nfenwick

I have recently become unemployed and am concidering a career change. I have a question for the Toyota mechanics on this board. How does one become a Toyota mechanic. Does Toyota have a mechanics school like VW, or do you just wait for an opening at the local dealer? What are the propper channels to go through? Thanks in advance for any information.

Columbus, Ohio

rimpainter.com

Your local CC should have a vocational program. I think they are called PACT. It takes about 2 years of school, during which you are an intern at a dealership. Basically, a dealership will sponsor you in hopes that you work for them eventually...plus it's a tax write-off for them.

Best of luck. I almost did it, but I couldnt stand the naked chick on the toolbox attitude that I encountered. Its just not me.

(Not all techs are like that)

CTB

Toyota's program is called the T-Ten Program. You can find information about it at Toyota's website.

SLC Punk

There is an actual Toyota mechanic program. Its called the T-Ten.

I was going to enroll in that program after i graduated from High School, but I got a scholarship to the Ford ASSET program. I learned a lot about the new emission controll systems, and I am Ford certified in drivability, brakes, emissions, and suspension. The cool thing is that you get to work on brand new cars!

Weber State University has the T-Ten program in Utah, and Salt Lake Community College has the Ford ASSET program.

I tried the mechanic thing for a year and found out it wasn't for me, so that's why I am at the U of U.


Good luck!

EDGE

I went to Licoln Technical Institute for Automotive Technology, when I went it was like 13 Grand, right after highschool, something like 13months.

They give you the whole BS and run down, when you finish this 14 month program your gauranteed a job in a dealership making at least 14 an hour, but as time progresses I realize that they don't find you a job and 14 an hour is a dream, maybe 8 or 10 and hour if your lucky.

Basically if you want to be a tech and you know the basics, 1st you got to find a dealership that is hiring, sure they advertise that 60k tech are needed but honestly depending on the area and type of dealer it may be hard to find a job you want, usually BMW, Lexus, Mercedes Benz, and any other upscale dealer has waiting list of guys just waiting to get in the door, the Ferrari/Maserati dealer only hires you if you eat, sleep and crap what they make, plus you better be experienced.

If you really want to start fixin cars, realize that you don't work on new cars, new cars mainly just need oil changes, thats how the schools pull the kids in, you work on older cars that are 3 years or 30k plus miles on them are what you focus on.

Japanese dealers you do a lot of just general maintenance, 15/30/45 services plus other stuff but the japanese cars are rock solid compared to the German and Domestices.

German dealers you will realize these cars are made to wear out and you will finally realize why they offer included maintenance up to 50k and why they are high maintenace cars plus you will get the dude who comes in and wonders why his S430 is not as fast as an S500 same thing with guys who want their 325 to perform like 330:pat: also take note that guys who work on German cars drive Japanese cars

Domestic dealers run hot and cold, while you change the oil and filter on some kids Mustang with no problems for 100k you could turn around and be pulling the engine out of F-150 with 5000 miles on it cause it makes weird noises and bogs:pat: some of the cars wear prematurely and some don't, one week in any Caddy or Lincoln dealer and you will question the sanity of people and how they drop 50k + for these cars when they literally fall apart.

Now if you read all that decide what cars you wanna work on and go fill out an application but talk to someone in charge also keep returning to the dealer and asking do I have the job, tell them your looking at a career change and if you like the job your hoping they will move you up, eventually they will send you to training classes, tell the guy your willing to work for free, now they can't actually do that for insurance purposes but the guy will realize how serious you are.

When I first started I washed cars then went to oil changes and progressed from their, if you know the basics then you don't need to take a course at the local CC cause thats what they will teach you is how to change oil.

You will be watched and a good master tech that has all his certifications and is not an a-hole will tell you step by step how to do certain jobs.

Just a heads up, techs are cool but their a-holes and their is always the guy everyone hates and will give you a hard time, your boss may or may not be cool but one day all is good and the next day it's like hell.

Max pay you can make is 60k a year and that the ceiling, most high end manurfactures don't want techs making more than that, although 80-100 is possible but you must have speed and skill on your side.

Lastly my class of 140 guys who went to tech school, probably 5-10 are still techs and half of them are looking at career changes, also remember you can be a parts counter guy.

Im no longer a mechanic, the stress level and pay was not worth it, Im now in Network Marketing

Vrooooom

how much do these top mechanics make if they decide to open up their own little "mom and pop" auto shop?

