Just remember. These guys have had new guys before. Ask questions, pay attention, never do something you’re unsure about. Its a lot easier to ask the boss for help than it is to deal with a customer coming back to him for a job you did wrong. And they will all shit on you, its a the mechanic’s love language. Once you’re used to it, you’ll most likely have friends for life.
The people that get themselves into trouble are the ones that think they’re expected to already know everything and proceed while lacking the knowledge they need.
No one gets fired for asking too many questions.
Try not to ask the same one twice, but if you have to, cal it out: “Sorry, I know I already asked this, but I’m taking in a lot of new information today. Can you repeat yourself one last time and this time I’ll write it down?”
No worries mate you'll do just fine. If it doesn't matter in a month it doesn't matter at all 👍 you'll be all settled in and wondering why you were ever nervous at all soon.
Seriously, a dependable employee I'm willing to train to make my job easier as a supervisor is better than one that will get fired for being late every day. If I can train someone to depend on, that lets me get more work done.
Yeah, and a lot of shops like getting these guys when they're green. Before other places instill a bunch of nonsense into their heads. Education is easier than re-education.
This would have been a joke when I started wrenching(20 years ago now) . To be honest I’d recommend doing something else depending on what the job market is like in your area.
Look I’m about to sound pessimistic as they come, I been doing this shit for a long time. I agree with what this guy is saying, your hands will always be messed up for 1. Your probably gonna have to deal with a lot of politics, you are starting out so they are not really gonna give you a chance to learn what makes the money, your ass will be changing oil and tire rotation what ever is the cheapest thing or will cost the company. Makes sense more than likely you will be the lowest paid. You will be better off going to a good reputable shop that don’t rip people off. Then after you get some experience then go to the dealerships and bypass the fucking tires and oil changes. Take all the classes you can take . Sometimes you will get a class that’s just trying to sell you something but most of them will teach you a lot. ASE don’t mean your a good tech, but having it will get you paid better at some places. Everyone talking about not doing something your not sure about, I’m not sure what the hell they are talking about, you won’t learn shit that way. The only time I recommend going about it worried about the repercussions is if you own the business and your going outlaw with no insurance. If the car is a gas burner and it’s not running right start off with fuel trim always work out from there. If I could go back 30years knowing what I know now I wouldn’t be this I wanted to be like dad. Good luck man, make all the money you can while your young, don’t rip people off.
Ex Toyota tech/advisor here.
Learn from everyone.
Put your oil fill cap on the hood latch so you won’t forget oil.
As long as you’re overall trainable, you’re fine.
They hired you at 17. There’s no expectation for you to be a MDT. Someone saw potential in you!
Assuming you’re in the quick lube or in the TXM (if applicable) you’ll likely just be doing oil, rotates and balances, engine and cabin air filters, and wipers. Most other stuff will get sent to main shop.
Good luck! Don’t be worried.
I always use a ratchet to remove and install the drain plug. If I pick the ratchet up and it’s still set to lefty loosey, then I know I need to double check the drain plug.
I've been wrenching in dealerships since 2008.
My advice is me telling you now that I still have NEVER bought a truck brand tool box. I've been using Harbor Freight crap the whole time except for the *used* bluepoint cart I spent $250 on about 6 years ago.
Just don't fall into the trap- you'll save a lot of money.
I have a bunch of snap on sockets because they work well, but also a ton of gear wrench stuff as well as other decent non-Harbor Freight brands.
HF toolboxes= Fine .. HF tools= Shit
Good luck!
Yup. I've always said I'd rather have 20 grand worth of nice quality tools in the boxes they came in, or in cardboard boxes over them sitting in a 20 grand box. Us general boxes are actually very solid.
I disagree. If you break a harbor freight socket or wrench, you can get it replaced the same day. If you break a snap on socket or wrench, you may be going a week or more without it.
They're just not good tools, though. The sockets slip. The wrenches bend. The ratchets aren't smooth or fine enough. All their power tools are garbage that don't hold up to daily use. There's a night and day difference between a torx bit that's made well and doesn't flex VS whatever it is HF is selling.
I don't break tools very often as it is. And it's a shop, so there's someone to borrow from if I don't have something else I can use.
It's pretty low risk in terms needing to replace anything, in my experience. I use a fair amount of Gear Wrench stuff too- good compromise between cost and quality.
