Auto techs/people who work at dealerships

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trappd-in-859

New Member
Im interested in becoming an automotive technician and was just wondering if anyone else is/wants to be one.

So if you could fill out this simple questionaire, that would be great.

Do you like it where you work?

What was you starting salary?

How many hours per week do you normally work?

What are your main duties as a tech?

How hard was it to find a job after you graduated/got certified?

Also, anybody that has first hand knowledge of this particular field can also share your opinions.

Thanks for taking the time out to answer my questions.
 
i can try and answer regarding a friend of mine that works at a ford stealership...

Do you like it where you work?
if you liked it, it wouldn't be called WORK
same in day in and day out gets old fast, but its a job...

What was you starting salary?
i think 40-50K
a guy i know is going to tech school and he is guaranteed 60K as soon as he gets out of school

How many hours per week do you normally work?
40 hours at the job = about 60 payable hours...
you get paid for the "book rate"
book says 1 hour to change brakes, and you do it in 20 minutes then you can get 3 payable hours for working 1 hour...
if you fuck something up and it comes back you don't get paid for working on it...
saturdays were optional during their busy season...

What are your main duties as a tech?
report to "sales man" what you think is wrong with the car...
"sales man" sells the customer your diagnosis and anything extra they can pry from the customers wallet...
always trying to pump revenue/jobs...
do the repair, everything from normal brakes etc, to motor changes and such...
problem with the motor = new motor from ford dropped off the next day, no fucking around with shit...


How hard was it to find a job after you graduated/got certified?
it seems that dealerships are always hiring mechanics around my area...

as a side note: if you like working on cars now, and want to keep liking your hobby this job is not for you...
my one friend who became a mechanic hates working on cars outside of work...
 
Good info, thanks man.

I understand about the book rate thing, used to be in a body repair class before i had to move.

The guy you said thats garunteed 60k upon graduation, is that because hes ASE certified already?

Where do you live at because I know the pay is different in certain parts of the country?

Did he ever tell you why he doesnt really like his job at all because I dont wanna be stuck doing something I hate for 40+ years.
 
USED TO WORK AT A DEALERSHOP

Boch Honda
Do you like it where you work? No.

What was you starting salary? 14$.hr

How many hours per week do you normally work? 40

What are your main duties as a tech? Dumb shit, 3750 services, 7500 services, warranty shit work.

How hard was it to find a job after you graduated/got certified?

I quit cause working on cars everyday sucks. Keep in mind in the heat there is no ac, and you are constantly bustin your balls only to get bitched out by service advisors and owe 153562463$ to the fuckin Mac Tools asshole.
 
the dealership is in kingston NY, about 2 hours north of NYC

i guess the work is ok, its just the people/politics involved

service advisors as mentioned above...
and at that ford stealership they had teams...
red team, blue team etc etc
in his first year or first two years they re-organized the team system 3 times...
not sure if it still exists, but if you have a lazy asshole on your team then you're fucked...

that guy i knew worked many years doing diesel work i think...
i think he was just going to the ford training, then when that was done he got 60K
 
Ok, well this carrer sounds pretty gay.

Are there any suggestions to a carrer where I could stay in the automotive industry and still keep my love for cars?

Being a car salesman is out because I HATE stealing from people to make money.
 
i suggest you start spelling carEEr right so that on resumes and applications you dont look like an idiot. Believe me, people notice when you spell shit wrong and think you are dumb (i deal with it everyday, we will interview someone else first before the person who has 8 spelling errors)
 
Are there any suggestions to a carrer where I could stay in the automotive industry and still keep my love for cars?


race car driver
get away driver
car and driver "tester"
etc...

all the good jobs are taken already...
 
I have experimented and there are no well-paying jobs in Cars. I thought E had the idea, with the Insight but even that was far from "Career" level.

I worked at a Ferrari / Jag / Lambo / anything $100,000 plus type of shop for little less than a year.. And lemme tell ya, same shit different cars.

Working as a mechanic SUCKS because you have to be accountable for your time every minute of the day. You are responsible, the shop foreman is accountable. The work is hard, rarely are garages air conditioned and as your pay goes up, your responsibilities go up farther. It's not worth it

But, you, specifically have a blessing. We all do.

