Something that can be forgotten is that there is not just one type of mechanic.

In fact, there are many types of mechanics. With the way automotive transportation has exploded in popularity, mechanics need to have focuses to treat all the types of transportation. Whether this is working on everyday cars to working on large heavy duty rigs, they all fit under the mechanic umbrella.

So, let’s find out what types of car mechanics and other mechanics are out there!

What Types of Mechanics are There?

     General Automotive Mechanic

For starters, service technicians will encounter a vast amount of different repairs. So, they should be extremely knowledgable with both electronic and mechanical components of a car. The mechanical components include engines, brakes, steering systems, drive belts and transmissions. In order to actually complete a repair, auto mechanics need to be good with wrenches, lathes, and more than ever before, computerized diagnostic tools. There are many ways to gain this training. In order to become a mechanic you can either gain formal training through mechanic school or an apprenticeship, or learn as you go!

The world of automotive technology is ever-changing. Today, it is transforming into a more computerized industry than ever before. Mechanics today have tools at their disposal that would seem like science-fiction to mechanics in the past. Therefore, mechanics need to have a great understanding of computers and be comfortable operating them. The future of the automotive repair industry is changing but it will not go away.

     Diesel Mechanic

Diesel mechanics will work on many vehicles that are used for public services. For example, many firetrucks and ambulances run on diesel engines. This ensures that they are on the road more often as reliable vehicles. On top of that, diesel mechanics get to maintain many different vehicles used for construction such as bulldozers, cranes, and trucks. Some boats and power generators even run on diesel engines! So, of all the types of mechanics, diesel mechanics get to see some of the most variety. 

     Small Engine Mechanics

As a small engine mechanic, you have the opportunity to repair a multitude of mechanical, fuel, and electrical issues in an engine. In order to complete these repairs, small engine mechanics need to be comfortable using wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers. Along with these, many of the more complex repairs will need detailed diagnostics which will come from running computerized diagnostic tests. Small engine mechanics can work on a variety of engines. Often working on either motorcycles, boats, or other outdoor power equipment. 

     Heavy Equipment Mechanics

Many children dream of operating or working on huge construction trucks and equipment, you can make that a reality as a heavy equipment mechanic. Many of the vehicles heavy equipment mechanics work on are in farming, construction, industrial, and even railroad transportation. Because of this, these mechanics get to work on many different types of equipment. Therefore, heavy equipment mechanics can expect to maintain engines, hydraulic systems, and electrical systems. In order to maintain those mechanical components, the mechanics will need to be familiar with a few different pieces of diagnostic equipment, quite a few different power tools, and be skilled in welding. 

     Aircraft Mechanic

Although you do not need any certifications to work on aircraft legally, without any you will always need to be supervised by someone who does. So, it is important if you want to advance in your career to obtain either the airframe rating or power plant rating mechanic/repairman certificate from the FAA. With the mechanic certificates rather than the repairman, you will be able to perform all repairs on aircraft while as a repairman you will only be able to perform a few certain tasks.

Slush Box, Banger, Hoon, Wrench – what do all of these words have in common?

Well, you may not know any of their meanings… Even if you think you do!

When working in an auto shop, you will quickly identify new words and new meanings for common words. This can be confusing upon entry into a new work environment. So, we are here to put some of the most common and confusing car terms slang that aspiring auto mechanics should become familiar with. Learning this automotive slang will help while you are in auto mechanic school, an apprenticeship, or starting your first job as a mechanic.

Let’s dive in and learn some car lingo slang!

Automotive Slang for Aspiring Mechanics

Turbo Lag

Oil Burner

“That’ll Buff Right Out”

Gas Can

Tuner

Pickup

Ricer

Aftermarket vs. OEM

Knock or Detonation

LOFR and TPMS

“I think I chose the wrong college…”

All of us have had this thought crash into our minds. When that happens, many of us are not sure what to do. Fortunately, there can be a successful plan that will put your concerns at ease. Whether that means you need a major change or a school change is unique for your situation. Our goal is to open the door for you to understand whether you need to transfer colleges or not. If a college transfer is in store, you may be wondering how to transfer colleges in the first place! So, here is a college transfer guide for those wondering how to transfer to another college.

