I also wanted to talk a bit about mechanics that give us all a bad reputation for being too smart combined with low morals as I have seen with my own eyes these types of mechanics fix one problem but mess with something totally unrelated to ensure that the money keeps flowing some time later in the future. It's gotten so bad that some shop owners are running around spilling nails on the highways in order to keep the money flowing at a rate high enough for that shop to be able to keep it's doors open.
The worst case I ever ran into was when I had some newbie mechanic mess up my car's oil drain plug and then when the part came he didn't notice that part didn't fit my car but that's not the one whom ripped me off as it was the dealership that I took the car too to get a new oil pan put on since the newbie stripped out the oil pan trying to force a part that didn't fit in the car as the dealership took the opportunity to break my mains when the oil pan was off and I had to get a new engine as a result.
It's acts like these that gives us mechanics a truly bad reputation and then those we work for simply have no idea what it takes to be a mechanic but only know that if they manage to pay you less they can get a raise. All in all it's turning out to be a bad thing in returning to be a mechanic again as now I'm not so young and my body is starting to fail me but I simply don't make enough to be able to go into business for myself.
These videos make me appreciate my old Toyota more
$60k for auto mechanic school is insane. This didn't exist back in the day, my dad learned on the job from master mechanics in the shop. When he moved to dealer mechanic they had their own training from the factor engineers. This has all been outsourced and price placed on the student. At the same time wages didn't keep up. Also, what about the mechanics that over charge for simple jobs, like brake pads and rotors costing over $1k when its 1hr labor and $100 in parts
Your local JC will certify you for a fraction of the cost. It takes longer but you can live at home or not have to commute to a technical school. Look into your local JC.
@@cesarsanchez9697 what is a JC?
Junior college. They’re an inexpensive alternative to tech schools. My local school has new facilities for automotive, machinist, and welding classes.
Community college is awesome. I took welding and machining classes for fun when I retired then volunteered and later worked for the school. The four day week at most is insanely nice so many gearhead retirees do it for toy money and the pleasure of teaching adults who mostly want to be there.
$60k for school? You could buy the technical college for that by me. Two years at the technical college and get a job. Buying your own tools I don’t know if I’d jump in that investment but see if a shop could give you a taste and help with tools before you drop $. But I’d look at tools as investment for your career and you own the assets then. Shops got to get creative too and help to get employees.
I make it a point to understand my repair completely including the effort- i respect my mechanic or i do it myself period
On the job training is essential, but so is classroom education. It is very difficult to learn the complexities of modern auto repair without a solid foundation that comes from the classroom and quality instructors.
GREED! overall GREED is destroying the automotive industry! Including mechanics
Greed is everywhere in America
My local Nissan dealership has screwed me over a few times. Their service staff was fired for purposely missing service maintenance, so bills would be higher, which led to higher reapair bills later on. They told me I needed a new window switch assembly after I changed my battery, and the window would only go down and not up.
$1200.00 just for the part!. Turns out that after the battery has been replaced, the ecu needs to go through the relearning process, which they claimed they did. I downloaded their actual service repair manual and referenced the page right out of their own book. Corporate got involved and gave me back my hour of labor on credit😂. So after I drove it home from the dealership, the relearning process was completed, and the window works fine. After telling them this, they then said "ohh uhh it's going to break in 6 months, and you still need the part." It's been a year, and the window is great. Many mechanics are scammers.
You have spoken all the truth concerning this fact. I have put some costumers out cause sometmes they would argue with me as if they new the job much than myself.
The Matco/Snap-On quarter inch swivel sockets have paid for themselves on just 2 separate banks of at least one fuel injector on each bank from a late 2000’s through late 2010’s Ford 4.6 & 5.4 liter engines. A good set is define good thing and a way you can save money is by using (the high end brands) is by only getting them in metrics with the only SAE sized sockets in SAE would be 1/4” sized socket in each of the drive sizes that you use because that is the only socket to strip on metrics from these brands because of the side of the nut/bolt where it grips instead of the corners. It’s sad to see them not swap out items anymore because I only had a 25mm ratcheting wrench that we had to remove a massive nut on a customer 4x4 to be able to deal with the front end of the farm truck. We ended up holding the wrench with vise grips tried using multiple hammers slowly getting larger and ended up using an air hammer which broke the ratcheting wrench. Thankfully the Snapon guy showed up about 15 minutes later and kept swapping the parts until we finally broke it. We used BG penetrating oils, a blow torch/extreme heat, and even melted a ton of wax on the rusted out spot but it was essentially welded in place with the rust/lock nut that was apart of it. The Snap-on guy kept replacing the ratchet and eventually told us to just weld the one spinner in place so that it will work and he gave me a brand new ratchet. You aren’t joking about owing the tool guy though because i was easily 25-30k in debt with them for about 2 years. Would bust out a ton of big flag our jobs with some of the specialty tools that helps pay for the rest of the tools. I never got a high end box and instead got a really nice craftsman box that I can lock up with a nice rolling tool carts that I could put out what I needed for specific jobs. With all of the new advancements of technology that even has the government forcing new manufacturers to start putting kill switches along with gps trackers on all cars which begins in 2024 and has the be industry wide by 2026. I’ve recommended to everyone I know that I wouldn’t buy a new car that I don’t actually own but everyone will be essentially leasing under the guise of ownership. Getting old school cars that have minimal electronics will be the cheapest and easiest to maintain with only a few possible problems for most jobs.
My uncle was a mechanic for 40+ years for various major dealerships, mainly GM. He retired early and said the worst thing about being a mechanic was the pressure to up-sell the customer by the shop managers. He still gets calls every week to come back and teach new techs.