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A Mechanic's Life - Tales From Under the Hood

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Comments

  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756

    I think he means that they can guess what is wrong but have to accept the failure rate. They shouldn't presume they are as good as a well-trained technician. Trouble codes can certainly fool you.

    However----At $135/hour shop time where I live, I can afford a couple of guesses....but they should be educated guesses.

    Well, that's the private folks. If I take my car to the shop, I've already done the guesswork; what I need is someone to take the professional route and ensure that when I get my car back, it is truly and well fixed.

    If the management is encouraging guesswork in the interest of time, that really doesn't do anybody any favors.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    edited December 2018
    Well, we were originally talking about private owners. Doc's original statement was:
    Well the first step is to get everyone outside of the trade to accept that they can't just guess what is wrong with a car based on a given symptom. Testing has to be performed the right way, each and every time.

    Those in the trade certainly should not be "guessing."

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    qbrozen said:

    Well, we were originally talking about private owners. Doc's original statement was:
    Well the first step is to get everyone outside of the trade to accept that they can't just guess what is wrong with a car based on a given symptom. Testing has to be performed the right way, each and every time.

    Those in the trade certainly should not be "guessing."

    "Everyone outside the trade" includes anyone who isn't in the bays doing the work.

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    :D

    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

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    qbrozen said:

    Well, we were originally talking about private owners. Doc's original statement was:
    Well the first step is to get everyone outside of the trade to accept that they can't just guess what is wrong with a car based on a given symptom. Testing has to be performed the right way, each and every time.

    Those in the trade certainly should not be "guessing."

    "Everyone outside the trade" includes anyone who isn't in the bays doing the work.

    Fair enough. If you aren't actually in the trenches turning wrenches, then you have to present yourself as perhaps an "educated guesser"---but THAT doesn't mean you can't be right---and in some cases, if you apply due diligence to a problem, you CAN be as right as a technician. But you're using different methods that wouldn't work in an actual repair shop environment. You're experimenting, you're making phone calls, you're on line viewing videos or downloading files or diagrams. You are way less efficient and expending far more labor than a trained technician. But you aren't a dummy just because you aren't wearing a blue shirt.

    Not all problems are tricks. Not all trouble codes have triple meanings. Many do, but not all. You can be a DIYer and zero right in on the problem in some cases.

    I can think of a handful of diagnoses I made which were proven correct. I let the repair shop FIX the problem, but I already knew what it was and what had to be done.

    Naturally with 2018 cars a lot of what I said goes out the window. There are any number of systems on new cars that are simply not "serviceable". Not by ANYBODY in the field.

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312


    Fair enough. If you aren't actually in the trenches turning wrenches, then you have to present yourself as perhaps an "educated guesser"---but THAT doesn't mean you can't be right---and in some cases, if you apply due diligence to a problem, you CAN be as right as a technician. But you're using different methods that wouldn't work in an actual repair shop environment. You're experimenting, you're making phone calls, you're on line viewing videos or downloading files or diagrams. You are way less efficient and expending far more labor than a trained technician. But you aren't a dummy just because you aren't wearing a blue shirt.

    Not all problems are tricks. Not all trouble codes have triple meanings. Many do, but not all. You can be a DIYer and zero right in on the problem in some cases.

    I can think of a handful of diagnoses I made which were proven correct. I let the repair shop FIX the problem, but I already knew what it was and what had to be done.

    Naturally with 2018 cars a lot of what I said goes out the window. There are any number of systems on new cars that are simply not "serviceable". Not by ANYBODY in the field.

    As it happens, I’m currently diagnosing an issue with one of my cars; once I have resolved the problem I will post a summary of the entire process- and I will happily admit if I gave up and took it to one of my indie shops.

    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

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited December 2018
    Well good luck with it. On my Volvo, the scan tool immediately picked up the problem with an actuator motor for the HVAC, which helped me understand the problem, but alas, it doesn't identify which motor. So then I worked all the buttons on the system and figured out the one that was not responding. I then paid to have that motor calibrated, but that didn't work--it's just out of range. Then of course there's the problem of replacing it, which requires the entire dashboard to come out---and "while we're in there", ALL the actuator motors should be replaced. Naturally I'm just going to live with it--it's not a problem at all in my climate zone. The car gets mighty toasty through the mid-level and defroster vents.