College Transfer Guide

Wait Before You Transfer Schools

One mistake many of us make when we consider transferring to another schools is that we do not give it enough time. Think about it, we spend months, sometimes years trying to choose the perfect college. Then, we get there and the first few weeks aren’t what we expected. In these situations, you need to put just as much thought and consideration into transferring as you did choosing. Keep in mind, this is normal! Many students go through a slump upon arrival at college. It can be extremely difficult to adjust to the new lifestyle. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to make a sound judgement of a school before you acclimate to college life.

Pros and Cons of Transferring Colleges

Now that you have given your current college some time, it is a good idea to determine the benefits and downfalls of transferring. The second step in our College Transfer Guide involves both a pros and cons list of staying at your current college and transferring to a new one. This can be a daunting task as there can be endless amounts of pros and cons. Even though, this is an extremely important step and it will determine the following steps of how to transfer colleges.

So, where do you start?

Examine your current position and ask yourself some questions about your college experience. What do you like, what do you not like? Is your current college too close to home or too far? Does your current college have adequate instructors or curriculum? What sort of support do you get from the faculty and staff? How do you like the campus life, is there not enough going on? Ask yourself these questions and more to compile your list. Try and take yourself back to when you were making your initial college decision and see what you liked then about your current college. Are those things still true or did they turn out not like you expected?

Return to the List

One good tip on creating an extensive pros and cons list is to go back to it a few times. You most likely will not be able to sit down in one evening and create the perfect list. So, work on it for a few hours then go about your day or week. When you come back to it, you will have more ideas to add. Once you feel your list is comprehensive, what outweighs the other? This will help you decide whether you should transfer to a new college or stay at your current school. If the cons of your current school are overpowering, then use this list to find a new school that excels where the other lacks.

Decide if College is for You

Something we often forget to ask ourselves is if college is the right path or not. This will be much more clear after a pros and cons list is created. You can see if you are feeling discouraged by your specific college or just college in general. Even if you are searching the web to find out how to transfer colleges, you may need to be searching for something else. If your cons are things that no college can solve, you will want to start considering apprenticeships, internships, or starting your career rather than following a college transfer guide.

Although this may seem scary, sometimes taking a semester or year off is exactly what you need. Taking a semester away from school can help you decide whether your specific college is the problem or if college in general is not for you. You should take this time to clear your head and determine what you truly want to. When taking a semester off, it is extremely important to have a plan in place. It will do little to no good to take a semester off to just sit on the couch. You should get a job, travel to a new country, learn a new skill, just do something! Then, make sure you have a specific timeline. Go into the time away from school with a deadline to make a decision.

So, if you are going to take just the spring semester off, you should be enrolling in a new college, starting your career, or beginning other career training that summer. Without a specific deadline, you could look at the calendar and see that you spent the last 3 years trying to decide which is best. A deadline helps you stay focused and make better decisions.

Research Potential Colleges

Once you have decided that you want to continue in college but need to find a new school, you will need to do extensive research. This can be much easier than your initial college search as you will have a better idea of what you want in a school. So, look at the downfalls of your current school, then find a school that fixes all of those things. There are many things to consider when transferring. It is important that you get connected with an academic advisor at the schools you are researching. They will be able to help you figure out what the transfer situation will look like.

How to Transfer Colleges: Things to Consider

• Major – Make sure that the college you are considering has the major you want to pursue
• Instructors – It can be very helpful to get in touch with the instructors at the college to see if they would be a good fit
• Cost – You will want to think about the cost of leaving your school and going into a new school
• Credits – One major cost factor is whether your credits will transfer, contact the school to see what courses you will need to retake
• Financial Aid and Scholarships – Again, work with your college advisors to see what your financial aid will look like after a transfer
• Pros and Cons – Look back to the pros and cons of your last college, ensure that the new one does not make the same mistakes

Why Online College?

There are so many things that can keep us from attending a traditional school. Whether you are a full-time mom, share a car with your siblings, or simply need to work while attending college. All of these and so much more can stop us from enrolling into a ground-campus program. Only you know your exact situation, so think about what is holding you back.

