Gomer Pyle - Why do people associate this image with auto mechanics?

@Whitey …I have that episode of Andy Griffith and Gomer says “The sawdust came from the differential and transmission.” The episode (Barney’s First Car) is also on Youtube.

Somewhere in the long ago past it occurred to me that harmless comments made in an effort to be comical were best laughed at and forgotten. I do recall one would be customer who was unhappy with my estimate for the repair on his car and expressed his opinion that any fool could do the job in an hour. I answered that he needed to take the car home since he was just the man for that job.

OK I’m learning the roles now.

One of the best diagnostic mechanics I have ever known lived in the small metro area where we lived before we retired. I worked for over 30 years as an electronics tech in a very high tech factory. Once, that mechanic told me he needed people like me, two year tech electronics tech school background, to do the diagnostics on cars today. But, he simply could not pay enough to get those people.

He said he could easily teach them to replace the parts. It was the diagnostics that he needed and had trouble getting.

My work actually was as a senior diagnostician, though in electronics they do not call it that. I know diagnostics, which are somewhat the same in electronics; or electronic car systems, or medicine. (Though most doctors will have apoplexy if you tell them that.)

The thing is you need to know the area you are diagnosing. Electronics diagnosis mandates a knowledge of electronics. Medical diagnosis requires a knowledge of the human body, etc. But, a good diagnostician in one area, with knowledge of the device (car or human body) will also be a good diagnostician in another field if he achieves knowledge. Not sure that is making sense.

But, frankly, most people aren’t good diagnosticians, whatever field they are in. They all think they are, but if you observe them, you quickly learn better.

A few years ago, I had a very intermittent evap failure on my Sienna. It would go for months, then fail again. I knew from experience that if I took it to a mechanic, unless that exact mechanic had experience on that exact symptom, I could pay hundreds of dollars for a report, NTF

So, I let it go, and eventually a man on sienna Chat had the same problem. It was an intermittent valve on the canister. I took it to the dealer and told them to simply replace the canister. Someone here made a really nasty comment about what he’d do if someone told him which part to replace. And, I responded, telling him exactly what I’d do if he did that, heh, heh.

I am a highly experienced diagnostician, and I saw no reason to let a mechanics ego issues cost me hundreds of dollars with NTF in the end.

Car has worked perfectly since then. And, if it didn’t, I would be paying.

I am not saying here that I can diagnose any car problem on any car. I am not a mechanic. I am saying the principles of diagnostics are the same in all fields. And, on my problem, I knew what needed to be done, and signed off as they requested on warranty for the repair. I have spent thousands of hours fighting intermittents, and they are a special problem requiring special approach.

Expecting a mechanic to find a problem which may not show up for months is not a real good idea.

@IR,not sure if I totally agree with you,but I agree in spirit,I’ve found out however,that if someone doesnt want to do the job,find someone else and I’m sure you are quite right on the principles,there is little “unobtanium” in the auto world regardless of what some mechanics will tell one,a good logical,intellegent person such as yourself are a good find-Kevin

Never considered Gohmer a mechanic, just a nice guy with a heart of gold filling gas tanks, checking oil and washing windshields.

@irlandes: I agree completely. I often diagnose computer software/hardware issues at work, and not only are people bad diagnosticians, but it’s like pulling teeth to get them to understand that I need to know EXACTLY what error they are getting and when they are getting it. “I’m getting some error when I boot my computer” Really? Do you go to the doctor and just tell them “I have this pain somewhere sometimes”? Usually when talking to someone like this you quickly realize that it’s not just diagnostic skills that are lacking, but often logic entirely.

Re. the “Gomer syndrome”, it may be that when working on 50s cars that you could be a lot less intelligent and just swap parts when problems were more clear cut, but now cars are many times more complex. Mechanics are the most underpaid professionals out there considering the skill and training that goes into troubleshooting just drivability problems for example. And I have yet to meet a doctor that had to buy his own tools out of his salary either.

asemaster made a good point about appearance. Since by definition the customer doesn’t understand the working of an automobile, the shop has to not only fix the car right the first time for a fair price but also has to give the customer the perception that that’s what actually took place. Tough to do when the tech in question has 10 days stubble & grease caked clodhoppers on. ("That guy’s gonna get into MY car?!)

In the past I assumed the customers didn’t see us much out in the shop so I didn’t care too much about how I looked. They see us a lot more than we think! In the past year I’ve become fixated, you could say, with personal appearance. Brand clean uniform & clean shaven every day. Since Knapp Shoes went under I have these Sears oxford Knapp knock offs you can maintain a high polish on. I spend 5 minutes buffing them every night. The owner & his wife are tickled pink, since I used to be the shop pigpen!

