When I got into my early 40's after 2+ decades of sitting behind a desk doing IT work for a living I got to the point where something had to give. I HATED IT. Got up every day and thought "do I really need this job?", then told myself I did need the job so I dragged myself to work and sat there for 8 hours hating every second of it. Finally one day a different opportunity came up with the same company and I jumped on it. Now I've been doing building maintenance mixed with a little grounds work for about 8 years and I'm loving it. The best thing was a couple months after I made the change, my former boss from IT came out with the guy they hired to replace me and stopped me while I was mowing the grass to ask a computer question. When I started telling him where to find the settings in the group policies for the domain the new guy was just staring at me like "why is the IT manager asking the lawnmower guy computer questions, and how does the lawnmower guy know the answers". I've been laughing about that ever since
Don't get me started on group policies. It's such a convoluted mess at work that fixing one thing will break another. Theoretically, the dept. you are in should basically have everyone with the same GP. Ha. Fat chance on fixing one for an individual. "If we fix this, that will break". They are speaking the truth. They have and it did.
Yeah told wife under two years to go maybe I’ll drive a school bus. Tried of management lying about pay then making sure they have their bonus. Like John Wayne said-man speak with fork tongue
Phil, if the new guy needs instruction on group policy settings, I'd suggest they find someone else with a deeper skill set. Of course, nobody knows what all the settings do but there are tools to see what's changed from default, which he should either have on digital paper or begin to make a list of. It amazes me the sheer amount of IT troubleshooting skills that are lacking and how they can keep their company running. By the way, what's your group policy on cut grass height? 😄
@@bobweiss8682 Unless the cables kinked or came out, then you had to remove or move aside 3 or 4 cables to swing the fascia aside to get to the one broken or slipped off. 1 for the blend door, 1 for the AC control, 1 for the outside vent and 1 for the foot vents and so on. But still a damn site easier - AND you had plenty of room underneath to work with.
Yep, when I first started as a diesel mechanic, we had two wires. You pulled one to make it go, pulled the other to shut it down. When the boss handed me a laptop and said I needed it to "talk" to the engine, I knew my "time" was running short. I always talked to diesels, but I can't repeat the words I used, here.
"I can't wait to be out of this industry because it sucks! ... Often times, I wish I'd picked a different profession, folks." - Eric, I hated to hear that! Your videos have been a wealth of knowledge. Your diagnosing a problem is a lesson in logical thinking. Maybe it was a rough day, or something, but hang in there, man!
Saw a comedian talking about his POS car blew a tire. It was an oddball metric rim on some foreign car. The tire cost more than he paid for the car. His girlfriend was giving him smack about blowing a tire an totaling his car. 😅
Wait till you see how expensive Tesla parts are (and how they limit your ability to buy and program them) Of course the Tesla fans always defend them "Elon just cares about muh safety" but it should be quite clear to anyone on the outside, that it is deliberate to limit the useful life of the car, so you have to buy a new one. To prove my point. try and buy any parts for a 2010 Tesla Roadster. That's hardly an old car, but its completely unsupported and parts are almost non-existent.
I was a driveability tech for 25 years, and yes, cars are getting too complex. I worked on a 1968 Chevy C10 pickup, the heater system was so simple, a 4 position switch for the blower, off, low, medium, high, just a blower motor, a blower resistor, and switch. 2 cables, running flapper doors, heat, and defrost/floor. Stupid simple
I was driving the interstate at 75 mph last spring in my brand new Accord when the radar saw a bug or something and slammed on the brakes. I almost got rear-ended. My heart was pounding. This is a safety feature. This fall my aged mother gifted me her 2003 Honda Civic with 22000 miles. The car is like new, not a scratch in the paint and no safety nannies. Both my wife and I prefer the Civic.
Yes, we have two brand-new 2022 model Freightliner trucks, these things are insanely over-complicated with stupid stuff, all computer controlled, and yes, they too, will slow or kick off your cruise, or apply your brakes if they sense something is an impending accident. Driving one is a non-stop driver distraction with never-ending, constant collision warnings, beeps, burps, dings, chimes, rumbles and flashes in your face from the glass screen where the gauge cluster used to be. Constant problems, too. The most basic things that would last or outlast the entire truck before, have now been superseded by some "driver comfort feature" which lasted a whole 2 months before failing. I lasted a whole 8 days in the thing before I politely told the company where they could park it. Back to driving a 2016-model of something else, and never been happier driving an old "bucket". The younger guys who now drive the stupid things, even they have reached their boiling point with the complete stupidity of the systems and the utter unreliability overall. Last Friday, the owner and the maintenance manager cancelled our pre-order for 8 more of the stupid things.
We have a 2019 pilot and in winter the radar can’t read the lines in the road when it’s covered in snow and when we pass a car it slams in the breaks! Thankfully we can turn off the that “safety feature”
I had the same issue with my 2016 Maxima I don’t have anymore. I was near a train when it did happen. I assume it was the speed radar on the locomotive that caused my issues.
Yes my wife and I still daily drive 2005 Civics, Even though She also has a 2020 Civic get body work done from a deer trying to use the drivers side headlight for an escape route to deer Heaven.🤑
Doubly so for the beancounters who demand cost cuts and the designers who demand things to look "just so" requiring things to be located is sub-optimal locations.
Engineers are following their orders. My FIL was a Ford engineer. They did NOT make the decisions on how things were, they just had to make things work. It's the upper management that decides to make all these changes, mainly to cut costs, though these days also to lock out independent repair places.
ANY engineer in any discipline needs to work in the field first. Maybe then they would have a little more foresight in to the design of things. But, like someone mentioned, it's bean counters who also are to blame and guide the engineers decisions too.
Hello my names james davis and I reside in carbondale Pennsylvania...I've been watching your videos on how to fix...and gotta say I am impressed by your work.....your videos have inspired me to be the mechanic I know I could be....my dad and grandfather god rest their souls...would be proud of me...anyways thank you so much for helping me out with the vehicles I've worked on you videos have helped out alot ....thank you for all that you do....sincerely a big fan of yours....your an inspiration for alot of people out there and I'm one of them ...well hope you and the family are safe and well..
The good thing Mr. O is that you have the knowledge to work on virtually anything electrical, mechanical, digital, etc. So when your home A/C & furnace/boiler is not working you will know what to do. When your computer starts acting up you will be able to diagnose & repair it. Your skills are transferable. You can pick up & head to warmer places & set up shop (or consult, teach, work for someone else) without a problem.
My dad was a mechanic. He worked on everything from helicopters to chainsaws. When my brothers and I were growing up, he steered us away from that trade. I’m an accountant, I have a really good job and I have the same thoughts as you do. I don’t really think I was wired to be an accountant from the factory, but ended up there. I watch your channel because your line of work is so much more intellectually stimulating than bean counting.
You know… I feel ya on the career options. I got into vehicle repair as a necessity growing up poor. Loved the challenge, and then as I made more I was able to go from hack jobs to proper fixes. I made my official career change almost two decades ago, and now I’m an airline pilot. But I’ll be jiggered if I don’t just want to get away from the dog and pony show of airports, and get back to my simple garage and fix people’s cars. I guess there’s no perfect job; good jobs pay the bills though. Thanks for all the great videos, always educational and entertaining!
You could probably open a specialty shop that only works on something like air-cooled Porsches or something. Sell up the mystic of a pilot gone mechanic.
@@FishFind3000 I fix helicopters as an Army mechanic. You can make a hell of a lot more doing that than you can fixing cars for sure. I don't make much obviously, (Army pay) but we have contractors that start at 40 bucks an hour. Get your A&P and you can really branch out. into civilian, commercial and fixed wing stuff.
@@jameshalsell556 I'm an former Air Force Crew Chief who was in when they were trying an experiment of crosstraining Crew Chief's, Hydraulics, and Powerplant folks to be able to do all three jobs. When I got out, I submitted my DD214 to the FAA and immediately got my tickets to take all of the A&P tests without having to go back to school to get enough training to sit for the powerplant portion. If you want to go down that path and need to get additional training, go through a Junior College program and stay the hell away from the for profit "schools". They are only interested in your money and will charge you an arm and a leg. I had no desire to work for an airline and discovered at that time you don't make crap in GA aircraft maintenance unless you also hold an Inspection cert which requires an significant amount of time working as an A&P and recommendation letters from an Inspection certified person to get you FAA ticket to sit for the testing. You also can't really have your own shop without having an Inspection certificate, because you'll have to pay someone else to come in and sign off your work if you're just an A&P. If you like being an aircraft mechanic, then stay in the military, or talk to someone who has worked for an airline as a mechanic for a while see if you're willing to play the stupid union games. Anyway I chose to do IT, and many years later make far more per year than I would as just an A&P. I still love aircraft, but not enough to try and make a living as an aircraft mechanic! Also if you think the red tape in the military is bad, it's a cake walk compared to dealing with the FAA.
Home appliances/ white goods use to be straight forward, mechanical timers and drive belts. Now electronic control boards and user interface panels, speed sensors and cheaply made, it all became over priced junk and breaks down in three years instead of lasting 15-25 years before needing a repair. Happily retired from that profession. Do love watching and learning from your videos Eric O.
My son is a 5 year Tesla employee, the only thing an owner can do is have tires put on at an independent shop, any repairs has to go to the dealer as they don’t sell parts to anyone. He has no interest in owning one but they pay very well so he just continues on. Eric the last two videos with the human interface module explained a lot. It makes us really appreciate your skills and all the equipment you need to make it all happen.
