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When the tech changes careers, it'll just be a different set of challenges and rewards. I'm on my 5th career, at least. My wife had 10 jobs in 30 years. You have to adapt these days. Look at you - run a shop, train techs, consult, have a radio show.
I mentioned a BMW tech a year or two back - nephew of an old friend. Caught up with said friend last month and the kid is still happy running the family manufacturer rep business and doesn't miss wrenching. He did buy his dad's 7 series, but he should retain enough skill to be able to keep it going with the occasional shop visit. His dad replaced the BMW with an Explorer.
You forgot stop being a technician as the most likely choice.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
It failed California emission testing for that reason and I had to reinstall it.
Of course, I left it on after passing the test. Sure I did!
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I remember in the mid seventies when some new rule came out and we had to install an additional emission device in California. The "better" device involved cutting the top radiator hose and splicing in a unit that cut off your vacuum advance until a certain temperature was reached. The cheaper device was a couple of plugs that eliminated ALL vacuum advance. Of course, not many of these stayed on the cars for long.
I guess all of these measures worked since smog in the L.A basin seems much better than back in the 60's and 70's. With the huge increase in population over the past decades I can't imagine what the air would be like if nothing had been done. We hated some of these things but in retrospect, they needed to be done.
The Europeans didn't get serious about emission controls that didn't kill power until they had to face emission standards in their own countries. I have a photo from a BMW engine assembly plant that was taken in the early '80s; there are two assembly lines- one labeled "USA" and the other "Normal."
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
I found lots of cars that people had disabled the vacuum retard system on. When that happened, it was common to find that the distributor mechanical advance (and vacuum advance when used) had usually failed and the end result was timing that wasn't advanced enough. Repairing the distributor advance system solved the real problem and that allowed the retard to be re-connected. The result of that was a smoother idle since the engine was running with manifold vacuum that resulted from the ignition timing then being correct for that condition.
Looking at the specs, its hard to call anything back then emission controls. Tailpipe CO that was set to 1% to 4% depending on the model and engine isn't clean, and that's after the reaction chamber which was needed to try and oxidize HC and CO coming right out of the engine. http://www.google.ch/patents/US4018048
Eliminating the reaction chamber would have resulted in CO that could easily have exceeded 6% out the tailpipe. Even today, a little CO is required to reduce NOx emissions, but by a little you have to do some reading to get the numbers and learn the difference between percentages out of the tailpipe and what grams per mile really mean. Here is a link to enjoy. http://transportpolicy.net/index.php?title=US:_Light-duty:_Emissions
Just out of curiosity, how many 1970-1976 carbureted BMWs have you driven? Of those, how many were 100% stock?
FYI, several '70s BMWs had a double-action vacuum advance- retard at idle and ported off idle. Believe it or not, 99.9% of vintage BMW owners can tell you if the mechanical advance is operating- most have either had the distributor rebuilt/recurved or else have replaced the distributor with a fully mechanical tii unit(M10 motors) or the Bosch "Performance"(008) distributor(M30 motors). As for carburetors, most vintage cars are running the Weber 32/36 DGAV unless the engine has had some serious work done to it.
Ever since the Germans have had to meet emission standards the US cars almost never take a performance hit, so my performance modifications are usually confined to a flash tune. With the M235i, the only modifications I intend to make ASAP are the M Performance diff and a recode to eliminate the driver's seat belt warning and the "I promise to be good" disclaimer that pops up on the nav screen at every startup.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Webers, Zeniths, and Solex carbs (including duals) are not a problem. This isn't rocket science and doesn't hold a candle to the 2005 Acura I help a shop analyze this morning for a misfire after cold start.
"We can't figger out why the durn thing won't idle good." Gee, you think it might be due to the hole burned into the EGR plate? The one that sounds like a Hoover upright when you pop the hood? Then there was "Don't know why it don't run too good when it's raining or humid." I guess he ruled out the quarter-size hole in the distributor cap as a possible issue.
I ended up playing with SBCs in my misspent street racing youth, and waited for the day I could afford something from Munich. I breifly returned to the Ford fold in 1993 when I bought a 1985 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe beater to keep the miles off my beloved M6. Decent enough as a work hack- just don't forget to change the secondary clutch cable every year- and always have the part number before you go to the local dealer parts counter.
Almost came back to Ford again for a Mustang GT, but the overall size, the Honda-esque option strategy, and Ford's reputation for voiding a warranty if you get within 4000' of a race track kept me out of the Blue Oval crew...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
All of my cars come with a lifetime guarantee. If they break in my lifetime, you can guarantee I'll be the person fixing it. There is nothing there that I can't deal with myself, and I know a lot of great Ford techs that can do the work too so its not about capability on their part. It's just my preference.
BTW, the Acura? These captures reveal what's wrong with it.
Stop now.
