Hearted Youtube comments on Lets Drift Media (@LetsDriftMedia) channel.

  1. 25 years experience. ASE master certified.... professionally trained.. UTI graduate.... everything you said is spot on....the old timers said it used to be 50/50 door rate....the dealership then figured out to cut the times and raise the door rate....the shop gets it's money while the tech makes less.....and yes... when I found out my service advisor made more than me.... that was the final insult....no training...no formal education...no real skill.... making more than a skilled Master auto tech...then I found out the parts manager made nearly twice what tech's were hell no...I got out and started a mobile repair business
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  2. Two quick thoughts: People don’t quit bad jobs they quit bad managers. Good mechanics are problem solvers. When the boss becomes the problem…
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  3. From automotive technician to mechanical engineer, I make twice the money and dont come home unable to move from pain. Being a mechanic was rewarding in some ways but I highly recommend taking the drive you may have to learn about how these machines work and apply it to an engineering degree. It is difficult to get the Bachelors but it is far from impossible.
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  4. I went to UTI right after high school (2019) and worked on getting perfect grades and getting all the experience and tools I could get. Climbed to the top of the pool and I am now 21 y/o working at Porsche. When I was in uti I worked at a mom and pops for free because I knew experience would be the biggest advantage.
    571
  5. We lost two of our best technicians because they were told to leave if they don’t like their pay. They are now making double at another dealer and our shops a mess because we only have about 2 guys that can fix things correctly the first time.
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  6. I became a tech because I love doing air bag recalls
    484
  7. Because there are better jobs out there with better paying rates
    484
  8. I started at $16 hourly as a mechanic at a tire shop, then 1 month later, went to a dodge dealership making $25 with 40 hr guarantee... very slow because it was a new location. Then I moved and got offered $38 hourly at my current job. after 6 months im lead technician making $45 with loads of overtime. I hate trading my time for money, but now that i'm management, I get to go home and focus on my side hustle and work on customer cars or continue flipping/ restoring classics.
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  9. “It’s slow, absolutely nothing in the shop to do” said no bmw tech ever
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  10. What I like: Doing diagnosis, it’s so satisfying to go after a hard problem and solve it the first time What I hate: Customers
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  11. Did warehouse work for 16 years and was a single parent. when my daughter went off to the military I decided to take up automotive at 40 lol, quit my job, sold my house, gave a bunch of stuff away and moved to Hawaii. now I'm 45 and making more than I did at ware house work, I'm one ASE test away from master tech status and never in my life have I been happier. it doesn't matter how long you've been at a job or how old you are, do something you love. life is too short.
    412
  12. 30 year old here. I've been working on cars since I was 16. Worked construction from 18 years old until 25 years old. Went into corrections from 25 to 30. At 30 decided to go work as a mechanic at a dealership. Told them I knew how to work on anything. They started me at 12$ 3 months later got bumped to 22$ flat rate. 4 months after that asked for another raise since I was running circles around their "master techs" got bumped up to 30$ flat rate. Been working 1 year there already. I will be getting another raise after I complete their manufacture training. I do not recommend getting into this field unless you already have real experience working on cars. Flat rate is not for the weak, especially if you're not self driven and a hard worker.
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  13. I just started a couple months ago at a Toyota as an entry level tech and it’s the best job I’ve ever had, working in a dealer and the people u meet is amazing. I’ve always watched you ever since I wanted to become a tech and hopefully I can be up to your level one day. Keep it up bro
    351
  14. “How awesome does 2020 sound” that didn’t age well
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  15. "you dont need a million tools to work on cars".......glad my ol lady was in the other room when you said that 😉🤣
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  16. I’m a UTI graduate and going on 11 years as a Master Ford Technician but you’re right there’s no replacement for actual hands-on experience. I would say to anyone trying to get into the industry go to your local community college, take some basic courses, look up the best dealership or shop in your city and start wrenching. Also have a positive attitude because any career will take time for you to make money.
    334
  17. 22+ years at 1 chevy dealership, I became THE GO TO electrical tech, and eventually saw others getting better work and making better hours while I was stuck on the problems no one could fix. This dealership was plagued with not just newer greener guys getting easy hours, they had veteran techs who were in good with management getting fed. I warned mgt I wasn't happy and their response was "we don't want you to go!". 4 months later I looked around, saw the same crap and I left. The dealership I went to didn't hold me back, or pick what jobs I could and couldn't have. I tripled my pay, until a v.p. at this new dealer started tightening up and starving veteran techs like me. I stayed there a year and a half, used my vacation pay I'd just earned and left. I decided no more dealerships, no more retail, 2 were enough. I'm In fleet now, and a whole lot happier. It's not just mgt that makes or breaks the dealer, it's the automaker behind it. I believe how techs are taken care of also depends on what brand they work for. It's never too late for any skilled te h to leave the dealerships, its just a mindset. They want you to feel trapped, it's to their benefit. Good video, and good for you for going to fleet.
