New tech needs help

[dtt454]

and dont use an impact to tighten/loosen drain plugs.

 

[taterdog]

Get the mgr to sign you up with HMA training as soon as you can, their online stuff is good. A Streamlight Stinger led flashlight is a good investment, if you spot leaks and worn parts for the techs to upsell, you will be their best friend. Have them show you what to look for. Get torquesticks for the lugnuts, maybe an inexpensive 1/2" torquewrench, if you get in the habit from the start, it's easier and those Techwrenches are too fragile for day to day lugnut use. Keep your work area and yourself clean, use floormats, no one wants a greasemonkey leaving grime all over thier car. Keep a rag and some window cleaner handy, if you get greasy hand or footprints on something, clean it up. Watch the sill plate and driver's door trim for marks from your shoes as you get in and out, even if you didn't make the mark, clean it, you will get blamed for it anyway. If the shop has rubber gloves, use them, take them off before getting into the customer's car. If you screw up, tell someone, it's a lot easier to fix before the customer gets in the mgr's office. You should do fine.

As far as moving the box goes, rent a small trailer or put it in the back of your truck, the shop will have a forklift to get it out of the truck in one piece, you can pull all the drawers to get it in there, use plenty of tiedowns and furniture pads,

i kept all the original packing material for protecting the sides, and top. i even have the skid it came in on. I also have a trailer i can borrow from a friend. I had intended to get some click torque wrenchs in the near future, and if i got the OK on this job i was going to buy an impact gun and torque sticks just about the first thing when i get there. ill loose alot of money removing and putting tires on with a breaker bar.

and dont use an impact to tighten/loosen drain plugs.

why not?? lol

 

[taterdog]

Anyone ever use a 14ft uhaul box truck with the rear lift gate to move there box?

 

[472scout]

What's the question? You should have a good idea how much your box weighs and u-haul can tell you what the lift is rated for. If it's too heavy pull some drawers out.

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but make sure you have the right filter. Compare the gasket sizes; just because it screws on doesn't mean it will seal.

 

[srmofo]

There is nothing better than a drop bed trailer (not a tilt bed)from a rental place for moving large boxes

 

[ludakris04]

It has been a long time since I was a lube tech (eventually got out of the biz), but you have about ten times as many tools as I had at that time and I did fine. You will need an impact, get a decent one. Also get a good screw driver, I still have my snap on ratchet screw driver that seems to be magic at getting screws out. As a lube tech you will get the jobs that techs dont want. I worked at a pontiac dealer in the early 90's and did every bonneville warranty carpet replace. Basically the jobs that are hard to flat rate. Also, dont buy tools until you need them. Most seasoned techs will let you borrow a tool once. Borrow it, clean it, return it, then buy one for yourself. And remember all of the other stuff about drain plugs and oil. If you have a drain bucket, remember to empty it. Its really embarissing to puke oil everywhere.
And if its slow, go talk to the other techs, learn what they are doing, etc.

 

[taterdog]

It has been a long time since I was a lube tech (eventually got out of the biz), but you have about ten times as many tools as I had at that time and I did fine. You will need an impact, get a decent one. Also get a good screw driver, I still have my snap on ratchet screw driver that seems to be magic at getting screws out. As a lube tech you will get the jobs that techs dont want. I worked at a pontiac dealer in the early 90's and did every bonneville warranty carpet replace. Basically the jobs that are hard to flat rate. Also, dont buy tools until you need them. Most seasoned techs will let you borrow a tool once. Borrow it, clean it, return it, then buy one for yourself. And remember all of the other stuff about drain plugs and oil. If you have a drain bucket, remember to empty it. Its really embarissing to puke oil everywhere.
And if its slow, go talk to the other techs, learn what they are doing, etc.

4 things I know I need

Impact gun
Torque sticks
1/2 Click torque wrench
Maybe a set of oil filter wrench for canisters.

I actually already have a set of snap on screwdrivers. And a kobalt ratcheting screwdriver.

The plan was about what you said. I don't want to go crazy on more than I need.

