Auto technicians, past and present, sound off.

[duanedragon]

The years I spent as a pro-wrench were some of the toughest and yet most rewarding. With fond memories I recall my first real toolbox (red and black 26 inch Craftsman top and bottom), my first roll cab (red 52 inch Blue-Point), what tools worked and what tools didn't. I have some observations I would like to share;

The tool I made the most amount of money with was the pen in my shirt pocket. Without exaggerating, embellishing the truth, or outright lying I was able to note problems, accurately estimate parts and labor needed to fix the issue, and communicate in great detail the work I performed. Many times knowing what words or verbiage to use made the difference between getting ripped off and making a fair wage, especially with warranty work. In example: a 6 week old Dodge Neon with inoperative power windows after being molested by the detail department. The problem was caused by a blown fuse due to water in the fuse box and would have paid 15 minutes warranty time. Describing the issue as "Found and repaired open at power distribution block" made sure I was paid near 100% of clock time.

I still shake my head at guys that have less than a year in the business, have $5000 KRL rollcabs (bought through Snap-On credit of course) and the box is so empty it looks like tumbleweeds might blow through it. Or the guys who buy up every gimmicky do-dad and gee-gaw off the tool truck (color coded nut drivers, T-handle allen wrenches, **** like that) but don't even have a tire pressure gauge. Never used any of my crow-foot wrenches

Some of my favorite tools were my Ingersol Rand 231 1/2 inch impact wrench. I used the hell out of that thing. The Dial run-out gauge with the bendy arm bolted to a vice grip was a really cool tool. The brake-pedal depressor (looks like a big long caulking gun) was another tool I really liked. The little tiny Snap-On pocket flat blade screwdriver was indispensable. GearWrench combination wrenches are awesome too. Never again will I buy a conventional combo wrench. Old-style hard handled Snap-On screwdrivers are tougher than hell, look great, and unlike the rubber handled ones can still be gripped and turned while covered in ATF. Plus they don't soak up and bleed out every single liquid they are immersed in. 3 Cheers for lug-nut color-coded impact torque sticks. For years the only oil filter wrench I used was this el-cheapo geared grabby thing that slipped over the end of the filter and clamped tighter and tighter when turned by a 3/8 ratchet. That thing was cool. I was genuinely bummed when it finally fell apart from use.

I came to this board because years ago my tools were stolen and now I get to buy them all over again. The ideas and discussions on this site have been very informative. As much as I griped about the business I was always proud of being a mechanic. We occupy a pretty rarefied niche in the realm of tool using professions.

What are some of the tools you have found useless, or some that you love?

 

[Mickey O]

I'm in my first year as an auto service technician, bought myself a KRL roller cabinet, a T-handle hex set and crowsfeet in all available sizes.

 

[Toolhorder]

I don't know what to say...I think I'm going to go play call of duty

 

[boostedgt]

el cheapo test lights are always good to have

 

[BRTMechanic]

This save my **** every time:

 

[warpedredneck]

will second the pen being my most valuable tool, my ir231 is placed in a spot of honor in the top section of my box, some cheap wrenches who gave up their shape to help me finish a hard job and lots of ****** bosses who taught me the true meaning of being a journeyman!

 

[Jack90210]

The problem was caused by a blown fuse due to water in the fuse box and would have paid 15 minutes warranty time. Describing the issue as "Found and repaired open at power distribution block" made sure I was paid near 100% of clock time.

Great first post. I don't turn wrenches for a living any more, but I did for a little while (gen. repair tech for a restaurant chain). The diagnostic part was often the hardest, and would cost or save me the most time (depending on how wrong or right I was, respectively).

 

[Davefr]

What are some of the tools you have found useless, or some that you love?

Ears: Listen to the description of the problem statement
Mouth: Ask clarifying questions.
Eyes: Observe everything
Smell: Note anything unusual
Brain: Process all of the above
Now out come the real tools!!

Unfortunately few classes teach structured problem solving these days. Everyone wants a troubleshooting diagram or flow chart.

 

[9GUY9]

i have found my small pry bar to be very handy time and time again.

I have used my 22mm wrench and vise grips more than any other tool in my box.

 

[krusty the clown]

Unfortunately few classes teach structured problem solving these days. Everyone wants a troubleshooting diagram or flow chart.

the manufactures push for that.......they do not want independant thought.


follow the PPT to the letter and record the results on the hard copy. it's all a game to them to find a way to kick back the claim.

 

[M900]

PPT?
I looked on this website but I didnt find it.

 

[crewchief888]

Ears: Listen to the description of the problem statement
Mouth: Ask clarifying questions.
Eyes: Observe everything
Smell: Note anything unusual
Brain: Process all of the above
Now out come the real tools!!