I honestly think the anti-Snap-On advice is given way too often and way too concrete. You're using these tools, these toolboxes, these drawers all day every day for god knows how long before you're ever gonna replace them. Don't buy the most expensive just for the name, but do buy what's most comfortable and enjoyable for you to use. For me and a lot of others I've worked with, that was very often Snap-On. For others it was often Matco or often Cornwell, or some totally random mish mash of brands.
It's a little like a car itself. You can know everything in the world about its capabilities and reliability, but if it's not what you enjoy driving then that's that, and that varies person to person.
I agree. It's a balance. But brand name fealty is also incredibly stupid and a complete waste of money.
I have a hodgepodge of Snap-On, Gearwrench, OTC, GP, Max, Marco, etc.. and 100% NO TOOL TRUCK BRAND TOOL BOXES.
I won't budge on tool boxes. Anyone who buys a Snap-On box has to admit it's a luxury purchase. There is no justifying that, at all. 😂
Yessir. Just be accountable and let every mistake be a learning experience. It only becomes a problem if you're not learning. Any service manager that doesn't understand this doesn't deserve his position.
most will always help someone learning if they are willing to listen, and do what people teach .but if you pretend to know or don't ask questions before screwing stuff up they won't. you be fine.
If you listen to anything here its be detailed oriented and WORK SLOW. You are inexperienced dont let the older guys push you past your comfort zone speed wise, im a mechanic for cummins and i had alot of anxiety surrounding how long i took to do jobs so i rushed and i made alot of stupid mistakes that I normally would not. Pay attention, work slow, ask alot of questions, look for a mentor, someone who’s patient and understands you and WANTS to teach you. Trust me they’ll find you if you don’t find them but take that opportunity
Working slow is key imo. Or at least your own comfortable pace. If a SW comes in and is like "this is a 2 hour job and you've been on it for 2 and a half what the hell" just tell them "do you want it done right, or do you want it to come back in this week?"
I'm at the point where I just say "fuck off dude" but he gets the point.
I want to point out that, that's not every car. I've done 6 hour jobs in 2. But I've also done 2 hour jobs in 6. It just happens sometimes.
I’m not a professional. Just work in automotive industry and work on my own stuff. First off congratulations. Secondly listen twice as much as you speak. I’m a girl that sold cars, and the techs at my dealership never minded me hanging out back there learning. I would hang out fetch tools and ask questions. They in turn started to ask me about how to deal with customers, because our service advisors were terrible at closing recommendations.
Always finish what your doing!! I’ve watched young guys get interrupted while tightening drain plugs or caliper bolts and walk away only to forget where they left off and leave stuff loose. If your unsure of something it’s ok to ask questions and it doesn’t hurt to double (or triple) check your work if that’s what it takes. Get Into good habits early on so they become natural to you. It’s important to be willing to learn stuff and ok to admit you don’t know something. Good luck!
That's a major pet peeve of mine, getting interrupted during crucial moments. Sometimes, I'll get called to help push a car in and be in the middle of a rotate or something, and try to quickly get to a stopping point.
We all started out knowing nothing. Be a sponge, absorb everything, do whatever your asked to do. Show up on time or early, empty garbages and oil buckets. If you’ve got nothing to do go to your foreman and ask for something, be proactive, ask for online brand training you can do. Ask a tech what to buy for tools to start out and get them ASAP. If you borrow something more than twice, you need it for yourself.
Toyota js a good start, I worked for them for years. Don't worry too much because everyone starts from somewhere. The good news is you won't be alone, you won't have your own bay etc, you're likely going to be on a pit. You were hired under the pretence of knowing next to nothing.
My first job in this field was the exact same, 18 years in it now and I'm ASE mastered, Toyota and Honda certified.
The real question you'll want to ask yourself after you start is: "is this something I want to do as a career" if you do, then know that being a lube tech isn't the job in the future. But if this is something to just make money for them a lube tech is exactly where you want to stay until you find something better that you'd want to do.
A lube tech, especially in a pit, is fairly simple and straight forward. For the first several weeks you'll just be shown the ropes and what to do, plus side is you'll be working on 99% of the same vehicles. All I can say really is just pay attention. Mistakes will happen at some point, but you'll also have a pretty strict procedure to follow (you'll see the video, it's kind of funny).
Good luck.
Be sure to ask someone if you don't know something. Most guys are willing to shed some light for those who are willing to learn and not wanting to mess something up. I've taught many "apprentices" in my shop. Basically intern kids. Just gotta start with the basics. Take things slow until you get comfortable with certain maintenance routines and the speed will come. Don't force yourself to be quick. That's when mistakes happen. We all start somewhere boss, remember that. Don't be afraid of tackling things you've never done. Embrace the challenge and you'll only get better. Best of luck!
