"Fighting Old Stereotypes"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FJN/is_3_39/ai_n13698040/pg_1

Perception is Everything
http://www.motorage.com/motorage/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=357834

How Do Automotive Technicians Measure Up?
http://www.aa1car.com/library/measure.htm

WHAT IT TAKES TODAY ! Auto Mechanics
http://www.shadetreemechanic.com/what_it_takes_today.htm

Students get inside scoop on jobs in auto industry
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006610050325

High-paying mechanic jobs go wanting: Grease monkeys need not apply
http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/cns/2002-05-08/612.asp

Auto repair programs crank up recruitment
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2006-02-15-technicians-usat_x.htm

"You Have the Right to Repair"
http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/june2004/special.cfm

Tough survey. I had to say I was happy, and I am, but I use different shops for different things. One thing I do not do is use the "BMW/Mercedes" type non dealer shops. They may do good work, but they charge like dealers and my old battle axe doesn't need that kind of treatment. I just need a solid mechanic who knows what he's doing and is honest.

When I had a Ford, I took it to Firestone. Very honest mechanics with good customer service. Hardly a discount, but worth it. I used to have an MB mechanic for everything but he closed his shop, so it goes to different places for different things. My MG goes to a strictly british sportscar mechanic, can't beat it.

A little out of sequence, but what I don't like about Firestone is I have a feeling they pay their guys crap. Its like a big law firm, they pay these guys whatever they do and charge book rate for the work and make the mechs work their a$$es off for 20 bucks an hour or whatever. But hey, market forces and everyone makes a choice to go to work everyday and all that.

I'm such a hamfist mechanic, I find exquisite joy in having something done right and expect to be billed appropriately but not exessively for it.

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1984 300D turbo, 250K
1971 MGBGT, 101K
2007 VW Jetta, 4K

I work hard at it every day.

I wouldn't call myself a master or anything like that, but I've come a long way in 3 years.

It's also sort of hard to get started as a tech. I'm 20, and I'm seriously thinking about going for it. But no shops are willing to hire me for more than $9 an hour, which is impossible to live on in Orange County, and I'm currently making more than that. Don't have nearly enough money to go to a big school like UTI. So I'm just taking a few courses at a community college.

I did walk through the service dept at MB Laguna Niguel yesterday. It's quite a sophisticated operation. Everything was SPOTLESS, and all the techs were working their asses off. Also got a tour of the parts warehouse, it's gigantic. 300,000 something parts in stock, quanities are constantly being updated, changed, etc. Trying to get a job in the parts dept.

This is a part of a larger problem; I'm amazed at the complete lack of common mechanical sense exhibited by MOST (but not all) persons under the age of 30. The first machine that most young persons (such as myself) learned the operation and repair of was their car - because they HAD to. When you do this, you actually learn quite a bit. Now, it takes $$$$ to even have the tools to fix a car, and a lot of it, you can't fool with anyway. Now, ma and pa get the kid a two year old car instead of the kid working to earn the money for a 10 year old "fixer-upper". We changed cams to get some performance; today, you put a stainless steel fart can on the back of the car. There are exceptions to this, of course, and I'm amazed at the sophisticated quality things young people are doing. "Pimp My Ride" (look past some of the ridiculous stuff they install due to sponsor's "plug money")restored some of my faith.

A friend of mine in Detroit, somewhere in the early 1980's, told me that there were no "tune-up" or "oil change" shops in Detroit because everyone and their mom - literally - their mom - took auto shop and not only could but were expected to do simple repair on their own cars. Any "working" person who would pay someone to do these things was either lazy, foolish with their money, or an idiot.

When I was in school, there was some vague stigma about becoming an engineer - that you would work with your hands and get dirty, somehow. Exactly why is this a stigma?

Economics will solve the trade worker problem; eventually, it will be noticed that graduates of tech schools are commanding a lot more money than those with four year remedial education college degrees who wind up sitting at a desk cruising the 'Net where they will do as little harm as possible, while the trailing edge of the baby boom and Gen X do the heavy lifting.

PS:

Very often, I'm one of the only people in a parts store not behind the counter who speaks English. People think it's funny to see those customers huddled around a car on weekends. I think those guys getting dirty or their children will get the last laugh.

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86 560SL
With homebrew first gear start!
85 380SL
Daily Driver Project

http://juliepalooza.8m.com/sl/mercedes.htm

We found an indy who is honest, keeps up to date as much as possible, and won't fix it unless it is really broke!

I haven't had to take my car in over the last 4 years for anything but standard oil changes and maintenance.

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

So far I have done all the maintiance on my cars since I started driving. But I'm still and school and I can't really afford to pay people to work on my cars to often. If I couldn't do my own wrenching I'd have to sell the MB's. Heck I bet I'd have over $30k into the SDL if I took it to a shop for everything.