    On the Mini Cooper, too, the scan tool (borrowed a better one) picked up the defective seat belt receptacle (which is gas-charged). Cleaned all the connections, no change. So it's about 99% certain what the problem is, especially since these are notorious for failing. Ordered a used seat buckle (female) that was pre-tested for $65 bucks. So I'll be into this $65 + one hour of my labor vs. a repair shop doing the whole thing with a new part for $400.

    On the Dodge pickup, the combination of the ABS light on and the speedometer failing at the same time was a solid tip-off that we were dealing with the differential speed sensor--which the scan tool correctly identified. That was a cheap fix, which I was able to do on my back with a few wrenches and a part sent UPS.

    Point is--a shop approaches these problems differently, and I totally get that. They don't mess with used parts, and they will gladly rip apart the dashboard and replace all the motors for $2,000, or the seat belt for $400, or the speed sensor for $150. It's just all in a day's work for them.

    What I was trying to do in all these cases was not to outwit the repair shops--they know way more than I do--but to get enough information that I could make an intelligent decision as to the next steps.

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    edited December 2018
    In my case both the scan tool and the symptoms are pointing towards 3 possibilities. One is an inexpensive bit of maintenance that was not performed by the prior owner, so I'm going down that route first; even if that doesn't solve the problem it still needs to be done.

    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

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's the way---go from the simple to the complex.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    So, I performed the maintenance that the prior owner had neglected- over 14,000 miles late. At this point I've spent one hour and $74 on diagnosis/maintenance. I drove it tonight for 20 minutes and it ran fine- no CEL. I'm definitely not declaring victory yet as the issue was intermittent- but I have definitely eliminated one possible cause.

    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

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    When it comes to simply waiting to see if a code resets as confirmation that a problem has been solved, you first have to take into account the code enable criteria. If the conditions were correct for the test to run, then in most cases it should have. If the conditions were not correct then the test simply may not have run. Another thing to consider is would the code require one trip (continuous monitor) or two trips (non continuous monitor) to mature? In the case of a non continuous monitor such as evaporative emissions or catalyst efficiency the first test failure generates a pending code (mode 7) but the system doesn't set a MIL (mode 3) until it has two test failures in a row. If it never fails twice in a row, it isn't really fixed but the light won't come on.

    Sometimes a car presents with a condition that a test will just barely pass or fail somewhat randomly. That is often described as being an intermittent failure because the light can go on/off repeatedly over some period of time. Since it takes two passes or two fails to change the status of the MIL. In reality it could be failing a lot more than the driver might realize.
  • guitarzanguitarzan Member Posts: 873
    edited December 2018
    Doc that reminds me of Three Mile Island. One had to be an engineer in order to interpret the lights and gauges on the console of the nuclear plant. One could argue that the displays were practically meaningless, a significant compromise from designers who must not have known what they should be indicating to the operators. They just knew their task was to display something about the system status. The operators could not interpret what was happening, and we know the end result.

    It is a good thing that automobile systems are pretty well protected from going boom. But being stranded can feel almost as bad as a big explosion.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Why do some CELs not erase even after the problem has been definitely solved?
  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    guitarzan said:

    Doc that reminds me of Three Mile Island. One had to be an engineer in order to interpret the lights and gauges on the console of the nuclear plant. One could argue that the displays were practically meaningless, a significant compromise from designers who must not have known what they should be indicating to the operators. They just knew their task was to display something about the system status. The operators could not interpret what was happening, and we know the end result.

    It’s interesting you bring up the Three Mile Island incident. Most people have no idea what actually happened there. Robert Cringely served on the Presidential Commission on the Accident at Three Mile Island, and he has a very interesting write up here.

    https://www.cringely.com/2009/03/31/three-mile-island-memories/

    TMI wasn’t caused by a computer failure but the accident was made vastly worse by an error of computer design. Specifically, TMI-2 had a terrible user interface.

    We had a confluence of bad design decisions at TMI, some of them made by the U.S. Congress. U.S. law specifically prohibited using computers to directly control nuclear power plants. Men would do that and nearly all of those men would be former nuclear reactor operators from the U.S. Navy. Computers could be used to monitor the reactor and in fact it would probably have been close to impossible to monitor it without the help of computers. There were just too darned many valves and sensors for any team of humans to keep track of reliably, 24/7.

