Learning the failsafes of service and repair

I still remember my very first job (about 22 years ago). I began at an Oldsmobile dealership in the Reading, Pennsylvania area. I was working to diagnose why the reverse lights of an old Pontiac Fiero were not functioning. Boy, if you could've seen that fiasco, you'd still be laughing. I distinctly remember it taking me most of the day, along with a ton of anxiety and pity help from the shop-elders. 

I don't miss those days at all. There were many trying times for me in that era and more days than I'd care to remember I wanted to throw in the towel. The running joke was, "You should’ve just been a rodeo clown.” Honestly, I felt the same way at times. 

The joke's on me 

Armed with this exciting news, I made my way over to Mikey. No sooner did I congratulate him than I found myself grabbed up by the collar and held against the wall, clinging for what might be my last breath. Seems Jeffrey forgot to tell me that Mikey's sister was born without feet. 

Not to worry — it turned out to be a very sick joke that the shop-elders played on all the new guys. In fact, Mikey didn't have any siblings. Was this the beginning of a terrible mistake, becoming an automotive technician? Seems there were hazards just being friendly with people. 

Establishing expectations 

Being friendly with people (especially your teammates and superiors) will serve you very well. My first suggestion is to be totally open to your limited abilities and almost non-existent experience. Although it might seem prudent to “toot your own horn,” I feel one of the worst initial mistakes you can make is setting the expectations too high. Especially if you’ve just come from a technical school. 

For instance, I was an ASE certified Master Automobile Technician/L1 Advanced Level Specialist at the age of 21. As far as practical application went, I didn’t know my rear-end from a hole in the ground! That was OK because my employer realized my intellect and abilities to take tests had nothing to do with my practical experience or abilities to correctly diagnose and repair vehicles. However, this could’ve gone very wrong, and I’ve seen it first-hand. 

A few years ago, a young apprentice of mine was very much like myself (at the age of 21). His test-taking ability was very impressive. A potential employer was interested in him and focused heavily on his certifications. He asked my opinion on a requested salary. I answered his question with a question (because I anticipated how he was going to respond, and I wanted to make a point). Regardless of what he desired for income, I could tell you it was far more than I believed he was capable of producing for that shop. I warned him and explained my concern (that a certification is not necessarily practical experience). This new employer (for that requested salary) is going to expect far more from you than you can currently handle.  

Well, he tried his luck and within just a few days of employment, he walked with his tail between his legs. His employer realized that his diagnostic and repair capabilities were not up to par with what his certifications reflected. He was forced to take a significant cut in pay, and a deeper cut to his ego. 

The point is, we shouldn’t be in a rush to be the best. We shouldn’t be in a rush to complete a job swiftly. Speed comes with the repetitive practice of following service information instructions and doing the job right.  

The right tools for the job 

As a young and up-n-coming technician, you have to always keep in mind, that your income is going to be limited, likely for a few years. Tying yourself down with a mountain of tool debt can only bring stress and regret. I've heard many technicians cry about their friends flipping burgers at a local fast-food chain restaurant and making a lot more money than they. Truthfully, nowadays, the entry-level technician can make similar (if not, more) money than the French-fry guy. The key is managing debt responsibly. 

Consider equipping yourself with a basic toolset and purchasing what you need, as time passes. I think you will be pleasantly surprised to find the older, more-equipped technicians will be happy to loan you a tool. Be advised, it is customary that you purchase that tool if it is borrowed more than twice. But, managing a few hundred dollars worth of debt/interest a far easier to swallow than tens of thousands! 

R.T.F.G. — Read the friggin’ book! 

But, consider this instead of asking questions all the time — do a little bit of research first. This may mean referencing service information to find a torque specification, a fluid type or quantity, and even information about the theory and operation of how a system functions to accomplish a goal. We can also find wiring diagrams to illustrate an electrical roadmap and the architecture of the system to be addressed. Between all of the examples I just described above, you can learn a heck of a lot on your own time. Besides, it’s great practice for learning to navigate service information. Let’s face it — the name of the game is no longer memorization. There is simply far too much data for that. The idea now is to know where to locate the necessary information when it is called upon. Probably the best part of this information age we are in is the fact that this data can be mined from any PC with an internet connection. I was known for taking information home to study on my own time. This kept me moving forward at a healthy pace in the shop. 