Not sure why technicians wear these tan colored construction boots; they look horrible when the grease film obscures the original color.

Sorry if I’m nitpicking but perception, while it isn’t everything, is important.

I don’t personally care if someone is greasy, as it goes with the job. In fact, I wouldn’t trust a spotless mechanic any more than you’re supposed to trust a thin chef. But you can tell the difference between the dirt from honest toil and someone that is just a slob and practices poor hygiene. I’m not a big clothes guy, but if someone is wearing a shirt that hasn’t been washed in days (and has the BO to go with it), I don’t want him sitting in my car. I don’t keep my car super clean, but who wants to get in and experience someone’s stink that they’ve left you? And I know it doesn’t always follow, but it does give the impression that if someone is that sloppy and inattentive with themselves, how attentive are their work habits?

@oblivion‌

You shouldn’t be too harsh on BO

I’ve worked with a few guys over the years that smelled, and they literally couldn’t do anything about it.

Both of these guys showered and shaved every morning, and used deodorant, brushed their teeth, etc.

But they sweated so profusely, that there was always a stench about them

As a matter of fact, some customers did complain about the lingering smell

I’m not sure if they had a medical condition, couldn’t take the southern california heat, or whatever, but your nose would warn you when these guys were close by

@db4690: There’s a difference between a little BO and BO enhanced by a shirt or pants that have been repeatedly worn and haven’t been washed in days to the point that they will nearly stand up by themselves.

Either way, I admit I still don’t really want it polluting my private space, no offense meant to anyone. The same goes for people that feel they must marinate in cologne instead of just using a dab. We have a few people like this at work, and it invariably gives me a headache when I have to deal with them. There’s something about the personality type of executive assistants especially–they seem to pick the most harsh, unsavory scents and wear far too much of them. There is one woman at work that I can literally track her progress across the building. (or really even the parking lot) When I had a stuffed up nose for a few days she was the only thing I could smell. I really pity anyone that has to work within 10 paces of her.

I agree with @Whitey . I for one would be delighted to find a real-life Gomer Pyle to work on my car. He won’t rip me off, he knows what he’s doing, abd he’ll work the problem until he solves it through actual diagnostics instead of relying on a computer to tell him what to replace, even if he has to disassemble the entire car and reassemble it in the courthouse to meet other obligations.

I had a new HVAC system installed in our house. The chief installer looked and talked like Goober. He was the first one to the job and the last one to leave. He was very polite and the installation was very neat and works perfectly. I’ll do business with the Gomers and the Goobers any day.

The perception exists because there are examples of it that many people have been exposed to over their lifetimes; either personally or through the eyes of someone who has been wronged.

There is no real barrier to entry. Almost anyone can staple up a sign and start doing automotive repair. The vast majority of consumers are shopping price and so may end up at the worst shops to begin with.

Some shops appear to delegate the perceived low complexity tasks to newbies with little or no supervision or quality control checks.

Bad experiences are shared dozens of times and spread to anyone who will listen, good ones just a few people are likely to hear about.

It only takes one time of being ripped off to form a less than stellar opinion of the trade. My FIL recently had the shop tell him that even though his car engine would crank over repeatedly for 2 minutes at a time without hesitation but would not start, that he needed a new battery. WTF? Are you serious? These are people who claim to be mechanics and work for a dealership. In ten seconds with a can of starter spray I could tell him it was a fuel problem and started troubleshooting that area. They never bothered to do any of that and steadfastly insisted the battery was at fault.

Like any profession, there are people that span the range of qualifications and experience and also the range of quality from good to bad. But it only takes one bad experience to become leery of the lot…

" The vast majority of consumers are shopping price and so may end up at the worst shops to begin with"
@TwinTurbo–I think you have hit the root of the problem. These price shopping consumers often feel that mechanical work is low level work and people who do this work don’t deserve much pay for this kind of work. I suggest these people try doing the work themselves and then they might see that there is a skill to do the job right.
I had to do as much as I could for myself when I was growing up and when I was first married and going to school on a limited income. I developed a respect for service people who could do a job at least twice as quickly and much better than I could do it.

Well one of my ex mechanics didnt mind leaving His greasy fingerprints on my sun visor so caveat emptor,about the BO, some people have more sweatglands then others and believe it or not ,diet plays a role in BO,we have a fellow worker who shuts your olfactory nerves down(His excuse,an allergy to most soaps and deodorants{unbelieveable} its really a shame,because He is an extremely talented individual and a real hard worker-Kevin

Speaking of soap . . .

I found out the hard way that I’m severely allergic to ivory soap

I use a different brand, and no problems

I’m also allergic to some of the chemicals in those “speed stick” types of deodorant

As with the soap, I know what brand(s) to avoid