Dealership Mechanics/ Technician Help

Im a 25 year old and have been a mechanic for 3 years professionally for a small mom and pop shop and Im at the point in my life where i am trying to figure out whether I should continue my career as a mechanic or pursue a different field. I have an in at a dealership as an entry level tech and I know if i chose to be a mechanic that is where I would need to be. The way I look at it the mechanics field is only getting more and more complicated and specialized and from my point of view it seems that if i were to get into a dealership and take advantage of all the schooling they offer to get my certifications, I could make decent money and live comfortably. And I believe with the the constant advancment in technology on cars the mechanics who learn how to work on the new equipment should be looking at making more in the future as things progress. I understand there is some bullshit techs have to deal with in who gets what jobs and what not and Im just wondering what you guys out there who know the business think about being a tech for a dealer wether you agree with me and how you feel about the industry and where its going.

 

Do you have a second option ?

 

Well I could go back to school I have money to do so

 

go to school.

you can make good money as a tech no doubt, but more then likely you will bust your ass and kill yourself for it.

 

You're right, there's some amount of BS in every field out there.
(That's why they call it work)

If you like the work & I assume you have some aptitude for it, why not try it? If it will allow you to pay your bills & they pay for your schooling, what do you have to lose?

Just my $0.02

 

I dont normally chime in on life decisions BUT

Get out now and get a different trade.

When your 50+ years old and your back is achin from bending over for the past 25 years-you will thank me .

As autos get more complex only the dealers and large repair facilitys will be able to afford the necessary constatly changing test equipment.

So you will be stuck working for those types of employment prospects.

Learn as much as you can in a bunch of different fields to be valuable.

Just my opinion.An education is wonderful-just dont go into deep debt to do so.I view that as a different racket to keep young folks in debt till they are 40 paying off college loans.

Oldmics

 

I've been at a Ford dealership for a couple years, most dealerships are struggling right now, as with almost any other business. Hoping they will send you to school and get you certified is a long shot. It costs them thousands every time the send you to school for a few days, so don't go in expecting to be in and out of school often. I've been sent to school 4 times in 2 years, I've been very fortunate.

 

... I did it. Got in got through the apprenticeship (gm/cadillac specific), put in few years, then I got into the writing side. Glad I did. I Know a lot more then most on electrics.. Service writers make good money. If you are thinking of staying a mechanic, I would ask what you're gonna be doing at 50... Flat rate will kill you then...

 

what do you want to do/ where to be at 65? I went military, best thing I ever did, 21 years great pension, killer healthcare, great education.......but not for everyone.

 

I've been turning wrenches for 20 years, since I was 17, in dealerships for the last 10.

Unless you absolutely LOVE it, and can't possibly imagine doing anything else, I suggest you get out. Physically, it will beat you up and wear you out, you are expected to keep up with all the latest info, constantly needing to buy new and expensive tools, all for little pay. For the knowledge, skills and experience it takes to get really GOOD at it, you could be making a lot more money doing something else.

I was told to go for the dealership jobs when I was young, and I have accomplished that much. I've found the benefits to be typically better, as well as the hours, most often 8-4:30 shifts, no weekends, and management is usually easier to deal with, but not always to any of the above. Almost all of my "training" has been on the fly trying to diagnose a problem. Usually the senior tech is the one that gets to go to school and educate the lesser techs when a problem vehicle arrives.

All of this for hard physical work and low pay.

Now, understand, it's what I do and can't imagine doing anything else. Cars have been a passion for me as far back as I can remember.

Devin

 

Well i'm 50 i've spent all my working life as a mechanic it has given me a steady living and has allowed me to travel across the world and settle in a new country.Now the the bad bit,its a thankless job and if you get stuck in a workshop because you are good at what you do you will stay there,which is fine if you are happy to do that.Personaly if you have your qualifications then i would try something else and if need be fall back to being a mechanic.

 

i got into the business 20 years ago. working at a dealership made me hate the trade. i got out and went back to school only to go back to work turning wrenches. i now own an independent shop.

as stated above, unless you simply cant see yourself doing ANYTHING else, get back to school ASAP.

its getting harder and harder to make a living at the dealership.

it gets harder the older and slower we get.

