Who else is a mechanic / tech for a living?

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Rubicon John said:
I was with BMW for 7 years and have been with Jaguar/Land Rover for the past 3. I agree with @qslim about the way the industry is heading. I make a good living as do several of my co workers but it’s becoming very draining.

I’m becoming very tired of doing the same things day after day and essentially doing quality control for the manufacturer. With that being said, we’ve been slow lately and I’ve had my Jeep in the shop during the day and have gotten a lot of gratification tinkering with it during my down time. I did my rear main seal yesterday and I’m currently working on painting my fender flares and rock guards. Next will be going over the suspension.

I’m at the point where my back is hurting a lot more than it used to and I’m not even 35 yet. I see myself doing this for a few more years and then trying to transition into something that allows me to use my automotive knowledge but isn’t quite as physical.

The thought of moving my big ole SnapOn to my own house and messing with my own stuff excites me. Time will tell!
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I understand the physical drain. And wanting to transition into maybe management or something. I would never want to be a writer though.

The service manager just seems like a giant babysitter at most dealerships. I'm not sure what else I would do at this point myself. So I just fix stuff and go home.
 
Started out as a structural mechanic for one of the large aircraft manufacturers (McDonnell Douglas) working on the MD11. Our plant in Long Beach also built MD80's, Goshawk cockpits, and KC10 fueling booms as well. Across the airport , our military side did final assembly on the C-17.

That industry is very cyclical and once I got laid off I never went back (before they were bought by Boeing). I went into IT and have been doing that for over 25 years. I still love working with my hands though. That will never stop.
 
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Cross-Threaded-06TJ said:
I understand the physical drain. And wanting to transition into maybe management or something. I would never want to be a writer though.

The service manager just seems like a giant babysitter at most dealerships. I'm not sure what else I would do at this point myself. So I just fix stuff and go home.
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The more I think of it, the more I am realizing that dealerships are just a tough place to be. Mediocre benefits typically, 6 day weeks from time to time, surrounded by a lot of people who have zero ambition and drive to be the best they can, etc.

When I stop being a tech I will get out of dealership life unless I get offered a gig that’s too good to pass up.
 
I worked at Jiffy Lube in the summer of 84 & only forgot to put oil in one guy’s car, does that count?

The manager was a steroid guy, picked me up by my ankles one day and dangled me over the ‘trench’, probably for smoking reefer behind the dumpster so I’m sure I deserved it
 
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Rubicon John said:
The more I think of it, the more I am realizing that dealerships are just a tough place to be. Mediocre benefits typically, 6 day weeks from time to time, surrounded by a lot of people who have zero ambition and drive to be the best they can, etc.

When I stop being a tech I will get out of dealership life unless I get offered a gig that’s too good to pass up.
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I had every intention of starting my own shop at one point, but circumstances took me in a different direction so that never happened. I think it would be very rewarding, MUCH more so than doing the dealership grind. I started fixing cars at a Honda dealership in the mid-90s, and there was SO much money to be made at that time if you could hustle. Timing belts, water pumps, spark plugs & coolant @ 30k intervals etc. As the years went on cars just got more reliable (which is a good thing) and maintenance intervals spread further and further apart.

I eventually ended up doing a stint in the military and returned briefly to the automotive industry at a Lexus dealership for a year or so around 2010 and just hated it. I kept all my ASEs current, and as a Lexus MDT I spent my days solving all the complicated warranty problems and chasing squeaks & rattles while desperately having to document every little thing I did so as not to get buried by the warranty rate. That combined with the fact there's practically no maintenance on newer cars, it just wasn't for me anymore.
 
Reading about you guys that worked in a dealership makes me glad I’m in the railroad industry. Not that it’s all puppies and unicorns where I sit, but, no flat rate. The job is done when the job is done. Many railroad companies have started to streamline their operations and doing it in the dumbest ways possible, mainly by leasing equipment and canning their mechanics. More work and money for me, but it costs the industry more in the long run.
 
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Cheesy said:
Reading about you guys that worked in a dealership makes me glad I’m in the railroad industry. Not that it’s all puppies and unicorns where I sit, but, no flat rate. The job is done when the job is done. Many railroad companies have started to streamline their operations and doing it in the dumbest ways possible, mainly by leasing equipment and canning their mechanics. More work and money for me, but it costs the industry more in the long run.
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The flat rate thing it tough, especially when you have to provide all your own tools. I left for the aviation industry where it's the same thing you're describing - it costs what it costs and it gets done when its done. Much less stress.
 
qslim said:
I had every intention of starting my own shop at one point, but circumstances took me in a different direction so that never happened. I think it would be very rewarding, MUCH more so than doing the dealership grind. I started fixing cars at a Honda dealership in the mid-90s, and there was SO much money to be made at that time if you could hustle. Timing belts, water pumps, spark plugs & coolant @ 30k intervals etc. As the years went on cars just got more reliable (which is a good thing) and maintenance intervals spread further and further apart.

