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How Do I Become a Mechanic?

G

greekorican

Mar 12, 2009
209
0
#1
I'll be graduating highschool this year, and I'm curious about becoming a mechanic. Now I'm by no means a lazy kid, I go to a very good highschool (Northside Prep, you've probably heard of it if your a chicagoan), my grades are decent, and I'm not afraid of some hard work. I'm still applying to IIT and UIC for mechanical engineering. I don't really think that its what I want to get into, and I don't like the idea of four more years of school. People also say that if you are going into engineering, you should get a Master's Degree. I know I will probably be told to stay in school, but I would really like to get my act together ASAP and move out. If I go to college or if I go to a ttade school, I will be living at home. I'm not the typical teenager (OMG I HATE MY PARENTS), my home is not a happy place. And to be honest, I'm truly interested in becoming a mechanic, cars have been an obsession since I got my drivers license, and more recently, my own car (1996 Buick Riviera, its sweet).

I am getting a job at Aamco, my mom knows the a manager who says he give me a job and train me. I want to get a taste of what the business is like before I make it my career, and see if I still want to do it.

First of all I need to know what kind of training I should get, and what certifications do I need? What trade schools should I be looking for? The only one I know of is Lincoln Tech. I also have heard of going to a trade school set up by an auto manufacturer ie: Honda. How long does it take to get all of my training and certifications? I've heard two years, but I'd like to confirm this.

What kind of jobs should I be looking to get if I want big money? I know a mechanic is not the profession to choose if you want to be filthy rich, but I want to make as much as I can. I've heard that heavy diesel truck mechanics do very well, and I've also heard working for an exotic car dealership like mercedes is the way to go. Would I be better off working for a dealership, or a small local mechanic shop? What about opening up my own shop in the future?

I'll take any advice (hopefully positive advice) I can get about this. I'm seriously considering this, and I want to find out as much as I can before I make a decision about going to a trade school or studying something I'm not very interested in at college.

Thanks
 
#2
A friend of mine went to UTI (not urinary track infection).

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

It's supposed to be one of the best tech schools in the country. It's run by Nascar and you get to work & train on actual race cars (as well as the your own car and those of your classmates).
Of course, you don't necessarily have to go into the race car business when you graduate, you can do pretty much anything related to auto mechanics.
The up-side for you: It's a 2-year school, it's in North Carolina (nice town called Morrisville if I remember correctly, it's right outside Charlotte which is an AWESOME city for college-aged kids) so you don't have to stay at home (assuming you don't already live in NC), and it's a very respected school in that field. Put that on a resume and you should have no problem getting a mechanic job just about anywhere. And the school helps you find a job when you graduate anyway.

Another school worth looking at is Wyotech:
Link Removed

From what I understand, it's also a top-notch school.
 
#3
trade school,,the`journey men' don't want to take the time to teach,,,and the way todays vehicles change so fast todays technology is already old(consider engineering/production/on the lot time we're talking years in many cases where a trans. or fuel system for instance will come to have a problem,i'll use a Dodge Neon as an example,6 years on the road and 5,,yes FIVE headgaskets trying to cure a leakage problem,obviously engineering is where it's at=$$$)

the second half of my long winded post is,,,working the shop floor will not pay what a salaried postion will like damage appraiser,service writer,salesman,,,it CAN,but only at the right shop,,,i'm not a `tech' i do autobody(yeah yeah i'm a frame TECH a paint TECH all you can name) i love cars,have all my life,,i'm in a position now(after 30 years pro and 20 infront of that`tinkering' on anaything with wheels) i can work all i want or fish:D or jam on my instruments:D:D,,would i recomend getting `into' working on cars for a living=you can probably make better money servicing truck trailers than turning wrenches on cars(look at your local employment office and you'll see),,,(sigh) but if you TRULY desire to be a `TECH' then go to tech school and learn what others do not want to learn,computer systems,braking systems,air conditioning,transmissions,emissions,be a specialist and keep an eye to the future we'll always have `vehicles' and will always need techs(and once again salaried workers hint hint;)),,,we had `cars' when i started(that's what i work on now mostly muscleCARS and i'm fine with that),good luck!(boy i can really thump after i get my second wind eh!?:bassist:
 
#5
I dunno how it works where you are but in Australia the easiest way to become a mechanic is to undertake an Apprenticeship course in the field.