Unfortunately few classes teach structured problem solving these days. Everyone wants a troubleshooting diagram or flow chart.

i'm a construction eq tech, but all the above pertain too.

in my business everyone is a knowitall, or an "engineer"
many times the problem has cured itself, at least temporaily, before i arrived
when asking questions, if i feel the guy's not telling me the whole truth about whats happening, i throw in a trick question, something i know cant/wont happen when his problem occured. lot of time i get, "oh yea, it does that too"
i take what i'm told, plus typical problems, and come up with a solution while i'm doing priliminary paperwork. most of the time i'm right, then confirm what i think by running diagnostics.
many of my customers are very impatient, they want an instant problem solver, it's easy to throw expensive electrical parts at something, and still not solving the $2 problem ( ive seen it happen many times). i'd rather spend an hour ohm testing wiring and confirm that a $750 controller is bad, rather than throw in the controller, and find out that a $2 pin in a connector is pushed back.

 

[TheCarbideRat]

I used crowsfeet 3X this week. By the way you state you will never buy a conventional wrench again? Meaning only ratcheting wrenches will do? Rookie.

 

[tonydanzah]

ford teaches SSCC symptom, system, component, cause

 

[petty4243]

ford teaches SSCC symptom, system, component, cause

all to familiar with that.... now if ford could make their diag tools perform better

 

[tonydanzah]

been awhile, is it the IDS machine?

 

[petty4243]

ids is ok, but takes forever to get loaded each time, still better than gms tech 2 though

 

[Joelfke]

the manufactures push for that.......they do not want independant thought.


follow the PPT to the letter and record the results on the hard copy. it's all a game to them to find a way to kick back the claim.

exactly right. some of you may not believe the kind of GM claims were denied because for example you wrote "Found cause of short, fixed short replaced fuse."

GM - "oh sorry we can't pay that. What color was the fuse? How do we know? Sorry Next."

If it pays .2 or 2 hours they dont care.

 

[tonydanzah]

never done the gm tech 2, spent 16 weeks taking the ford fact course at uti. Learned a ton really liked the IDS really similar to the diesel diag computers. But I just never ended up working for ford.

 

[Joelfke]

I used crowsfeet 3X this week. By the way you state you will never buy a conventional wrench again? Meaning only ratcheting wrenches will do? Rookie.

Whats wrong with a ratcheting wrench??

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

My best tool is my Fluke 87.. go to it more than the Agilent 100 MHz digital storage scope sitting right next to it.

Adam

 

[crewchief888]

exactly right. some of you may not believe the kind of GM claims were denied because for example you wrote "Found cause of short, fixed short replaced fuse."

GM - "oh sorry we can't pay that. What color was the fuse? How do we know? Sorry Next."

If it pays .2 or 2 hours they dont care.

the last 2 dealerships that ive worked for have accounted for over 20 years in this business. i figured out a long time ago doing writeups that too much info is always better than not enough. i've had several service managers get pissy with me about my detailed writeups. if i dont write the stuff down i forget what ive done. in an average week i work on 25 or so machines, plus my travel between jobs. it may be a month or 2 before billing is complete for that job, what happens when the customer disputes the bill? they pull the hard copy and check to see whats been done. the invoice the customer recieves has 1 or 2 sentences of work performed, never says anything about the wrong address that was given, (wasted travel time) wait time ( machine being used, or jobsite contact cant be found, or not answering his phone), old rusted/ broken bolts, or limited access,( interior building demolition,or a customer that dont like to make anything easy), traffic or bad weather
all that time adds up at $100 an hour, easily taking 1/2 hr job to 3 or 4 hours.
cust: "why do i have to pay $750 for a battery?"
SM: " parts $200, inspect cables, load test battery, R&R battery,clean cables, new battery bolts, check charging system 1hr flatrate, 4 hrs round trip travel, afterhours, in a snowstorm, tax, evironmental charges"
cust: "oh ok it just seemed like a lot for a battery"

just today i had a COD customer complain that we charged too much.
45 min one way trip
i was on site for 15 minutes, replaced his plugged fuel filter, removed a non OEM inline filter& electric fuel pump.and test ran for 15 minutes
he had been "fixing" his machine for 2 days and it still didnt run very good.
bill totalled $275.
then procedes to tell me to fix his damaged wiring, broken dash and broken lights.
after i returned to the shop later that day, i sat down and wrote up an est for the rest of the repairs. well over $2500 i can see where this one is going...

 

[tonydanzah]

a detailed write up is always the best tool

 

[mkdive]

hell of a first post

 

[Vinko]

Old-style hard handled Snap-On screwdrivers are tougher than hell, look great, and unlike the rubber handled ones can still be gripped and turned while covered in ATF.

