You gon learn today...
I started out with building and racing stock cars when I was a teenager. Had a friend who's father owned a shop. Learned from him and this 70 year old machinist...
Settled on turning wrenches as a career, worked in that shop then went to college. Got a Ford dealer to hire me and a few close classmates on. We got thrown on quicklane. Lube boobs. I was more experienced than they were and brought my stock car in when I punched out and set valve lash, ignition timing etc on Friday nights.
I was on quicklane for 2 weeks.
I was thrown under the wing of the lead diesel tech. And started out doing 7.3 oil pans, oil coolers, 6.0 head gaskets EGR and oil coolers. Then when the disasterpiece 6.4 came out, between the fuel injector recalls, toasted engines, popped EGR coolers... and getting all of the nasty jobs the higher up guys didn't want any part of, E series 6.0 injectors, coolers, etc...
In dealerships everything is a crisis due to lack of communication, service writers running their mouths writing checks the techs can't cash with ridiculous promises they over promise and under deliver 97% of the time, unaware of parts delays back orders etc...
Parts... in the north east if a blizzard hits don't count on Hartford CT warehouse to be online. Forget about having parts...
Get used to hearing D99. Intergalactic backorder.
Writers play favorites with both customers and techs alike.
And be prepared when there's something as foolish as a tire recall in a dealership. Most places only have 1 tire machine and 1 tire balancer. Management is full of penny pinching desk jockeys who don't know the word efficiency. Beg and plead for shop equipment all you want. It will fall on deaf ears, because it cost money.
Special service tools...
You'll have that one Jackass who puts an impact on a tool designed for use with a ratchet and destroy it. Seal installers come to mind.
You'll have another Jackass who steals or loses special service tools.
You'll have the shop premodonna who gets all of the cash pay and gravy work
If you have a shop foreman/dispatcher, they don't care what your skills are, they've got work and will give you whatever is in the bin, if you're smart, you won't go in at 8am that's when all of the waiters will be there with their 19.99 oil change tire rotation works packages.
Waiters gonna wait. Writers are going to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off and badger you if you don't up sell 3k in front end work, or badger you for trying to up sell work and services needed when state inspection is coming due.
When they argue with you, simply say you know what, your right, absolutely correct. I'm wrong. I'm just a glorified parts changer. You dont need me hell you know it all and have seen it all, right there from your desk.
I'm as serious as a heart attack. Warranty times are pathetic. They don't cover the extra time associated with rust and corrosion.
You will need a tap and die set, a drill, twist sockets, and become surgical with an oxygen acetylene torch, and be very generous with penetrating oil. Writers and service managers alike are afraid to use Mtime. It raises eyebrows and they are scared to death of a manufacturers audit.
Tools.
Every week you'll be on the snap on Mac or matco truck.
No craftsman and harbor freight will not cut it in the shop.
Snap ons stuff has lost quality but aren't nearly as bad as harbor freight or craftsman.
600 dollar socket sets. Yup. You need it. Why? Those sockets don't split, they don't round fasteners off.
Boots.
You're going to need a good set of work boots. Redwings, Chippewas, Doc Martin's.
Eyeware, don't use safety glasses. Get tight fitting goggles. I had rust sink into my eye once and had to get it drilled out due to a small gap between my glasses and forehead. Rust ricocheted off the inside of the lens and pow. Right in the eye. That was fun.
Blew my back out twice. Herniated L2 and L3. Some days I'm fine, some days I feel like I just got cracked in the back by a baseball bat-muscle spasms.
Have had fasteners break or sockets break and wailed my knuckles on cast iron or steel surfaces which aren't forgiving. Rusty too. Be up to date on tetanus shots. That's a must. I've opened my knuckles and tops of my hands up too many times to count and have the scars to prove it.
Unless your friend is hired and is proficient in one area, he won't be prone to butt rape recalls and nonsense work like waiters and working on cars. Ford doesn't pay enough to fight with constricted engine bays in front wheel drive platforms.
I won't touch anything smaller than an F250. I may take on F150s for trans work, differential work, or its a 3 valve, phasers, HLAs, or leaky intake gaskets or cracked/rotten exhaust manifolds, even if the studs are broken in the head. That's A ok with me, I grab the mig welder, a bag of nuts from parts, weld nuts to the studs and get them out. Worst vehicle I ever did manifolds on, was an Explorer Sport Trac adrenaline.... that's opening up a large case of suck. You HAVE to undo the engine mounts and Jack one side of the engine up to get to the center studs/nuts.
Like I said. I don't recommend this trade to anyone in the north east unless they wind up in an hourly shop... to hit 50 hours sometimes was working 70 to produce 50. All due to rust and corrosion. Here in Florida I hit 50 hours in 3 8-10 hour days.
Friend better be good at diagnosing noise concerns and inspecting suspension system components. He's going to be getting ALOT of ball joints tie rods broken strut springs, bad strut bearings, and he better be good with diagnosing electrical gremlins. Road salt is every sensor and harness worst night mare. AC system repairs too. You'll get alot of rotten manifold to compressor tubes.
I hated front end work. Pound on knuckles to get ball joints to let go. Broke alot of stuff on explorers especially when doing those retarded press in wheel bearing/hub assemblies. You'll learn about galvanic corrosion... manufacturers LOVE putting steel in aluminum and boy oh boy does it make life interesting. Go do an alignment on a 5 Year old vehicle strip tie rods and sleeves. Shear camber cams off, theyre only tack welded at the factoey...
I hated front end work with a passion... down here I love it. Tap and the stuff comes apart, back in NY break out a sledge hammer... even for alloy wheels on steel hubs, better make friends with the anti seize can before assembling something. Down here, no rust...
Chrome capped lugnuts. Better get the 19.5 21.5 socket.
And winter time oh man was that lovely, be 20 below out you get a truck that was towed in during a snow storm can't push it in and it needs a starter. Go lay down with the wind whipping in the snow to swap it out. Writer makes that the number one priority 9 times out of 10 because that's a contractor and a "good customer" it never failed.
The automotive field in the north east is the epitome of Murphys law. If it can go wrong it will.