You actually work for the majority of the course but you also have to complete written modules to prove your knowledge in the field. At the end you get a certificate proving that you are capable of performing the work needed to be a qualified mechanic AND you will have a lot of experience in the field already. You don't have to jump right into the hard stuff either since there are different level certificates that you can get.

Like I said though, I'm not sure if that is available to you where you are.
 
#6
ok my friend here is the deal. i am a diesel mechanic and have been for the last 30+ years. the pay is almost decent. the work is heavy. a clutch assy is 158lbs. a wheel and tire assy is 187 lbs. a starter is 64 lbs. all heavy stuff with little or no room to put it on. dirt an grease fallin in your face as you are tryin to do so. alot of egr stuff on todays trucks that dont seem to last no time. engine, cab/chassis, brake and a/c computers multiplexed together. its hard to get a handle on this stuff because it changes so fast. we cant just keep up with the compter stuff. conditions are your hot when its hot, cold when its cold, wet when it rains or snows. you might be along a major interstate tryin to get one goin with cars and trucks runnin 70+ mph just sometimes inches away from you. stay in school get some type of degree please stay away from this type of work. at 47 years old my back constantly hurts, my knees aint no good from mountin tires. i get shootin pains down my legs to the top of my foot. my fingers are hard to move at times. i work for a co. that has great benefits. my fellow mechanics are like brothers to me. my boss is a great man and his boss is even better. they care about us. no, i am not bitter about my job, just my career choice. yes, i know school sucks and you dont want to hear anymore about it. there are plenty of jobs in the truck/automotive field that pay very well without you killin yourself. the nascar school in mooresville will have you workin on race cars but very few graduate an get a job on a top notch team. (pm me on this because i worked for six seasons an a busch grand national team) examine you choices carefully, talk to as many people in the industry as you can. good luck in your choice and much sucess in the future. if you or anyone has any questions you can pm me.
 
#7
In short: DON'T. (Mr. Phillips' is an excellent example). I have just over 24 years in and got lucky a bit over a dozen years ago with one of the TOP jobs a mechanic can get. These jobs are very few and disappearing. Very tough way to make a living, generally.

Josh
 
#8
If you really want to do it, and make some decent money, pay to go to a top end car manufacturer's school (ie porsche, mercedes, bmw). Otherwise it's a crapshoot. My dad owned a body shop for 23 years and hated at least 18 of them. He eventually sold it to become an independant insurance appraiser, which is a lot better. The employees (which would be your co workers) had perpetual drug and alcohol and legal troubles(not that this is the standard, but it was always a problem)

Overall I think "don't" was the best advice yet.
 
#9
blendermassacre said:
pay to go to a top end car manufacturer's school (ie porsche, mercedes, bmw).

Overall I think "don't" was the best advice yet.
Click to expand...

here in s.c the people that work at bmw go through a job service. they work at bmw and are trained by bmw but are not employees of bmw and therefore do not get bmw benefits or pay. also check into flat rate pay. that ought to scare you right there.
 
#11
mike phillips said:
here in s.c the people that work at bmw go through a job service. they work at bmw and are trained by bmw but are not employees of bmw and therefore do not get bmw benefits or pay. also check into flat rate pay. that ought to scare you right there.
Click to expand...

I heard a Congressman (or maybe the govoner of S.C.) talking about Boeing moving the production of the Dreamliner there. He was talking about how they build BMW's there and how South Carolina doesn't need unions to get work done. I guess underpaying people who are desperate for steady work is the way to get it done...
 
#14
Most UTI and Wyo Tech grads I've come across couldn't fix a sandwich, let alone a car. I certainly wouldn't waste the money to go to one of those schools to have some teacher blow sunshine up my @$$ about the tech's making upwards of $100k a year. There are very few if any making that kind of money, and the powers that be are constantly finding ways to take more money out of our pockets, and/or trying to replace us with $9/hr parts changers.