Coming up - SOON - are some careers and positions that will carry us into the next century. Space Travel. By the time you're out of a doctorate program, we WILL be building starships and working / living in space. This I promise you. Imagine a Dot-com era of finances with no boundaries, and no time limits. Imagine making $1000 an hour. You have that ability.

We are gearing up for a new paradigm shift in this world - And on this planet. Reality as you know it is about to change to something incredible. From space tourism will come space work, and the sky is no longer the limit. Space travel, science and careers will not end until we have occupied every corner of the galaxy, and that's not shit talk - I'm dead serious here.

-> S
 
the nature of the beast is that most of the authoritative people in the automotive business are generally un or under educated.

Think Paul Sr. from OCC. or Boyd Fuckington from that hot rod show... straight up, the guys are fucking morons, and probably couldn't write a legibile paper at the 8th grade reading level if they tried. But, they sure as hell will let you know when you fuck up.

While I personally haven't worked in the automotive biz, i have close friends who do/have. And that's really what it comes down to. Lack of education, so the bosses become royal dick heads and yell-- because its all they know how to do instead of using practical business tatics.

If you think planning for a career in "Mars Automotive" and think you're doing the right thing, i'd suggest you re-think life. I'm pretty sure its a lot more far off than steve thinks. but what do i know....

If i could do it all over again, I still wouldn't go to automotive school. But that's me. and i'm sure theres plenty of mechanics out there who make more money than i do.

... but they don't get paid for posting on their own website.... sitting in a/c... eating M&M's.... checking email....


the list goes on :)
 
Originally posted by pissedoffsol@Jul 19 2005, 04:49 PM
... but they don't get paid for posting on their own website.... sitting in a/c... eating M&M's.... checking email....
[post=528623]Quoted post[/post]​

i do, but its your website, not mine. yo, $5 right now for the ownership of hondaswap. j/p
 
Originally posted by Celerity@Jul 19 2005, 02:27 PM
Coming up - SOON - are some careers and positions that will carry us into the next century. Space Travel.  By the time you're out of a doctorate program, we WILL be building starships and working / living in space. This I promise you. Imagine a Dot-com era of finances with no boundaries, and no time limits.  Imagine making $1000 an hour. You have that ability.

We are gearing up for a new paradigm shift in this world - And on this planet. Reality as you know it is about to change to something incredible. From space tourism will come space work, and the sky is no longer the limit. Space travel, science and careers will not end until we have occupied every corner of the galaxy, and that's not shit talk  -  I'm dead serious here.

-> S
[post=528571]Quoted post[/post]​


F'n awesome. So a crapload of people are leaving earth. Better jobs for those of us who stay here! Cheaper real estate... I like being able to drive around, look at the country side, check out the mountans, go water skiing.. fuck space.

You know what, they should hook up all the people on welfare! go to space for fucking free bitches! Crime would go down! We might be able to put something nice in our cars without worrying about some dope head jacking it and selling it for crack. Hell, they'd jack the screws and windows and everything shiny out of their space stations and taxes would go back down. NICE.
 
Originally posted by trappd-in-859@Jul 19 2005, 09:46 AM

The guy you said thats garunteed 60k upon graduation, is that because hes ASE certified already?
[post=528433]Quoted post[/post]​



HAhahhahahahahhahahahhhhhahahahahahhaahhahahahaaaahahhahahahahahhaaahahhahaha

I know master mechanics who can rebuild engines with their eyes closed. They've been in the field for 40+ years and still on a slow year can sometimes make less then 60K a year.

$15 an hour sounds about right for starting out even with a degree. unless of course you get lucky and land a good job but even then you will get paid for your work not by the hour.

could you make 60K a year? sure if you work 80 hours a week.
 
I'm inbetween semesters at a tech school for my AOS in autobody but i can relate to what you guys are saying because I am working in a shop this summer doing brakes and mufflers. Oh and fuck the MAC guy, I owe his ass like $834672938746 x10 and it keeps getting worst. After I graduate(next may) I plan on trying to get into the bodyshop of a dealership and working my way up to service manager.
 
get into body repair man..you will still love engines and shit but you might get sick of painting and stuff...I mean you could always be doing something unique with auto body...if you get into a custom shop or something..find a automotive career that you will never have to do the same thing like custom stuff...get into automotive paint if you are a hard worker...
 
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