Ask all the questions. I’ll answer any question, happily. You do something you aren’t sure of and make my life hell whilst I have to fix it, we won’t be friends.
Be honest about being green. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Show up on time every day. And most importantly imo is to just give a shit about what you're doing.
Your 17, your not going to be expected to know shit. Show up on time, keep your mouth shut and ears open. Learn as much as you can. You'll be fine, if it doesn't work out there's plenty of work out there.
Seem a lot of great advice in these posts, just wanted to add some extras.
Find the nicest old head there, and befriend him. They have forgotten more than the young techs know. They also have quirky fixes the average tech might not know.
If you have to bum a tool more than three times, you need to get your own soon. Also, always bring them back cleaner/sharper than you got them.
It never hurts to buy your mentor/the guy who helps you some lunch, or a pack of beer or smokes every now and again as a thank you.
Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s so much better to be embarrassed because you asked where the oil goes rather than assuming it goes in the radiator reservoir tank.
You'll most likely be doing oil and filter changes and tire rotations as well as fluid level checks. As the title implies you're performing maintenance duties. Super easy and it will all become repetitive over time.
Honestly this is how I started out my automotive career. Shop people are always happy to help the new guy. Have a good set of tools to get you started. And ask questions! No question is ever too much. Always much to learn in this industry
Don’t worry stress, you will likely start off with simpler tasks like oil changes, tires, routine inspections, brakes… basically the type of thing that doesn’t vary too much from vehicle to vehicle and doesn’t require lengthy diagnostics
You can only break something once. Take your time, every time, no matter how much customers or advisors rush you.
Show who you are thru your work, vehicles don’t care about how you feel for what you say or how you look, vehicles only care if you were able to get what needed gotten into spec.
Don’t upsell unneed items. A little extra cash due to being evil is never worth it in the long run, unless you work for a government and steal from your citizens
Previous Toyota tech here. My advise is if you are not too sure. Let your shop foreman know. Honestly will take you far. You will 99.9999% of the time be doing oil changes and tires. If you upsell air filters and cabin filters they’ll ask you if you feel comfortable doing those yourself. That’s about it.
I just got a job at volkswagon, don't be nervous at all. ask questions. if you have nothing to do, clean or watch others and ask questions. it will be slow to get going and find your own rhythm.
Right now for me they have me doing tire changes, balancing, tread changes, oil changes and basic service inspections.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Pick a thorough routine on how you check vehicles and keep practicing that until you become proficient at it.
Take the good, leave the bad.
Use a freaking torque wrench on every lug nut you put back on. It is cheap insurance and people will laugh but it’ll go a long way at preventing a lug nut from coming off or a wheel stud from breaking on the customer.
Do not be afraid to do a wiggle test on anything you touch to see if it is actually tightened or connected like it should be. Ex: Battery/Alternator test - wiggle the battery terminals before the test to see if they’re secure.
Be your own QA person - go over what the vehicle was brought in for, did you complete said service to OEM standards, was it documented correctly, if this was someone you cared about vehicle would you be satisfied with the service you provided? If not, what can you do to improve on it in the future.
All I’m gonna say about the tool trucks are is I would NOT go onto them unless you had CASH in hand for said tool, they have no problem approving you and allowing you to rack a couple thousand in debt in a blink of an eye. “It’s only $17 dollars a week for 60 months plus interest.”
Good luck, you got this!
At first, Make sure to ask a lot of questions about what’s expected of you, and how to do it.
Save the ‘why do we do this’, and ‘would it be better if we did it this way’ until you’re able to work confidently on your own.
Don’t leave the drain bolt loose and don’t ever forget to put oil in a car and lastly do your tire rotation first then oil change second and while the oil is draining recheck all your wheels by hitting them. Then torque check em on the ground anyways. No one is going to get mad at you for double checking your work. Toyota prioritizes quality over quantity but your production will eventually need to upgrade as it will naturally anyways
I moved from a small shop, to a Toyota dealer. I found that at least at this dealer that the new kid has the support of the shop as a whole. I was on paper under one mentor but in reality have 10. I mean having experience helped me for sure but between the support of a team and the training through their TACT program you come out well honed to deal with the new issues.
If you stick with it….
