Number One: Not confirming the concern. Confirming a repair concern is a basic diagnostic principle frequently overlooked. To fix a problem, the first thing one must do is recognize it.

Number Two: Insufficient Road Testing. The importance of a thorough road test (even for an oil change) is well documented in automotive training manuals. Yet, many technicians consider driving the vehicle into the shop good enough.

Number Three: Misdiagnosing. For the above reasons and a multitude of others, your vehicle is misdiagnosed more often than not. Mechanics will spend hours chasing the wrong problem, wasting your time and money.

Number Four: Throwing parts at a problem. To compensate for lack of skills, mechanics often just throw parts at the problem in the hope of getting lucky. It’s common to hear mechanics say I replaced this, this, this, and that, and the problem’s still not fixed. This goes right back to mistake number one: confirm the problem with diagnostics, then proceed.

Number Five: Not addressing primary concerns first. Technicians often spend an inordinate amount of time looking for easy sells that will fatten their paychecks. There’s nothing wrong with this provided there’s no charge for the inspection, it doesn’t conflict with your time, and the upsell suggestions are valid (they’re frequently not). However, this type of free inspection and the subsequent upselling too often overshadows the primary concern. So…what’s wrong with my car?

Number Six: Overconfidence. Too often unqualified technicians get in over their heads. Rather than defer to a more experienced technician or facility, they often keep going and do more harm. How’s it go…The road to hell is paved with good intentions?

Number Seven: Taking shortcuts. In the ongoing effort to beat the clock, technicians will create a host of problems: breaking parts, snapping bolts, short circuiting sensitive electronics. Refer to Auto Repair: How Can They Screw Up an Oil Change for a great discussion.

Number Eight: Poor Repairs. Whether through incompetence or laziness, mechanics frequently don’t do repairs correctly. It’s often sloppy work. Forgotten bolts, parts not lined up correctly, or components not re-installed properly are common. It gets worse with computer repairs: incorrect software programming, coding, and resynchronization protocols are just a few.

Number Nine: Not confirming repairs. After a repair is complete, it’s important to re-check to ensure that the problem is indeed fixed. Too often parts are thrown in and the car is pulled out only to pull in another victim.

Number Ten: Making a mess. If the above nine mistakes weren’t bad enough, there are now greasy fingerprints on the hood and steering wheel, and two big greasy boot marks on the carpet.

While there are a number of factors why it’s difficult to get your car fixed right the first time, the primary reason is the skill of the mechanic doing the repair.

According to studies, 70% of automotive technicians are not qualified to work on your car. This includes technicians from dealerships, local shops, and franchises.

Over a decade ago, automotive manufacturers were predicting widespread shortages in “qualified” technicians. Now, given that 80% of the functions of the average car are controlled by electronics, qualified technicians are in even greater demand. This is evidenced by the numerous advertisements for master technicians which include a $1000 to $5000 sign-on bonus.

The local mechanic is obsolete. Today’s mechanics must be “technicians” in the true sense of the word. Technicians need an in-depth understanding of the advanced interactive theory of mechanical, electrical, and computer systems. Today’s cars are literally a network of computers on wheels.

The true technicians are the guys who can navigate multiple systems of theory to diagnose what’s causing your car to intermittently stall at highway speeds in cold weather, on Route 66 every other Thursday morning, when it rains hard. Unfortunately, these guys are very rare.

Automotive technology has advanced far beyond local mechanics, most of whom are still struggling with basic electronics and computer diagnoses (see the Acceleration of Price-Gouging @ www.repairtrust.com/articles.html).

The service industry has always lagged behind in adequate training. It has responded somewhat in recent years, but it’s too little too late. Training alone will not make up for the years of lost time, coupled with the technological advancements to come.

This leaves you, the service customer, paying top dollar to have an amateur poke and prod your vehicle. Not only is your car unlikey to be fixed correctly, paying top wages for an amateur is a classic car repair scam!

It is well known that service departments at auto dealers almost always charge more than small garages for most repairs. That’s because in order to run a service department at a dealership, the dealer must pay a fee to the auto maker. Naturally, they pass that cost along to consumers. For basic maintenance and small repairs, going to a local garage will probably save you money. However, for more complex repairs, a dealer’s service department may be your best option. Here’s why.

The mechanics who work in dealership service departments are highly trained in working with specific makes of cars and some may even specialize by specific model. They are typically extensively trained by the manufacturer and frequently attend refresher training courses. If your car is experiencing a problem that’s common to your make of car but not common in others, a service department mechanic trained in working with your specific make and model will have an easier time catching it than a local garage, whose limited training resources must be spent on keeping up to date with many different makes and models.