Some situations demand a remote or online solution. Fortunately, we live in a time where we can learn almost anything from the comforts of our own homes. This is where online college can step-in to save the day and it is with thousands of students. With pros such as flexibility, price, furthering certain personal skills, and others, online college can be an attractive option. Keep in mind though, there are downsides like minimal social interaction, elongated program times, risk of scams, and more.

So, is online college good? Here we will look at all of the pros and cons of online college:

Types of Online College Programs

Before you begin comparing online and traditional programs, you should first see if being a mechanic is for you. Then, it is important to address differences between online programs. Here we will look at the two types of online college programs before looking at the pros and cons of college.

A hybrid will mix between online courses and ground courses. Each school and even programs will structure these differently. Some may have strict online courses and ground courses while some may blend online and traditional within the same course.

Pros of Online College

Flexibility of Course Schedule

Perhaps one of the biggest draws to online college is the flexibility it provides to students. Whether you live far from the closest school, are often traveling, or work a full-time job, online courses are always there for you. So, you can do your classwork while you are at a coffee shop in the middle of nowhere or at 2:00am in the comfort of your home. Whatever your situation, online college is accommodating.

Learning Self-Discipline

Something that can be taught in traditional college but is extremely prevalent in online college is learning self-discipline. Without self-discipline, your degree will get nowhere. For example, if you are in a program that allows you to go at your own pace, you could end up taking courses much longer than you would in a traditional program. This will not only cost you more money, but it will inhibit your learning. So, to be successful you have to have discipline.

Things to Consider for Online College

• Accreditation, Accreditation, Accreditation. You must make sure that the school you are planning to attend online is accredited. Otherwise, you can waste years and thousands of dollars on an education that will get you nowhere.
• Beware of scams like diploma factories. There are countless schools on the web that are easy to get a degree if you pay the right price. These are not accredited schools and your diploma will simply be a piece of paper.
• Do not brush off reputation. Reputation is given to certain schools for a reason. Most reputation is legit so keep this in mind. If a school is solely an online school, they might not be super trustworthy. Make sure you do your research!
• Will you have access to actual humans? Something many do not consider when looking into online college is what interaction you’ll be able to have with real people. It is important for a school to have actual people available to you!

Should Mechanics take Online College?

So, our recommendation is to only take online college for mechanic school if it is accompanying an apprenticeship or some sort of hands-on training.

Without hands-on training, mechanic school online will be extremely difficult and you may not learn much. So, if you are starting an apprenticeship and wanting extra theoretical learning, online college may be for you. This will allow you to be an apprentice during the day and take classes from home at night. A great option for an aspiring mechanic!

What does an auto mechanic do?

So, here we will take a deep dive into the following 4 basic job duties of an auto mechanic:

Customer Service

Routine Maintenance

Although there are some situations where a customer comes in, tells you the problem, you pop the hood and know with one glance what the issue is, this does not always happen. In fact, that is quite rare. Therefore, one of the most essential basic job duties of an auto mechanic is problem solving and diagnostics. Part of this comes from committing to your education and learning as much as you can about automotive technology and the way cars work in general. Along with that, it will help to familiarize yourself with the diagnostic tools your shop has for you to use. Know your tools and your subject and you will have a great foundation! This is just the start of the answer to the question of the moment, “what does an automotive technician do?”

On top of making your job easier and quicker, being able to communicate clearly and efficiently with your customers will keep them coming back to your shop. With almost 250,000 auto shops across the nation (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics), competition is high. You need to be doing all that you can to encourage your customers to come back. Treating them with respect and care on top of high quality service can help ensure that. So, as you enter your training don’t forget to practice your personal skills as it plays a big part in our question, “What does an automotive technician do?”

Doing repairs can be complex as there isn’t always a clear answer to a problem. A customer may come in saying they heard a weird rattling or they noticed a liquid leaking from the engine. It will be up to you to first diagnose it, figure out which part needs cleaned or replaced, decide whether there are any other parts contributing to the problem, and put it all together. This takes enormous amounts of work and knowledge, do not be afraid to ask for help! This is probably the step that people think of most when they ask, “What does an automotive technician do?” Even though, this step works best when applied with all the others as well.