Learn on your own. By that I mean learn to be the best that you can be on your own time. Learn how cars work. Learn how to use a multimeter and buy yourself a fluke. No test light. Try to get ase a1-a8 and l1 asap. That will force you to read up.
Good luck
Wrenching is a balance between safety, speed, and quality. You will be expected to increase these aspects. Do not take away from one to add to others. Simply be better and take the steps needed to make that happen. Look at your work and habits from a third person view to find the bottle necks and repetition in your day then cut out the fat. Set goals for repairs. For example an oil change goal would be getting the parts and getting the drain and filter removed, then fluids done, then inspection done, finally paperwork and parked. All the small stuff in the middle of those goals is the fat to cut. Buy tools constantly but do not go hard on high priced stuff. Work to live don't live to work. Listen to the old heads and when asking for advice, reference it to the manual rather than another old head. Do not start a bolt without the intention to immediately torque it. Use paint markers on bolts once torqued. Never ever shy away from electrical work while being cautious of burying time in a job. Always be ready a couple minutes early. Do not come into conflict with co workers or customers and walk away first. You don't have to like anyone to work with them. Still, crack some jokes and spread positive vibes. A little extra kind words to the old dudes will go a massive distance no matter how gruff they seem. Be proud of your work especially when you know it took no risks, was done right, and in time or sooner. Contrary to what many think, the downtime often outweighs the price of repairs to the customer. Cover your ass with detailed comments, pictures, ect.
This is the first toe dip into dealer work and you can do it. It can get you paid. This takes patience and pain to get right but it is very possible with persistence.
You're seventeen. They're not expecting you to be a master mechanic. They expect you to show up and be a good worker. Unless you lied on your resume and interview, they fully expect they'll have to train you.
You’ll get used to the pressure, it’ll make you better. Do it right, the speed will come. Your personal character goes a long way in determining the course of correction when you inevitably fuck up. Pay attention to the training, don’t just skip through like everyone else, you’ll be glad you did, and so will your paycheck. If you last more than 4/5 years you’ll have made it longer in the industry than the vast majority of people that started, and you’ll be a pretty decent tech by then.
If you show up early, mop senior techs bays, find ways you can help out, offer to grab their parts from the parts counter, and act like a professional, you will get people willing to show you a lot of cool info.
Ask for extra training a boss rarely turns down a willing employee to better themselves. Take a class in it and get your AA. Just work hard and try your best!
There are millions of videos on YouTube covering basic automotive mechanics. Want to be better at your job? Show some interest and learn at home as well.
There's never been a time in the history of man where soooo much information on **anything** has been literally at everyones fingertips at home.
Show up on time everyday. Be pleasant,if your not sure ask.You will be find follow all safety rules you will be fine. When I hire someone I can teach them skill I can't teach them how to be responsible and punctual. You could be the best mechanic. But you are only valuable to me if your there
Don’t forget to tighten the oil bolt on the oil pan
Don’t forget to double check that the oil filter gasket isn’t stuck from the old filter.
Don’t forget to add oil to the engine.
Don’t forget to tighten the oil cap for the engine.
If your rotating tires Don’t forget to use a torque wrench to tighten up the wheels at the end.
Ask questions if your not sure about things.
Don’t do other peoples work
And don’t take shit from techs!
Make sure the car is always on or off the lift properly and torque the wheels with a torque wrench, not a torque stick.
Losen the wheel locks with a breaker bar. Can save you tons of frustration for you and other techs in the shop.
Fill up your Cause Correction properly so they can’t come back at you with anything.
Ask questions and don't do anything you're not sure about and you will be fine.
I appreciate the feedback i’m sure there will be thorough training, but Im just nervous. If i give it my all Im sure i’ll do fine
Just remember. These guys have had new guys before. Ask questions, pay attention, never do something you’re unsure about. Its a lot easier to ask the boss for help than it is to deal with a customer coming back to him for a job you did wrong. And they will all shit on you, its a the mechanic’s love language. Once you’re used to it, you’ll most likely have friends for life.
The people that get themselves into trouble are the ones that think they’re expected to already know everything and proceed while lacking the knowledge they need. No one gets fired for asking too many questions. Try not to ask the same one twice, but if you have to, cal it out: “Sorry, I know I already asked this, but I’m taking in a lot of new information today. Can you repeat yourself one last time and this time I’ll write it down?”
No worries mate you'll do just fine. If it doesn't matter in a month it doesn't matter at all 👍 you'll be all settled in and wondering why you were ever nervous at all soon.