    So the computer (there was one) monitored the plant and raised an alarm if specific parameters changed. Then a guy would flip a switch to open or close some valve, solving the problem.
    Here’s how it was supposed to work. Something went wrong. The computer noticed what went wrong, set off audible and visual alarms, then sent a description of the problem to a line printer in the control room. The operator would read the print-out, check the trouble code in one of many manuals, then make the adjustment specified in the manual. Simple, eh?

    Too simple, it turned out.

    What happened at Unit 2 was a little more complex. A cascading series of events caused the computer to notice SEVEN HUNDRED things wrong in the first few minutes of the accident. The ONE audible alarm started ringing and stayed ringing continuously until someone turned it off as useless. The ONE visual alarm was activated and blinked for days, indicating nothing useful at all. The line printer queue quickly contained 700 error reports followed by several thousand error report updates and corrections. The printer queue was almost instantly hours behind, so the operators knew they had a problem (700 problems actually, though they couldn’t know that) but had no idea what the problem was.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741

    Why do some CELs not erase even after the problem has been definitely solved?

    The answer would be a case by case situation. One could be a blocking condition preventing the test that originally generated a code from running. Another one could be that the enabling criteria simply haven't been met, keeping in mind that a non continuous monitor needs to pass twice to turn the mil back off. I have seen instrument clusters fail and simply lose control of the MIL. One of my favorites is you have a vehicle that has multiple issues but other tests were blocked by a given failure. You go in and fix the failure that had a code set and now that unblocks another test or tests which once they run fail, and that results in the MIL staying on but when pulled you find a different code(s).

    The bottom line is to always think "system" when doing an analysis.

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/ownership/the-horror-of-the-check-engine-light-and-the-joy-of-fixing-it/ar-BBPF3jZ

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Can anyone make any sense out of this man's story about visiting a dealership for a repair?

    https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/53836/gmc/yukon-denali/what-are-these-little-indentations-for-on-the-sides-of-steering-wheel#latest

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    edited December 2018
    The location would appear to be where the horn pad/drivers air bag retainers would be accessed. I don't have information on hand for a 2018 so I don't know ( can't prove ) if they are still using the same design. But at this point it looks like either the tech is supposed to break through that extra flashing just like they did or else maybe the piece wasn't made correctly and those "dimples" should have been cut holes all along.

    This video shows how to operate the release lever (spring) with the air bag removed.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIatQITbGag
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    It's much ado over nothing; If it was me I'd just clean up the access holes and forget about it.

    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

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited January 2019
    Yeah, I was thinking to just razor them clean with an X-acto knife or put a blob of gray latex caulk in there.

    What's interesting is that he re-posted a photo of what appears to be the ACTUAL access holes. Puzzling!

    https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/53836/gmc/yukon-denali/what-are-these-little-indentations-for-on-the-sides-of-steering-wheel#latest

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    That would not appear to be the access hole for the airbag. They are at 3 and 9 o'clock with the wheel held straight ahead as in the first picture. He will need to zoom out so that I can see where exactly that other hole is.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26jVfZ5IA7I

    It took less than twenty minutes to diagnose the car, two hours to capture the video, and almost ten hours of editing.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    That's commitment! I have tried (and failed) to do editing on a couple of dash cam vids. I just don't have the patience for it, particularly when I spend the time to push through all the editing, it works perfectly, then I render it only to find out that it is now garbage (choppy, erratic, audio/video not meshed properly, etc). So frustrating. :disappointed:

    Good info in yours, though. I felt awkward watching you, though, like you were sitting on a foot stool at the dinner table or something. If you can align it so that your chin is in the center of the frame, it will make viewing much better.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    Always something to learn, at least I looked at the camera, (most of the time) VBG. I didn't want the Harley Davidson shirt that I had on taking up too much of the view. It probably would have been ok, but that was a choice that I made.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    What editor have you tried to use? I am still learning shotcut but really like it.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,756
    edited January 2019
    Blender. I use Camtasia at my office when doing meeting or training recordings, but that is a bit rich for my blood in terms of buying a personal license.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    edited January 2019
    The flat rate "system" when it was first implemented actually had the manufacturers have employee's actually do the repair under perfect conditions and time them. Then they made appropriate additions for all of the steps that occur with each repair such as getting parts, performing the paperwork duties, etc. Back then they didn't pay anything for diagnostics, they somehow just expected the mechanics to know what was wrong within a few moments of looking at a car. They also didn't pay for road testing in order to prove if a car was repaired correctly and that no other issues arose as part of the repair procedure. The results were labor times that an average technician could meet or beat and top techs could routinely generate a bonus of hours.