@@joesilverbliss1721 Likewise, but diagnosing and programming are both fairly straightforward if you have the right tools and data. My probably is it is just not worth it for DIY work to buy the fancy scan tools and pay for the data subscription required.
@@LTVoyager agreed. I purchased the blue driver scanner per Scotty recommendation, for $80 ish Dollars on Amazon. Seems good for a low end scanner. That is about all I want to invest in scan tools at the moment. I don't want to invest in a high end tool since I don't know which one will work. If I could find a guy like Eric O near me I may not have purchased the blue driver scanner. It would be worth paying a guy who knows what he is doing. I do almost all car repair myself so when I do need to hire someone it is a crapshoot. Going to a dealer is an automatic $500+ bill. Do you know if DYIers can get access to reprogramming data from GM? I figure you have to pay a subscription or fee and have a programming tool. Joe
@@joesilverbliss1721 I have a Blu Driver also and it is good for simple code reading, but you can’t do half of what is required to make most repairs. I have no idea on the subscriptions as I have checked in years. I think the last time I checked it was close to $1,000 a year for a subscription. Too rich for my blood.
It isn't your fault Eric. You didn't build it, break it, or buy it. Car repairs for modern vehicles are crazy complicated. SMA is one of the good ones. Fair and super talented!
I grew up in the automotive industry. My father was an autobody repairman and I took an interest in it at an early age. I was eager to learn so he taught me everything that I needed to know and I was repairing and painting cars when I was 15 years old. We expanded the shop at home and I worked at a dealership and at a few different shops in the city. After graduating from high school I went to university to study Engineering. I didn't have a lot of money when I was young but working as an autobody repairman during the summers allowed me to buy a new car and to pay my university expenses. I recently retired and my years as an Engineer / Project Manager were ok, but there was a lot of stress in my life. I worked for some very large companies that paid a reasonable salary, but they expected a lot in return. Being an autobody repairman was a dusty and dirty job, but most of the time I was my own boss and there wasn't a great deal of stress. I knew what had to be done and how to do it, and I worked long hours to make as much money as possible, but I never felt mentally burnt out. Looking back I don't have any regrets, but I doubt that there are very many perfect jobs, and if there are any, they probably didn't have any openings :-). There are more important things in life than working, so we just need to keep everything in perspective and take pleasure in the simple things in life. All of my greatest achievements are now just fond memories.
It's probably safe to say every man here at one time or other has thought - "how the hell did I end up doing this for a living".... Its usually starts as something your good at and enjoy, but after so many years everything gets boring or mundane... We all have "Those" days... Regards to you SMA...
Funny......I missed my calling. I've always been good at it and went in a different direction. Now I find myself nearing retirement and dreaming of opening a shop or doing something automotive because I'm so drawn to it. I'm the office mechanic......when it breaks everyone comes to me for help. I love it and I find myself spending hours every week learning as much as I can.
Had that thought several times a day. Not often boring, but sometimes jobs I really didn't want to do, but had no choice if I wanted to keep my job. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though, and I retired 2 years ago. I still get my hands dirty and do the problem solving, but it's on my old bikes and when I choose now.
Used to go to work and just sit with my head in my hands and wonder why! Glad I’ve now took early retirement. My son has the right idea, he just keeps looking for new opportunities!
I went through 4 VW Beetles growing up, all with the same engine. I'd drive one until it rusted out, then swap the engine over to a slightly better body, and continue down the road. 20 minutes to swap out an engine. Can't imagine that nowadays.
That failure really reminds me of some of the problems I faced repairing electronics. Typically bad solder connections on a voltage regulator. or connector pins aka "ring cracks". This is very likely because it sits on top of the heater , with extra heat and the vibration from the fan, engine, & road.
Exactly. What better place for electronics than the engine bay? Why scatter the modules all over the car like they do? You’d think they’d rack mount them in some dry, accessible space. I’ve got them on the firewall, under the seats, behind the glovebox and like this vid, on top of the heater core box.
When they started putting plastic in the engine compartment and replaced dipsticks with sensors I said why complicate things so much. They just quadrupled complexity for no viable reason.
The reasons were simple planned obsolescence and locking you into the dealer for reprogramming(even if you are independent you have to subscribe and pay them per vehicle) Very viable if you are the dealer not so much if you are the customer
Those are my preference too, with the exception of OBD1 stuff. I’m perfectly happy with old carbureted engines as well as electronic multi-port fuel injection. But the in between years of throttle body injection, burning eprom chips, and practically useless data ports are not my cup of tea.
Those are generally the BEST bang for the buck Had good quality engine management computer system that was easy(relatively) to diagnose and none of the overly expensive unneeded CAN(computer area network) controllers/sensors I have 6 vehicles from 87 to 99 won't sell any of them EVER I have a 1999 Saturn SW with just under 300,000 miles That one will need an engine rebuild soon BUT that costs less than the downpayment on the JUNK made since 2010
Career change: I spent most if my life as a licensed Electrician and hold an a/c license. I could always make a living there. For fun and extra retirement money, I operated a small auto repair shop. Always loved cars and mechanics. I had a lot of good mentors and they’re still good friends today. Been to some of the GM training for EFI. Not too bad at diagnostics either. No Eric O but patient and careful. No jerkoff repairs. Mostly easy stuff like HVAC, electrical repairs, brakes and suspension. Finally, I became a state certified motorcycle instructor. Great job and always loved bikes. Completely retired now, hobby shop and free advice for friends and family. Keeping them from being ripped off by the unscrupulous in the repair business. Do a little electric and ac repair for friends. Motto for life: When it ceases to be fun, I cease to be doing it. Life’s too short to hate your work.
I do lament for the days past. I was a "motor head" keeping my pos going litterly under a shade tree. In the words of Scotty of startrek and I paraphrase...the more complicated it's made. The easier it is to get messed up. Good diagnosis as usual, thanks for sharing with us.
I feel your pain brother. I'm 59 yrs old and have been working on my own cars since I was 15, my dad was an auto mechanic his whole life and he taught me to fix my own vehicles. Man, how I miss the 70's vehicles and even up through the 80's and mid 90's. These new vehicles are just really a nightmare on some of the component access. They have crammed too much crap into the tight spots. Keep up the good fight, I love your videos.
Needlessly complicated designs make for more failure prone product which makes me want to avoid being the customer for such products. There is a beauty in simplicity. I appreciate your diagnostic skills, you're a trustworthy mechanic.
Eric, if I have to bring my car to a mechanic for service, I hope they are as detail oriented and knowledgeable as you are. With your work ethic, you would excel in any profession. Great video!
You're not the bad guy. You're still doing the repair honestly and for a far more reasonable price than the dealer would. Don't feel bad about what you are doing. An honest mechanic should stand proud. God bless
This is what scares me about buying a newer vehicle. I have a 2011 Escape it does what it needs to do. When you need a several hundred dollar module to work some buttons or your heat / AC there's something seriously wrong. To me it's all a money grab from the auto makers. Knowing that these expensive modules won't last 10 15 years and you will have to replace them if you want something basic like hot or cold air. Fricking redonkulus.
Exactly. I had a 2001 Escape that was so easy to fix. Now I have a 2007 Suburban. 😵💫 fuel pump for Escape was accessed under back seat... I changed it by myself. For my Suburban? I dread it ever needing done.
@@oliverokk55 I have the 3.0 too. I assume they changed the intake design for 2011-12 The mechanic said didn't have to remove mine like I thought they would have to.
Thank you SMA! For everything you've taught me. I left one career path to do automotive repair because of one of your videos using the single channel scope.
My theory has been for some time that vehicles will someday become impossible to repair. I look back on 70 years of driving and all the things that used to be repaired but now you replace them as a unit. Imagine today replacing the brushes in a starter, heater blower motor, windshield wiper motor, seat motor, or window lift motor. GM used to list brushes and other parts in the parts catalog.
I used to maintain a fleet of vans with tail-lifts here in the UK. When the brushes in the tail-lift motor wore out, the only part the manufacturer sold was a complete motor and hydraulic pump assembly, at a cost of £450, around $600, and this was 10-15 years ago. After searching around auto electrical suppliers, I found there were some Ford starter motor brushes which could be filed down to fit and soldered in, at a cost of £2.50 ($4) and about an hour's work, and they lasted as long as the originals.
I'm so glad you chose to be a mechanic. It would have been brutal for 1/2 million people to sit at there computers for hours on end watching proctology videos !!
Definitely long for the days of cable operated heater controls and the engine management system consisted of a timing light, screwdriver to adjust the carburetor, and once a year replace, cap, rotor, points and condenser. Air, fuel and oil filters, and a bit of greae here and there. Oh and crank up windows and maually adjustable outside mirrors.
Makes me appreciate the 1970 C10 I own, heater is simple, or just check the cable wire slider, or the vacuum assist valve on inner fender. Careers have been similar, doing software coding, troubleshooting, Modern programming code structured, nested, similar to all the cables and black boxes. Guess that is why I enjoy restoring the older vehicles, where engineering was simple, built to last and holes lined up in the case of the heater sliders from dash bottom to take it loose, then next set of hols allowed ash tray removal, then to radio at top.... Hats off to the WWII vets who went into automotive engineering after the war. built to last.... Keep up the great videos, I enjoy your methodology and learning new skills.
I took my 02 f150 in to the stealership to fix my heater and they charged me over 1000.00 to change the blend motor😣 they had to take out the dash. Your customers are blessed to have you!