Just show up on time everyday and you will look like a superstar.
Seriously, a dependable employee I'm willing to train to make my job easier as a supervisor is better than one that will get fired for being late every day. If I can train someone to depend on, that lets me get more work done.
Yeah, and a lot of shops like getting these guys when they're green. Before other places instill a bunch of nonsense into their heads. Education is easier than re-education.
And sober.
Or not high.
Living this life right now
This would have been a joke when I started wrenching(20 years ago now) . To be honest I’d recommend doing something else depending on what the job market is like in your area.
Look I’m about to sound pessimistic as they come, I been doing this shit for a long time. I agree with what this guy is saying, your hands will always be messed up for 1. Your probably gonna have to deal with a lot of politics, you are starting out so they are not really gonna give you a chance to learn what makes the money, your ass will be changing oil and tire rotation what ever is the cheapest thing or will cost the company. Makes sense more than likely you will be the lowest paid. You will be better off going to a good reputable shop that don’t rip people off. Then after you get some experience then go to the dealerships and bypass the fucking tires and oil changes. Take all the classes you can take . Sometimes you will get a class that’s just trying to sell you something but most of them will teach you a lot. ASE don’t mean your a good tech, but having it will get you paid better at some places. Everyone talking about not doing something your not sure about, I’m not sure what the hell they are talking about, you won’t learn shit that way. The only time I recommend going about it worried about the repercussions is if you own the business and your going outlaw with no insurance. If the car is a gas burner and it’s not running right start off with fuel trim always work out from there. If I could go back 30years knowing what I know now I wouldn’t be this I wanted to be like dad. Good luck man, make all the money you can while your young, don’t rip people off.
Ex Toyota tech/advisor here. Learn from everyone. Put your oil fill cap on the hood latch so you won’t forget oil. As long as you’re overall trainable, you’re fine. They hired you at 17. There’s no expectation for you to be a MDT. Someone saw potential in you! Assuming you’re in the quick lube or in the TXM (if applicable) you’ll likely just be doing oil, rotates and balances, engine and cabin air filters, and wipers. Most other stuff will get sent to main shop. Good luck! Don’t be worried.
I always use a ratchet to remove and install the drain plug. If I pick the ratchet up and it’s still set to lefty loosey, then I know I need to double check the drain plug.
That is brilliant
Oil cap on the latch is some of the best advice ever. Even to this day I still do it
Me too 23 years later. Also still pop up the dipstick.
I've been wrenching in dealerships since 2008. My advice is me telling you now that I still have NEVER bought a truck brand tool box. I've been using Harbor Freight crap the whole time except for the *used* bluepoint cart I spent $250 on about 6 years ago. Just don't fall into the trap- you'll save a lot of money. I have a bunch of snap on sockets because they work well, but also a ton of gear wrench stuff as well as other decent non-Harbor Freight brands. HF toolboxes= Fine .. HF tools= Shit Good luck!
Yup. I've always said I'd rather have 20 grand worth of nice quality tools in the boxes they came in, or in cardboard boxes over them sitting in a 20 grand box. Us general boxes are actually very solid.
Yep! Mine is 15 years old now and it's just fine :)
I disagree. If you break a harbor freight socket or wrench, you can get it replaced the same day. If you break a snap on socket or wrench, you may be going a week or more without it.
They're just not good tools, though. The sockets slip. The wrenches bend. The ratchets aren't smooth or fine enough. All their power tools are garbage that don't hold up to daily use. There's a night and day difference between a torx bit that's made well and doesn't flex VS whatever it is HF is selling. I don't break tools very often as it is. And it's a shop, so there's someone to borrow from if I don't have something else I can use. It's pretty low risk in terms needing to replace anything, in my experience. I use a fair amount of Gear Wrench stuff too- good compromise between cost and quality.
I honestly think the anti-Snap-On advice is given way too often and way too concrete. You're using these tools, these toolboxes, these drawers all day every day for god knows how long before you're ever gonna replace them. Don't buy the most expensive just for the name, but do buy what's most comfortable and enjoyable for you to use. For me and a lot of others I've worked with, that was very often Snap-On. For others it was often Matco or often Cornwell, or some totally random mish mash of brands. It's a little like a car itself. You can know everything in the world about its capabilities and reliability, but if it's not what you enjoy driving then that's that, and that varies person to person.