Also, almost without exception, service departments offer some form of warranty on their work. Obviously, if the car is still covered by the master warranty any repeat repairs will be covered. But most auto dealer service departments warrant their work on cars that are out of warranty. The warranties are usually specific to the repair and may cover parts, labor and rental car expenses. Small garages may also offer warranties, but the advantage of a service department warranty is that it is usually good at any dealer of that make of car.

If the problem you’re experiencing is the subject of a manufacturer’s recall, a service department mechanic will be more likely to know about it. Service departments at car dealers typically run a check each time you bring your vehicle in for service to determine whether a recall has been issued for that make and model. Also, many car manufacturers require that recall repairs be done by a service department.

Finally, if your car needs to be in the shop for an extended period of time a service department that’s located on the same site as an auto dealer can offer you more convenient access to a rental car. Many service departments have their own fleet of rentals. Or, if your car only needs to be in the shop for a day or less, many service departments have a courtesy shuttle.

What are the perks of going to automotive school, and why are people attending automotive school in higher numbers than ever before? The answers are surprisingly random in the fact that people have many different reasons for attending automotive school. The common bond between the students is they all made the leap to take these classes, and get a degree, or certification that will help them in the future.

Obviously most people attend automotive school in order to earn a certification that will help them find work. The major point of any technical school is to offer its student body a way to get certified in any number of jobs, or trades worldwide. Most people that attend are involved in the school for this reason. Gaining a certification will lead to a better chance to get the job that works for you.

Earning an automotive school degree, or certification will provide valuable training for one to use both personally, and professionally. Personally there won’t be a thing wrong with your car that you won’t at least have some idea how to fix. The school of your choice will teach you how to identify most any problem, and further provide instruction on how to fix the problem. This alone can save you thousands of dollars in service, and repair costs at a local shop.

Further, automotive school can prepare you for a career doing what you love to do, repairing cars, and trucks. The great thing about this type of education is that it is created to meet the working persons time constraints. This means that you can take classes in the evenings, or even on the weekend. Some schools are now online, and this adds another way that people can take courses in automotive school.

The technology used is as up to date as possible, and provides state of the art training on how to diagnose, and fix vehicles of all kinds. With the sophistication of automobiles today, it is important to attend an automotive school that is up to date in it’s courses, and material they use for instructing students.

Another important thing to look for when searching for an automotive school is the experience of the instructors. Do the instructors have a lot of experience fixing cars? Or are the instructors new to the trade? The answer to this question will certainly help in any search for a quality automotive school. The instructors should have vast experience fixing cars, and working with students as well. The most effective instructors are those that can both instruct, and relate to students as they take on the tasks that automotive school presents to them. Finally it is important to look for a training program where other students have successfully found jobs after completing their courses. Most automotive schools will offer some type of career assistance, which is imperative for this type of program. The entire point of automotive school is to obtain a career in the industry, and thus career services in an integral part to the mix. Make sure that the program of your choice provides career services, and job placement if at all possible. Once a job is in place, and the money starts to come in, life becomes a lot easier and fulfilling. For those students with families who will need to work during training to support the household, look for a automotive school that will work around your schedule. There should be plenty of programs that will offer this service.

If you have a burning desire to repair automobiles, it’s time to take a look at what automotive school can do for you.

What is the main reason one takes automotive training courses? The answer is to get a better start on his or her career, and become a professional in whatever area that works best for them. This means that through training one can get advanced knowledge of any specialty that one pleases. Maybe you are interested in transmissions. Or possibly you are one that loves to work with tires. Whatever the segment, automotive training can help you get there, and with a few classes you can become a master of the automotive field of your choice.

Most automotive training takes place at local shops and schools. Some students start automotive training during high school, while others take college level courses a few years later. While some training programs offer certifications, others offer simply a general skill set to abide by for the students. Once this skill set is learned, a student can get a job at a shop, and do most of the routine repair work that is presented to them on a daily basis.

There are many things you will have to do while in automotive training, and some of those things require your full concentration and time. Therefore it is important to look at the best way to prepare. Consider how you will get ready for the task of enduring this educational program. Many people tend to jump into programs without the proper preparation, and end up dropping out before the program is complete. This is why it is important to prepare for your automotive career training, in order to avoid a fail out situation.

Do not quit your job when entering an automotive training program, simply cut back on the hours. For most students, the current job they hold is not what they want to do for a career. That does not mean it makes sense to quit it right away. One must wait until they have completed their education and found a new job, before quitting their old one if they in fact have financial obligations. If other family members are able to work, and are willing to help with finances, then it is presumably all right to quit your job and do automotive training full time.

Concentrate on creating a workable schedule for your time during training, and communicate with your instructors about whatever issue you might have with the automotive training program in which you are enrolled. Most programs will have methods for allowing one to work, and simply ask for the student to let them know in advance when their job might conflict with the current automotive training schedule. After informing the school of whatever hours you cannot be involved, it is time to communicate with the teachers. This means talking to the instructors about whatever schedule you have, and how you plan to make up missing assignments during training sessions that you are unable to attend.