For me, a similar experience has created the opposite view: I got interested in the instinct handles because the hard handles were too slippery when I was working on a large band saw covered in coolant and chips. That coolant might not have been as slippery as ATF, but I think close enough, and I couldn't get enough torque on a #3 phillips.

I guess I could have worn gloves with some bite, but the Instincts (hard and soft) in those situations seem better. Haven't noticed that the handles sop up the coolant, but maybe they will over long term.

 

[Vinko]

when asking questions, if i feel the guy's not telling me the whole truth about whats happening, i throw in a trick question, something i know cant/wont happen when his problem occured. lot of time i get, "oh yea, it does that too"

Great strategy

 

[Vinko]

the last 2 dealerships that ive worked for have accounted for over 20 years in this business. i figured out a long time ago doing writeups that too much info is always better than not enough. i've had several service managers get pissy with me about my detailed writeups. if i dont write the stuff down i forget what ive done. in an average week i work on 25 or so machines, plus my travel between jobs. it may be a month or 2 before billing is complete for that job, what happens when the customer disputes the bill? they pull the hard copy and check to see whats been done. the invoice the customer recieves has 1 or 2 sentences of work performed, never says anything about the wrong address that was given, (wasted travel time) wait time ( machine being used, or jobsite contact cant be found, or not answering his phone), old rusted/ broken bolts, or limited access,( interior building demolition,or a customer that dont like to make anything easy), traffic or bad weather
all that time adds up at $100 an hour, easily taking 1/2 hr job to 3 or 4 hours.
cust: "why do i have to pay $750 for a battery?"
SM: " parts $200, inspect cables, load test battery, R&R battery,clean cables, new battery bolts, check charging system 1hr flatrate, 4 hrs round trip travel, afterhours, in a snowstorm, tax, evironmental charges"
cust: "oh ok it just seemed like a lot for a battery"

just today i had a COD customer complain that we charged too much.
45 min one way trip
i was on site for 15 minutes, replaced his plugged fuel filter, removed a non OEM inline filter& electric fuel pump.and test ran for 15 minutes
he had been "fixing" his machine for 2 days and it still didnt run very good.
bill totalled $275.
then procedes to tell me to fix his damaged wiring, broken dash and broken lights.
after i returned to the shop later that day, i sat down and wrote up an est for the rest of the repairs. well over $2500 i can see where this one is going...

I like this post. Esp. the detailed write ups. That's one very major problem I'm having right now with the co. that services my two forklifts. PM service is cheap enough, so they do it. I can't do anything beyond that, and if I could, it wouldn't be worth my time spent, so they do it.

But they have crappy bills that take all kinds of time to decipher.

Also -- I like the way you handle a guy who doesn't understand the $250 charge.

"Look man, your fix was shite; your shop or operation is probably worth more than the $250 you had to spend to get the job done right by me..."

or something like that

 

[nato]

I don't miss working working for a previous Ford dealership. The 1st time I had to scan a vehicle using a palm pilot pda, I was like WTF??!?!

Along with cockroaches, I believe the IR231 would also survive and prosper after a nuclear blast w/ massive fallout.

 

[Dust]

Chrysler electrical, HVAC, and body mechanical tech here.

An electric screwdriver with quick-change bits is worth its weight in gold. I think I only use an actual screwdriver for transmission filters now, simply because I don't want to get my little Black and Decker mucked up with ****** fluid.

A good repair story on the work order is essential to retaining customers. They may not understand a single word, but if you wrote down exactly what was wrong and what you did to figure it out and fix it in a way they can sort of comprehend, they'll think you're smart and trustworthy. I had one customer, who was almost fed up with our shop, start coming back more and more simply because I wrote up his work order like I was doing a science report. Turns out he was an engineer and liked knowing EXACTLY what was going wrong with his car.

Tee pins are also a fantastic tool. I buy them in boxes of a hundred at the office supply store. They're the right size to get into most connector terminals, and can be bent to access hard to reach connectors. Stick a few in a connector, and now you can measure voltage and continuity much much easier when dealing with multiple circuits and connectors, especially if your probes are pretty thick.

 

[GB Hicks]

Been a while since I was paid for wrenching. But I agree now more then ever documentation is the key. Not just what you did, but also what else is obviously wrong. Several years ago I had a customer come in to complain after on oil change, because her radiator cracked. Her antifreeze had looked like water- tested to +30 degrees. She was informed, it was noted on her work order, she even purchased the antifreeze to put in and carried it out. That night it got down to around 0, next day she shows up wanting me to pay for the radiator. That didn't happen.