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  18. Spent 25 years as fleet mechanic enjoyed it so much because you could just fix whatever was broken and not have to ask permission from customer
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  19. A lot of the HVAC technicians I work with were ex-mechanics who got exactly what they wanted when they switched. Less tool cost, better hours, and the work is less laborious.
    320
  20. I agree with how independent shops and dealerships are from my experience in the last 10 years. I decided to open my own automotive shop in Huntington Beach and honestly, my first full month I made 3 times as much compared to anywhere else without any BS.
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  21. In short, don’t go lol.
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  22. You will have tons of work soon once the Supras start having electrical problems. BMW Issues
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  23. I literally quit when you uploaded this lol and the amount of stress relief I'm experiencing is mind boggling. The auto repair industry is honestly dying and I feel bad for the kids who hear shit like "there's a shortage of skilled people to work on cars." That phrase never gets elaborated on because if they followed up that statement with the reasons why NO ONE in their right mind would go to school for this shit or become an apprentice. I just got tired of all the broken promises and the reneging on agreements I've had with service managers. It's always overpromise and underdeliver and then come up with some bullshit excuse as to why. I always felt for every step I made forward I was pushed two steps back. The service manager I had was constantly bringing in people from the old dealership he worked at who were all buddies of his. So you get the fat fuck shop foreman (and is the dispatcher btw) who can't turn his own wrenches and has had an apprentice for two years (the apprenticeship is only supposed to be 6 months) make his hours for him. Then you get the golden boys and the buddies that need to be fed too. Then everyone else is fighting over scraps or getting taco'd on some bullshit car that they lose their ass on. Or you get stuck doing oil change rotates flagging .5 hoping that the fucking writers can sell shit so you can maybe turn that ticket into a 4-5+ hour ticket. Of course they never do. It's a fucking joke. I decided about a month and a half ago to go back to school so I'm pretty stoked about that.
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  24. Excellent advice! I worked as a mechanic until I was 30. I finally realized that everyone I worked for was doing great and no matter how hard I worked, I would never get ahead. So I called it quits and went back to college for Electronic Technology. I had a job with a well know company before I even graduated and made back the money I spent on college in less than 5 years. My mechanical background turned out to be just as valuable as my degree over the years with this company and they paid me well for it. I was able to comfortably retire at age 55 to enjoy my family. Look out for yourself. If it isn't working, move on.
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  25. I started at age 27 and I have a kid. I’m 28 now and I’m making about 60k as a bmw technician. And I am still in school, I went the college route to get an automotive degree. You just gotta love what you do and grasp everything you learn and show good work ethic, trust me you’ll get a raise and they won’t want to let you go!
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  26. I'm 20 and never worked on a car in my life, I got a entry level job at ford and I start today. Please keep up these informative videos man! Their pretty nice for people new to this field . Looking forward to future videos
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  27. 40 dollars to start hourly. Get paid to replace stickers and to do oil changes. You know you made it. 👏🏼
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  28. A big thing that employers don't take into account is the health risks of being a mechanic. On top of the crappy pay, the high cancer rate in this field is high. We are exposed to oil and other cancer causing agents and that isn't factored into our pay. I know too many mechanics who have had cancer
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  29. As a former technician, leaving the industry was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. I worked for an independent repair shop for almost a decade and had nothing to show for it and made maybe 2 or 3 more $s an hour than a retail clerk or fast food worker. I now pay my old yearly salary in taxes now, it’s sad. Newer cars are more complicated to work on, require specialized tools/ scanners to work on and you’re always paying tool bills every week for the life of your career. You’re basically over worked, under appreciated, under paid. Not to mention you’re exposed to all kinds of cancer causing materials like brake dust, and nasty toxic fluids, grease, oil, and antifreeze. Most of the senior mechanics I knew had at least one hernia, or were alcoholics, or were just generally miserable and complainy all the time. We basically busted our asses to line the shop owners pockets, as he would have a new super car from dodge each year, including 3 or 4 vipers, and a six or 7 car garage, all the while I couldn’t afford to rent an apartment. Unless you’re in business for yourself, and have the passion and desire to work on vehicles, this career sucks and I completely understand why people are walking away from it
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  30. Whenever I drive by a Toyota dealer the techs are leaning on the lifts lol
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  31. One thing to remember is "the grass is always greener" and every career has problems. In IT 80% of people are on adderal/ psyc meds for depression and/or anxiety, electricians spend the first decade digging trenches and climbing into 150° attics trying not to fall through the roof or get electrocuted while having rats crawl on them, plumbers obviously have some shitty days too 😂
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  32. Mechanics are definitely under appreciated! A lot of knowledge & experience is required to repair modern cars! 🚗
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  33. Thing I hate the most about being a tech, WAITERS. 🤣
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  34. I am in California, Los Angeles area. I grossed 120k. I flag a minimum of 120hrs every 2 weeks. I am lucky enough to work at an extremly busy dealer. I am a MDT for toyota, and I work on anything, one day I can be replacing a block, the next day I'll replace a headliner. I'm not scared of anything. My favorite work is diagnosing but I'll do anything. Tips for people to make more money is diagnose more, it just gets easier and easier, trust me.