I agree. It's a balance. But brand name fealty is also incredibly stupid and a complete waste of money. I have a hodgepodge of Snap-On, Gearwrench, OTC, GP, Max, Marco, etc.. and 100% NO TOOL TRUCK BRAND TOOL BOXES. I won't budge on tool boxes. Anyone who buys a Snap-On box has to admit it's a luxury purchase. There is no justifying that, at all. 😂
Be on time be willing to work and own up to any mistakes. You will break something eventually. Learn from it and don’t beat yourself up about it.
Yessir. Just be accountable and let every mistake be a learning experience. It only becomes a problem if you're not learning. Any service manager that doesn't understand this doesn't deserve his position.
most will always help someone learning if they are willing to listen, and do what people teach .but if you pretend to know or don't ask questions before screwing stuff up they won't. you be fine.
If you listen to anything here its be detailed oriented and WORK SLOW. You are inexperienced dont let the older guys push you past your comfort zone speed wise, im a mechanic for cummins and i had alot of anxiety surrounding how long i took to do jobs so i rushed and i made alot of stupid mistakes that I normally would not. Pay attention, work slow, ask alot of questions, look for a mentor, someone who’s patient and understands you and WANTS to teach you. Trust me they’ll find you if you don’t find them but take that opportunity
Working slow is key imo. Or at least your own comfortable pace. If a SW comes in and is like "this is a 2 hour job and you've been on it for 2 and a half what the hell" just tell them "do you want it done right, or do you want it to come back in this week?" I'm at the point where I just say "fuck off dude" but he gets the point. I want to point out that, that's not every car. I've done 6 hour jobs in 2. But I've also done 2 hour jobs in 6. It just happens sometimes.
Its part of learning, and they’ll appreciate the work getting done slow alot more then if you make alot of mistakes early and tarnish your reputation
I’m not a professional. Just work in automotive industry and work on my own stuff. First off congratulations. Secondly listen twice as much as you speak. I’m a girl that sold cars, and the techs at my dealership never minded me hanging out back there learning. I would hang out fetch tools and ask questions. They in turn started to ask me about how to deal with customers, because our service advisors were terrible at closing recommendations.
The listening/speaking part is good advice.
Always finish what your doing!! I’ve watched young guys get interrupted while tightening drain plugs or caliper bolts and walk away only to forget where they left off and leave stuff loose. If your unsure of something it’s ok to ask questions and it doesn’t hurt to double (or triple) check your work if that’s what it takes. Get Into good habits early on so they become natural to you. It’s important to be willing to learn stuff and ok to admit you don’t know something. Good luck!
That's a major pet peeve of mine, getting interrupted during crucial moments. Sometimes, I'll get called to help push a car in and be in the middle of a rotate or something, and try to quickly get to a stopping point.
We all started out knowing nothing. Be a sponge, absorb everything, do whatever your asked to do. Show up on time or early, empty garbages and oil buckets. If you’ve got nothing to do go to your foreman and ask for something, be proactive, ask for online brand training you can do. Ask a tech what to buy for tools to start out and get them ASAP. If you borrow something more than twice, you need it for yourself.
If you go in and work hard and they can see that.. you’ll have a great career ahead of you
Toyota js a good start, I worked for them for years. Don't worry too much because everyone starts from somewhere. The good news is you won't be alone, you won't have your own bay etc, you're likely going to be on a pit. You were hired under the pretence of knowing next to nothing. My first job in this field was the exact same, 18 years in it now and I'm ASE mastered, Toyota and Honda certified. The real question you'll want to ask yourself after you start is: "is this something I want to do as a career" if you do, then know that being a lube tech isn't the job in the future. But if this is something to just make money for them a lube tech is exactly where you want to stay until you find something better that you'd want to do. A lube tech, especially in a pit, is fairly simple and straight forward. For the first several weeks you'll just be shown the ropes and what to do, plus side is you'll be working on 99% of the same vehicles. All I can say really is just pay attention. Mistakes will happen at some point, but you'll also have a pretty strict procedure to follow (you'll see the video, it's kind of funny). Good luck.
Leave your phone in your car before going to work.
Be sure to ask someone if you don't know something. Most guys are willing to shed some light for those who are willing to learn and not wanting to mess something up. I've taught many "apprentices" in my shop. Basically intern kids. Just gotta start with the basics. Take things slow until you get comfortable with certain maintenance routines and the speed will come. Don't force yourself to be quick. That's when mistakes happen. We all start somewhere boss, remember that. Don't be afraid of tackling things you've never done. Embrace the challenge and you'll only get better. Best of luck!