I was a control room operator in a manufacturing plant, and I had 8 computer monitors and a couple 'puters that ran pretty much the whole plant. The system was called an HMI with some separate PLCs. Human Machine Interface. I can't imagine what you'd need an HMI in a vehicle for, this and the Buick video are the first times I've heard of these being in a vehicle. I was a mechanic in the late 80s and 90s and went to GM school for all their certifications including computer command control (before there was ASE certs) and the way the computers and circuits were designed seemed fine, even overcomplicated but definitely provided a better way to have efficient running motors. It's getting ridiculous how overcomplicated these cars are getting. Lol
40 years ago the owners manual told you how to fix most things. Now the owners manual tells you don't drink the fluids. Hell most cars aren't coming with spare tires and tire tools any more. It's truly become a sad sad world. I'm reminded of an old cartoon i saw somewhere i think in MAD magazine. Showed advanced society they couldn't move they were dependent upon the machines. Then oneday the machine that fixes the machine broke and everyone died
Funny, But True! Considering Tesla won't let you work on your own car because it's their proprietary engineering, well... We have failed. Soon, like MS Office, we'll pay car companies per mile. Like a lease, but you never own it.
Back when I was a kid I can remember when your radio couldn't set a DTC. The good ol' days. Always learn something from your videos, thank you for bringing us along.
I have retired from that industry since 2016 after 37 years of turning wrench for a GM dealer. I DONT" MISS IT ONE BIT!!!!!!!. I understand your frustration entirely. It doesn't matter what manufacturer one may have or work for, their all a PITA!! But don't tell anyone, but there was satisfaction in fixing something that was hard to diagnose or missed by someone else. Helped build customer relations and confidence for yourself and the dealer.
I miss the days of the 300 straight 6 powered F-250 ('85) when you could climb into the engine bay and change spark plugs. Or when you could pull the transfer case in the driveway with very basic hand tools and rebuild it in the garage.
like your down to earth videos. As a dealership tech for over 40 years I was very happy as a mechanic, the more that I became a computer tech the less I enjoyed my job. Knowing the challenges of keeping with constant changes as a gm tech I admire someone who can keep up the challenges of all makes.
Man on 65 I retired in 2004 from doing dealership work most of my life I became a Ford special tech worked on variable Venturi carburetion for two years when they put them pieces of junk out and this new stuff is driving me crazy I found your channel oh a few years ago I think I’ve watched every video you made and it’s taught me so much Eric and I can’t thank you enough because I get this stuff in my yard all the time I consider it a hobby now I do it when I want to And if I don’t want to I don’t do it and send them packing… But I do miss setting the points on a car and adjusting the carburetors to make them run like a dream and fixing the heater boxes with cables popping in and out a radio in five minutes with two knobs
I still drive a 1977 chevy K5 blazer and a 1990 toyota pickup. I will never drive a brand new vehicle due to the complexities. Great video Eric O, we appreciate all your content.
I miss the days we could swap out a carburetor for a Holly high CFM or replace a timing chain in my front yard in a couple of hours. Keep up the good work. I learn a lot from you.
Every winter I keep asking myself why in the heck don't I get out of Trucking, then at the end of the week I look at my paycheck and remember why I left a GM Dealership after 10 years and that was 16 years ago!!! Hang in there Eric and keep your humor or you'll go crazy thinking about it!!!
Just take it easy Mr. O! U just keeping makin vids and all will be well😂 sorry ya havin a bad day on career choice, but just think how blessed you r with ur own shop, utube and a great family! God is good, n I’ll pray for u to get back to that happy shy guy from that first video u ever put out. Just the pure love of fixin n teaching all of us😊 ur r truly the best mechanic on utube! Keep up the great work
I did 45 years, mostly at a desk as an engineer,.... it isn't as easy as it might sound, every year there was less and less reason to even get up from the desk to walk to another office, continuous stream of problems in the email inbox, loads of frustration dealing with problems, ....bad mentally, real bad physically . I can't imagine trying to do a decent video recording while I work on my vehicles, yours are very good, we all know what "fun" those assemblies are.....hang in there, try to laugh and mock the industry as much as possible, it really helps! ;-)
I have a 2007 Nissan Versa as a second car. Cable for the heater doors, resistor & knob for the fan control. Easy peasy. The wife keeps asking me when we're going to get rid of it. When the rust kills it hon. I say that because of crap like the modules in these modern vehicles. Thanks for all you do Eric, we've all learned tons from you! Give this man some Patreon bucks if you can, I do!
Agreed!! I was an ASE Master Auto / truck for years and glad I got out of it 20 years ago and moved in to the power utilities as an electrician, then relay tech. Although, electrical / electronics is my specialty and I was waiting for the day when you can just do the difficult electrical / electronics diagnosis for shops on an expert basis. Electrical troubleshooting on vehicles is what I always enjoyed the most and what lead to the career change. Seems we are at a point in time where dedicated experts on vehicle electrical / electronics is here. But damn, if the effign engineers wouldn't bury shit and make you have to be a contortionist to get to things.
I hear ya Eric...I've worked in IT since 1986 and I can't wait to be done with it. The amount of complexity and nonsense with computing in a business environment these days is getting to be overwhelming. Maybe not quite as bad as the utter stupidity of new cars with their ridiculous and mostly unnecessary complexity...but it's close.
Amen! The cost of fixing a vehicle is just outrageous because of parts, but without doubt you earn every penny to find and fix the problem. Excellent video
And the cost of repairs is the main reason I started working on cars. Luckily I loved it and am very good at it, and now have made a very successful career out of it. And now my whole family doesn’t have to pay for anything but parts. Spread the love!
I feel your frustrations Eric, especially when it's hard to definitively say that a $$$ module is for sure the problem. What's wrong with a simple cable & knobs? Planned obsolescence at its finest. Makes me want to keep my old beaters on the road forever.
I was an auto mechanic back in the 90s when cars were not nearly as complicated, and I have to say that it is one of the toughest blue-collar jobs out there. That module looked like a pain in the arse lol 😁
What is cheap these day? Nothing. Everything is expensive, electronics are disposable, cars are a nightmare. I don't envy you, but I sure love watching what you do. I'll stick to my 70's motorcycles which 99% still had points and a lot were 6v systems. Not that they can't be a challenge, but no EFI, no Computers, no fancy electronics, cables for everything, a single carb, and pretty simple wiring. And if SMA wasn't around doing what you do, and how you do it, I'd be pretty bored. Thank you Eric & Mrs O.
Eric in rare form contemplating life choices. I'm sure many viewers are as jealous as I about your small business success and lovely family. Although you do more work in a day than I probably do in a month.
You nailed it Eric....the maintenance and repair costs are out of control. My Wife's Expedition, they want $1500 to do plugs, coil boots, a coolent flush and a "Injection/induction" service. The parts and supplies is $150....the rest is ALL LABOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They actually stated it's about a 3 or 4 unit job. I looked at the guy and said "OK, 4 units, at $125/hour is $500+$150+tax on parts, is what $659??? WHERE is that extra $800+ coming from? He said, with a straight face...EACH job is X units, it's additive. I said, "I'll be calling the home office, that's theft, and you guys wonder why nobody wants to deal with dealership service centers"....SO...TL;DR? Went to 3 different garages...SAME EXACT PRICE....they are ALL COLLUDING! Gotta find a garage like you run!
Being a mechanic is an awesome profession to be in, you just got to do it on the commercial side or what I did work for a municipality because then you're not dealing with the public and you don't feel bad when you give someone a bill. I just get paid by the hour to fix trucks and the city has what seems like an unlimited maintenance budget and nobody cares really about cost (I'm sure somebody does but that's wayyyy above my pay grade) Being a mechanic you learn how to fix all sorts of things and I have throughout my life probably saved hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing all of my own vehicles, the houses I've owned, my parents vehicles, ect!!
Hell yeah I’ve got a 04 2500hd 6.0 gas and it ain’t going no where truck before that was a 93 k2500 with a 6.5 as far as fuel economy I’m missing the 6.5 but power was queer on that ol girl
@@user-wj9wq7mk4h I know what is under my trucks, I know how they were ordered from C. Harper Chevrolet in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, as I bought them both brand new.....
Those total coverage OEM Extended Service Plans used to be a scam but nowadays I think it's mandatory on a new vehicle. For example on my F150 for $2200 I got an 8 year, 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. Don't mistake this for shady dealer aftermarket stuff I mean the real Ford ESP's. Covers everything except glass, tires, and wear items like suspension basically. The SYNC module went out, paid for itself right there in a single dumb computer replacement that turned into a nightmare job of reprogramming modules and replacing this and that stupid black box. If you're buying one of these nightmarish vehicles nowadays - buy the warranty and when you can't warranty it no more, dump it.
So true. I won't do GM or Fiat (aka Chrysler aka whatever) anymore and I wasn't happy with my last couple Fords. My wife now has a Kia (10 year factory warranty) and I just got a new Honda with Honda Care so that's fully covered for 8 years. You don't really have a choice anymore.
Don’t ever think you are the bad guy. You along with the other honest dedicated service techs who diagnose VS throw parts at the repair. You are one of the few good guys! They are expensive to repair. But they are so much more costly to repair when the shop shorts us on the diagnostics. I along with many others admire your honesty and dedication to finding the problem each time. You also are not ashamed to say, man this one is whipping my butt. Thank you
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I'm a car electrician. Been at it for ~40 years. I've seen a lot in my career. The good, the bad, and the hideous. I am glad my work took a turn towards the custom and restoration end of the industry. Any more, I just work on old Citroens whenever I want, making and installing new wiring harnesses. So much easier than fighting with a module just to make hot water run through a heater core.
