redbird_400

When would you call someone a Auto "Mechanic" and when does someone reach this point that earns them the title of simply being in that classification? The dictionary might say "one who repairs automobiles" ok so adjusting your timing may fit the dictionary's term but what about opinions from others? I tell people that dont know much about engines about repairs that I have to make or have had made on my car and they ask me if I am a mechanic. I dont beleive that I have earned that name yet but I wont doubt the abilities that I may have. From their point of view they see someone who knows a great deal more then them and classify them as a mechanic in their mind. From my point of view I see people on these boards that know a great deal more then myself and I classify them as a mechanic, not myself. So in your opinion, what does it take to become an Auto Mechanic?

Scheister

to me, someone who works in a shop doing repairs or is ASE certified... now this doesnt mean they are a GOOD mechanic.

Difflock

I would call someone an Auto Mechanic if they are actually employed at a shop where they do carry out all manner of servicing and repairing cars. (Yes, I realise that it can be amazing how some "mechanics" get the job in the first place... )
I would think that they have gained some formal automotive qualifications from a recognised institution or college.

Cheers,
Mark.

ede

to me it's partly job title. you can go to school to be a doctor, engineer, or mechainc and i tihnk you'll always be one regardless if you're working as one or not. my job title is engineer but the reality is i'm more of a mechanic or machinist than anything else. the certification is nice and has some meaning but i wouldn't let ASE certification be the defining factor.

MrDude_1

im asked that all the time "are you a mechanic?"

my usual answer is "no, im more of a gearhead".. or "no, i just like cars" or something of that nature.


the diff to me is that if i say im a mechanic, im implying that im paid to do this kind of stuff.. and im also implying i work on any cars.. unless its family, or a really cool car, im not touching it.. lol. last thing i want is someone to ask me to fix their car... or listen to "that noise it makes"

blyth18md

I hear in todays world we're moving away from the term mechanic towards the word "technician". Then again my instructor is no longer supposed to call the shop a shop, but a "learning lab".

He likes to say he is training us to be "highly skilled, highly paid technicians"...as apposed to a mechanic. I guess it does sound a little more dignified.

redbird_400

I like the sound of that

redbird_400

yea, I guess this comes from a timeline of where we move from mechanical controlled engines to computer (higher technology) controlled engines.

Stekman

The shop I'm at we're refered to as "Automotive Technicians" rather than mechanics.

I like "gearhead."

wellington

im know as ''that guy who has oil stains and rusty car parts in his driveway''.

i swear im gonna clean them up.

montesa311

actully i feel mechanic fits someone who works on cars and has the "knowldge" to get-r-done. theres difrent kinds of mechanics, techs, and so on-- 1.st we have a person who works on cars for a living at a shop i feel he has earned the full title of mechanic! the weekend warior wile maby "close to" in parts knowldge or maby even more, would be called a shadetree. Now both of these can be broken down into catigories... for the mechanic that does it for a living you have your respictible honest car guy mechanic, your screw grandma outa a 100 bucks for blinker fluid and a new flux capisitor mechanic.... as for the home mechanic we have the suit and tie during the week\car buff extradinair, then we have car buff\mr. fix it, moving farther down the list we have mr. damit its gota be the green electricol fuse thingy-ma-bob guy, and even farther down the list we have the kid in high school who owns a h.o.n.d.a....
techs are basicly listed in the same way... again with hondas on the bottom

rx7speed

amen to that

ASE cert from what I have seen around here means
All s**t exploded
least when you get it back from them.

but oh well you get some good ones and some bad ones

rx7speed

kinda like when I worked at the grocery store I was a certified grocery engineer expert. AKA bag boy

rx7speed

hey man it doesn't always work that way.
I started out with a camaro and I thought that thing was king stuff, the fastest car around and that I could do just about anything with it. I really didn't know a whole lot at first
but now that I own my honda I know more now then I did way back then and could do a lot more work on the car. then I could with my camaro

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

From Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition:
mechanic (n) 1 : a manual worker : ARTISAN
2 : MACHINIST; especially : one who repairs machines

"Mechanic" is generic. "Automobile mechanic" refers to one who repairs the mechanical portions of automobiles, or who does the manual labor. Since less and less of what ails a car these days is actually "mechanical", "technician" has come into vogue.

red90bird

let me see, my job title say "diesel mechanic", and yes while I work on big trucks (and when I can my car) I don't think I can really call myself a mechanic/technician yet. my definition of a mechanic is: someone who can do almost any repair without having to ask any questions.
in other words I've only been out of tech school for about 4 months, and I have alot (and I mean alot) to learn; so until someone comes up to me and says "my truck is broke" and I can say "no problem" I don't consider me a mechanic.
anyway maybe I'm just tierd and rambling. I'm going to bed...

CrazyHawaiian

I call someone a mechanic if they get paid to fix cars. If people ask me if I'm a mechanic I tell them no, even though I can do trans/engine swaps, rebuild suspension/brakes, etc. I do alot of my own work, but there are times I get stuck and then a machanic needs to take a look.

blue86iroc

iTrader: (2)

I agree with the notion that a "mechanic" is one who repairs something mechanical (cars, or airplanes, or trains, etc.) for a living. I think that "mechanic" and "knowledge of a mechanic" are two separate things -- provided that the mechanic knows what he's doing.

I knew a guy that used to be a "petroleum transmission engineer." In other words, he pumped gas .

88 350 tpi formula

iTrader: (9)

well more and more the shops hire any tard that can hold a wrench for 2 seconds at a time (only qualification)

I used to think "some one who gets payed/understands how to work on auto's" but, the profit for a manger goes down when he has to pay some one who knows anything (or so they think) so what happens is the wrench Idea.

customers get pissed at the quality of service but, are forced to keep comming back since everyone does this now.. dealers, Ind. shops so where can they go? they can only hope that the best guy in the shop gets your car to work on or if you are lucky you know the best guy

MrDude_1

i forgot to say what my real title/job is.

if you ask me "whats my job" i say : im a computer programmer.
if you ask me "whats my Title" i say : im a Software Engineer.














if you ask me "what i do" i say : i goof off on the internet all day.
if you ask me "what am i suppost to be doing at work?" i say : Everything.

cali92RS

I guess software engineer and aerospace engineer have the same job description because thats what I get paid to do as well.

88 350 tpi formula

iTrader: (9)

jerks

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Well, this is only very marginally 3rd gen tech related, we've all had our fun, time to say, Goodnight, Gracie.