 

Ha ha...I read guys saying it's a thankless, competitive, hard job and some of them say they wouldn't do anything else...that's kinda the way I feel about it. I worked as a mechanic since I got home from the Army in '69....went to a parts-selling job for 2 years and the stress was so high I drank myself out of a marriage, family and eventually that job [made a ton of money but it wasn't worth it] ...went back to what I knew and loved best with wrenches and a test light in my hand. I worked a few dealerships and could see the writing on the wall in the 70s.
Stayed with it working truck repair shops until I found a good job with my city's maintainence shop...great pay, bennies and a good pension program. Like many shops, we worked on everything from chevettes to cranes and shovels, graders, dump trucks, cop bikes and fire engines. We were sent to school in the 80s until the budget dried up and we had to learn the new electronic systems [fuel injections and ignitions] on the job....still it was a good career for almost 30 years.
I might suggest a new guy specialize in the electronic side of the trade and keep up on technnology. I see the specialized shops charging what ever they want because the technology moves so damn fast it's hard to keep up with it...and they stay super busy.

 

Save your body from absorbing all the fumes, chemicals (known and otherwise) and the coffee/pop/junk food used to fuel the fire. The used to call them 'grease monkeys' for a reason.

 

I've been a dealership tech for 38 yrs. Get out as fast as you can. As others have said it is hard on your body. To me the biggest problem is they want you to work on 21st century car's and technology. At the same time they want to pay you like your working on car's with carbereturs.When I started I was paid 50% of the labor rate. They eliminated paying by percentage a long time ago.Right now I am basicly working for 20% of the labor rate. The sad thing is my son who is working his way through law school is making more money than me tending bar.Another thing to consider is most dealership's have shit for benifit's. You do what you want . You can make a decent living in this business but your never gonna get rich. JMO

 

My Brother was in the same situation as you 25 years ago. Did his apprenticeship at a small local garage-worked on everything from lawn mowers to trucks.
He got a job at a Dealership and his career took off from there. He made a good living,supported his family and was a GM Grand Master Tech many many times.
His knees are shot and has had other health issues as a result of the demands of the job. Two years ago when the Pontiac brand went away he went back to university,got his teaching certificate and now he is a shop teacher-sharing his knowledge with the next generation.
Being a Mechanic is a great career with room for advancement-but plan for the future from the beginning.

 

he is right I have been in it for 25 years . I would go work on planes or computers if I had to do it again. less backaches better living . I have worked in fleet shops for most of my life , they beat dealerships based on my 2 experiences in dealerships. Go to College get a degree . don't go broke and buy $40,000 in tools just to brag at lunchtime . Hell the railroads here in Ga. are hiring if you are willing to move until you get some seniority it is a better gig money wise . This job is hard on your knees and back, . 20 years in the Army and you are 42 with lifetime retirement and can go get another job .

Learn Electric power plants everybody needs electricity and it is cleaner and pays very well.

Good luck with whatever you decide .

 

get in SCHOOL!!!!! get a b/a in anything !
what are you going to do when your 35 and blow a disk in your back from lifting a cylinder head or somthing ? think the dealer will take care of you ? think again!
become a teacher,be the service manager, dont limit yourself!

 

I have 21 years in a ford dealer, its a good living but its tough on your body and can be mentaly stressful. if you can go back to school and get a better job, you need to do that. I wish i had that opportunity.

 

I am with the "don't do it" crowd, I started at a dealership in the early 80's right out of tech school (British cars) I learned a bit there but mostly that it was a hard way to make a living. Between jobs as a mechanic I fell into machine work and I love it. I think I learnd more about working on cars at the small shop I worked for while going to school and I would agree that there is better pay and benefits working for a city or county shop. Dealership mechanics don't impress me, just "parts changers" most of them. Don't yell at me guys, there are some good ones, you know who you are.

 

Here is my take on it. Before you read any farther let me give you my disclaimer, I have physical ailments that you will never have to deal with and now I only work on my own stuff when I feel up to it.

Anyway I have worked as a mechanic and any number of mechanical trades since I was about 14. I have pretty much been on my own since then. Yes it does take a toll on your body, Rockey will agree with me on that point. But it is not so bad that you cannot continue unless something catastrophic happens to you. The Ol' Man was still working part time on his own up until about a year before he passed, he was 80 when he passed.

I had never expected to retire it just wasn't anything that I was interested in doing. I had some pretty achy days but nothing that I could not endure and I would rather be working with my hands than anything else.