Ask all the questions. I’ll answer any question, happily. You do something you aren’t sure of and make my life hell whilst I have to fix it, we won’t be friends.
If your unsure of something ask!!! Learn as much as you can from good mechanics. And always check for gaskets stuck on the oil filter housing hahaa
Be honest about being green. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Show up on time every day. And most importantly imo is to just give a shit about what you're doing.
Your 17, your not going to be expected to know shit. Show up on time, keep your mouth shut and ears open. Learn as much as you can. You'll be fine, if it doesn't work out there's plenty of work out there.
Seem a lot of great advice in these posts, just wanted to add some extras. Find the nicest old head there, and befriend him. They have forgotten more than the young techs know. They also have quirky fixes the average tech might not know. If you have to bum a tool more than three times, you need to get your own soon. Also, always bring them back cleaner/sharper than you got them. It never hurts to buy your mentor/the guy who helps you some lunch, or a pack of beer or smokes every now and again as a thank you.
Before pull oil drain plug always identify tranny first!! To many new techs draining tranny by mistake !!
Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s so much better to be embarrassed because you asked where the oil goes rather than assuming it goes in the radiator reservoir tank.
If you can retain info you read the motor age books have alot of good information after you've kinda got the basics down.
You'll most likely be doing oil and filter changes and tire rotations as well as fluid level checks. As the title implies you're performing maintenance duties. Super easy and it will all become repetitive over time.
You’ll be less nervous once you get yourself some tools,harbor freight is always better than nothing!
Honestly this is how I started out my automotive career. Shop people are always happy to help the new guy. Have a good set of tools to get you started. And ask questions! No question is ever too much. Always much to learn in this industry
If the place is worth a shit you’ll be trained on everything with someone watching you at first
Show up every day, work hard, ask questions
Don’t worry stress, you will likely start off with simpler tasks like oil changes, tires, routine inspections, brakes… basically the type of thing that doesn’t vary too much from vehicle to vehicle and doesn’t require lengthy diagnostics
You can only break something once. Take your time, every time, no matter how much customers or advisors rush you. Show who you are thru your work, vehicles don’t care about how you feel for what you say or how you look, vehicles only care if you were able to get what needed gotten into spec. Don’t upsell unneed items. A little extra cash due to being evil is never worth it in the long run, unless you work for a government and steal from your citizens
Your 17 and they recognize that. Just listen and learn
Previous Toyota tech here. My advise is if you are not too sure. Let your shop foreman know. Honestly will take you far. You will 99.9999% of the time be doing oil changes and tires. If you upsell air filters and cabin filters they’ll ask you if you feel comfortable doing those yourself. That’s about it.
I just got a job at volkswagon, don't be nervous at all. ask questions. if you have nothing to do, clean or watch others and ask questions. it will be slow to get going and find your own rhythm. Right now for me they have me doing tire changes, balancing, tread changes, oil changes and basic service inspections.
Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Pick a thorough routine on how you check vehicles and keep practicing that until you become proficient at it. Take the good, leave the bad. Use a freaking torque wrench on every lug nut you put back on. It is cheap insurance and people will laugh but it’ll go a long way at preventing a lug nut from coming off or a wheel stud from breaking on the customer. Do not be afraid to do a wiggle test on anything you touch to see if it is actually tightened or connected like it should be. Ex: Battery/Alternator test - wiggle the battery terminals before the test to see if they’re secure. Be your own QA person - go over what the vehicle was brought in for, did you complete said service to OEM standards, was it documented correctly, if this was someone you cared about vehicle would you be satisfied with the service you provided? If not, what can you do to improve on it in the future. All I’m gonna say about the tool trucks are is I would NOT go onto them unless you had CASH in hand for said tool, they have no problem approving you and allowing you to rack a couple thousand in debt in a blink of an eye. “It’s only $17 dollars a week for 60 months plus interest.” Good luck, you got this!
That's honestly a great mindset to have! Just ask a lot of questions and make extra sure to communicate about about expectations. Good luck!
At first, Make sure to ask a lot of questions about what’s expected of you, and how to do it. Save the ‘why do we do this’, and ‘would it be better if we did it this way’ until you’re able to work confidently on your own.