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  35. The wrench knock killed me 😂😂😂😂😂😂
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  36. Started in mom & pop auto shops and never worked flat rate. I would have starved because I’m thorough and treated every vehicle I worked on as if it was my own. Eventually moved into diesel fleet. Best thing I could have ever done. Fleet is a whole different mentality. You work on the same vehicles for years, so pay attention to the details like wire wheeling bolts and applying never-seize. Always make it easier for the next guy, because the next guy may be you.
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  37. POLITICS! The #1 unspoken rule of how to gauge how your growth will be at your workplace. Great insight man!!! Pro Tip- If you borrow a tool more than 3 times from someone, you should probably buy it.
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  38. I graduated UTI from the HVAC/R program in 1999 and it cost 13K. Auto was about the same. Very happy with what I learned. Good school indeed. I see these prices now and I would never go. Community College is the route. This is sky high robbery now
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  39. I would do it again, I was a high school teacher with no experience in the automotive field... at 33 i decided to go to uti, got into the bmw program, graduated and now at 35, im a certified bmw tech and been at my dealership for a year... if you dont have time to waste go to school.. the connections are worth it
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  40. I’ve only been in the automotive field for a few years but I can tell you what stands out to me the most. There are a lot and I mean a lot of people that are good as * at working on cars but you can see it in their eyes that they hate doing it. They look miserable all the time and are assholes. Don’t even bother asking them car related questions lol.
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  41. After doing the new car dealer crap for several years, I got hired as a heavy equipment mechanic. It was OK, but I never knew what state I might be in later that day or next day. Had to keep a suitcase packed at all times because I traveled all over the southeastern part of the country working on some really big machines. Then my big break came when a huge oil company called and asked for me by name to work in R&D. I thought I was in heaven, had my own office, desk, computer, private phone, and worked in a shop that was so clean you could eat off the floors, very well lit and air-conditioned and heated. When the Snap-on truck came by I could pick anything I wanted, and everything I wanted, the company paid for everything, not to mention all the fancy restaurants that took us to for lunch, and of course they paid for that too. It was also nice to get bonus's fairly often, that amounted to several thousand dollars a year as a thank you. As far as I could see, I had reached the top for an old self taught grease monkey. It was my last 10 years of working, but at least, I went out with a bang. So hang in there, it could happen to you.
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  42. going on 9 years wrenching, I almost went to UTI but my single mom couldn't afford it. After doing some college, I started to wrench, started from the bottom, and got as much knowledge from every person I met. Eventually, I got good enough knowledge to get into a dealership (not as a lubie) and took advantage of the free ASE certifications and the manufacturer-specific training, again while learning as much as i can from every single person I meet. Now I'm out of the shop, working for a tech line for a domestic manufacturer working with hybrid systems diagnostics.
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  43. To each their own... but that cart stresses me out. Lol
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  44. I heard Scotty kilmer talked him out of bmw and back to Toyota
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  45. Everybody is replaceable but at the same time your tool box has wheels for a reason, know your worth. Don't ever think you're obligated to stay at a toxic work environment.
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  46. Yo yo yooooooo. Literally started from a valet from UTI. WORKED my way to tires tech and then apprentice tech and then 5 years later became a level 1 BMW master tech. It does t matter what route you take. Do you and SHINE!!!!
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  47. Love the OSHA approved footwear!
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  48. I completed the head gasket replacement on my '13 prius using this video as reference. Can confirm this guy knows his shit. Thanks for the detailed video!
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  49. I just left an Infiniti dealership about 3months ago and switched to diesel heavy duty fleet. Absolutely the best choice. I’m still young, the dealership had a lot of favoritism, and the service writers had their favorites so when there was a short amount of work only some got fed. And mechanics are doctors. We fix vehicles and machines so people can get places, and things can get built. The pay has to reflect that sooner or later otherwise there won’t be much new mechanics out there
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  50. Did flat rate for 8 years and I loved it made great money but having a family changed that for me. I went on the hourly side and never looked back. I like not stressing about how much I’m going to make this month
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