Now here is the clincher. I was or am very good at what I do. That is the key to making it in the mechanical trades or any trade for that matter. Be the very best that you can at what you do. Today I am not physically able to do that sort of work for a living. I have finished up my education, something that I have been working on for the majority of my adult life. I am capable of doing a desk job for a living and with my education I am able to do a desk job for a living. Now here comes the problem, no one wants me to do desk work. The 'Beaner is a mechanic and all anyone ever sees when they look at the 'Beaner is a mechanic.

Literally any position that I apply for in my educated field they want me to work as a mechanic or a machinist as well as my desk job. It doesn't matter who I apply with be it a design firm or even the state they have physical/mechanical things that they would prefer that I do.

There is a stigma that goes with being a mechanic, it isn't a problem for people like us, we respect people with mechanical skills. But it is hard to overcome and in the world outside of our realm it is a real problem.

For me it means forced retirement. Not a good option. For you it may mean that the rest of your life you will be a mechanic. If it is something that you see yourself doing when you are old it won't be a problem. But if you ever want to do something else it can and most likely will be a real problem.

Maybe a good thing for you would to be to get yourself into something else that interestes you, that would supply you with the funds that you need to support your mechanic habit. You can still turn a wrench on your own time for enjoyment instead of cash.

 

Would you consider an engineering degree? I had many students go through my school and wrench for a while but the travel and lifestyle made them look for more - several took their experience back to college and became ME or EE .
Also had several go from EE/ME to race mechanic - And they are well off with sound careers.
Take a look at fsae.com - it's the after school project that Engineering students do - perhaps that will help you see a way to enhance the path that you have started on - cars and youth can equal an interesting and prosperous career using more mind and less body as you gain experience and age.

 

That's where I work. Good pay, crappy hours its 24/7 365. The work is generally easy but the hours suck. You miss a lot of family functions.

 

I have been involved in auto mechanics for most of my life. I am a 3rd generation mechanic. I have been messing with cars almost since I could walk. My dad still has his own garage. I can tell you this, he has all kinds of health problems. Bad back, multiple hernias, bad knees, elbows etc. Now he has been at it for 40+ years too. I was a tech apprentice at a local chevy dealership my senior year in high school, then I went on to work as a tech at a Ford dealership for 3 yrs. It was pretty good. i left that trade to pursue other occupations and returned to it after a 10 yr hiatus. So much has changed in the last 10 years its just crazy. Things we only dreamed of on cars are now a reality. We have to learn 21st century technology as fast as possible and as cheap as possible. Ford even cut down their warranty times. Plus the dealership writers keep giving everybody deals and it cuts down my quote time. Politics are everywhere. There is also that old stigma of you are "just a grease monkey" even though you have to know how to diagnose and fix a multitude of problems, including adavanced audio/visual electronics. Ford even mandates that you have to complete their STARS course for that particular type of repair, ie drive train, hvac, electrical etc, before they even let you work on those systems under warranty. Don't even get me started on tools cost. It is crazy too. You have to buy all these speciallty tools to do the work now. Used to be around here that the dealership provided them, not so anymore. I am no longer in the dealership or auto repair profession. I just wrench on my stuff or my friends stuff. I found when I wrenched for a living, I never wanted to work on anything outside of work. It's really hard to budget when you have no idea what is coming in the door and how many hours you'll actually get. That's my experience maybe yours will be different. If it's what you REALLY want to do, go for it. It's not easy, but alot of people have made a decent living at it.
Thanks
Matt

 

