More important 1. Aformal education like an Associates degree and ASE cert. Or 2.hands on eperience with no formal education except perhaps dealer schools. What is your opiion?
If those are the options, none of the above. Four year trade school as the High School which gives two years of car repair experience would be my choice. You can get an Associates Degree without learning anything. ASE certification as your only training is a joke and qualifies you for nothing at all.
Getting involved in sponsored clinics is one way to keep up with current developments and new techniques.
Knowledge, talent, and ability are needed. The source is not very important. ASE certs are impressive but can be deceiving. Show me a man who can R&R the heads on a 5.4L and leave no clue that there was ever a tap turned on it and install a timing chain correctly with no timing marks and I feel sure he can be a success as a mechanic it he so chooses.
Most of these type of certifications give you hands on experience. It’s not all class work.
In two years of college I have done a boatload of drivability, rebuilt my own 4l60e, rebuilt another 700r4, couple engine teardown and rebuilds, head job on a 2.0 DOHC Mazda, sevreal tires,alignments, diffs, AWD diag, body diag., NVH, alternate fuels etc. Taken several online courses such as Melior. Point is alot of hands on and theory. While doing so passed all ASE testing with lowest being a 82 %. and 100% on A2. I’m in my thirties “displaced worker” (paid for my own school) and have been under a few hoods and around a few shops.I plan on attending as many aftermarket classes as possible like Worldpac offers. I have seen many dealerships that only have a few ASE certified techs. A local Nissan dealer had none so they sent the lead tech ,which had lost cert years ago, to take testing. He had to get them so the dealership could carry the new LEAF. I agree that both is completely necessary and hope to learn so much more in the field. For the pros - be nice to the new guy and help him out. Teach him the pointers you’ve learned along the way and don’t put down his credentials because he might hold his chest out a little and proud of what he has done so far. Thanks
#1 Is Intelligence And The Ability To Diagnose, Using Whatever Is Available To Make It Happen. Almost Anybody Can Be “Trained” To Replace Parts, But Inspiration And Intuitive Thinking Comes From Good Genes.
#2 is hands on experience. #3 ? Is an associate degree and ASE Certification considered a “formal education” ?
I have seen many “Techs” with lots of #2 & #3 and not much of #1 and they are very limited in what they can achieve.
CSA
Just dont ask the pros to borrow their tools.
transman
That’s the truth! Have people ask all the time. Wut the heck. Had a guy the other day want to barrow my techwrench cuz his torque wrench was junk. I refused and offered a clicker style. He was mad. he just didn’t get it.
A good start is graduating from high school and not having any felony convictions…Many of todays auto mechanics can’t even pass THAT test…Few can spell the word diagnostics let alone perform them…Car manufacturers know this and are striving to build vehicles that do not require the attention of a skilled mechanic…Should components fail under warranty, "Factory Tech’s will be trained to isolate and replace the failed component…When the warranty expires, the second and third owners of the car will be on their own as things fail to operate properly…The day will come when an emissions test failure will total the car…Successful repair shops will all be specialists on certain makes or fields of repair like transmissions, heating & air conditioning, drivelines or body repair…If your cruise control drifts or refuses to engage or your heated leather seats won’t hold the proper temperature, those consumers will simply be out of luck…
Not too far from the truth.
Ed, please do us a favor and stop typing like you are texting us on a cell phone. Try because instead of cuz and what instead of wut, etc. You seem like an intelligent guy, type like you are one.
Thank You Ed in North Carolina…Did I guess that right?
Of course. I agreed because it is getting to the point that just short of a wiring issue everything has become “module” failures. Also I had a customer that had to buy $4ooo dollar cats to pass inspection on a 97 model worth maybe $10k.