rcktpwrd
Well-known member
Just checked and sure enough, output is 12vAC!After some reading, I think my transformer might be putting out 12v AC not DC... I'll have to test it with my meter.
Just checked and sure enough, output is 12vAC!After some reading, I think my transformer might be putting out 12v AC not DC... I'll have to test it with my meter.
I have footage of all of it. Thinking about putting it on YouTubeBeautiful. Got a write up of the entire project?
I enjoy your posts about work. I never suspected there is so much difference in tire installation between brands. Could you explain the difference between how you do your work compared to a "Flat rate guy?"Not really busy today at work. Morning went fast but afternoon dragged lol. No traffic hardly at all and that’s pretty unusual for a Monday. I guess everyone is back to school now and stuff. I got my **** kicked by 4 Michelin tires. Michelin tires can kiss my tail lol. They are great tires but I absolutely hate mounting and dismounting them. Everyone in the shop does. I had to get the guy who works next to me to help me and I hate asking and pulling away a flat rate guy but I was going to be there all day if I didn’t. We had to cheetah each tire twice to get them to seat on the bead. I always dread having to do Michelin tires. Sidewalls are just so stiff I usually pop at least one sensor mounting them because they make the machine bind up. I’m trying to get better at them but it seems Michelin tires are a never ending battle for me. And I hate that and really want to get better and not have to bug other people. But literally 3 or 4 people came up to me saying how Michelin sucked to install and take off. I also done an alignment and battery in that car as well. I had to order new tires for my Escape today and got Continental because I don’t like the Michelin offerings but also screw mounting those tires lol. I normally get Uniroyal Tiger Paw as they are my favorite tire and in my opinion the best tire but they weren’t offered in my size.
So yeah and also done a few recalls. Currently have a 2018 Tundra in for a check engine light. Ran codes and has a lot of fuel system codes. Looked above fuel tank and found a nest and tons of chewed up things so have to look further into that tomorrow will probably have to drop the tank.
My boss looked at my hours sheet today to see how many I’m flagging. He is happy with it. I had one day last week I only turned 3 hours but that’s because we ran out of work and he understands that and also understands I need extra time to do some things too. Like I didn’t intend to take 2 hours to replace 4 tires and balance them but I did because I got stuck it’s just one of those things it happens. Hopefully tomorrow will be better and not be any Michelin tires. At least I didn’t have to do them on the old tire machine though that would have probably resulted in broken sensors and curse words lol.
Basically I’m paid by the hour, I record the hours I turn in a notebook and which the guy who I was an apprentice for when I started gets paid some for every hour I turn. And my dealership is willing to let me stay hourly because I am not up to speed with flat rate guys yet. So really that’s the only difference. Also they don’t always let me do bigger stuff however they do let me assist in bigger jobs like engines and stuff so that way I can learn and eventually be able to do it on my own. And I like not feeling rushed to do something too. So if something takes me a bit extra no big deal except the service advisors and customers when they start complaining. But really I do try to beat the book time on things and be productive as possible and usually I am. There have been a few days where I’ve turned tons of time resulting in my guy getting tons of money after I turn a lot of time. So it works out for everyone in the end.I enjoy your posts about work. I never suspected there is so much difference in tire installation between brands. Could you explain the difference between how you do your work compared to a "Flat rate guy?"
Thank you. That's quite clear. Really appreciate that you took the time to respond.Basically I’m paid by the hour, I record the hours I turn in a notebook and which the guy who I was an apprentice for when I started gets paid some for every hour I turn. And my dealership is willing to let me stay hourly because I am not up to speed with flat rate guys yet. So really that’s the only difference. Also they don’t always let me do bigger stuff however they do let me assist in bigger jobs like engines and stuff so that way I can learn and eventually be able to do it on my own. And I like not feeling rushed to do something too. So if something takes me a bit extra no big deal except the service advisors and customers when they start complaining. But really I do try to beat the book time on things and be productive as possible and usually I am. There have been a few days where I’ve turned tons of time resulting in my guy getting tons of money after I turn a lot of time. So it works out for everyone in the end.

Very cool that you get to stay hourly while you are training, provided of course it’s a livable wage.Basically I’m paid by the hour, I record the hours I turn in a notebook and which the guy who I was an apprentice for when I started gets paid some for every hour I turn. And my dealership is willing to let me stay hourly because I am not up to speed with flat rate guys yet. So really that’s the only difference. Also they don’t always let me do bigger stuff however they do let me assist in bigger jobs like engines and stuff so that way I can learn and eventually be able to do it on my own. And I like not feeling rushed to do something too. So if something takes me a bit extra no big deal except the service advisors and customers when they start complaining. But really I do try to beat the book time on things and be productive as possible and usually I am. There have been a few days where I’ve turned tons of time resulting in my guy getting tons of money after I turn a lot of time. So it works out for everyone in the end.
Yes I was flat rate at the second shop I was at and it was terrible because it was during the pandemic and there would sometimes be a week gap or longer in me having something in my bay to do. Luckily I had parents to support me but I couldn’t continue like that and that’s how I ended up at this dealership 3 years ago. I just got a raise a couple weeks ago at my request because I just wasn’t making enough and found out an incompetent lube tech was making more than me. I got a $4 bump and only requested $3. I was told it was because I’m well liked and well respected and they didn’t want to lose me as a tech and also because I asked and gave valid reasons why I deserved it. I was very unhappy with the money I was making and not getting anything for it. I went from $15 to $19 and they also made a deal with me too even though that hourly techs are capped at $20 that they would let me go above that once I learned a bit more and once I get my state inspection license they would raise me to $21 then to $23 to make sure I have enough to support my family. I do feel respected here because normally they don’t let anyone move up till they have their inspection license but I was kinda the exception to that rule because of the way everyone likes me. Plus the guy who was my mentor is always happy to help me out plus we laugh and joke with each other all day which makes the workplace enjoyable.Very cool that you get to stay hourly while you are training, provided of course it’s a livable wage.
Too many times I’ve seen young guys start right out on flat rate. Few could afford to stick it out long enough to make a decent wage. This policy of “throw them in the deep end” led to the poor guy taking short cuts that he never should have made.
Thanks for explaining your pay process. I like that your “mentor” gets some of your hours. I’ve seen both sides and it’s hard to train someone when it’s cuts into my productive time



