@abc777, if you hang around here long enough you’ll see that most everybody’s posts are consistent with their posted ‘credentials’.
My father was an airplane mechanic in the Air Force and then became a weekend car mechanic at the house. Until I was at least 21 years old I’d spent more time under the hood of a car working on the engine, bleeding the brakes or filling rust holes with bondo than actually driving one. These days I don’t have a proper garage where I can make a mess and leave things disassembled, which puts me at the mercy of my dealership (shudder) but at least I am an informed consumer.
I’m an electrical engineer and an attorney by training, but I’ve been known to put a radiator back together in an emergency using nothing but a pliers and a paperclip. I’m still pretty handy when the situation calls for it.
There’s easily over a 1,000 yrs. of experience here-I say that in awe-compared to what I know. I currently work in a plbg. supply shop, but I have a piece of paper from Lincoln Tech., have owned & worked on a variety of cars, from a '68 Buick Electra, to a '03 PT Cruiser, which oddly enough, was listed as a truck when I went to replace the tires(I guess if you can stick a 16ft. ladder in your car & close the hatch, it’s a truck). My 1st car was a '77 Chrysler Cordoba-dead in the water, or parking lot. The owner was told it needed about $800 to get running(some boat payment, apparently). She sold it to me for $200-2wks. later, I’d rebuilt the carb & added a new starter, alternator, battery, & “The Bucket” as I called her was speeding up & down our block like new. I love cars-have been accused of loving them more than people-true, in some cases, & have compared cars to women-no offense to the ladies who may be out there, but here goes: some women will take your money & show you a good time, some will take your money, & take your money, & take your money, etc. But that’s the extent of my knowledge-& any chance I get to learn something new, I’m all ears. Or eyes, in this case.
Retired Ohio Department of Taxation, Administrative Officer for Corporate Personal Property Tax.
I have learned a lot here from some might fine people. My personal car experience is just that. I have done most of the work on my cars including my first $500 Sumbeam Imp. That was a demo with less than 500 miles. Currently a 2002 VW Beetle diesel.
I was an ASE certified Master Automotive Technician for 5 years (it has expired but I’ll probably renew.)
Accredited Automotive Manager from the Automotive Management Institute.
I’ve been a technician, as well as manager.
I currently answer auto repair questions on several repair question sites.
WOW…My little post has become a staple of this website!!! I feel honored.
I’m just a drivin’ around guy, with a 2010 Mazda 3S hatch-- fabulous little car, btw.
I’m not a huge mechanic, but I don’t mind tackling a little job here and there, especially with some friendly Car Talk fans to give some shadetree mechanic advice.
I have no credentials, ZERO car knowledge
Badges?? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges…er, credentials!!!
(Just so there is no misunderstanding: this line is taken from “The Treasure of the
Sierra Madre” (1948) with Humphrey Bogart).
Finally got unlazy and joined, but am in computers, mostly hardware, but dabble in software a little. 24 years part time at an auto parts store, selling mostly, but keep their network and pc’s running on the side. Rebuilt my first car at 17 (67 mustang) then redid a 49 Ford F-1 and been playing at it for the last 30 years. Current project is an 87 Cavalier Convertible RS, just lacking the window weld moldings 
(hoping to retrofit Foc body moldings and make them work). Just completed my 97 Jeep Wrangler, had to replace the front fenders and tailgate, steps and bumpers, then total repaint. Just wish I had more time and money 
Well grew up around cars always fascinated with how they work not acar guru by any means but I can find my way around an engine… Rebuilding a 52 dodge pickup with my grandpa and rebuilding the engine of his 89 goldwing… Did alot of work on my ol jeep and went to school for an automotive degree…
No credentials whatsoever – I just loooooove driving. I love machines and gettin all up in em and smelling like oil. And I love it when doing that saves me money. 
Oh and I have no idea what I’m doing so I’m here to learn.