 

[taterdog]

Today was my first day. I figured id let yall know how it went. I learned ALOT day 1. answered alot of questions i had about how dealerships work, i got my a** handed to me by a tire machine i wasnt familiar with. The best part was all the techs were friendly and willing to help me and answer any questions i had. within the first few hours i found out theres several small things i need.

I stood around for about 2 hours getting to know the few people there. then someone handed me a piece of paper and some keys and said change the oil. my issue is i feel pushed into everything without being told how to. but luckily the techs answer my questions when im confused.

Day 1 accomplishments.. 4 oil changes, 1 tire patch


Cant wait to go back monday

 

[hilld]

Congrats, and yes tire machines are like women. Temperamental.

 

[Neuswede]

Congrats.

 

[taterdog]

Day 5.. drove a dodge charger with a hemi and liked it...I fear for my integrity by being here

 

[Dust]

Get in the habit of recording all the vehicles you work on in your own log. Include the RO number, model, jobs, job times, and any other info you may think you need. I made my own little template for a daily labor log and record every work order. This will help you if a writer or manager comes back weeks later asking about a car, and if you feel like you're getting screwed with labor times.

www.dustyengineering.com/misc/laborlog.xls

I included a column labeled "DP," which is short for "drain plug." If the car has an oil change I make a / in the column next to the LOF line, if the doesn't have an oil change it gets an X. The vehicle does not get lowered on the hoist until the plug is tightened and checked off.

Do not be afraid to say no to dispatch. If you have a waiter in the air, a waiter queued up to be next, and dispatch calls and asks you to do a waiter RIGHT NOW, don't be afraid to say no. Every mechanic in the shop knows how to do an oil change. I know that I hate it when I have to do a waiter oil change, but if the shop is slammed every one has to pick up the slack. No matter how many service bays you may have no body can work on more than one car at a time.

Keep your most used tools in the most accessible drawer. A lube tech will use the same tools every day, so they should be in the drawer at waist height, or in the top bin of a service cart. This means mixing tool types, ie sockets and wrenches together with a torque wrench, impact gun, and air chuck. The rest of the drawers can be organized by tool type, but keep your dailies all together so you don't have to dig around for them.

See if you can have a stock of oil filters on hand in your stall. Nothing is more annoying than having to go to the parts department for every single oil filter. Also, start making a cross-reference list for oil filters, oil capacities and viscosities, and engines so you don't have to look it all up. This also aides with parts requests, so the parts guys don't get a requisition order of just "filter and oil" and have to look it up themselves. If you can give them the part number and proper oil type, it makes everything go much smoother.

DO NOT FORGET TO RESET THE MAINTENANCE LIGHT. Customers HATE seeing that thing on, and service managers hate it even more.

 

[Benji]

Everything here is good advice I thougt I should tell you again DO NOT FORGET TO RESET THE MAINTENANCE LIGHT the customer will come back verry unhappy telling your service manager that they are ripping them off because their oil was never changed because the light is on or at 0% or whatever. Most of the time the customer has no idea abought how the oil change can be done and light still the same or annything else abought their car so it isn't easy to explain things sometimes. We all know that Sh$% runs down hill and you are not verry high on that hill. Be verry careful of tire pressure monitor sensors and wheels. Oh and be careful of co workers and their advice untill you find out who's who. And watch yourself that you don't get the customers car dirty in anny way Welcome to the trade.

 

[taterdog]

Everything the past 2 have said is everything I learned in my first few days. I found all the techs to be very helpful. Mainly 2-3 of them. I have been learning how to tell service advisors no. It took me a few days but im getting the hang of It. I managed to flag 20hrs between rotations, oil changes, and 2-3 balances. Oil changes pay 3/10 but with this 23pt inspection they make us do from the time in my bay till out takes 20-30 + time waiting in the parts room. I have a drive on lift and I just keep every tool I know I need for any car ill have to work on on towels at my lift. Its cut down on alot of wasted time. I also stopped watching the clock. I just take my time and do it right.

 

[taterdog]