We have a 2018 Durango and a 2019 Grand Cherokee. The Grand Cherokee had an issue with the A/C under warranty where they had to evacuate and recharge it. Ever since then, the auto start/stop has never shut off. I swear they must have done something and turned it off.I installed an auto start/stop eliminator on my 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is a simple matter of removing a panel under the glove box and disconnecting a wire harness and installing the new harness between the disconnected harness. I did not like the auto start stop at all.
Soy-based insulation. Not sure what imbecile came up with the idea of using food for wire insulation...They use that yummy ethylene glycol in the insulation that mice love.
If a hole and inside the wall, use Black Flag ant spray, BUT! do it at night when they are asleep. This might be a "two gun" situation - if you can get something like an old school WD-40 spray tub/nozzle on one can - and spray cover the hole while you use the tube - or make a "cover" with a small hole for the tube and slap it over the bigger hole.now I have a hole in the garage siding full of big angry wasps!
It's actually more in the soffit. I have just painted plywood soffits, and these bastards find a hole (usually created by carpenter bees), and they'll make a nest a short distance away from the hole, inside the soffit. Usually upside-down on the OSB roof sheeting. I can spray the hole to death and it usually won't hit the nest.If a hole and inside the wall, use Black Flag ant spray, BUT! do it at night when they are asleep. This might be a "two gun" situation - if you can get something like an old school WD-40 spray tub/nozzle on one can - and spray cover the hole while you use the tube - or make a "cover" with a small hole for the tube and slap it over the bigger hole.
Ants and Wasps, - Same family, so the Black Flag works, and works fast (taken them out in the air before)
Maybe you can get one of those room foggers and use that in there; and put a plug in the hole? - Again, at night...It's actually more in the soffit. I have just painted plywood soffits, and these bastards find a hole (usually created by carpenter bees), and they'll make a nest a short distance away from the hole, inside the soffit. Usually upside-down on the OSB roof sheeting. I can spray the hole to death and it usually won't hit the nest.
We call those Hornets....big angry wasps!
What brand rebuild was on it?Replaced a 1.5 year old starter on my 2003 Silverado. Not terribly difficult, but still such a pain in the ***.
What's it take in Va to get a inspection license?Yes I was flat rate at the second shop I was at and it was terrible because it was during the pandemic and there would sometimes be a week gap or longer in me having something in my bay to do. Luckily I had parents to support me but I couldn’t continue like that and that’s how I ended up at this dealership 3 years ago. I just got a raise a couple weeks ago at my request because I just wasn’t making enough and found out an incompetent lube tech was making more than me. I got a $4 bump and only requested $3. I was told it was because I’m well liked and well respected and they didn’t want to lose me as a tech and also because I asked and gave valid reasons why I deserved it. I was very unhappy with the money I was making and not getting anything for it. I went from $15 to $19 and they also made a deal with me too even though that hourly techs are capped at $20 that they would let me go above that once I learned a bit more and once I get my state inspection license they would raise me to $21 then to $23 to make sure I have enough to support my family. I do feel respected here because normally they don’t let anyone move up till they have their inspection license but I was kinda the exception to that rule because of the way everyone likes me. Plus the guy who was my mentor is always happy to help me out plus we laugh and joke with each other all day which makes the workplace enjoyable.


Written test which is open book then the part I’ve failed 3 times which is taking it in front of a state trooper.What's it take in Va to get an inspection license?
Hands on mechanical in front of a trouper or the open book part?Written test which is open book then the part I’ve failed 3 times which is taking it in front of a state trooper.
.Both in front of the trooper but I can stand the book part but I have a hard time talking to people especially a cop lol.Hands on mechanical in front of a trouper or the open book part?
Don't let him bother you I use to fish and drink with mine totally different guy when they aren't working just like regular people.
Bill was the statie in charge of inspection station here in my part of the state in 1978 he bought a new Ford Crown Vic the first year of the down size and 5l V8 he kept telling me he had a bad dip stick and had taken it back to Ford several time and they kept ordering him different ones but all were the same reading of too high.....he was at my house one day changing his oil and walked by me with a pan of oil and the filter looked to be about 1/2 qt of oil in the pan, he then started dumping 5 qts of oil in it when I said is that all the oil you got out he said yea that's all that ever comes out I walked over and pulled the dipstick out and it still showed over full I said show me the plug you pulled to drain the oil....he shows me a plug in the front of the oil pan by the filter(years ago Fords had front sumps which is what made the chevy motors popular hot rod swaps) I looked at him and said try pulling the plug back there pointing at the rear sump in the pan he did make a big mess when the 8 qts of oil came out and over filled the 6qt pan. After that his dipstick worked fine.
Every time he came around in a official capacity I look at him and say are you really here to tell mechanics how to fix cars....his answer was always shut up I'll deal with you later.
Just keep in mind they are regular guys there to help you no reason to be nervous.
It can be difficult, but remember - they can't eat you and they can't kill you. Relax, because you know what you are doing.Both in front of the trooper but I can stand the book part but I have a hard time talking to people especially a cop lol.
Just show up to the test with a dozen donuts.Both in front of the trooper but I can stand the book part but I have a hard time talking to people especially a cop lol.