OK, the above captures show the exhaust valve opening early and closing late. The valves need adjusted, regular maintenance on these 3.5l engines. Anyone could guess that might be the issue and with it being a required service get it done just to rule that out and gotten it right, however there is the specter of doing some four hours worth of work and not truly knowing if that was the cause of the symptom. So it needs to be proven if possible.
There were plenty of clues. A solid routine doesn't rely on just one finger pointing in a given direction and that's what diagnostics are supposed to do, get a number of results all pointing towards the issue. For one, weak manifold vacuum and fuel trims taking away fuel at idle and light cruise. This is a speed density system which means it uses a MAP sensor. Lower manifold vacuum (higher absolute pressure) results in the computer calculating a longer base fuel injector pulse width. With the higher pressure in the intake being caused by inert exhaust gasses (similar to an EGR valve sticking open slightly) the fuel trims have to take some of that injector pulse away in order to get it back into control. So why was the vacuum low? Look at the second circle. The dark blue is the known good pattern, and the Acura is the grey in the back ground. See the grey staying high a little longer and then dropping? That was the exhaust valve closing some seventeen degrees after TDC. The first circle shows the Acura pressure rising (grey) before the known good in blue. So the valve opens early and closes late at idle, its too tight.
The first capture above shows the cranking compression at ~190psi. The running compression should be about half of that but if you look you will see it off the top of the screen. It actually runs 115-120 psi and that is a function of the manifold vacuum being lower than it should be. Both of these tests do confirm that the valves do seal.
The question you should really be asking is why don't more people know how to test like this. What you'll end up with is proof for how pressure to not reward someone for making the investment in the tools and training discouraged most from trying.
Tell you what. Do you want a measuring stick for basic competence today? Make performing testing at that level the minimum requirement. Now see who is left standing.
Were you able to get the scope info from the ODBII or did you actually have to open the hood?
Been reading this discussion too long I guess - didn't think there were any "officially" certified techs in the US and if there were any, they left for greener pastures long ago.
Some Canadian provinces "officially" certify techs - does any state in the US?
BTW, did you pay attention to the information in that Canadian licensing program? Where does that $450 fee go? What do they really get for having to pay that kind of money just to put in an application and if qualified get to sit down and take a written test? Besides, does the ability to pass a test with a score of 70% or better guarantee competency? Now most of what they are doing is a good starting point, especially because of the requirement to have 9000 hours, or 72 months on the job as an apprentice. Plus the techs also are required to have a shop submit work experience information prior to getting to take the licensing test, but that's not going to happen here because of who is in complete objection to such a plan. Again, ask yourself who is blocking this, because it isn't the techs. BTW, if it would come to pass, this would thin the workforce overnight and that would result in a wage and benefits correction on par with the investment that someone has to make in themselves in order to qualify to be that certified technician.
Only had one run in with a shop back in the early 80s in the Yukon. I think I recall some sort of "official" looking certificate on the wall there. The assistant (apprentice?) that checked us in around 5 pm did a brief test drive and told us to expect a transmission job. The "real" tech/owner spent a couple of house puzzling over it that night and the next morning, figured out that poor compression wasn't creating enough vacuum to get the transmission to shift out of second, did some magic and got us on the way, all for cheap (we did look pretty poor that trip, lol).
I think he made his money on the adjacent motel room we stayed at that night. Gave me a lasting good impression of Canadian techs.
Here is an update to that story.
https://www.change.org/p/don-t-zone-me-out-of-business/u/16211387?tk=qca-KbDPXjbyEmKIa_Mf5Lv8kZ_BjL4bBd9TvMW5Vs0&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email
Of course, after six or eight months, he'd figure out the profit margins and just close the mechanic part of the shop to focus on lattes.
http://uberpeople.net/forums/Complaints/
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/travel/uber.html
"The annual Your Driving Costs study for 2016 found that it now costs an average of $8,558 per year to operate a small, medium or large sedan." (link)
http://www.coffeedetective.com/how-much-does-a-cup-of-coffee-cost-when-i-brew-it-at-home.html
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
(I do a pot or two at home @thecardoc3, cone filter into a thermos, Italian roast with a spoonful of chicory in every pot. For the road, I do a senior cup at McD's for fifty cents or so. But I'm not on a bus or trolley line rushing to work and trying to grab a cuppa).
I'll break 160K on my Escape before the end of the month.
And for a low-mileage car that $.57 number is woefully low. With only 52K miles my car my per-mile cost is running $1.12. That's including purchase of a $30K+ vehicle w/sales tax & some loan interest, insurance, maintenance (oil, tires & a battery), and repairs (replaced an outside mirror, windshield replacement deductible).
Sure, the cost per mile will be nicely reduced when I sell as I'll add back in the sales price (which accounts for depreciation at the end). But estimating $11K in value as a sale/trade only reduces it to 91 cents/mile.
Cost per mile would be lower if I drove more as the fixed cost (purchase) is spread over all miles driven.
Gas, BTW, is only about 16 cents a mile.