Whether it is a regular oil change or a transmission fluid flush, each car and product will have different timelines. Although it is ultimately up to the customer to make a decision on these, it is up to the mechanic to educate and encourage a healthy maintenance schedule. If all of your returning customers only come in for maintenance such as new brake pads or tires, they will be much happier. Being able to plan out when you will need maintenance rather than breaking down on the side of the road is essential for a happy customer.

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Alfaholics

Magnus Walker

Classic Driver

MotorTrend

What is the Kinesthetic Learning Style?

The kinesthetic learning style, also referred to as the tactile learning style, is often the preferred learning style for individuals who enjoy working with their hands. Therefore, if you are headed to a mechanic school, you very well may be a kinesthetic learner. Sometimes typical classroom education can be a challenge for kinesthetic learners, so we are here to help! Before we get to any study tips, it is important to know exactly what kinesthetic learning is. Houghton College defines kinesthetic learning as a “learning style that requires you to manipulate or touch material to learn.”

So, if you like to work with your hands, remember and understand things by doing them, or often find yourself tapping your foot or fidgeting in class, the kinesthetic learning style may be for you. Fortunately, most mechanic schools are tuned towards kinesthetic learners. This is because most schools will incorporate actual shop time to apply what is talked about in the classroom. Even though, tactile learners will need to make the most of classroom time in order to apply the learning best. In order to do that, follow these study tips for kinesthetic learners.

Study Tips for Tactile Learners

Teach others what you learn

The second of the kinesthetic study tips is a bit harder to do in class but great to do outside of class. If your instructor gives you space to present or do activities where you teach your classmates, take advantage. Teaching the material you are currently learning is an extremely effective tactic for hands-on learners so it is a must. If you do not get a chance in school to do it, make time outside of class to teach your family and friends. When studying automotive technology, this could mean popping the hood of your car in the school parking lot or going over a diagram at lunch time. Just be sure you engage yourself by teaching others in some way!

Experiment with different note-taking techniques

Whether you are in class listening to a lecture or reading a textbook, taking notes can help you retain information much better. While some students find note-taking distracts them, most kinesthetic learners find it helpful. One major note-taking tip is to not write down everything your instructor is saying, rather only write down key concepts. Try to create graphs and tables when you can or even translate concepts into small drawings. Incorporating all of these into your notes will really increase retention.

Be The Best Kinesthetic Learner You Can Be

These study tips for tactile learners can be taken with you throughout your entire life, not just in school. Whether you are working in your career or studying for your ASE certification tests, these will help. It is important to understand yourself and the ways you work. By understanding which ways you learn best, you can start to really grow as a student, employee, and overall individual. If you need some extra help on your way, please feel free to reach out to us! We are dedicated to getting you to grow into the mechanic you want to be.

Mechanic Job Overview

As you may know, auto mechanics are trained to repair and maintain vehicles. These range from personal vehicles such as cars or motorcycles to industrial diesel vehicles like tractors or even generators. The job itself is very hands-on while the more experience you gain the more diagnosing you will do rather than repairing. This means that you will spend a lot of time on your feet doing rigorous physical labor. We have a very extensive article to inform you on how to become a mechanic if you want to learn more. Now, let’s start looking at the pros and cons of being a mechanic.

Benefits of Being a Mechanic

There are many different advantages and disadvantages of being a mechanic, let’s focus on the positive side of the pros and cons of being a mechanic first:

Secure future in the auto industry

As vehicles become more reliable, consumers are holding on to their cars for much longer. Older cars means more regular maintenance for auto mechanics. In fact, the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy has stated that the average age of cars and light trucks has increased about 21% since 2002. Putting the average age of these vehicles on the road at 11.6 years old. Along with that, the BLS has projected 6% growth in the career from now to 2026. This is not huge but it is a steady increase, similar to the entire job market.

Platform to start own auto shop

Perhaps the hardest part about opening an auto shop is learning the technical skills as a mechanic. Once you have this down, you should consider opening your own shop. Some national auto shops have great ways for you to utilize their finances and facilities to open a shop. This lessens some of the financial toll for you and gets you on the track to earning more for doing what you love! Keep in mind, owning an auto shop will require much more interaction with clients so you will want to fine-tune your communication skills.