I had a '72 Chevy Malibu with a small 307 and there wasn't anything on that car that Couldn't be fixed - I never thought of being stranded anywhere. The only mod to the car i made was I added an electronic capacitive discharge ignition module that I built from Heatkit to improve plug spark performance. That was it! The A/C system had an evaporator mounted expansion valve that was temperature controlled and was a real PIA but it was nice to make snow on a hot humid August day...I used to get fog out of the dash vents on those days before the evaporator deep freeze would set in. Yes, those were cars that had getting from point A to B as their primary mission.
I've been saying the exact same thing for the past year. I would never buy these new vehicles, sorry I can't see throwing money away like that..Glad you are seeing this too.
Saw a video on Casey LaDelle's channel for saving two people from the freezing mountains after daring to take their 2019 Tacoma into the woods for mountain biking. Hike up the mountain a few miles to get cell service, then a bike ride out to meet Casey in the dark of night at a junction in the road, to guide him into reach the car, and save the girl. Thought it was a bad electronic key, but no, so off to the dealer, where they replaced the brake light bulb which was preventing it from starting. Apparently the bulb was in the brake pedal switch circuit. It did have a brake pedal switch code, but no mention of the all important bulb.
I often think about having an older simple car with very limited electronics. Keep things simple and be able to fix things with just some basic hand tools. The new cars are basically computers on wheels. Once they get a few years on them, who is going to be able to afford to diagnose any issues or even find someone knowledgeable to fix them.
Excellent job Mr. O. Every job gets monotonous, but as you said, you do what you're good at. And you sir, are very good at what you do, AND, you are very good to your customers. THAT is why they keep coming back.
It doesn’t matter what career you’ve found yourself in. The world has become a more complicated place. The computers that were supposed to make our lives simpler have have actually complicated our lives tremendously and added a high level of stress. I spent 31 years in law enforcement. Started out with a revolver and a number 2 pencil, and ended with information overload, and way too much screen time. Glad I finished. Keep up the good work and thanks for the informative videos.
I like that"surpassed the stupid level".You would think engineers would put all the modules in one spot they put them under the hood behind the dash in the trunk.Pick one spot and put all the modules their.
Yeah... they can't do that BUT I've always thought the "engineers" should HAVE to work on cars they've "designed" so they can know what we "mere mortals" have to deal with. If young engineers in school were forced to contort themselves like the rest of us they "might" eventually take THAT into account when they decide "willy-nilly" where "operationally required modules" end up in a cars dashboard.
@@tjones261 I wouldn't really blame the engineers .. Imagine they can make X part easier to maintain/replace whatever but it will cost $1 more per vehicle. So they go to higher ups with their plan and they get the red flag because it makes the car more expensive. Imagine engineers making a car very easy to maintain but it costs $500 extra per vehicle so obviously that isn't going to fly. The people who handle the money are the reason the cars aren't easy to fix and not so much the engineers (because they need the car to be competitive with other brands aswell) Engineers are given a task to make something work as cheaply as possible (and hopefully somewhat reliable) .. things like shoving X engine into Y chassis that isn't even built for it just so they can save money on not having to design extra parts/engines and whatnot. In the end the whole thing is ruled by cost and nothing else. Not by engineers not having worked on cars before. (FYI i'm a mechanic not an engineer)
@@06stiguy63 Of course you're right, I knew that. It's all just another reason why we need "right to repair" laws so these kinds of things get considered when the car companies bury necessary components in the bowels of the car.
Newest vehicle I own is 2004. Stick, simple OBD II fI. I’ll keep it thanks. Also have a 2001, same FI. 5 spd stick. No heated seats, no cameras, no abs, no traction control (foot control), no stability control. Just runs when I want them to. I live in Texas, so no rust either!
We never knew how good we had it !!!!!! My old cars, from my youth, all the heatet controls were on cables. We didn't need special instruction for operating it. You turned the temp up, and blower on high, and it made you warmer...... Amazing, huh ? In the summer we had 260 air conditioning.....2 windows open at 60 mph...!!!!!!!
Did you ever think your ability as a philosopher would match your automotive skills? In reading most of the 1300 responses, you really made people think about who and what they are. They also reflected on past experiences and openly shared their lives with you and each other. That's an amazing thing on top of how well you excel in your work. Pretty cool partner 👍🏻.
"It needs to be programmed": Means you as a weekend mechanic or shadetree mechanic are basically screwed. I'm sensing that all this electronic bullshit on vehicles isn't for the benefit of mankind.
No way in this day and age that the multitude of modules in a car need to be programmed...manufacturers do it as a way to generate dealership income. Hell, my 1981 Atari computer was able to automatically detect any peripheral you plugged into its SIO (peripheral) port...don't tell me modern cars can't do that as well
Benefits the manufacturer whether you take it to the dealer and pay their rates or take it to an independent who has to buy the software from the manufacturer. Either way they win. They win even if you buy the software to do it yourself.
YOUR right,BUT it's not the CARS that ARE being PROGRAMED it's THE CONSUMER~~~~yes now how they sell this is~~ NEW and improved -rear camera,cell phone service,radio,traffic alerts GPS
Backyard Mechanics and Shadetree Mechanics????? They have been screwed for years. it's all about electronics and proper diagnosis and knowledge of the system you are working on.
Eric you are not the bad guy, you are in fact the good guy. You do your best to help people that, unfortunately must spend money to repair a necessary component in their life. Some others aren't as fair to them as you, so don't feel bad. I have been in construction for many years, and I feel the same as you about my chosen profession. But what else would we do? Hang in. You contribute more to society than most people, and I would bet that many of your customers love you far beyond what you do for their cars. Keep faith.
Glad to see that you are not a mechanic that believes “ they put WAY to many screws in these cars”. . It helps when everything is replaced properly. Thanks
When I got into my early 40's after 2+ decades of sitting behind a desk doing IT work for a living I got to the point where something had to give. I HATED IT. Got up every day and thought "do I really need this job?", then told myself I did need the job so I dragged myself to work and sat there for 8 hours hating every second of it. Finally one day a different opportunity came up with the same company and I jumped on it. Now I've been doing building maintenance mixed with a little grounds work for about 8 years and I'm loving it. The best thing was a couple months after I made the change, my former boss from IT came out with the guy they hired to replace me and stopped me while I was mowing the grass to ask a computer question. When I started telling him where to find the settings in the group policies for the domain the new guy was just staring at me like "why is the IT manager asking the lawnmower guy computer questions, and how does the lawnmower guy know the answers". I've been laughing about that ever since
Don't get me started on group policies. It's such a convoluted mess at work that fixing one thing will break another. Theoretically, the dept. you are in should basically have everyone with the same GP. Ha. Fat chance on fixing one for an individual. "If we fix this, that will break". They are speaking the truth. They have and it did.
Jack of all trades
Yeah told wife under two years to go maybe I’ll drive a school bus. Tried of management lying about pay then making sure they have their bonus. Like John Wayne said-man speak with fork tongue
@@Dirtyharry70585 Yep, I got my cdl b class. Planning on getting tanker and hazmat endorsement
Phil, if the new guy needs instruction on group policy settings, I'd suggest they find someone else with a deeper skill set.
Of course, nobody knows what all the settings do but there are tools to see what's changed from default, which he should either have on digital paper or begin to make a list of.
It amazes me the sheer amount of IT troubleshooting skills that are lacking and how they can keep their company running. By the way, what's your group policy on cut grass height? 😄
Reminiscent of the days when cables ran the heating and defrost systems!!! THE GOOD OLD DAYS!!!!!
Cables or vacuum hoses....
@@bobweiss8682 Unless the cables kinked or came out, then you had to remove or move aside 3 or 4 cables to swing the fascia aside to get to the one broken or slipped off. 1 for the blend door, 1 for the AC control, 1 for the outside vent and 1 for the foot vents and so on. But still a damn site easier - AND you had plenty of room underneath to work with.
Now it’s all about electronics and programming.
@@jdrs4214 It must cost a fortune, and it's just so you can have fancy blinking lights on your dash
I'm sorry to break it to ya, but times are changing (like always). If you want the world to stay like it was in the 80's, I don't know what to say.
Yep, when I first started as a diesel mechanic, we had two wires. You pulled one to make it go, pulled the other to shut it down. When the boss handed me a laptop and said I needed it to "talk" to the engine, I knew my "time" was running short. I always talked to diesels, but I can't repeat the words I used, here.
"I can't wait to be out of this industry because it sucks! ... Often times, I wish I'd picked a different profession, folks." - Eric, I hated to hear that! Your videos have been a wealth of knowledge. Your diagnosing a problem is a lesson in logical thinking. Maybe it was a rough day, or something, but hang in there, man!
Moving forward: Customer: "My heat doesn't work". Mechanic: "Call your insurance company....your 3 year old car is totaled".
Saw a comedian talking about his POS car blew a tire. It was an oddball metric rim on some foreign car. The tire cost more than he paid for the car. His girlfriend was giving him smack about blowing a tire an totaling his car. 😅
GMChina should be embarrassed that a 7 year old vehicle even needs a new module. "Nobody skips the quality like GMChina".
Isn't that the truth...
Eric's new catch phrase: "If I can't do it you sure as hell aint gunna!"
Wait till you see how expensive Tesla parts are (and how they limit your ability to buy and program them)
Of course the Tesla fans always defend them "Elon just cares about muh safety" but it should be quite clear to anyone on the outside, that it is deliberate to limit the useful life of the car, so you have to buy a new one.