As I get older I suspect that I will sub out more and more, but I will also drive newer cars that need less.

There are some very good shops out there, and there are a lot of bad ones. Like anything you need to find a good one and pay them well. Remember the mechanics are trying to send there kids to school as well, so if they do a good job pay a fair price for it.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I do not mine taking my Mercedes benz to a qualified repair shop. I just do not want it to be treated like a peice of meat. I enjoy taking the time doing some of the work my self and the graditute it gives me when I am successful.

It is not a money isue. I am well aware that you get what you pay for and the overhead running a business. I just haven't found people who care about doing a concesious job and looking at the small details instead of the clock.

Robert Geco

I have a great mechanic for the Benz. He does good work and charges little compared to other mechanics. Now having said that, I try do do most of my work myself and reserve the indy to stuff over my head. I have not found a mechanic that was good and has good rates also for my "other" car.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

They suck, now that I'm starting to sub the work out. Most of the work is sub par for a very high price.

Freaken tire shop already ruined a set of lugs on my truck.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I am an Automotive technician, Independant BMW tech, Factory trained/Certified (would be a Master if i was still at the dealership) but we work on some other European cars, inc, M-B.

I take alot of pride in my work, Im slower than I should be but Its quality first. I put in alot of extra effort, often unnoticed.

Of course there are shops/techs that give the good ones a bad wrap, unfortunatly thats a fact that follows all walks of life.

Alot of folks look down on us or think less of us and our "meanial" jobs too. Especially from european auto owners. Its not often, at least for me, a customer shows an appriciation for our services from them. It is nice, if your happy with your technician, let em know! Or vice versa.

Heres my little rant/list of things your auto tech might find irritating, and makes one less enthused to work on your vehicle....

We appriciate it when your vehicles arnt covered in dirt/trash, inside and out. EX: Would you lay on the floor of your car in 100*F weather with old banana peels and burger wrappers on the floor?

If your experiancing an unfamilur problem, do your best to explain every detail of the problem, we often have to work as "Surlock Holmes" to figure out what the customer means. The better you help us here, the faster we can get it fixed, saving you time and money too. EX: "Car has a vibration" Ok, but you neglected to tell us you ran over a log in the road, we can narrow down issues faster with better details. Anything might be relevent!

Refrain from telling the tech how to do his/her job. No patronizing (occationally nessisary sometimes?yes)

Make appointments if at all possible. Works out better for all.

Dont shoot the messenger....If you must chew someones butt, make sure your chewing the right one.

We just do as we are told by our foreman, biz owners, service writers.

Alot of us techs dont appriciate the word "MECHANIC", its derogatory. Alot of us invested a ton of our time/money/life into our trade. Technician is the professional name most prefer Things like grease monkey, mechanic, etc. are disrespectful. Just FYI.

Just wanted to put this out there.

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87' 300D, Currently undergoing an OM606 swap/build! SUPERTURBO!!!
03' 2500HD Dmax + goodies!
82' 300SD, parting out!
93' 300TE 4matic, parting out!
83' 240D Project Cheap Drive
89' 300E, parting out!
74' Datsun 510 wagon
88' RX7 10thAE, 13B track car build soon

Skippy~ As for perception: Drive what you like and can afford. Those who don't like it can supply vacuum to one of your components. LOL

If you need parts, I have some!

I think that the mechanic set's his or her own standards. The training they receive has a lot to do with how they work. It's like raising kids what goes in is what comes out. The large dealerships have large overhead so productivity is an ongoing issue. The dealer usually encourages quick effective procedures sometimes with little oversight, sounds like a government agency a little....... As we all know everyone is working there own pay plan so thats also an issue so we as mechanics being from a capitolistic society do tend to like the good investments over the bad ones. The problem with Inde's is quickly after they leave the dealership network their training becomes outdated as the science of automobiles is ever changing. I have owned my own inde as well as worked many years at a dealership and the quality everyone wants is in the individual mechanic, not the store. As for integrity my pop taught us it is something we are born with but once set aside it is nearly impossible to get back. You may have noticed I don't refer to myself as a Technician, thats a label. Mechanics repair cars.
Bill

Bill,
Could you elaborate on what you meant when you wrote that "everyone is working their own pay plan." Thanks.
Richard

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87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)

Sure, be glad to. I see your from back east so it may be different there but here in So Cal we use a factory generated list for compensation meaning if it says a brake pad replacement pays a half hour thats what a tech gets paid regardless if it's a quick procedure or if the owner isn't available to ok the repair and you have to take the tires off twice. Doesn't matter how long it actually takes or what problems are encountered unless it can be substantiated the posted time is the labor received by the tech. We arn't paid any salary but we receive allowed compensation based on jobs completed during the work day. Thats basically what I was referring to. It's not an easy job and at times the pay is poor to boot.
Bill