What do you need to do?

At the end of it all, it’s important to understand that all career paths will have their pros and cons. The pros and cons of being a mechanic are unique to the task and many are unique to the auto shop and your individual situation. Whether you are just graduating high school or looking to start your career after trade school, you will want to keep these in mind. If you need help finding the right mechanic school to jump-start your career, we can help! Head over to our contact page if you have any questions!

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Auto Repair Industry Trends

As technology advances, consumers expect fast, efficient, and high quality maintenance. Therefore, it is extremely important for you, the auto mechanic, to be aware of what is changing in the industry and what you are expected to know. Perhaps the largest technological advancement in the automotive industry is the introduction of electric vehicles. Electric vehicles impact the future of the automotive repair industry in many different ways. This article will look at how electric cars produce new auto repair industry trends while also securing the future of the automotive repair industry.

Understanding Electric Cars

In order to see how electric cars are impacting the future of the automotive repair industry, it is important to understand how they work in the first place. To start off, there are two major types of electric cars that are on the roads today. The most popular has been around for a while, hybrid-electric cars. Along with hybrids, all-electric cars are taking to the streets across the world.

Hybrid-Electric Cars

As you may know, hybrids are a mix between a traditional internal combustion engine and an electric drive-train. In hybrid-electric cars, the electric systems are used to even out the power needs in the vehicle. This allows the IC engine to focus on efficiency rather than trying to do everything as it does in an all-gas car. So, most hybrid-electric cars do not ever run on electricity alone. Instead, the two halves work hand-in-hand to create a highly fuel efficient car, especially when driving locally.

There is another type of hybrid-electric car which has a larger battery that the car can use to drive up to 40 miles off of. These are not as common but they are around. These cars are great for individuals who want a highly efficient car but need a longer range vehicle.

All-Electric Cars

As their name implies, all-electric cars have no other source of energy other than electricity. These are some of the most efficient cars to ever be driven. This does come at a cost though. When it comes to all-electric cars, consumers either have an inexpensive car with very low range or a very expensive car with comparable range to an ICE car. Along with that, all-electric vehicles can pose some challenges to auto mechanics.

This is a result of the mechanics of the cars being fun more and more by code rather than the turning of an engine. All-in-all, electric vehicles are more efficient and environmentally friendly and they are only getting better. In fact, even in states where electricity is produced in the dirtiest way, burning coal, all-electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than gas-powered.

How do Electric Cars Impact Auto Repair?

Many have speculated that electric cars are the beginning of the end for auto mechanics. This is outright wrong. Electric cars are ushering in a new generation of auto mechanics. Fixing an electric car will not require very much “dirty work” as the mechanics of the vehicles are much more accessible being spread out across the entire body of the vehicle rather than crammed into the car hood. Along with that, vehicles are getting much better at identifying what is wrong with the vehicle without any input from a technician.

Most of the “regular” maintenance required for ICE cars is non-existent for all-electric cars. For example, you can say goodbye to oil changes. Along with that, there are far fewer moving parts to an all-electric car with about 20 moving parts while ICE cars have about 2,000 moving parts. Of course, they will still need brake, suspension, and windshield wiper maintenance. Compared to all the maintenance necessary to keep an ICE car running smoothly, this is very minimal regular maintenance.

The best real-life example of how the future of auto repair will look is Tesla’s auto repair. Tesla is one of the only auto manufacturers to have an extremely large infrastructure of their own electric vehicle mechanics. Although some of it is similar to how other manufacturers train their technicians, like the Tesla START program, most of it is much different.

Auto Repair Industry Trends: Code-Powered Cars

So, most maintenance on electric cars will be more software driven. Understanding code and the relationship that software has with new vehicles will become an essential skillset for anyone working in the auto repair industry in the future. Although there will still be many different tasks to complete with your hands, auto mechanics will have more tasks that resemble a computer software engineer.

In fact, most new vehicles contain large amounts of code. With 100 million lines of code in most modern high-end cars, auto mechanics need to be fluent in this language. To put this amount of code in perspective, this is more code than in an F-35 Fighter Jet and even a Boeing 787.

What’s Next for the Automotive Repair Industry?