 

[tonydanzah]

Tee pins are also a fantastic tool. I buy them in boxes of a hundred at the office supply store. They're the right size to get into most connector terminals, and can be bent to access hard to reach connectors. Stick a few in a connector, and now you can measure voltage and continuity much much easier when dealing with multiple circuits and connectors, especially if your probes are pretty thick.

if you like t pins, then you'll love these, your post made me think of one of my favorite tools

http://www.globaltestsupply.com/c/3/Fluke_TP82_Insulation_Piercing_Probes_For_Probe_Tips.html

 

[Joelfke]

if you like t pins, then you'll love these, your post made me think of one of my favorite tools

http://www.globaltestsupply.com/c/3/Fluke_TP82_Insulation_Piercing_Probes_For_Probe_Tips.html

looks quite useful....dunno if its worth 41 bucks though...

 

[tonydanzah]

if you do alot of electrical it is.

 

[scbird94]

My biggest peave in this industry is that we are taken for granted. I once got in a heated argument with a cocky service advisor that mechanics should be paid half of what writers do. I dont see him bringing in $40,000+ of his personal property to do his job, i dont see him bleeding and sweating on projects, and i dont see him taking resonsibility or standing behind any car that comes into our shop. He whined to payroll clerk for 3 weeks because he wanted to be re-imbursed for a stapler he had to buy.

A good shop, reputable and long standing, is such because of ONE thing. Quality work. There is only one person who can control quality in this setting. The technician. Many people think pricing, but many customers realize you get what you pay for.

This industry is **** now because mechanics are considered grunts in many shops, and are replaced as easily as a light-bulb if someone will work cheaper and the "star" of the shop is the person who sells the **** out of flushes and useless maintanence items, but he himself cannot diagnose a leaking water pump. End of the day, flush-queen gets pat on the back, good job. The guy who spent his day up to his eyes in complex diagnostics, gets "why didnt you bill more"

Sorry, had to vent.

 

[Joelfke]

^^^ im only an intern and i see that being 10000000% true....which is why side jobs are so great and so important.

 

[TAftw]

Last shop I worked at, we had a "driveability" guy whose first response to any driveability problem was "it needs plugs and wires so we can get a baseline on it".

What is this supposed to mean?

 

[scbird94]

What is this supposed to mean?

Classic technician "shotgun" diagnostics to a running complain if you dont know how to actually figure it out why running bad.

I do pull out that shotgun, but i limit it to this: Your complaining about your carring running like ***.. but you put 150k on your original tune up parts. you retard. lets do a tune up, you need it anyways. Then, if it still runs like ***, we will proceed with deeper diagnostics.

Good portion of the time, car is cured. Customer is happy because they got their car fixed without expensive diagnostics. Although they should feel like a duppus because they dont maintain their car.

 

[Toolhorder]

Today I got an Integra that a customer wanted an alignment on. Of course it's lowered and modified AND the service advisor said he would have the tech "road test" it for a vibration too for FREE.
The whole car vibrated anytime you get on the gas through the steering wheel, pedals, dash, etc... It was like someone pulled up next to the car and turned up some bass and the windows rattle in your car but it was happening all the time. The customer was worried about a vibration on 3rd gear acceleration and a low speed takeoff. HUH? The thing rattled fillings out of my teeth anytime the engine speed went about 1200 rpm.
I put it on the alignment rack and the toe is out front and rear. I go to adjust the toe concentic nuts on the lower control arm and the guy installed a rear lower control arm brace which covered the bolts slightly. Also he took out the concentic bolts and replaced them with regular bolts so guess what now you can't move the toe in/out more then 1-2 degrees unless you use a 6 foot long prybar and a gorilla to hang on the end of it.
I go to adjust the tie rods in the front and find all the motor mounts were race only solid alum. mounts that have no rubber hardly at all in them. Duh that's the vibration right there. I look under the hood and the aftermarket intake tube is rubbing through the A/C lines.
The whole alignment took like an hour and I got a whole .8
I don't understand why these service writers bother with modified cars. Idiots.

 

[Joelfke]

^^ mainly because the service writers ive worked with (and maybe you have too) are "suits" as in they have never done even an oil change on their own car, and walk through a shop like its a museum of sorts. They have no idea what the difference is between engine oil and automatic transmission oil. Most can't even explain to the customer whats wrong and more times than not call in the tech to explain it to the customer.

 

[Dust]

At my shop when we come across a car like that we immediately stop and inform the writer. Most of the time the writer gets it and informs the customer he's going to have to pony up more cash because of the non-oem parts, but sometimes the writer's a doofus (One in particular).

That's when we go to our service manager, who hasn't been laid in years, has chronic back pain, hates that one particular writer, and used to be a tech himself.

After a short, entertaining show of rage, the matter is resolved, and the tech gets paid proper time.