Lotsa years selling parts and ordering for my husband’s shop, started out as a physics major in college but dropped it to do other things. Now running the shop as well as being a resource person for people restoring old Brit and European cars.
I’ve owned my own shop for the last 15 yrs. Bought my first Hot Rod magazine in 1964 age 9 and took Auto Mechanics in high school at the vocational school we had available, my life was doomed to be with cars from that point on. Worked at a KW truck dealer for a while and got into a steel mill for the benefits and better pay scale. Fast forward to opening my own place. I am fairly knowlegeable in most areas of automotive repair but love older cars. I’m about the only shop in my area that still has a dwell gauge and knows how to use it. I also enjoy building off the wall projects, my sons 1970 bug with a 425 Cadillac and transaxle out of an Eldorado neatly tucked in, and my daughters 84 F-250 with M-715 axles and a 6.2 diesel and 700R4 trans out of a Blazer. Haven’t been on here long but looks like it could be fun while helping people. I think I’m doing something wrong because the line I hate getting from customers when I hand them their bill is “That’s all it cost”?..Enjoy all and I’ll be around.
I took 2 years of atuomotive technology in high school and the rest is learn as you go. Alot of the work I’ve done was out of necessity since I don’t have the money to take it to a shop. A Heater Core job calls for 5 hours, with a repair manual and 10 hours, i can get it done. The rest I’ve learned from talking to my older brother who has an extensive background in auto mechanics and his friends too. Then there’s stuff I’ve learned from this chat forum alone.
What I suggest is probably what I would do in your shoes. I absolutely detest talking down to others as I have seen before with some posts. We are entitled to our own opinions, but they are our own. Others come to this chat forum in, oftentimes, a dire time of need, and want advice, not ranting and raving. I’d also like to think of us all as friends working toward the common good.
Best adivce I can think of at this moment: When installing a bolt, turn COUNTER CLOCK WISE untli you feel a “click”, stop, then turn CLOCK WISE. This will prevent crossthreading. 
Learned the hard way. Never Again!!
Not much in the way of credentials that apply to the automotive world. Hobbist with a bunch of experience pretty much have worked pretty much anything, and willing to dig in and learn how to fix/diagnose/rebuild/repair anything on the large variety of cars I have owned in the past decade.
Just working aircraft wiring, and communication systems as a day job.
I read enthusiast forums, buy the parts, follow the directions, and whine that I did it wrong. Then I do it right.
So, I’m obviously a professional.
Can’t stand the 9- 5, or anything admin-related, but I’ve been fixing things, mainly electrical / electronic, since a friend showed me how to build stuff from dismantled b/w televisions in the 4th grade.
Dad was a Montana farm kid who became a mechanical engineer. He was too cheap to pay to have anything fixed, always doing it himself, though not always to the highest standards. I was his wrench-gofer and best student. My proudest moment was fixing a sheared-off pin in a washing machine with a 16-penny nail. 10 years later that nail was still in place.
As for cars, had to learn to fix them while enlisted in the Coast Guard 'cause they didn’t pay me enough to buy a decent car in the first place, or enough to take them to a competent mechanic. Had access to the base’s public works shop after hours, and many of my friends were aircraft mechanics. Learned to do my own brakes, shocks, valve jobs, etc.
For the last 32 years, been a field service engineer for a medical equipment manufacturer. Never met a tool I didn’t like, and my garage shows it. Would enjoy woodworking if I could even find my tools under all the clutter. My idea of a good-time is getting lost wandering thru Home Depot, Tools-R-Us, or a good electronics parts house.
As cars have gotten more complex, I’ve turned 60, and I drive a company-provided car, I have gotten used to taking them in for service. But they still facinate me.
im a master tech with over 35 years exp . after leaving my fathers shop of over 60 years i opened my own . just me and my three boys unlike the factory tech we repair all make and models from weedeaters to ferrari. we pride ourselves in doing everything we can to be the best most reliable auto repair .check out fb search techshop howard
I have a degree in Backyard Mechanics