By keeping a clear line of communication you will ensure success. Having success in automotive training is as simple as preparing for the task, and taking it serious enough to plan for in advance. Do this, and you should be well on your way in obtaining the career of a lifetime.

Time has passed, and the same old crumby job greets you each day as it has for the past several years. When will life change its fortunes towards you? The answer to this question is when you decide to save money, and go to auto mechanic school. Attending school is not an easy task for one that has a family, with bills to pay, and therefore it is necessary for one to save enough money before attending auto mechanic school.

While creating a budget might not be a strong point for the family, it is one way to save for auto mechanic school, and catapult your career to the next level. Unfortunately for most, no one will simply provide for one to go to auto mechanic school, it is one of those things that requires cash, and free cash for most Americans requires saving money. This is why creating a budget is so important. With a fixed budget and some discipline, a small fortune can be saved in a less than a year for most working professionals.

Creating a budget won’t be easy, and takes a focused effort and strategic planning to make happen. Attending auto mechanic school most likely will depend on your personal ability to create and abide by a budget. Attending a training program is something that takes work, and must be made a priority. When creating a budget for your auto mechanic school fund, simply look at what costs can be cut. Treat your auto mechanic school budget as a business with a bill each month that must be paid. This will help put the concept of saving into perspective, and allow you to look at the auto mechanic school savings as a third party.

For example, you love doughnuts and coffee, and have decided that you can save nearly $10 a week by not eating at the doughnut shop for breakfast every morning. You should look at this cut back as one step closer to achieving your goal to attend auto mechanic school. Thinking about the new budget in a positive light will greatly enhance the experience, and help you to keep going towards your goal of attending auto mechanic school.

Creative budgeting is another way to save for auto mechanic school. Utilizing creative budgeting will make it easier, and more feasible to attend auto mechanic school sooner than one would think possible. Creative budgets are ones that are created around unique ideas that will allow for the saving of money through the replacement of paid activities with free ones. An example of creative budgeting would be to stop spending $10 at the video store each week, and rent movies from the library for free, and put that $40 a month towards auto mechanic school tuition instead. By doing this, one will save the money needed for attending school.

While most people look at budgeting as a negative, or repressive act that is not fun to engage in, others that love to save money look at it as a way of life. If you stop thinking like the former, and start to believe in the latter, auto mechanic school is not but a few months of saving away. Even for those that don’t earn a substantial income, it is all about saving. Whatever is saved, can be used towards auto mechanic school, which often offers a tuition payment plan for those that need it.

It’s estimated that there are 450 million cars on the road world-wide. That’s a lot of cars that are going to need repair at one time or another. According to the United States Department of Labor the field of automotive service is expected to grow up to 15% between the years 2004-2014.

Car manufacturers today realize that in order to keep you as a valued customer, and in order to keep you loyal to their brand they must not only offer you the best service when you purchase the car, but they must continue to offer you superior service on your car after the sale. You will probably only deal with the car salesman once, but you may deal with the dealership service department many times during the time you own your car.

Today’s auto mechanic has to be technically inclined as well as mechanically inclined. As auto makers are continually changing engines and adding more and more intricate computer technology into these engines auto dealerships are having to keep up with the times. These auto dealerships are seeking mechanics who are well versed in this new technology. Entry level positions in the field of automotive service and repair are not as plentiful as they once were and are harder to get without some type of specialized training.

Today’s auto mechanics can earn good money. With enough experience some can earn upwards of $100,000 a year. It’s also estimated that as many as 20% experienced mechanics go on to open their own successful repair shops. Specialization is becoming more and more common place in the world of automotive repair. It’s not unusual in any automobile dealership today to find mechanics specializing in specific areas of car repair such as transmissions or brakes or exhaust or air conditioning. One new trend along with this specialization is for mechanics to specialize in one car maker, say BMW or Ford or Toyota. The more experience you have, the higher they salary you can demand. And, although there is no mandatory nationwide certification for automobile mechanics most dealerships offer continuing education through organizations such as the ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) which only helps to increase your overall experience and your income potential.

Some auto makers such as Ford and Daimler Chrysler have programs where they are partnered with community colleges that offer technical and vocational students the ability to get hands on training at local dealerships. The program offered by Ford is called Ford Asset and the program offered by Daimler Chrysler is called Daimler Chrysler CAP or College Automotive Program. Through this program students can earn a 2-year Associates of Applied Science degree in Automotive Technology. Many students find that they are offered full-time employment positions after they successfully complete their schooling.

Almost as debilitating as a physical injury, an automobile in need of repair can disrupt many aspects of daily life, resulting in inconvenience and prompting stress and uncertainty — a situation, Ray Moon at, Ford Doctors is determined to change for its clients.