EDGE

These newer cars have a mind of their own, my friend who is a service writer says people bring their cars back weekly cause of the electronics

I would sell BMW's to but I just can't do that, you basically have to contribute your whole life to selling cars, several of the salesman at the BMW place make 150k but practically live their.

EDGE

I can't speak for anyone who decides to open a brand new shop but I do know of 1 guy who owns a shop and he does work for several dealerships around him but mainly focuses on oil changes and tires, plus general tune up but his business is mostly all older cars, anything new is usually minor oil changes or state inspections, don't know what he makes but the whole family works their and he lives in million dollar home, he also sells cars.

My tire and alignment guy does his work in a back alley and has been their for over 100 years, he does it for the cash I think when he retires the buisness is gone cause he does not want his kids doing that back braking work it's possible he might sell it, what him and his brother make I don't know but all their tools are SnapOn, the alignment lift is pretty pricey, his alignment machine is top of the line and he has a million dollar insurance plan covering his tools incase he is robed cause it's not in a good area.

A teacher I knew at tech school actually had his own business but shut it down cause their over head was killing them, he said the lifts cost at least 20k and you need several, you need experience techs not kids who can change oil, guys who have 20 years of turning wrenches plus you have to pay them even if your not making money, tools like air compressors, oil tanks, buying a ton of parts and storing them etc... the rent on the building, insurance for everything, it's just several hundred thousand to start and then you got to advertise for customers, he said are you prepared to work for the next ten years 24/7 and possibly just brake even, that is why they got out, him and his brother.

One of my other teachers worked in a shop that caught fire and all his SnapOn tools warped or distorted and when he went to trade them in they said no deal, $100,000 dollars worth of tools thrown in the garbage, he eventually got an insurance settlement and now only buys CraftsMan cause when he took his melted together tools back to sear they said find what you need The fire was started accidentally by the roofing company but between the techs and customers who lost their cars cause they where in the building the shop and roofing company went out of business after paying all the lawsuits, hence why he is now a teacher.

Most of the shops that are in place have been their for years, new ones come along but who's to say how long they last, I know the AutoZone has put more then a few mom and pop auto stores out of business, several of the overpriced F&F stores did not have a chance.

Maybe I said to much but when will I ever have a chance to say it again if you do open a shop do it in a poor area where people can't afford new cars, any successful shop owner I know has his business in an area where the cars are 10 years old and anything new is 5 years old with 70k on it. People without money buy cars why you find dealerships in wealthy area, people with no money fix their cars.

Oh Yeah and find a partner

Los Gatos?

Hey,

I am going to start school for automotive technology & management at penn tech in fall 2004. I am not focusing specifically on Toyotas (although I hope to work on 4Runners/trucks/supras/celicas ) I am mainly doing this program because it is a 4 year B.S. degree. I will learn how to work on cars and also the management aspects of the business. I'm hoping to turn this education into a career customizing cars and trucks. I hope I never have to work at a dealership. After school I hope to get a job working in the management sector, possibly for Toyota if I can. I'll do the corporate thing for a while, then hopefully turn around and open my own shop with a friend or two. I want to do car performance, audio, and video. If you really want a career change, and love cars (Toyotas) you should think really hard about what you would do every day even if you weren't paid. I know what I'd do, so I'm gonna put my ˟˟˟˟ to the grindstone and make it happen. You aren't gonna do anything working at McDonald's staring at cars out the window....

HiLux_1990

Well said! That's some good advice there peoples...

BruceTS

A word of advice, if you really like working on your own vehicles, don't do it for a living, you'll get burned out! I'm a certified master tech and left the business 15 years ago, it's only recently, that I've started to enjoy working on my own toys again. I switched careers mostly because of $$$, back then I was making 30K a year max. now I average 80K as an operating engineer.

SLC Punk

I agree, I really hated working on other peoples cars!!

I also was promised by the program heads a starting wage of $35k a year and going up from there. When I interned at a Lincoln/Mercury dealership, some of their mechanic's that had been working there for 5+ years were making just over $25k. The shop forman was making $45K a year and had been working there for 10+ years.

Its hard work and wages are only fair (for my tastes anyway)

nfenwick

Wow! Thanks for all the information guys. It is a lot to think about. I really appreciate everybodies input. Thanks again.