To prove my point. try and buy any parts for a 2010 Tesla Roadster. That's hardly an old car, but its completely unsupported and parts are almost non-existent.
I was a driveability tech for 25 years, and yes, cars are getting too complex. I worked on a 1968 Chevy C10 pickup, the heater system was so simple, a 4 position switch for the blower, off, low, medium, high, just a blower motor, a blower resistor, and switch. 2 cables, running flapper doors, heat, and defrost/floor. Stupid simple
That’s the same set up my 86 burb has.
Simple as.
On my landrover a heater was an option and the on off was a valve on the engine block !
I was driving the interstate at 75 mph last spring in my brand new Accord when the radar saw a bug or something and slammed on the brakes. I almost got rear-ended. My heart was pounding. This is a safety feature. This fall my aged mother gifted me her 2003 Honda Civic with 22000 miles. The car is like new, not a scratch in the paint and no safety nannies. Both my wife and I prefer the Civic.
Yes, we have two brand-new 2022 model Freightliner trucks, these things are insanely over-complicated with stupid stuff, all computer controlled, and yes, they too, will slow or kick off your cruise, or apply your brakes if they sense something is an impending accident. Driving one is a non-stop driver distraction with never-ending, constant collision warnings, beeps, burps, dings, chimes, rumbles and flashes in your face from the glass screen where the gauge cluster used to be. Constant problems, too. The most basic things that would last or outlast the entire truck before, have now been superseded by some "driver comfort feature" which lasted a whole 2 months before failing. I lasted a whole 8 days in the thing before I politely told the company where they could park it. Back to driving a 2016-model of something else, and never been happier driving an old "bucket". The younger guys who now drive the stupid things, even they have reached their boiling point with the complete stupidity of the systems and the utter unreliability overall. Last Friday, the owner and the maintenance manager cancelled our pre-order for 8 more of the stupid things.
We have a 2019 pilot and in winter the radar can’t read the lines in the road when it’s covered in snow and when we pass a car it slams in the breaks! Thankfully we can turn off the that “safety feature”
I had the same issue with my 2016 Maxima I don’t have anymore. I was near a train when it did happen. I assume it was the speed radar on the locomotive that caused my issues.
Yes my wife and I still daily drive 2005 Civics, Even though She also has a 2020 Civic get body work done from a deer trying to use the drivers side headlight for an escape route to deer Heaven.🤑
automotive engineers should be required to work in repair shop for 5 years before being allowed to put anything on paper
Not a dealership either, they would have access to everything the need.
Doubly so for the beancounters who demand cost cuts and the designers who demand things to look "just so" requiring things to be located is sub-optimal locations.
They should be required to work on anything they design.
Engineers are following their orders. My FIL was a Ford engineer. They did NOT make the decisions on how things were, they just had to make things work. It's the upper management that decides to make all these changes, mainly to cut costs, though these days also to lock out independent repair places.
ANY engineer in any discipline needs to work in the field first. Maybe then they would have a little more foresight in to the design of things. But, like someone mentioned, it's bean counters who also are to blame and guide the engineers decisions too.
Hello my names james davis and I reside in carbondale Pennsylvania...I've been watching your videos on how to fix...and gotta say I am impressed by your work.....your videos have inspired me to be the mechanic I know I could be....my dad and grandfather god rest their souls...would be proud of me...anyways thank you so much for helping me out with the vehicles I've worked on you videos have helped out alot ....thank you for all that you do....sincerely a big fan of yours....your an inspiration for alot of people out there and I'm one of them ...well hope you and the family are safe and well..
Good luck with your choice of work, greetings from Ireland
driving a 1972 C20 chevy and could not be any happier . I feel ya on the monotony I'm 61 and still just plugging along.
The good thing Mr. O is that you have the knowledge to work on virtually anything electrical, mechanical, digital, etc. So when your home A/C & furnace/boiler is not working you will know what to do. When your computer starts acting up you will be able to diagnose & repair it. Your skills are transferable. You can pick up & head to warmer places & set up shop (or consult, teach, work for someone else) without a problem.
My dad was a mechanic. He worked on everything from helicopters to chainsaws. When my brothers and I were growing up, he steered us away from that trade. I’m an accountant, I have a really good job and I have the same thoughts as you do. I don’t really think I was wired to be an accountant from the factory, but ended up there. I watch your channel because your line of work is so much more intellectually stimulating than bean counting.
You know… I feel ya on the career options. I got into vehicle repair as a necessity growing up poor. Loved the challenge, and then as I made more I was able to go from hack jobs to proper fixes. I made my official career change almost two decades ago, and now I’m an airline pilot. But I’ll be jiggered if I don’t just want to get away from the dog and pony show of airports, and get back to my simple garage and fix people’s cars. I guess there’s no perfect job; good jobs pay the bills though. Thanks for all the great videos, always educational and entertaining!
Maybe get into airplane mechanics? Best of both?
You could probably open a specialty shop that only works on something like air-cooled Porsches or something. Sell up the mystic of a pilot gone mechanic.
@@FishFind3000 I fix helicopters as an Army mechanic. You can make a hell of a lot more doing that than you can fixing cars for sure. I don't make much obviously, (Army pay) but we have contractors that start at 40 bucks an hour. Get your A&P and you can really branch out. into civilian, commercial and fixed wing stuff.
@@jameshalsell556 I'm an former Air Force Crew Chief who was in when they were trying an experiment of crosstraining Crew Chief's, Hydraulics, and Powerplant folks to be able to do all three jobs. When I got out, I submitted my DD214 to the FAA and immediately got my tickets to take all of the A&P tests without having to go back to school to get enough training to sit for the powerplant portion. If you want to go down that path and need to get additional training, go through a Junior College program and stay the hell away from the for profit "schools". They are only interested in your money and will charge you an arm and a leg. I had no desire to work for an airline and discovered at that time you don't make crap in GA aircraft maintenance unless you also hold an Inspection cert which requires an significant amount of time working as an A&P and recommendation letters from an Inspection certified person to get you FAA ticket to sit for the testing. You also can't really have your own shop without having an Inspection certificate, because you'll have to pay someone else to come in and sign off your work if you're just an A&P. If you like being an aircraft mechanic, then stay in the military, or talk to someone who has worked for an airline as a mechanic for a while see if you're willing to play the stupid union games. Anyway I chose to do IT, and many years later make far more per year than I would as just an A&P. I still love aircraft, but not enough to try and make a living as an aircraft mechanic! Also if you think the red tape in the military is bad, it's a cake walk compared to dealing with the FAA.
I was going to go back to school to learn IT, thinking there would be less grease and more money... Little did I know IT was going into automotive!
Electronic gizmo placed on top of a heat source... Genius...sheer Genius.
Push button controls suck, I miss the old cable operated heaters
That's a heat and vibration source.
A lot of folks have got to be very thankful that you DID choose this as your career.
Home appliances/ white goods use to be straight forward, mechanical timers and drive belts. Now electronic control boards and user interface panels, speed sensors and cheaply made, it all became over priced junk and breaks down in three years instead of lasting 15-25 years before needing a repair. Happily retired from that profession.
Do love watching and learning from your videos Eric O.
And, God help you if you have a power surge, and it wipes out all those appliances.
My son is a 5 year Tesla employee, the only thing an owner can do is have tires put on at an independent shop, any repairs has to go to the dealer as they don’t sell parts to anyone. He has no interest in owning one but they pay very well so he just continues on.
Eric the last two videos with the human interface module explained a lot. It makes us really appreciate your skills and all the equipment you need to make it all happen.
We love your videos Eric! I'm a retired engineer and a lifetime shadetree mechanic and I've learned a lot from you!
I am a retired EE and a DYI guy too. There is no way I could fix that. I might get to the correct module but forget about the programming!
Check the power and ground, love it
@@joesilverbliss1721 Likewise, but diagnosing and programming are both fairly straightforward if you have the right tools and data. My probably is it is just not worth it for DIY work to buy the fancy scan tools and pay for the data subscription required.
@@LTVoyager agreed. I purchased the blue driver scanner per Scotty recommendation, for $80 ish Dollars on Amazon. Seems good for a low end scanner. That is about all I want to invest in scan tools at the moment. I don't want to invest in a high end tool since I don't know which one will work. If I could find a guy like Eric O near me I may not have purchased the blue driver scanner. It would be worth paying a guy who knows what he is doing. I do almost all car repair myself so when I do need to hire someone it is a crapshoot. Going to a dealer is an automatic $500+ bill. Do you know if DYIers can get access to reprogramming data from GM? I figure you have to pay a subscription or fee and have a programming tool. Joe
@@joesilverbliss1721 I have a Blu Driver also and it is good for simple code reading, but you can’t do half of what is required to make most repairs. I have no idea on the subscriptions as I have checked in years. I think the last time I checked it was close to $1,000 a year for a subscription. Too rich for my blood.
It isn't your fault Eric. You didn't build it, break it, or buy it. Car repairs for modern vehicles are crazy complicated. SMA is one of the good ones. Fair and super talented!