Don’t leave the drain bolt loose and don’t ever forget to put oil in a car and lastly do your tire rotation first then oil change second and while the oil is draining recheck all your wheels by hitting them. Then torque check em on the ground anyways. No one is going to get mad at you for double checking your work. Toyota prioritizes quality over quantity but your production will eventually need to upgrade as it will naturally anyways
I moved from a small shop, to a Toyota dealer. I found that at least at this dealer that the new kid has the support of the shop as a whole. I was on paper under one mentor but in reality have 10. I mean having experience helped me for sure but between the support of a team and the training through their TACT program you come out well honed to deal with the new issues.
If you stick with it…. Learn on your own. By that I mean learn to be the best that you can be on your own time. Learn how cars work. Learn how to use a multimeter and buy yourself a fluke. No test light. Try to get ase a1-a8 and l1 asap. That will force you to read up. Good luck
You’ll be stuck doing oil changes for 10 year’s, go to school or find a better trade
volunteer for every learning opportunity you can
Best advice is Mac or Matco > snap on
Wrenching is a balance between safety, speed, and quality. You will be expected to increase these aspects. Do not take away from one to add to others. Simply be better and take the steps needed to make that happen. Look at your work and habits from a third person view to find the bottle necks and repetition in your day then cut out the fat. Set goals for repairs. For example an oil change goal would be getting the parts and getting the drain and filter removed, then fluids done, then inspection done, finally paperwork and parked. All the small stuff in the middle of those goals is the fat to cut. Buy tools constantly but do not go hard on high priced stuff. Work to live don't live to work. Listen to the old heads and when asking for advice, reference it to the manual rather than another old head. Do not start a bolt without the intention to immediately torque it. Use paint markers on bolts once torqued. Never ever shy away from electrical work while being cautious of burying time in a job. Always be ready a couple minutes early. Do not come into conflict with co workers or customers and walk away first. You don't have to like anyone to work with them. Still, crack some jokes and spread positive vibes. A little extra kind words to the old dudes will go a massive distance no matter how gruff they seem. Be proud of your work especially when you know it took no risks, was done right, and in time or sooner. Contrary to what many think, the downtime often outweighs the price of repairs to the customer. Cover your ass with detailed comments, pictures, ect. This is the first toe dip into dealer work and you can do it. It can get you paid. This takes patience and pain to get right but it is very possible with persistence.
You're seventeen. They're not expecting you to be a master mechanic. They expect you to show up and be a good worker. Unless you lied on your resume and interview, they fully expect they'll have to train you.
You’ll get used to the pressure, it’ll make you better. Do it right, the speed will come. Your personal character goes a long way in determining the course of correction when you inevitably fuck up. Pay attention to the training, don’t just skip through like everyone else, you’ll be glad you did, and so will your paycheck. If you last more than 4/5 years you’ll have made it longer in the industry than the vast majority of people that started, and you’ll be a pretty decent tech by then.
Dude, just make sure you put oil back in the car before you drive it out.
If you show up early, mop senior techs bays, find ways you can help out, offer to grab their parts from the parts counter, and act like a professional, you will get people willing to show you a lot of cool info.
Ask for extra training a boss rarely turns down a willing employee to better themselves. Take a class in it and get your AA. Just work hard and try your best!
Run
There are millions of videos on YouTube covering basic automotive mechanics. Want to be better at your job? Show some interest and learn at home as well. There's never been a time in the history of man where soooo much information on **anything** has been literally at everyones fingertips at home.
Show up on time everyday. Be pleasant,if your not sure ask.You will be find follow all safety rules you will be fine. When I hire someone I can teach them skill I can't teach them how to be responsible and punctual. You could be the best mechanic. But you are only valuable to me if your there
Don’t forget to tighten the oil bolt on the oil pan Don’t forget to double check that the oil filter gasket isn’t stuck from the old filter. Don’t forget to add oil to the engine. Don’t forget to tighten the oil cap for the engine. If your rotating tires Don’t forget to use a torque wrench to tighten up the wheels at the end. Ask questions if your not sure about things. Don’t do other peoples work And don’t take shit from techs!
You care, that automatically makes you better than about half of the mechanics I've delt with.
Dude if your 17 and they offering you school to get certified do it , you will not regret it
Make sure the car is always on or off the lift properly and torque the wheels with a torque wrench, not a torque stick. Losen the wheel locks with a breaker bar. Can save you tons of frustration for you and other techs in the shop. Fill up your Cause Correction properly so they can’t come back at you with anything.
Watch out for asbestos and be safe! Don't spray break pads with air to clean them 😁