Auto Mechanic Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Auto Mechanic?? I'm going into eighth grade this year, and I have wanted to be an auto mechanic for about 4 years. I already know how to hotwire a car if I need to see it running ( Helped my local auto mechanic when he needed to see if he fixed it. It's not cutting the red wire and hooking it up to the white wire. You do that, you just screwed up the car.) So I was wondering what would be some good ways to go about learning on stuff like this and getting a bit of a head start on it. Any books or videos recommended would be appreciated. Also, if anyone has read Auto Body Repair Technology, Fifth Edition, does it really help. Because it's sort of expensive, and I don't want to buy it i it won't get me on my way to getting the ASE. If you don't know, that's okay. Just need to know a little about what I want to get into. P.S. Is the pay decent for an auto mechanic. That can be just a yea or no question if you want. Thanks. Ten points to best answer. I mean yes, not yea. Sorry. ; )

Answer: I have been a mechanic for about 20 years. It is inspiring to see a young person with such a passion so early in life. I was about your age when I was given an old lawnmower that wouldn't run. I got some tools together, took the whole thing apart, cleaned every piece, and put it back together. I have seen a lot of kids come and go. I have found that the reason they go is because they haven't used their hands. Having a feel for tools and the nuts and bolts in my experience is far more important than certification. So to finally answer your question, get a small engine, an old car, your bicycle, anything that requires tools and a little motivation, AND GET DIRTY! Figuring out how something works by using your hands will put you way ahead of someone who has learned it from a book. By the way, the lawn mower didn't work at first. but with a little help from an experienced mechanic, it took off.

Question: How can I become an auto mechanic on line? How can I become an auto mechanic on line, but for free? I am only in high school but I want to do it online for free and not in school. Please help.

Answer: There may be online programs that I'm not aware of to teach the book aspects of it, but there is no way to BECOME a mechanic online. That takes hands-on experience.

Question: How do you go about becoming an auto mechanic? My son wants to be a "REAL" Auto mechanic, and I have no idea what route to take. By real I mean someone who can work on high end autos (BMW, Etc) He just started high school and they have no automotive program.I dont want him to go to a fly-by-night tech school and end up doing brake jobs and oil changes. Anyone have any real experience with Wyotech?What would be the best path. My son has been following me around with his little tools since he was 7-8. Brakes, oil changes, general automotive and MC maintanence, household chores. He loves them all. Got a new BBQ, and he put the whole thing together. He has both the interest and desire to work in this field.

Answer: If he has an aptitude for it, and motivation and interest, good technical schools aren't bad. UTI in Arizona has a good program. Getting the ASE certifications is good too. Just because a vehicle is considered "high end" doesn't mean that the technology in that vehicle is different than any other vehicle. Work ethic and acquired skills are what the "high end" dealerships look for... Getting him into some science, electronics, physics, and computer classes at a local community college would help too. Then he could later apply that knowledge to engineering and other things in life.... like answering questions on Yahoo Answers.....

Question: How to become an Auto Mechanic in Ontario? How to get Auto Mechanic license? Please give some information about college,program,and so on.Thanks a lot!

Answer: Ontario Canada? Most mechanics begin with taking classes and get helper jobs in shops to develope an aprentice credit. I cant speak for Canada but this is the case in the US. I have a web site you could use in the future www.mycarandineedhelp.com its free and meant for persons like your self

Question: How does one become a level 2 auto mechanic? My boyfriend plans on becoming a mechanic through army training, but me (being his girlfriend and wanting the best for him) noticed that level 1 mechanics don't make very much money. So how does one become a level 2 auto mechanic?

Answer: He cannot just start out as a level 2 "otherwise known as Class B Tech", it takes time, experience, and dedication and a lot of hard work. I have been a automobile technician for some 22 years working long stressful hours. If you really care about him, talk him out of being a auto tech, dealerships do not pay, and factory warranty labor rates are about half of what a customer pays, and just starting out, trust me, he will get his share of warranty work. A class C technician can expect to get roughly about 10 to 12.00 a hour depending on placement. Best bet, tell him to get his CDL, "commercial drivers license" and drive a tractor trailer, driver jobs are everywhere and starting pay is usually about 52,000.00 a year. Good Luck!

Question: How do I request a different auto mechanic? I go to the dealer to get my car maintained, but one of the mechanics did a shoddy job last time (in fact I have to go back tomorrow to get some things fixed that he botched up). How can I tactfully request a different auto mechanic to do the work? I don't want to cause any enemies or make him angry. P.S. I go to this dealership because I have a service contract from them, plus my car is less than three years old and still under warranty thank you! i'd appreciate any ideas that you have

Answer: Easiest way is to ask to talk to the service manager. Tell him your concerns and simply request a different tech work on your car. Be cordial, and I bet he will bend over backwards to be nice and take good care of you. Believe me, handle it like this and it won't cause any problems.

Question: How years do i have to stay in college to be an ase certified auto mechanic? Here ...is my question..so how many years do i have to go to school to be an ase certified mechanic..because that is what i want to be. Im planning to take over my dad's auto shop after im certified.

Answer: As long as it takes you to pass the ASE certification exam.

Question: Does anyone know where I can find an auto mechanic? I live in Loma Linda, CA and am looking for a good, reputable, and inexpensive auto mechanic for my Audi. Does anyone know of one within a 12 mile radius?

Answer: Check the following site, and click "we can help you find one", enter your zip code, and a bunch will come up along with some customer testimonials. http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/ ...Good luck...

Question: Is there a way to become a successful auto mechanic? My future has been on my mind a lot lately, and I want to know if there really are mechanics who make 100 thousand dollars a year and if so, how is it possible? Is auto mechanic a good career choice or is there something similar that pays well?

Answer: Aircraft engineer... may have to start off lower, but room to move up.

Question: Is georgia perimeter college good to have a career in auto mechanic? is georgia perimeter a good college to go to to become an auto mechanic..and is it good to become an auto mechanic in the next year or so..im in the 10th grade in high school and my GPA is 2.4 currently..and is it a better school in around atlanta that i can go to beside GPC like a trade school or technition school around?

Answer: Long, Try asking a staff member for help. http://www.tradeandtechnicalschools.com/Georgia-Technical-Schools.html