I grew up in the automotive industry. My father was an autobody repairman and I took an interest in it at an early age. I was eager to learn so he taught me everything that I needed to know and I was repairing and painting cars when I was 15 years old. We expanded the shop at home and I worked at a dealership and at a few different shops in the city. After graduating from high school I went to university to study Engineering. I didn't have a lot of money when I was young but working as an autobody repairman during the summers allowed me to buy a new car and to pay my university expenses. I recently retired and my years as an Engineer / Project Manager were ok, but there was a lot of stress in my life. I worked for some very large companies that paid a reasonable salary, but they expected a lot in return. Being an autobody repairman was a dusty and dirty job, but most of the time I was my own boss and there wasn't a great deal of stress. I knew what had to be done and how to do it, and I worked long hours to make as much money as possible, but I never felt mentally burnt out. Looking back I don't have any regrets, but I doubt that there are very many perfect jobs, and if there are any, they probably didn't have any openings :-). There are more important things in life than working, so we just need to keep everything in perspective and take pleasure in the simple things in life. All of my greatest achievements are now just fond memories.
It's probably safe to say every man here at one time or other has thought - "how the hell did I end up doing this for a living".... Its usually starts as something your good at and enjoy, but after so many years everything gets boring or mundane... We all have "Those" days... Regards to you SMA...
Funny......I missed my calling. I've always been good at it and went in a different direction. Now I find myself nearing retirement and dreaming of opening a shop or doing something automotive because I'm so drawn to it. I'm the office mechanic......when it breaks everyone comes to me for help. I love it and I find myself spending hours every week learning as much as I can.
@@rbailey225 Never too late... Maybe you discovered the secret formula....
Had that thought several times a day. Not often boring, but sometimes jobs I really didn't want to do, but had no choice if I wanted to keep my job. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though, and I retired 2 years ago. I still get my hands dirty and do the problem solving, but it's on my old bikes and when I choose now.
I am in the HVAC business and I say the same thing. I am counting the days until when I am out.....but the count seems to reset every year.
Used to go to work and just sit with my head in my hands and wonder why! Glad I’ve now took early retirement. My son has the right idea, he just keeps looking for new opportunities!
I went through 4 VW Beetles growing up, all with the same engine. I'd drive one until it rusted out, then swap the engine over to a slightly better body, and continue down the road. 20 minutes to swap out an engine. Can't imagine that nowadays.
about the same amount of time as the old Geo Metros with the 3-cylinder engines
That failure really reminds me of some of the problems I faced repairing electronics. Typically bad solder connections on a voltage regulator. or connector pins aka "ring cracks". This is very likely because it sits on top of the heater , with extra heat and the vibration from the fan, engine, & road.
Mercedes Banz v8 with the cpu mounted on top of the engine, to keep it warm and dry. LOL
Exactly. What better place for electronics than the engine bay? Why scatter the modules all over the car like they do? You’d think they’d rack mount them in some dry, accessible space. I’ve got them on the firewall, under the seats, behind the glovebox and like this vid, on top of the heater core box.
My 34 year old daily has cable operated ventilation. It does everything it needs to. Heat, defrost,A/c. Thank you and stay well.
When they started putting plastic in the engine compartment and replaced dipsticks with sensors I said why complicate things so much. They just quadrupled complexity for no viable reason.
"It's cheaper"...."It's better"...."It's modern".....Famous Last Words Series entries.
Easier to install, simpler to use same engine for multiple models. Everything that’s better for the manufacture and not the customer.
The reasons were simple planned obsolescence and locking you into the dealer for reprogramming(even if you are independent you have to subscribe and pay them per vehicle) Very viable if you are the dealer not so much if you are the customer
I love my 90's and early 00' vehicles. Not overly complicated.
Thats what i drive wont buy or take a new one for no money,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Their junk with junk parts through out!
Love my 2004 GMC.. Same reason, simple to work on, and it never seems to break. 379k miles strong now.
Yep, selling my '07
Those are my preference too, with the exception of OBD1 stuff. I’m perfectly happy with old carbureted engines as well as electronic multi-port fuel injection. But the in between years of throttle body injection, burning eprom chips, and practically useless data ports are not my cup of tea.
Those are generally the BEST bang for the buck Had good quality engine management computer system that was easy(relatively) to diagnose and none of the overly expensive unneeded CAN(computer area network) controllers/sensors I have 6 vehicles from 87 to 99 won't sell any of them EVER I have a 1999 Saturn SW with just under 300,000 miles That one will need an engine rebuild soon BUT that costs less than the downpayment on the JUNK made since 2010
I miss the old days, but at the same time I like all the new gadgets and toys.
Career change: I spent most if my life as a licensed Electrician and hold an a/c license. I could always make a living there. For fun and extra retirement money, I operated a small auto repair shop. Always loved cars and mechanics. I had a lot of good mentors and they’re still good friends today. Been to some of the GM training for EFI. Not too bad at diagnostics either. No Eric O but patient and careful. No jerkoff repairs. Mostly easy stuff like HVAC, electrical repairs, brakes and suspension. Finally, I became a state certified motorcycle instructor. Great job and always loved bikes. Completely retired now, hobby shop and free advice for friends and family. Keeping them from being ripped off by the unscrupulous in the repair business. Do a little electric and ac repair for friends. Motto for life: When it ceases to be fun, I cease to be doing it. Life’s too short to hate your work.
22 resolution should be.. MORE SMA EVERY DAY..
Thank you for the education
I do lament for the days past. I was a "motor head" keeping my pos going litterly under a shade tree. In the words of Scotty of startrek and I paraphrase...the more complicated it's made. The easier it is to get messed up. Good diagnosis as usual, thanks for sharing with us.
I feel your pain brother. I'm 59 yrs old and have been working on my own cars since I was 15, my dad was an auto mechanic his whole life and he taught me to fix my own vehicles. Man, how I miss the 70's vehicles and even up through the 80's and mid 90's. These new vehicles are just really a nightmare on some of the component access. They have crammed too much crap into the tight spots. Keep up the good fight, I love your videos.
Needlessly complicated designs make for more failure prone product which makes me want to avoid being the customer for such products. There is a beauty in simplicity. I appreciate your diagnostic skills, you're a trustworthy mechanic.
Eric, between you and Ivan, the two of you have the best information on diagnosing these electrical problems, thanks, keep up the videos.
Agreed. Enjoy both of their content.
@@gman2974 "AGREED"........
I think Diagnose Dan is up there too. He's obviously been watching Eric's videos because he was using Eric's "green crusties" line.
@@chrishartley1210 Who can forget his Eric O impersonation in the introduction to one of his videos.
@@chrishartley1210 Chris, you are right, Dan is a top notch tech also. He definitely knows the foreign luxury cars.
Eric, if I have to bring my car to a mechanic for service, I hope they are as detail oriented and knowledgeable as you are. With your work ethic, you would excel in any profession. Great video!
You're not the bad guy. You're still doing the repair honestly and for a far more reasonable price than the dealer would. Don't feel bad about what you are doing. An honest mechanic should stand proud. God bless
This is what scares me about buying a newer vehicle. I have a 2011 Escape it does what it needs to do. When you need a several hundred dollar module to work some buttons or your heat / AC there's something seriously wrong. To me it's all a money grab from the auto makers. Knowing that these expensive modules won't last 10 15 years and you will have to replace them if you want something basic like hot or cold air. Fricking redonkulus.
Exactly. I had a 2001 Escape that was so easy to fix. Now I have a 2007 Suburban. 😵💫 fuel pump for Escape was accessed under back seat... I changed it by myself. For my Suburban? I dread it ever needing done.
@@JenniferFuchek Add a small dose of MMO to the gas every 3rd or 4th fueling. Will lube the pump and cleans injectors.
@@oliverokk55 I have the 3.0 too. I assume they changed the intake design for 2011-12 The mechanic said didn't have to remove mine like I thought they would have to.
Toyota, I went to them, now we have a 4Runner fleet. I love them.
Hard to justify a new truck..even harder after listening to this..thank you
That's why I drive an old Cherokee XJ.
Thank you SMA! For everything you've taught me. I left one career path to do automotive repair because of one of your videos using the single channel scope.
What other career did you leave?
At the time I was studying Medical physics
Eric I had 3 different jobs in 50 years they all sucked at times but was told I was good at what I did and you are too. It is what it is! 👍♥️🇺🇲
We are ALL glad you picked your profession and that you share it with us Mr. O.
I love how simple my 79 Bronco is to work on. It only has 12 fuses. I don't think they had "Modules" back then.
It only had 1 an ignition module mounted on the fender(usually) they did fail but were cheap and did not require programming
My theory has been for some time that vehicles will someday become impossible to repair. I look back on 70 years of driving and all the things that used to be repaired but now you replace them as a unit. Imagine today replacing the brushes in a starter, heater blower motor, windshield wiper motor, seat motor, or window lift motor. GM used to list brushes and other parts in the parts catalog.
Even if individual parts like brushes, etc. are available, sometimes they cost as much with shipping as a rebuilt motor(!)
@@markh.6687 Years ago my local GM dealer would stock small parts like bushings and brushes.
@@johnstokes2246 True; but what about today? They likely can't even get the individual pieces; gotta sell the customer a whole assembly for more $$$.
I used to maintain a fleet of vans with tail-lifts here in the UK. When the brushes in the tail-lift motor wore out, the only part the manufacturer sold was a complete motor and hydraulic pump assembly, at a cost of £450, around $600, and this was 10-15 years ago. After searching around auto electrical suppliers, I found there were some Ford starter motor brushes which could be filed down to fit and soldered in, at a cost of £2.50 ($4) and about an hour's work, and they lasted as long as the originals.
@@rickconstant6106 Nice work, Rick.
I'm so glad you chose to be a mechanic. It would have been brutal for 1/2 million people to sit at there computers for hours on end watching proctology videos !!
Your rant about over complicated vehicle components is spot on. Not everything has to be digital.
Ah, yes.
I remember when a heater problem was either a valve or cable problem.