    Today there are no time studies actually performed, in other words, they don't actually employ someone who can do the job to prove if the time that they decide to pay is fair and accurate. Keep that in mind as you read the attached article from Automotive News.

    https://www.autonews.com/article/20181217/RETAIL05/181219924/flat-rate-pay-system-continues-to-divide-dealers-and-technicians


    Flat-rate pay system continues to divide dealers and technicians
    Rick Popelyfoj@autonews.com

    CHICAGO — The flat-rate pay system, which assigns specific amounts of time to do vehicle repair and maintenance work, was a key issue in last year’s strike of service technicians at Chicago-area auto dealerships. Flat-rate is a blessing to techs who can regularly beat “book times,” but a curse to others who can’t always complete jobs in the allotted times. The system, in place for decades, provides an incentive for techs to work faster, so they can book 50 or more hours a week while working only 40 and thus earn additional pay. It also enables dealership service departments to boost revenue by billing more labor time.

    Tom Shirey, dealer principal of Shirey Cadillac in Oak Lawn, Ill., defends the incentive-based flat-rate system. It provides the same motivation traditionally used on the sales side of a dealership and increases shop efficiency, he says. “When the mechanic is on the incentive system, if he does the work correctly and fixes the problem, then he gets on to the next job without wasting any time,” Shirey told Fixed Ops Journal. “The only thing we sell in the service department is time. The more efficiently we use time, the better the end product is going to be for the mechanic, the dealership and the customer. “If there is no incentive and they’re on a 40-hour guarantee, you’re basically putting them on a weekly salary,” he adds. “We wouldn’t have been on an incentive system all these years if there were a better way.”

    Beat the clock
    Union-represented technicians say that beating the clock under the flat-rate system isn’t easy, even for experienced mechanics. That can affect the quality of repairs, they argue. “It promotes shoddy work because it makes a guy have to turn hours,” said John Buttney, a journeyman technician at Haggerty Buick-GMC in the Chicago suburb of Villa Park, Ill. Customers often tell a service adviser that a “noise is coming from somewhere,” Buttney adds, and that’s the only guidance the tech will receive. That lack of information forces techs to spend valuable time chasing the elusive noise or an electronic gremlin and fall behind schedule.
    “It can be just [a loose] heat shield or something like that, and then you get paid a few tenths [of an hour] to fix it,” Buttney says.

    Sam Cicinelli, a leader of the union that represents Chicago dealership technicians, says techs frequently encounter problems that increase repair times while the flat-rate clock keeps ticking. “You strip a bolt, and now you’ve just lost on that job because it’s taking you that much longer to replace a strut because one of the bolts is stuck on the housing,” Cicinelli says. “They have to get a torch, heat it up, tap it out or cut it off.”
    Chris Becktel, a journeyman tech at Toyota of Naperville, says there is enough work at his shop that he can usually book more than 40 hours a week. But he is under constant pressure to beat the clock while tackling difficult jobs, he adds.

    “The most skilled, highest qualified guys are usually given the worst work,” Becktel says. “They know the less qualified guys can’t fix it.”
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    What a mess. How can you do time studies on modern cars anyway? Each "problem" can be quite different, even with the same light on, or the same code.

    I think part of the problem is that service advisers don't operate at a very high skill level themselves.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    edited January 2019


    I think part of the problem is that service advisers don't operate at a very high skill level themselves.

    That's what I find encouraging about the SAs that I worked with at my BMW dealer; they know as much if not more than the techs with respect to diagnosis and foibles of a specific engine or drivetrain.

    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

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well they must have been techs then? My opinion is that if you haven't been turning wrenches in the last 5 years, then you aren't at the same level as the techs anymore.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    Not techs, but most do wrench on their own cars.

    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

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741


    I think part of the problem is that service advisers don't operate at a very high skill level themselves.