Most big shops (dealers or chain stores like Pep Boys, Firestone etc...) pay their techs flat rate, meaning you're paid on time it should take to complete a particular job. So for example if the labor time to do a water pump on your Riviera is 2 hours, you get paid 2 hours, regardless if it takes you 45 minutes versus 3 hours. Some jobs you can beat the clock, while many others you're going to lose because of unrealistic times, rust, vehicle condition etc..... The other factor at dealerships is warranty pay. A water pump failure under warranty isn't going to pay the same as the same failure out of warranty. Why? It's because the corporation is footing the bill for the repair, so the tech is going to do it for a reduced rate. Is that fair? Hardly, but that's the way it is.

Now factor in the tools you're going to need to work on today's cars (I've easily spent $40,000 on tools and equipment) and see of this is really what you want to do.

My advice is to get the job at Aamco and see how it goes. If this is really what you want you'll know it.
 
#16
mike phillips said:
also lets hope you and the service writer get along.
Click to expand...

Or else you'll be doing LOF's and chasing squeaks and rattles all day long while the ball hugging flush queens do all the gravy work.

Nothing quite like putting in 45 hours a week to come home with a 22 hour paycheck. But hey, that's flat rape for ya.
 
#17
Mike N - This is all really good advice.

I actually started in the army on trucks, and tracks. I got out, and I couldn't get a decent job anywhere! I finally found work at a coustruction rental place. This was good for a while, not great money, but steady (not flat rate). Now I work for a company that makes the machines that weld the parts of a car together. We do alot of work (through different companies) for the major car companies (ford, gm, honda). Its alot of fun, but this is where my path has lead me. Again, not great money, but its a great job and the money is steady.

I guess what I am trying to say is to the OP, please keep your goals straight, and realistic. You are not Chip Foose! And even if you are, he has the market cornered :) You are not going to get rich. One thing is for sure...Its easy to spot the guy that makes the most money. Hes the guy in that fancy Snap-On truck. I know I have sent his family on several nice vacations!
 
#18
I already know about flat rate pay. It is depressing to hear bad stories about becoming a mechanic. I'd like to do it, but I also want to get out of my house and make enough to live comfortably. One of my friends has a cousin who went this route, got his certifications in 2 years, and started working. All his friends came home from college, got decent paying jobs, and all moved out, while he's still stuck at home and not making very much money. As much as I would like to do this, if the money isn't there, then I guess I'll go some other route. I could always make cars a hobby...

As the father of a carpenter, I'm pretty handy. I'm not claiming to be a pro, but I know my way around the toolbox, I know how to use power tools and hand tools from working with my dad over the summer. My dad actually bought me a Craftsman ratchet set last christmas, so my tool collection is already started. I've got tradesmen blood in me, I know I could be good at this.

The Army is another route I thought of. I don't want to be a soldier, but rather have them train me as a mechanic. I looked into it and saw that they don't guarantee any position. They put you where they feel you would do best. I have a funny feeling that if I joined the army after I graduated, the would think that Iraq is the best place for me. I'll admit that I do not want to get shot at, call me a wimp. My cousin went through the same thing, he wanted to join as an MP, instead they sent him to Iraq. He agreed to go, and after basic training he crapped his pants and decided to flunk the academic part on purpose, and got discharged. I was under the impression that being an Army mechanic would look really good on your resume, but I guess I was wrong about that one.
 
#19
greekorican said:
I already know about flat rate pay........
Click to expand...

That should be enough to scare you away.

Maybe you could look for a state or fleet job where you're hourly or salaried, versus the flat rape circus.

If you really want to hear more from the horses mouth, stroll over to www.flatratetech.com and ask some of those guys about careers in the auto repair industry.
 
#20
I wish the best of luck to you. I really mean it. If I were you I would stay in school. I really meant the thing about going to college for electronics. You could get a great job with Fanuc programming robots or something! It is great money, which will give you time to have fun working on cars. Changing oil, or doing a tuneup on a minivan is not fun!
 

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