Good times.
In my '94 it still is. Or vacuum. I lost defrost because a vacuum hose.
Definitely long for the days of cable operated heater controls and the engine management system consisted of a timing light, screwdriver to adjust the carburetor, and once a year replace, cap, rotor, points and condenser. Air, fuel and oil filters, and a bit of greae here and there. Oh and crank up windows and maually adjustable outside mirrors.
Here, here==== Now you;re talking !! [ but we're both Dinosaurs ] lol
This would be great.
Makes me appreciate the 1970 C10 I own, heater is simple, or just check the cable wire slider, or the vacuum assist valve on inner fender. Careers have been similar, doing software coding, troubleshooting, Modern programming code structured, nested, similar to all the cables and black boxes. Guess that is why I enjoy restoring the older vehicles, where engineering was simple, built to last and holes lined up in the case of the heater sliders from dash bottom to take it loose, then next set of hols allowed ash tray removal, then to radio at top.... Hats off to the WWII vets who went into automotive engineering after the war. built to last.... Keep up the great videos, I enjoy your methodology and learning new skills.
I took my 02 f150 in to the stealership to fix my heater and they charged me over 1000.00 to change the blend motor😣 they had to take out the dash. Your customers are blessed to have you!
I was a control room operator in a manufacturing plant, and I had 8 computer monitors and a couple 'puters that ran pretty much the whole plant. The system was called an HMI with some separate PLCs. Human Machine Interface. I can't imagine what you'd need an HMI in a vehicle for, this and the Buick video are the first times I've heard of these being in a vehicle. I was a mechanic in the late 80s and 90s and went to GM school for all their certifications including computer command control (before there was ASE certs) and the way the computers and circuits were designed seemed fine, even overcomplicated but definitely provided a better way to have efficient running motors. It's getting ridiculous how overcomplicated these cars are getting. Lol
That sounds like a good number of screens. I run gas turbine/ combined cycle units. We have 32 screens in the control room here.
Oh and I drive a toyota
40 years ago the owners manual told you how to fix most things. Now the owners manual tells you don't drink the fluids. Hell most cars aren't coming with spare tires and tire tools any more. It's truly become a sad sad world. I'm reminded of an old cartoon i saw somewhere i think in MAD magazine. Showed advanced society they couldn't move they were dependent upon the machines. Then oneday the machine that fixes the machine broke and everyone died
Funny, But True! Considering Tesla won't let you work on your own car because it's their proprietary engineering, well... We have failed. Soon, like MS Office, we'll pay car companies per mile. Like a lease, but you never own it.
This was funny!! Thanks for the laugh. Teslas suck anyway, I won’t ever own anything electric.
Back when I was a kid I can remember when your radio couldn't set a DTC. The good ol' days. Always learn something from your videos, thank you for bringing us along.
I have retired from that industry since 2016 after 37 years of turning wrench for a GM dealer. I DONT" MISS IT ONE BIT!!!!!!!. I understand your frustration entirely. It doesn't matter what manufacturer one may have or work for, their all a PITA!! But don't tell anyone, but there was satisfaction in fixing something that was hard to diagnose or missed by someone else. Helped build customer relations and confidence for yourself and the dealer.
I miss the days of the 300 straight 6 powered F-250 ('85) when you could climb into the engine bay and change spark plugs. Or when you could pull the transfer case in the driveway with very basic hand tools and rebuild it in the garage.
That HMI module looks very familiar to the last one you changed......
like your down to earth videos. As a dealership tech for over 40 years I was very happy as a mechanic, the more that I became a computer tech the less I enjoyed my job. Knowing the challenges of keeping with constant changes as a gm tech I admire someone who can keep up the challenges of all makes.
I drive a 30 year old car it feels so simple and problem-free but I am not scared of new ones, Learn a lot of stuff from SMA
Man on 65 I retired in 2004 from doing dealership work most of my life I became a Ford special tech worked on variable Venturi carburetion for two years when they put them pieces of junk out and this new stuff is driving me crazy I found your channel oh a few years ago I think I’ve watched every video you made and it’s taught me so much Eric and I can’t thank you enough because I get this stuff in my yard all the time I consider it a hobby now I do it when I want to
And if I don’t want to I don’t do it and send them packing…
But I do miss setting the points on a car and adjusting the carburetors to make them run like a dream and fixing the heater boxes with cables popping in and out a radio in five minutes with two knobs
As somebody who once owned a Mercury with one of those variable venturi carburetors I shake my fist at you in anger ;)
@@chrisfreemesser5707 Yeah it sure was one of Ford’s better ideas I’m glad they dumped it
I still drive a 1977 chevy K5 blazer and a 1990 toyota pickup. I will never drive a brand new vehicle due to the complexities. Great video Eric O, we appreciate all your content.
I had a 77 K5 Blazer with Edelbrock manifold, holly carb, corvette camshaft, headers. I still regret selling it.
I miss the days we could swap out a carburetor for a Holly high CFM or replace a timing chain in my front yard in a couple of hours. Keep up the good work. I learn a lot from you.
Every winter I keep asking myself
why in the heck don't I get out of
Trucking, then at the end of the
week I look at my paycheck and
remember why I left a GM
Dealership after 10 years and that
was 16 years ago!!! Hang in there
Eric and keep your humor or you'll
go crazy thinking about it!!!
Just take it easy Mr. O! U just keeping makin vids and all will be well😂 sorry ya havin a bad day on career choice, but just think how blessed you r with ur own shop, utube and a great family! God is good, n I’ll pray for u to get back to that happy shy guy from that first video u ever put out. Just the pure love of fixin n teaching all of us😊 ur r truly the best mechanic on utube! Keep up the great work
Oh baby! It's been a great week for SMA content! Love it!!
I did 45 years, mostly at a desk as an engineer,.... it isn't as easy as it might sound, every year there was less and less reason to even get up from the desk to walk to another office, continuous stream of problems in the email inbox, loads of frustration dealing with problems, ....bad mentally, real bad physically . I can't imagine trying to do a decent video recording while I work on my vehicles, yours are very good, we all know what "fun" those assemblies are.....hang in there, try to laugh and mock the industry as much as possible, it really helps! ;-)
I have a 2007 Nissan Versa as a second car. Cable for the heater doors, resistor & knob for the fan control. Easy peasy. The wife keeps asking me when we're going to get rid of it. When the rust kills it hon. I say that because of crap like the modules in these modern vehicles. Thanks for all you do Eric, we've all learned tons from you! Give this man some Patreon bucks if you can, I do!
Agreed!! I was an ASE Master Auto / truck for years and glad I got out of it 20 years ago and moved in to the power utilities as an electrician, then relay tech. Although, electrical / electronics is my specialty and I was waiting for the day when you can just do the difficult electrical / electronics diagnosis for shops on an expert basis. Electrical troubleshooting on vehicles is what I always enjoyed the most and what lead to the career change. Seems we are at a point in time where dedicated experts on vehicle electrical / electronics is here. But damn, if the effign engineers wouldn't bury shit and make you have to be a contortionist to get to things.
I hear ya Eric...I've worked in IT since 1986 and I can't wait to be done with it. The amount of complexity and nonsense with computing in a business environment these days is getting to be overwhelming. Maybe not quite as bad as the utter stupidity of new cars with their ridiculous and mostly unnecessary complexity...but it's close.
Amen! The cost of fixing a vehicle is just outrageous because of parts, but without doubt you earn every penny to find and fix the problem. Excellent video
The new semi trucks are all modules. It's a mess. Your doing great keep it up. Us mechanics are born for this
And the cost of repairs is the main reason I started working on cars. Luckily I loved it and am very good at it, and now have made a very successful career out of it. And now my whole family doesn’t have to pay for anything but parts. Spread the love!
I feel your frustrations Eric, especially when it's hard to definitively say that a $$$ module is for sure the problem. What's wrong with a simple cable & knobs? Planned obsolescence at its finest. Makes me want to keep my old beaters on the road forever.
I was an auto mechanic back in the 90s when cars were not nearly as complicated, and I have to say that it is one of the toughest blue-collar jobs out there. That module looked like a pain in the arse lol 😁
What is cheap these day? Nothing. Everything is expensive, electronics are disposable, cars are a nightmare. I don't envy you, but I sure love watching what you do. I'll stick to my 70's motorcycles which 99% still had points and a lot were 6v systems. Not that they can't be a challenge, but no EFI, no Computers, no fancy electronics, cables for everything, a single carb, and pretty simple wiring. And if SMA wasn't around doing what you do, and how you do it, I'd be pretty bored. Thank you Eric & Mrs O.
Thanks for this ... I'm showing it to my wife who insists on getting a new car the next time we need a car. What a bunch of crap
YAY!!! More SMA! Thanks, Eric!!
Eric in rare form contemplating life choices. I'm sure many viewers are as jealous as I about your small business success and lovely family. Although you do more work in a day than I probably do in a month.
You nailed it Eric....the maintenance and repair costs are out of control. My Wife's Expedition, they want $1500 to do plugs, coil boots, a coolent flush and a "Injection/induction" service. The parts and supplies is $150....the rest is ALL LABOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They actually stated it's about a 3 or 4 unit job. I looked at the guy and said "OK, 4 units, at $125/hour is $500+$150+tax on parts, is what $659??? WHERE is that extra $800+ coming from? He said, with a straight face...EACH job is X units, it's additive. I said, "I'll be calling the home office, that's theft, and you guys wonder why nobody wants to deal with dealership service centers"....SO...TL;DR? Went to 3 different garages...SAME EXACT PRICE....they are ALL COLLUDING! Gotta find a garage like you run!
