Do any enthusiasts work in an auto repair shop?

[Rod73]

Hi I am looking for people work in auto repair shops. I am doing some research, and any help would be appreciated.

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

I am a service advisor in a dealership.

[oneheadlite]

Technician checking in. I work at an independent BMW / Audi repair shop, before that I was a tech at an Audi dealer for 10 years. On year 7 at the independent shop; Here I'm kinda lead tech/shop foreman/fill-in-up-fronter.

Feel free to PM me if there's anything I can help with.

[PouncingPanzer]

I was a VW/Subi technician for 5 years. Recent. I fix industrial equipment now it pays better.

I am but a humble wrench. Ask me anything, if I can't help I will try to point you to someone who can.

[oneheadlite]

Recent. I fix industrial equipment now it pays better.


If you don't mind me asking, how did you make that transition? What type of equipment?

I keep saying one of these days I'll get a grown up job (hopefully before my body gives out from wrenching), but don't know what else I'd do. Overall I enjoy what I do, and the money is good; but sooner or later I'll need to find an alternative.

[MattPersman]

I work as a tech at a mopar dealer. Ask away


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[PouncingPanzer]

If you don't mind me asking, how did you make that transition? What type of equipment?

I keep saying one of these days I'll get a grown up job (hopefully before my body gives out from wrenching), but don't know what else I'd do. Overall I enjoy what I do, and the money is good; but sooner or later I'll need to find an alternative.

Well, VW had me trained as an electrical specialist and a hybrid specialist, so electricity is my thing :) My automotive background got me into here. This company typically doesn't direct hire into maintenance, but my background helped me skip the temp process and get right into a uniform. I work primarily on Okuma horizontal mills and lathes. CNC equipment. Some hydraulic systems as well.

Overall, cars are better, I miss the VW brand every day. But I like cars at my pace, not my employers. Lol.

Service Adviser: "Hey, is that car done?"
Me: "It says waiter on it, they wait."

I am a tiny bit too meticulous for the flat rate grind. I always made at least 40 hours though, sometimes that meant working a 6 day a week however. Cars are a hobby now, and my second source of income(detailing), not my primary. It's better that way for me. These machines are boring, grimy, and lots of thing to get hurt on. Trying to get them to send me to Lincoln Electric for a few weeks for TIG welding training. Fingers crossed!

Dude, I will say this, working as a factory maintenance guy is way more of a coffee job then wrenching at a dealer or shop.

[oneheadlite]

Overall, cars are better, I miss the VW brand every day. But I like cars at my pace, not my employers. Lol.

Service Adviser: "Hey, is that car done?"
Me: "It says waiter on it, they wait."

I am a tiny bit too meticulous for the flat rate grind. I always made at least 40 hours though, sometimes that meant working a 6 day a week however.

Sounds like we'd get along splendidly. I left Audi because the dealer (prepping for sale) had a huge push for efficiency and overall demand for a "recommended repair" list for each car. Dear management: They're machines - they're not always broken! They insisted we were 115% efficient (flat rate to clock hours), my focus on fixed-right-first-time meant that wasn't always the case.

I was one of the techs that got a sit down in the office about "What do we need to do to increase your efficiency? (Unspoken: Or else...)". I later got huge praise for increasing my efficiency - they never paid attention to the fact I was just clocking out at exactly 8 hours and continuing to work my day as I saw fit. :rolleyes:

Nice part about my current gig is unlike most wrenching jobs - I'm salary. Being an independent the focus is much more on a positive experience than just cranking them out. Though the dealer background is nice because the ability to kill-it-and-bill-it is still hardwired. Overall, I get to work at my pace, and my boss (and customers) appreciate the job I do.

Crud. Writing all that out makes me realize I should probably just keep wrenching here. :laughing:

[PouncingPanzer]

Sounds like we'd get along splendidly. I left Audi because the dealer (prepping for sale) had a huge push for efficiency and overall demand for a "recommended repair" list for each car. Dear management: They're machines - they're not always broken! They insisted we were 115% efficient (flat rate to clock hours), my focus on fixed-right-first-time meant that wasn't always the case.

I was one of the techs that got a sit down in the office about "What do we need to do to increase your efficiency? (Unspoken: Or else...)". I later got huge praise for increasing my efficiency - they never paid attention to the fact I was just clocking out at exactly 8 hours and continuing to work my day as I saw fit. :rolleyes:

Nice part about my current gig is unlike most wrenching jobs - I'm salary. Being an independent the focus is much more on a positive experience than just cranking them out. Though the dealer background is nice because the ability to kill-it-and-bill-it is still hardwired. Overall, I get to work at my pace, and my boss (and customers) appreciate the job I do.

I wish I could double-like this lol.

FRFT is far more important to your reputation as a technician and the customer vs. "shop efficiency". That's just the service directors way of saying "my paycheck".

That's good thinking....I like that haha. Play the system for what it's worth!!!!

That sounds like a good gig man, salary, independent, own pace, a wrench's paradise. Dealer background still helps me also. Mostly in dealing with operations and explaining to them in a nice way why they caused $70k worth of damage to a machine that hit the shop floor less than a year ago :D People's jaws drop when they see what machine parts cost.

I'm in the wrong business, I need to make worm gears and ballscrews for a living lol.