A little TLC 

For instance, moving on to a challenge like a brake service requires careful attention to detail. Service information is crucial to follow as it outlines not an only procedure but the correct application of specific lubricants. Cleanliness is of the utmost importance as contamination can reduce braking performance and effectiveness. Take the time to clean your hands. Prepare surfaces properly and use the correct type/amount of lubricant when called upon. It's the little things that matter. By the way, it may not mention it in the service procedure but be sure to pump the brake pedal and seat the brakes to the rotor/drums, before putting the vehicle into gear. A runaway vehicle is something to fear. 

Consider the consequences of neglect. A similar situation of new challenges may have you disassembling an engine. Removal of perhaps the intake manifold will require you to properly clean and prepare the mating surfaces of the engine's components. An oversight here can cost hours (or even days) of extra work and potentially thousands of dollars in damage.  Something as minuscule as a piece of gasket material could allow for a pretty significant antifreeze leak. If not caught early, could lead to a hydro-lock situation and catastrophic engine failure.  

Of course, my intent is not to put fear in anyone. I’m simply trying to help avoid some of the pitfalls many younger technicians fall into.  

Safety is everyone’s responsibility 

Likely the most prescribed advice to be given is the fact that safety should reign supreme among everything else. And that is safety for ourselves, our teammates, our customers, and the vehicles they've entrusted to us. 

As mentioned above, following directions and attention to detail will carry you very far, but there are a few costly mistakes almost EVERY technician has likely made or will make some time in his/her career. But many can be avoided if you pay attention to what I have to say below. 

We as technicians have a tremendous responsibility and we all wear many hats. We have to be plumbers, electricians, HVAC specialists, data analysts, information technology specialists, and have a mastery of basic physics and a boatload of common sense, along with clever problem-solving capabilities. The long and short of it is that our minds are quite occupied. However, that is no excuse for making mistakes; however, we all do. The idea is to minimize those mistakes and learn from them. 

Placing yourself in a failsafe situation will save you much embarrassment and heartache by preventing costly oversights. For instance, an oil pan drain plug is removed during a routine oil/filter service. Upon reinstallation, many younger technicians will thread the plug back into the pan and walk back to their toolbox to retrieve either a wrench, ratchet/socket, or (hopefully) a torque wrench, to seat the drain plug properly. Many times, though, we get distracted. A cell phone begins to ring, the lunch truck has shown up or the boss is screaming your name (believe me, I’ve been there a hundred times). Or, even something as simple as wiping the excess oil from your hands can be enough of a distraction to prevent the plug from being tightened sufficiently. The problem is that the drain plus was seated, and will stop oil from leaving the pan. However, the vehicle will leave the shop parking lot but may return on a tow truck with a seized engine (ask me how I know that!).  

By having that torque wrench in your hand at the time the drain plug is installed, it becomes part of the same step. The car will either be filled with oil/no drain plug installed (huge mess, instantaneously), or the drain plug is tightened to specification the moment it is installed — failsafe. 

The same goes for tire/wheel assemblies. When I install a wheel onto a hub, I secure the wheel with the lug nuts. However, I only thread the lug nuts on far enough to prevent the wheel from falling to the ground. Then I go retrieve my impact gun and torque stick. If I fail to remember to torque the wheels, I will know the moment I attempt to move the vehicle. The reason I NEVER tighten the lugs to seat them (not even by hand) is that in that same scenario of failing to torque them properly, the vehicle could potentially move without an immediate indication of the under-torqued lugnuts. The vehicle could then travel down the road and a wheel could come off.  

Care should be taken to ensure the mating surfaces of the wheel and hub are free from corrosion. Here’s a clue — if it requires force to dislodge the wheel from the hub, there is likely corrosion on the mating surfaces. 

Be sure to clean the mating surfaces carefully before reinstalling the wheel. If not, proper torque could be achieved but as the corrosion begins to crumble, there will then be clearance between the wheel and the hub. Once again, the wheel will wobble and likely come off while driving.  

I also want to specify that torque sticks and impact guns should only be utilized to help seat the wheels to the hub, (by limiting torque), which should prevent overtightening. All lug nuts should then be tightened (by hand) using a properly calibrated torque wrench and following the prescribed tightening pattern. This inhibits oversights from occurring. 

Confidence makes for a rewarding career 

But, keep your head on straight, be mindful of your surroundings, follow instructions carefully, and don't be in a rush to grow up. It will all come together in time and being an automotive technician can be one of the most rewarding careers, if you do it right.