And now you know why I still drive my 1989 F150, easy to fix and keep on the road.
The fuel injection on those can be a challenge. It was for me.
I've got a 2005 Silverado with 160k miles. Gonna do whatever it takes to keep my slide control heater.
I started in a Pontiac Dealership in the fall of 1973 as resent High School grad and loved every minute of it until the first computers showed up!!
Being a mechanic is an awesome profession to be in, you just got to do it on the commercial side or what I did work for a municipality because then you're not dealing with the public and you don't feel bad when you give someone a bill. I just get paid by the hour to fix trucks and the city has what seems like an unlimited maintenance budget and nobody cares really about cost (I'm sure somebody does but that's wayyyy above my pay grade)
Being a mechanic you learn how to fix all sorts of things and I have throughout my life probably saved hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing all of my own vehicles, the houses I've owned, my parents vehicles, ect!!
This is why I continue to drive my 2004 Silverado. Way too many modules on these newer vehicles.
97 f150 here...never going newer...
likewise here, i have an 02 and an 04 both identical 2500HD's, regular cab 8ft bed 6.0 gas 4wd 4l80e with 4:11 gears, gov-lock 11.5 rear ends.
Hell yeah I’ve got a 04 2500hd 6.0 gas and it ain’t going no where truck before that was a 93 k2500 with a 6.5 as far as fuel economy I’m missing the 6.5 but power was queer on that ol girl
@@user-wj9wq7mk4h I know what is under my trucks, I know how they were ordered from C. Harper Chevrolet in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, as I bought them both brand new.....
@@user-wj9wq7mk4h Yes, AAM 14 bolt 11.5 rear axle with RPO codes G80 and GV7
Those total coverage OEM Extended Service Plans used to be a scam but nowadays I think it's mandatory on a new vehicle. For example on my F150 for $2200 I got an 8 year, 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty. Don't mistake this for shady dealer aftermarket stuff I mean the real Ford ESP's. Covers everything except glass, tires, and wear items like suspension basically. The SYNC module went out, paid for itself right there in a single dumb computer replacement that turned into a nightmare job of reprogramming modules and replacing this and that stupid black box. If you're buying one of these nightmarish vehicles nowadays - buy the warranty and when you can't warranty it no more, dump it.
So true. I won't do GM or Fiat (aka Chrysler aka whatever) anymore and I wasn't happy with my last couple Fords. My wife now has a Kia (10 year factory warranty) and I just got a new Honda with Honda Care so that's fully covered for 8 years. You don't really have a choice anymore.
Don’t ever think you are the bad guy. You along with the other honest dedicated service techs who diagnose VS throw parts at the repair. You are one of the few good guys! They are expensive to repair. But they are so much more costly to repair when the shop shorts us on the diagnostics. I along with many others admire your honesty and dedication to finding the problem each time. You also are not ashamed to say, man this one is whipping my butt. Thank you
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I'm a car electrician. Been at it for ~40 years. I've seen a lot in my career. The good, the bad, and the hideous. I am glad my work took a turn towards the custom and restoration end of the industry. Any more, I just work on old Citroens whenever I want, making and installing new wiring harnesses. So much easier than fighting with a module just to make hot water run through a heater core.
I had a '72 Chevy Malibu with a small 307 and there wasn't anything on that car that Couldn't be fixed - I never thought of being stranded anywhere. The only mod to the car i made was I added an electronic capacitive discharge ignition module that I built from Heatkit to improve plug spark performance. That was it! The A/C system had an evaporator mounted expansion valve that was temperature controlled and was a real PIA but it was nice to make snow on a hot humid August day...I used to get fog out of the dash vents on those days before the evaporator deep freeze would set in. Yes, those were cars that had getting from point A to B as their primary mission.
I built that CDI Heathkit too!
I've been saying the exact same thing for the past year. I would never buy these new vehicles, sorry I can't see throwing money away like that..Glad you are seeing this too.
I am glad you do what you and Mrs O do. I look forward to all of your videos every day 😀
Saw a video on Casey LaDelle's channel for saving two people from the freezing mountains after daring to take their 2019 Tacoma into the woods for mountain biking. Hike up the mountain a few miles to get cell service, then a bike ride out to meet Casey in the dark of night at a junction in the road, to guide him into reach the car, and save the girl. Thought it was a bad electronic key, but no, so off to the dealer, where they replaced the brake light bulb which was preventing it from starting. Apparently the bulb was in the brake pedal switch circuit. It did have a brake pedal switch code, but no mention of the all important bulb.
I wish that they still made trucks like my old 1984 C/10.
I often think about having an older simple car with very limited electronics. Keep things simple and be able to fix things with just some basic hand tools. The new cars are basically computers on wheels. Once they get a few years on them, who is going to be able to afford to diagnose any issues or even find someone knowledgeable to fix them.
Excellent job Mr. O.
Every job gets monotonous, but as you said, you do what you're good at. And you sir, are very good at what you do, AND, you are very good to your customers. THAT is why they keep coming back.
It doesn’t matter what career you’ve found yourself in. The world has become a more complicated place. The computers that were supposed to make our lives simpler have have actually complicated our lives tremendously and added a high level of stress. I spent 31 years in law enforcement. Started out with a revolver and a number 2 pencil, and ended with information overload, and way too much screen time. Glad I finished. Keep up the good work and thanks for the informative videos.
and a Glock in place of the wheel gun 😉
I like that"surpassed the stupid level".You would think engineers would put all the modules in one spot they put them under the hood behind the dash in the trunk.Pick one spot and put all the modules their.
Copper costs money
Yeah... they can't do that BUT I've always thought the "engineers" should HAVE to work on cars they've "designed" so they can know what we "mere mortals" have to deal with. If young engineers in school were forced to contort themselves like the rest of us they "might" eventually take THAT into account when they decide "willy-nilly" where "operationally required modules" end up in a cars dashboard.
@@tjones261 👍
@@tjones261 I wouldn't really blame the engineers .. Imagine they can make X part easier to maintain/replace whatever but it will cost $1 more per vehicle. So they go to higher ups with their plan and they get the red flag because it makes the car more expensive. Imagine engineers making a car very easy to maintain but it costs $500 extra per vehicle so obviously that isn't going to fly. The people who handle the money are the reason the cars aren't easy to fix and not so much the engineers (because they need the car to be competitive with other brands aswell) Engineers are given a task to make something work as cheaply as possible (and hopefully somewhat reliable) .. things like shoving X engine into Y chassis that isn't even built for it just so they can save money on not having to design extra parts/engines and whatnot. In the end the whole thing is ruled by cost and nothing else. Not by engineers not having worked on cars before. (FYI i'm a mechanic not an engineer)
@@06stiguy63 Of course you're right, I knew that. It's all just another reason why we need "right to repair" laws so these kinds of things get considered when the car companies bury necessary components in the bowels of the car.
Newest vehicle I own is 2004. Stick, simple OBD II fI. I’ll keep it thanks. Also have a 2001, same FI. 5 spd stick. No heated seats, no cameras, no abs, no traction control (foot control), no stability control. Just runs when I want them to. I live in Texas, so no rust either!
We never knew how good we had it !!!!!! My old cars, from my youth, all the heatet controls were on cables. We didn't need special instruction for operating it. You turned the temp up, and blower on high, and it made you warmer......
Amazing, huh ?
In the summer we had 260 air conditioning.....2 windows open at 60 mph...!!!!!!!
Did you ever think your ability as a philosopher would match your automotive skills? In reading most of the 1300 responses, you really made people think about who and what they are. They also reflected on past experiences and openly shared their lives with you and each other. That's an amazing thing on top of how well you excel in your work. Pretty cool partner 👍🏻.
13:59 I hear you. I am still busting my knuckles and ass at 53 with arthritis everywhere, prostate cancer and a mortgage so stopping isn't an option.
"It needs to be programmed":
Means you as a weekend mechanic or shadetree mechanic are basically screwed.
I'm sensing that all this electronic bullshit on vehicles isn't for the benefit of mankind.
No way in this day and age that the multitude of modules in a car need to be programmed...manufacturers do it as a way to generate dealership income. Hell, my 1981 Atari computer was able to automatically detect any peripheral you plugged into its SIO (peripheral) port...don't tell me modern cars can't do that as well
Benefits the manufacturer whether you take it to the dealer and pay their rates or take it to an independent who has to buy the software from the manufacturer. Either way they win. They win even if you buy the software to do it yourself.
YOUR right,BUT it's not the CARS that ARE being PROGRAMED it's THE CONSUMER~~~~yes now how they sell this is~~ NEW and improved -rear camera,cell phone service,radio,traffic alerts GPS
Backyard Mechanics and Shadetree Mechanics????? They have been screwed for years. it's all about electronics and proper diagnosis and knowledge of the system you are working on.
@@JOHNSUE28 The fact that all this stuff breaks right away is the real problem. I’ll stick to car makers that make reliable cars.
Eric you are not the bad guy, you are in fact the good guy. You do your best to help people that, unfortunately must spend money to repair a necessary component in their life. Some others aren't as fair to them as you, so don't feel bad. I have been in construction for many years, and I feel the same as you about my chosen profession. But what else would we do? Hang in. You contribute more to society than most people, and I would bet that many of your customers love you far beyond what you do for their cars. Keep faith.
Glad to see that you are not a mechanic that believes “ they put WAY to many screws in these cars”. . It helps when everything is replaced properly. Thanks