With about 90,000 repair locations, the future of the automotive repair industry will be much smaller. Most stand-a-lone repair shops will be wiped out as the software necessary to repair this new age of vehicles will be extremely expensive. Along with that, repair locations that specialize in oil changes will be forced to change their business plan or go out of business. This means that there will be fewer auto mechanics but the mechanics should have more training than they do today.

In the end, electric cars are still in their infancy so the long-term maintenance of these vehicles is still just speculative. It is assumed that there will be less maintenance in the long-term but nothing can be certain until the long-term has taken place. So, we have one piece of advice if you are aspiring to be an auto mechanic, never stop learning. You will need to adjust as vehicles adjust so that you can continue doing the thing you love, working on cars!

Not sure where to start?

Step 1: Obtain Automotive Technical Training

This first step to get your ASE certification is also perhaps the most broad of all the steps. For example, to gain automotive training you can go to trade school, complete an apprenticeship, or just work your way up within a specific auto shop. So, there are many ways to complete this first step but it is such an important step. Without your education, you will never earn your ASE certification for multiple reasons so it needs to be done.

If you have yet to decide what route you want to take when considering trade school or an apprenticeship, we have a great resource for you. Our article addressing the differences between trade school and apprenticeship will give you all the information you need! 

Step 2: Gain Experience

Different ASE certifications require different amounts of experience so be sure to know which test you want to take and have the correct amount of experience. This experience must be done in an auto shop although, you can receive some work experience if you received formal automotive training. Along with that, you can take the ASE certification tests before you even gain the required experience. If you do this, your test will be scored and returned, if you pass you will not receive your ASE certification until you fulfill the work experience requirement for that area. The work experience needed can be found below or here:

Step 3: Study and Take ASE Practice Test

It is important to note a few things about the official ASE practice test. First of all, they are not free. The ASE practice tests start out at $14.95 each but if you buy tests in bulk the cost will drop to $11.95 each. This is something some schools will have to offer to you or they will reimburse you for this. Along with that, if you are already in your career at an auto shop, ask your shop manager if they will reimburse your practice test costs. Along with that, there is only one practice test for each ASE certification level. So, if you take the A1 practice test twice, you will be answering the exact same questions all over again. If you would like to learn more or purchase your ASE practice test, head over to their official website.

Step 4: Take the Exam

Now you get to the fun and most important step in how to get ASE certified, taking the official ASE exam. There are 8 subject areas as part of testing for mechanic certification through ASE. These include:

• Automatic Trans/Transaxle
• Brakes
• Electrical/Electrical Systems
• Engine Performance
• Engine Repair
• Heating & Air Conditioning
• Manual Drive Train & Axles
• Suspension and Steering

​Let’s first talk about registering to take the exam. Although you can take the test year-round, there are certain registration periods throughout the year to sign up for testing. Once you register within a certain registration period, you will have 90 days to take the exam. So if you register on the first day or the last day of the registration season, you have about 3 months to complete testing. Below are the registration windows:

ASE Certification Cost

Next we get to the ASE Certification cost. Whether this is your first time getting certified or you are getting your recertification, there is a $36 registration fee. This is a single payment for the registration window. From there, each test is $43 on top of the registration fee. Keep in mind, that L1, L2, and L3 are more expensive at $86 each. When getting your recertification, there is a cap to the cost of tests taken in a single registration window of $129. Therefore, if you wanted to get recertification for every single ASE certification possible, you would only pay $129 plus the $36 registration fee. This is not true for getting your first certifications. So, if it is your first time, the ASE certification cost can be quite high. Therefore, you will want to definitely reach out to your auto shop or your trade school to see if they offer any refunds or credits. Along with that, you can apply for certain grants, such as the Future Mechanic Grant, to cover these costs. Lastly, even the ASE Institute has test refunds and credits for their tests which can really cut down your ASE certification cost.

When it comes to the actual test, you will want to call back on your schooling days and remember exactly how you test best. Everyone is different and requires different things to perform well on test day. Whether it is having a cup of coffee before or an energy drink, listening to music on the way to the test or sitting in silence, whatever works for you, do it. Khan Academy has some great test taking tips for the SAT which can be applied to your ASE certification test.