The Ford Doctors automotive professionals have been recently featured on NBC’s Dateline and in the Houston Press. The Ford Doctors understand that automotive repair can be as perplexing as a medical diagnosis. They have established plans and procedures to ensure a “Fix it Right the First Time” diagnosis, to deliver quality repairs and to maintain the highest customer satisfaction and warranties in the automotive industry.

“I truly believe that we have set new standards for all repair shops to aspire too, with our 24/24 warranties and BBB membership,” said Ray Moon, owner, who spent several years training with Ford Motor Company and working with large impersonal dealerships before opening his own shop almost 20 years ago.

“I saw how mechanics and dealerships cut corners and I wanted to offer solid solutions for my customers,” Moon said. “Guessing, or throwing parts at a car and making several trips back to the shop to finally fix it correctly is a gamble. I don’t want to risk or gamble with our clients or their family’s safety or money, as too many shops do. Cheap prices always represent cutting corners, inferior ‘made in China’ parts or guess work, not better quality or workmanship.”

“By using our proven repair philosophy, ‘Test, Verify, Repair & Retest, and final test drive’ we have accomplished what most shops only dream of: “Fixed Right the First Time.” he said. “I’m proud to say that we provide the highest quality and workmanship you’ll find anywhere.”

Moon backs up his claim by offering a “Fix it Right the First Time” Pledge and a “24 Month/24,000 Mile” Warranty, one of the highest in the industry. This ensures correct diagnosis and repairs — or customers don’t pay for future repairs stemming from the visit.

Servicing only models of Lincoln, Ford, and Mercury vehicles, the Ford Doctors are ready to make car care safer and easier. Ford Doctors is a recipient of the “Top Shop Award” from our customers, and a 100% “Repair Effectiveness Rating” from the State of Texas. [PRWEB]

Women are buying newer, bigger and more expensive vehicles, according to a survey conducted by Car-Buy-Her, an automotive resource that provides business and consumer education and training.

A small sampling survey of 36 women from across the nation revealed typical responses and showed that age, profession and family status has little to do with the types of cars women are looking for.

Survey results found four-doors as the most popular with women with vans and sport-utility vehicles dominating. When asked about reasons for purchase, interior room was cited as the most popular reason when making their purchase.

Women not wanting to be the “minivan” mom tended to choose the SUV. Besides interior room, women said they choose their purchased based on perceived value. With no way to actually determine the true value of their deal, the survey does suggest that women are doing some kind of research prior to buying.

Purchases were most likely made before the recent oil crisis, so it is not surprising that fuel economy was the least used determining factor when making a purchase.

The women surveyed were not driving around in brand new vehicles — most of the respondent’s owned 2001 or older vehicles, suggesting that while these women were moving up in the car world, they either bought used or have had their cars for a while. The survey reveals today’s car-buying woman to be very practical. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: survey results | sport utility vehicles | interior room | interior | cars

LFT Technologies, Inc., a privately-held corporation in Mooresville, NC, has released a new technologically-enhanced head and neck restraint system for the racing industry.

After years of research and hundreds of sled tests, in both the professional racing industry as well as the automotive industry, LFT Technologies Inc.’s President Trevor Ashline was able to develop a visionary safety product like the R3 Pro (rated SFI 38.1 and tested at 70 G’s). The automotive industry performance sled tests were performed with impacts on automobile safety devices at 30 G’s.

“The R3 Pro is the latest racing technology in head and neck restraint systems,” stated Ashline. “We were able to apply what we had learned from thousands of racers and develop a comfortable device that will protect the professional race driver without standing in the way of the racer’s ability to race.”

In the highly competitive sport of racing, the drivers need to protect themselves more today than ever before. LFT Technologies, Inc.’s mission is to provide superior technologically-enhanced safety solutions to keep the driver safe.

As new racing technology pushes the edge of the envelope and the audience for racing grows, drivers need to take every precaution to stay as safe as possible without loosing any competitive edge. “Racers who take advantage of the latest technologies will greatly reduce their risk of injury,” Ashline remarked. “Racers need to dress for the crash, not the ride.”

“The difference between the old technology and new technology is that the R3 works independently of the seat belt and out performs in side impacts,” stated LFT Technologies, Inc.’s President.

“The R3 Pro is a patented carbon fiber system that is easy to use and comfortable for the driver. The challenge was: how do we provide maximum comfort and ease of use without taking away from the safety integrity of the system? [PRWEB]

Safety Solutions, Inc. in Mooresville, NC, has a competing Head and Neck restraining system for the Racing Industry. Both systems are built to protect the driver from serious and often fatal neck injuries.

tagTRAX: sled tests | lft | drivers need | racing technology | automotive industry