    That's what I find encouraging about the SAs that I worked with at my BMW dealer; they know as much if not more than the techs with respect to diagnosis and foibles of a specific engine or drivetrain.
    We see that misconception all the time. If they aren't actively performing diagnostic routines by themselves along the lines of the video I made above, then at best they are guessing based off of the pattern failures that often occur. "Wrenching on their own cars" doesn't mean that much either, that suggests they might have the talent to become an apprentice but would likely fail if they suddenly had to become a line technician.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I guess being a competent DIY is a higher skill level than most SAs, many of whom I know don't even do that---so RB has a point. However, I think Doc also has a point in that the technology is advancing so rapidly that someone wrenching on his 2016 BMW might not have a clue about some systems on a 2019 BMW.

    It would be great if all master techs who are starting to age out could graduate to a more prestigious SA position that pays very well. He would be like the first mate on a ship, appointed due to vast experience to supervise the crew.

    I think that "flat rate" is totally obsolete in this New Age. A modern tech has way too many hallways to walk down to estimate when he's going to get where he's going.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312


    I think part of the problem is that service advisers don't operate at a very high skill level themselves.

    That's what I find encouraging about the SAs that I worked with at my BMW dealer; they know as much if not more than the techs with respect to diagnosis and foibles of a specific engine or drivetrain.
    We see that misconception all the time. If they aren't actively performing diagnostic routines by themselves along the lines of the video I made above, then at best they are guessing based off of the pattern failures that often occur. "Wrenching on their own cars" doesn't mean that much either, that suggests they might have the talent to become an apprentice but would likely fail if they suddenly had to become a line technician.
    I guess I'll have to find a truly competent shop.
    Woe is me!

    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

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    edited January 2019
    Being a competent shop is about having the different people skilled in their own areas and all of them working together. Service advisors aren't techs and don't spend enough time studying let alone physically applying the knowledge like the techs have to in order to maintain a viable level of proficiency. Take the best tech out of the bays and make him/her a service advisor or anything else and the "tech skills" immediately begin to erode while he/she learns new ones. It's the old line, "If you don't use it you lose it" at play.

    When it comes to DIY level, that can truly be anywhere on the scale, but to be eye level with the techs would demand much more time studying than the techs need to invest since the DIY'er wouldn't be spending forty to fifty hours each week applying the information. Top techs today need to study fifteen to twenty hours a week to just try to keep pace with all of the changes. Younger techs need to study even more than that because they don't have that lifetime of working and studying behind them.

    To try and put a scale to this just look at evaporative emissions systems. The training, skills and education required to get someone competent to efficiently solve any problem with just that one system on any vehicle is more than anyone who isn't a technician generally ever acquires in their lifetime. You can watch the video and see just how many different little details were involved and what it took to prove without any guessing as to what was going on. Techs have had to learn how to work the way I demonstrated while everyone around them still thinks that all that ever needs to be done for an evaporative emissions problem is throw a gas cap at the car, or at the most do a smoke test.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    Belong to Linked-In? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/actual-reasons-why-your-automotive-technicians-you-period-vigneault/

    The Actual Reasons Why Your Automotive Technicians Are Leaving You. Period.

    There is one line in it that really sums it up.

    Benefits - They are terrible and expensive. I remember having a friend in 08/09 who had a wife and 2 kids, all under the dealership health insurance plan. He got his paycheck (flat rate, with no work coming in the shop), and he OWED money for his paycheck.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,182

    Belong to Linked-In? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/actual-reasons-why-your-automotive-technicians-you-period-vigneault/

    The Actual Reasons Why Your Automotive Technicians Are Leaving You. Period.

    There is one line in it that really sums it up.

    Benefits - They are terrible and expensive. I remember having a friend in 08/09 who had a wife and 2 kids, all under the dealership health insurance plan. He got his paycheck (flat rate, with no work coming in the shop), and he OWED money for his paycheck.

    Not surprising. We pay for our insurance out of pocket and it's $2250/mo for three people (medical, dental, vision).

    Some people underestimate the value of employer provided insurance. When I was last employed in 2016, the total cost was $200/mo, and that was pre-tax.

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I doubt it'll ever get straightened out as long as healthcare remains a for-profit business.
  • henrynhenryn Member Posts: 4,289
    This is my third year on Medicare. It works. It beats the h_ell out of private insurance.