I can understand all the people saying to get out, but, i'm afraid it's a "grass is always greener on the other side" kind of situation. I went to a "Vo-Tech" schhol after high school for an auto tech program. Worked as a mechanic for a few years and then decided to go to college. I had to pay for it all so it took me 8 years to get a 4 year bachelor degree while i worked full time owning a tattoo shop and building cars and Harleys on the side. Finally graduated in 2001 with a bachelor's degree and was sick of building cars and running a tattoo shop. What should i do? Hell, i'll apply to Law School! Lawyers sit around at the country club, making money and wearing fancy clothes, way better than spinning wrenches, right? Well i graduated from a very respectable Law School in 2005, took and passed the Bar Exam. Been a Lawyer for about 6 years now and here is what i've learned. Even working at a very well respected firm, after the 65 hour weeks, the constant stress of dealing with the toughest situations people face, malpractice insurance, printers, payroll, bar dues, continuing education CLE, computer servers, secretaries, and Student Loan payemnts, etc... I spend a shitload more time at work, i'm always stressed out, and i make about the same money as a friend of mine that is a certified BMW tech. Oh, and he doesn't ower $80,000 in student loans. If you're not going to get a degree in accounting, finance, nursing, biology, computers, or chemistry, don't waste your time on college. No one gives a shit about a bachelor of arts degree ie., English, history, communications. And, if you're not prepared to wait tables for life, better plan on getting a Masters Degree. Compare that with the Federal Bureau of Labor's estimates about how big the shortage will be for auto techs in the next 10-15 years. The point is this, don't listen to any else, including me, on this issue. When my kids get old enough to ask about college, i'm going to make sure they understand the actual pros vs. cons. I wouldn't have any problem with my son bypassing college to becoma a Journeyman Electrician, Plumber, etc... as i would know that he could almost always find well-paid work. The days of getting a bachelor degree and getting a nice desk job are over. Don't take my word for it. Do the research. There are articles all over the internet about the changing job market in the next 10-20 years. The one bit of advice i can give is this: make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. if your dream is to go to college, then go. if you want to find a good career that will pay the bills, that could be a different matter.

 

Besides the physical (body) problems you will endure as a mechanic, you will have to endure the "mind screwing" a dealership enviromnent will put on you. The games the management plays there are enough to make a grown man cry.....Don't even get me started on the union/management wars.....

If you want to do this...go ahead. Read these posts. No one is lying. I have been a journeyman bodyman since '89...our feild aint getting better either. My opinion....run away...FAST!

 

You only have to work 65 hours/week? This sounds like a sweet deal....Where do I sign up? LOL!!!

 

I think it comes down to a couple of things, do you want to go to college (and why?) and/or do you want to work for someone else or for yourself?

The wonderful thing is, you have almost unlimited choices ahead......you can do anything you want, so the first thing you need to figure out is what that is.

For example, do you want to travel? Lots of jobs in the cruise industry, aircraft etc.

Do you want to own your own shop with all of the headaches that come with it, including dealing with the gummint rules and regulations?

Do you want to work for the same company cradle to grave and have a fat pension when you retire?

I think the military is a terrific option - if you can stand the BS and sucking up that it requires to survive and advance. They pay for everything you need including your education, and at age 40 you can retire with a stout pension and go on to your next career. I could never stomach the day to day of a military life, so that option was never available to me. Of course, working for any big corporation is no different....

I made my living as a mechanic (we weren't called "techs" back in the day) and it was a pretty good job, people will always need their cars fixed, so you won't starve as long as you can turn wrenches competently. It does take a physical toll, just like any job that requires working with your hands, whether plumber, electrician or whatever - they all have thier downsides. Any of the trades would be a great choice as there are fewer and fewer people willing to do the hard work - just as nearly everyone has advised here - don't do a job that takes such a toll on you, find something easy.

Well, boys and girls, at some point someone is going to have to wire those buildings, fix that stopped up drain or toilet and all the other "dirty" jobs, including fixing cars and trucks. So if we try to encourage everyone to find a soft job that pays well, we're all going to be in a lot of trouble in a few years, cause none of us will be able to afford to hire a plumber or electrician or roofer or anything else cause the few people will ing to do that work will be able to charge whatever they want.

Reminds me of all those sci-fi stories about the civilisation that was so advanced they wanted for nothing, till one day the machines stopped working and no one could remember how to fix them or even run them.

Bottom line, find someting you enjoy doing, and do it -the rewards will come......

 

I started at the dealership I'm at at 20 as a lot sweeper/shop bitch. I quickly realized I didnt want to work on other peoples cars for shit money, so I set my sights on being an Advisor. 13 yrs later I still love my job and make a good living. Still get to be around cars but get to sit in the AC. I can tell you dealing with these people sometimes I wish I was a tech, but only for a few minutes....

 

I'll try to keep this short. Over 30 yrs as a mechanic. 11 yrs in Chrysler dealers. Today is not what yesterday was. It is alot more service type work today. You had better love it. And I agree with several other replies..the politics in a dealership is the worst part of all of it. If I had to do it over I probably would still have worked on cars for a living. But in todays times, I'd have moved to something else. But all in all...I'm retired now because of physical issues, I made a good living at it. Just no real benifits. Good luck.