I eventually ended up doing a stint in the military and returned briefly to the automotive industry at a Lexus dealership for a year or so around 2010 and just hated it. I kept all my ASEs current, and as a Lexus MDT I spent my days solving all the complicated warranty problems and chasing squeaks & rattles while desperately having to document every little thing I did so as not to get buried by the warranty rate. That combined with the fact there's practically no maintenance on newer cars, it just wasn't for me anymore.
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It’s interesting the different routes so many of us take. I’m happy you found something that works for you. I’d be glad to work on problem cars and squeaks and rattles if there was a salary arrangement, but definitely not on flat rate.

Maybe that will be my ultimatum in the next few years, lol.

I agree cars are typically really reliable nowadays, but the unfortunate part is that when they do have failures they tend to be extremely challenging and/or time consuming to work on. And what’s worse is that you’re typically suffering through that predetermined flat rate time the first few times you’re doing it. How I’d love to be doing timing belts!

I will say that the best part of this job has been the lifelong skills I have acquired to be able to have my own projects and actually know what I’m doing...most of the time 🤣
 
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I'm doing the evaporator in a 2018 Malibu today, warranty. "I'm essential".
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Cross-Threaded-06TJ said:
I'm doing the evaporator in a 2018 Malibu today, warranty. "I'm essential".View attachment 150061View attachment 150062View attachment 150063View attachment 150064
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That made me throw up in my mouth a little. What does warranty pay on that little gem?

Rubicon John said:
I will say that the best part of this job has been the lifelong skills I have acquired to be able to have my own projects and actually know what I’m doing...most of the time 🤣
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Yeah, I wouldn't have done anything different. I've painted it negatively a bunch in this thread but that only reflects my years at the dealership level. The skills & tools I've acquired over the years are invaluable and I always admire my rollaway & workbench now parked in my garage.

My oldest is now 7, he's starting to get into also. Last weekend I gave him a stepladder and a new airfilter for his mom's Lexus and said "figure it out, ask me if you can't get something". I popped the hood for him, had him talk his way though figuring out where air starts to get into the engine, he found the box and worked it out. Took about a half hour (he'd have gotten killed on that flat rate gig).

The 460 in my Mercury has a couple noisy lifters so we're planning a rebuild this fall (if it makes it that far without grenading) and he's excited to be involved. That kind of stuff is now one of the biggest reasons I'm thankful I learned how to do all this.
 
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Cross-Threaded-06TJ said:
No idea what it pays yet, I'll look later. It's not super fun though. 😆
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Hey man are you a GM tech? Do you have any insight on how to get my '16 Silverado 8-speed to stop shifting like a dragster? They've loaded software 4 times and then said I'm out of luck because "they all do it".
 
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qslim said:
Hey man are you a GM tech? Do you have any insight on how to get my '16 Silverado 8-speed to stop shifting like a dragster? They've loaded software 4 times and then said I'm out of luck because "they all do it".
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Somebody should check the Julian date of your transmission. There is a bulletin for trucks with transmissions built between July 1, 2015 (Julian date 182) and Sept 14, 2015 (Julian date 257). Your truck may need a new valve body. No guarantee this is what is wrong with yours. But it is something for somebody at your dealer to check.

So if the 3-6th digits of your transmission Number are 182-257 you could need new valve body. Unless this has been done.

In this pic starting after S115241, its the 241 so that truck fell into new valve body land. May help you may not.

And yes the 8 speeds shift rough especially the 1-2 shift cold and with the bigger engines like the 6.2 gas.

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Rubicon John said:
I was with BMW for 7 years and have been with Jaguar/Land Rover for the past 3. I agree with @qslim about the way the industry is heading. I make a good living as do several of my co workers but it’s becoming very draining.

I’m becoming very tired of doing the same things day after day and essentially doing quality control for the manufacturer. With that being said, we’ve been slow lately and I’ve had my Jeep in the shop during the day and have gotten a lot of gratification tinkering with it during my down time. I did my rear main seal yesterday and I’m currently working on painting my fender flares and rock guards. Next will be going over the suspension.

I’m at the point where my back is hurting a lot more than it used to and I’m not even 35 yet. I see myself doing this for a few more years and then trying to transition into something that allows me to use my automotive knowledge but isn’t quite as physical.

The thought of moving my big ole SnapOn to my own house and messing with my own stuff excites me. Time will tell!
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Amen on your back bothering you!

When I was in my 20’s, at the dealership, I shared the front end rack with an older mechanic in his late 50’s. I was quite a bit faster doing an std. alignment than he was. My arrogant ass wanted to think I was a better mechanic. Nope, there was 30 hard years difference between the two of us. Flat rate is easier when you're younger.

I was so blessed to be able to get out of the dealership when I was 30.

@Rubicon John its so cool to have your big box and all your tools home.
When I retired 5 years ago I brought home a SnapOn box my wife had never seen and it was 15 years old!
 
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Nimbley said:
I’ve always thought the same thing. Ever do one on a Bentley? Or a Saab? At least in the Malibu most of the parts fit back together?
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I worked at a Mercedes Dealer for 8 years as a Tech. They were not as bad as you would think. Had the whole dash out several times over the years. Still a dreaded job though. Flat rate at the Benz dealer I was at was good, real good for me.
 
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