    'Nuff said.
    2023 Chevrolet Silverado, 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,182
    henryn said:

    This is my third year on Medicare. It works. It beats the h_ell out of private insurance.

    'Nuff said.

    It's funny... when I was mother's guardian, and friends would express their disdain for the Medicare program, I told them it was the best deal going. Of course, we were all working for major corporations, and our healthcare was cheap, and they told me I was wrong.

    Now, people can't wait to get on Medicare. My wife has three years to go, and I have 4.5 years. Other than actually being that much older, I wish it was tomorrow.

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  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    Our insurance has gone up every year and we had to increase the deductible to try and keep the payment manageable. For $1407 a month we now have insurance (medical only) that we can't afford to have to use with the $5000 deductible. What's really tough is when I am out traveling it will only pay 50% should something happen. I keep hoping that we can get the wife on disability, but so far no luck.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,182
    Yeah, it's tough no matter how you go.

    Our insurance is pretty decent, other than the premiums and the high deductibles ($2700 per person) ;)

    Fortunately, we have a premium reimbursement benefit that was part of our retirement benefits that covers almost half of the premium. That's still over $1100/mo out of pocket.

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  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    3 out of 5 bankruptcy filings in America are due to medical bills.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,182

    3 out of 5 bankruptcy filings in America are due to medical bills.

    Most medical bills are total fiction.

    If you have insurance, the medical provider writes off 80% of the bill, and then you pay 30% of what's left over. But, if you don't have insurance, you get charged the full amount. Medical billing is a racket. I have no ill will to those that stiff medical billers by filing bankruptcy.

    I could list half a dozen stories about it, but that doesn't really fit the discussion.

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  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312
    edited January 2019
    As of today I have put over 300 miles on my "test subject" since I performed the scheduled maintenance in late December. The car has been my daily commuter to my new job- which is a 25 mile round trip. It's also seen speeds of upwards of 80 mph on a short interstate jaunt. After 500 miles/one month I'll declare the issue resolved.

    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

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    Translation. You performed some basic maintenance and that corrected an issue that the vehicle had and now you know everything about every make and model ever produced. No doubt you even know exactly what happened here and even repair it instead of replacing it.….

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    Translation. You performed some basic maintenance and that corrected an issue that the vehicle had and now you know everything about every make and model ever produced. No doubt you even know exactly what happened here and even repair it instead of replacing it.….
    Obviously your problem is all those loose bolts rolling around in there. ;b

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,312


    Translation. You performed some basic maintenance and that corrected an issue that the vehicle had and now you know everything about every make and model ever produced. No doubt you even know exactly what happened here and even repair it instead of replacing it.….

    Why does the fact that some people successfully maintain and repair their own cars bother you so much? I realize that I stole food from a poor tech's mouth by doing it myself, but the simple fact is that I enjoy working on my cars- as well as saving money where I can.

    As I've said before, It's too bad that you can't enjoy your life without letting everyone know that you are the greatest mechanic that ever spun a ratchet- all the while demeaning anyone who has the temerity to touch anything under the hood of their personal vehicle. I'd hate being so miserable.

    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

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741


    Why does the fact that some people successfully maintain and repair their own cars bother you so much?

    That doesn't bother me in the least, it's not like you have even helped a fraction of the people that I have here.
    If there was any truth to what you just said I would never have given anybody any information/assistance.


    As I've said before, It's too bad that you can't enjoy your life without letting everyone know that you are the greatest mechanic.

    No, I have never claimed to be a great mechanic/technician. I do know people who are truely great in this field, I could only dream of being like them. I have to work hard all the time, study constantly, and not be afraid to take on new challenges and get to learn something new, even if that means getting beat up from time to time along the way. I know and accept that the next lesson this career is going to teach could be in the next car, that's just how difficult this work really is.


    that ever spun a ratchet- all the while demeaning anyone who has the temerity to touch anything under the hood of their personal vehicle. I'd hate being so miserable.

    Demeaning? Nobody deserves that title as much as you do.

    Someone had to step up and start putting a stop to the kinds of abuse that people who choose this career have had to deal with. You obviously aren't ready to walk away from that and want to keep bullying, no different than the very first post I ever noted from you some seven plus years ago.

  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,741
    qbrozen said:


    Obviously your problem is all those loose bolts rolling around in there. ;b

    LOL.

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