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Should I start repairing other people's cars in my spare time to gain mechanical experience faster. I'm willing to sacrifice my social life completely and spare time and work every day. All I do now is study and work with little social life now.
Many of the better shops require new recruits to work in the shop and attend a trade school at night. Laern at night, and work with a seasoned pro during the daytime. In this area it's a five year program. If you make it through five years while working in a shop, you should be well prepared to take and pass all eight ASE tests.
There are no short cuts to being a great mechanic. Only time can give you the experience you need.
I worked as a mechanic for over 40 years, and attended various technical class' until I retired. You never stop learning and can never know it all.
Being in a mad dash as you seem to be will only cause you to become discouraged. If learning great mechanical skills was easy, everyone would be doing it....
The tests for ASE are only given twice a year, and you can only take, I believe it's three at the most, at one time, so that is one reason it takes years. Take one or two tests every six months, and time goes by fast...! If you should fail a test, you're set back six months.
It's been a few years since I got my Master's cert, so the rules are a little rusty, but the tests are killer, and if you can take and pass three in one evening, you have done something special.
Take your time, there is no hurry, even if you think there is. As you get older, you will slow down. There is no wayt to hurry the process..
The first time, I took four on a Tuesday and the other four two days later. My employer was paying and wanted it that way. This was back in 1982.
To the OP:
Passing all eight ASE tests will only make you a Master Tech on paper. It takes many many years of experience and training and you never will know it all. In other words, no, it ain't gonna happen in two years.
Since you're working there, are you looking to become a Nissan master? Or GM? Chrysler? Ford? They all have their own programs and they have nothing to do with ASE or each other.
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From the ASE site:
7. May I register for more than one test?"Yes. You save money this way, because the $36 registration fee is the same regardless of the number of tests you take. You may register for as many as four certification tests on one day. We recommend that you attempt no more than 225 questions per test session.
You can see how many questions are on each test by reviewing the Test Series descriptions and Information. The time allotted on each test date is four hours, enough time to take more than one test."
Last edited by Gimme3steps; 08-18-2011 at 02:13 PM..
...There are no short cuts to being a great mechanic. Only time can give you the experience you need.
I worked as a mechanic for over 40 years, and attended various technical class' until I retired. You never stop learning and can never know it all...
Usually the best mechanics are the ones that took the time to get where they are. There are some things in life that just can't be rushed. I surely wouldn't want to ride in a plane where the pilot just got out of flight school with not many flight hours and experience under his/her belt.
Point is, only time will net the experience needed to be a Master Tech. Yes, they make good money, but like everything else that is worthwhile, you have to pay the price (time in this case) to get there.
The first time, I took four on a Tuesday and the other four two days later. My employer was paying and wanted it that way. This was back in 1982.
To the OP:
Passing all eight ASE tests will only make you a Master Tech on paper. It takes many many years of experience and training and you never will know it all. In other words, no, it ain't gonna happen in two years.
Since you're working there, are you looking to become a Nissan master? Or GM? Chrysler? Ford? They all have their own programs and they have nothing to do with ASE or each other.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From the ASE site:
7. May I register for more than one test?"Yes. You save money this way, because the $36 registration fee is the same regardless of the number of tests you take. You may register for as many as four certification tests on one day. We recommend that you attempt no more than 225 questions per test session.
You can see how many questions are on each test by reviewing the Test Series descriptions and Information. The time allotted on each test date is four hours, enough time to take more than one test."
Well I geuss Nissan Master Tech. The skills should be transferable if I wanted to switch to another dealer right? I know I will only specialize with Nissan/Infiniti cars but I wouldnt start from ground zero if I switched to another company would I?
If I remember correctly, the Master Tech program at Nissan took five years to complete. Twenty years ago it involved lots of traveling to different cities for training. I stayed at a Nissan dealership for a little over a year but got tired of the flat rate and my paycheck depending on how busy the service dept was that week. Some guys loved it (mainly the master techs because they were fed all the high paying jobs) but I much prefer hourly.
As far as transferring your master status, if you stay with Nissan/Infiniti, you would keep it as long as you stayed with that brand. If you switched to another manufacturer you would have somewhat of a head start, but you would still have to go through their program.
I took the worst cars to ever own ( audi 5000,saab 900=80's models) took them apart and put them back together,then got into lexus and bmws engine swapps..Thats how i became a mechanic.Im just now looking for a good school to go to which has everything ...excellent equipment...great trainners...live on campuses..reasonable size classes....etc...Does any one have some suggestions...any
Having any diploma doesnt mean you can make money using it. No one can learn everything a REAL MASTER MECHANIC KNOWS in 2 or 3 years. Can a mechanic become a high paid service tech in 2 or 3 years..yes he can but that has to include years of work to make it count.
Check out "The Auto Tech's Handbook: An Insider's Guide to Life in the Repair Business." Chapter 23, "Making It To The Show," is all about how to work your way through the ASE system and become a Master Technician. I'll tell you right up front I'm blatantly biased about the book because my brother David Ellingsen is the author. But Tomorrow's Technician also gave it a nice independent review.
I work at a Nissan dealership (3 mos) as an entry level automotive technican. I do all the basic stuff change oil and airfilters, conduct inspections, change tires, plug tires, balance tires, change lights, etc. etc. all the "lightweight" stuff.
I have a solid understanding on cars. I have a certificate for automotive technology from a vocational school and I still study in my spare time so when the year is up I can get all 8 A.S.E.
I talked to a friend and he said that it takes up to 5-6 years to become a Master Technician; time which I don't have. It's not that I want to rush the process but I have bigger goals in mind and need my skills now.
I was hoping to become a Master Technician in 2 years time. What can I do? I'm also going to college for Engineering science a prerequisite for Mechanical Engineering. The program helps to understand the theory of cars.
Advice would be much appreciated.
I don't really know how you're gonna cram 6 years of tests and experience in 2 years. Some mechanics can tell you the problems by listening to the car. And they are right. That's experience. You can't just learn that from a book. Gotta get grease under the nails.
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master tech
