Mechanics...without a qualification??

[ep82jm]

What's everyone's thoughts on wee jimmy down the street?

That fella everyone knows who has no mechanicing qualifications but takes on jobs and lets on he's a mechanic.

Would you trust your car with this man?

I don't mind people doing it,I'm a mechanic myself though so I know there is no way these people know half the stuff you learn day to day in the garage or when your at college. But I definitely wouldn't be paying him to carry out work and definitely not at the rate they all seem to charge which is similar to that of a qualified garage lol.

It doesn't bother me,but my boss goes nuts about it as they're effectively standing on his toes and taking potential customers without having a qualification under their belt!

 

[turboloon]

just because you have a piece of paper to say you are a mechanic dosen't mean your the bees knees i know plenty of guy's who don't have certification that are shit hot..my late uncle had been involved with cars since he was a nipper as my granda had a coach company,my uncle then went on to serve his time as a welder,but always kept his hand in with the cars,and he was bloody good..

 

[GT-TD04]

I think its fine as long as they tell the people coming to them that they are not a mechanic. If they let on they are thats another story.

At the end of the day that way its the people coming to him who would be at fault if anything went wrong as they know from the outset that they are paying less because he hasn't had the training a fully qualified mechanic has.

 

[ep82jm]

just because you have a piece of paper to say you are a mechanic dosen't mean your the bees knees i know plenty of guy's who don't have certification that are shit hot..my late uncle had been involved with cars since he was a nipper as my granda had a coach company,my uncle then went on to serve his time as a welder,but always kept his hand in with the cars,and he was bloody good..

True that mate. I've a mate who's seriously handy at ars and he hasn't a qualification behind him,just grew up in the karting scene and learnt as he grew. And vice versa there's plenty with the papers who are fucking shite lol.

But I still think without the education and the garage experience there will be bits you'll never know.

Also insurance reasons etc i.e public liability etc,I was offered a placement while I was at college and they wouldn't let me take it due to him not being able to provide his qualification certificates and therefore any insurance he would have was apparently not valid

 

[turboloon]

True that mate. I've a mate who's seriously handy at ars and he hasn't a qualification behind him,just grew up in the karting scene and learnt as he grew. And vice versa there's plenty with the papers who are fucking shite lol.

But I still think without the education and the garage experience there will be bits you'll never know.

Also insurance reasons etc i.e public liability etc,I was offered a placement while I was at college and they wouldn't let me take it due to him not being able to provide his qualification certificates and therefore any insurance he would have was apparently not valid

yeah can agree with the training thing like..i my self am a hobby mechanic and places like these foums are a god send!!!

 

[H_D]

Even from an employment point of view experiance is more desired than qualifications nowdays.

 

[richglanzav]

certificates ultimately mean bugger all. i know of countless people in various jobs in various trades who got loads of qualifications, and they aint just not great at their job...they r downright stupid aswell lol.

 

[hookie663]

Paper work means no fin it's the good experience and a good job u want

 

[gaetano_onsov]

Before I start my little rant I have nothing against you or your garage I am sure your good at your job and your garage like wises. As customer don't think it makes a difference. There are to many certified staffed garages out there that do shit jobs and rip people off. I Only let people I know work on my car if I can. When I bought my last a car straight after I got it, it started pulling to left so I took it to an official BMW dealership garage and Got a laser alignment check and an inspection 1. They took my money off me and told me it was probably my tyres. I then got it MOT'ed back home and it failed because of excessive play on swing arm. When I told them about it just coming out of BMW they were shocked that they never noticed the play or checked for it. I think that they never even bothered to do it and that's an official BMW garage. I also had a hose perish that went to the EGR sensor. The car ran like shit which led me to belive it was an Injector fault. I took it to a diesel specialist but because the car wasn't running well it went buy trailer and I pushed it into the garage. because I turned the power steering when the car wasn't running the resovior overflowed I seen it dripping but never said to the mechanics. Got the car back all fixed with a bill for 960 quid they changed the power steering pump because it was leaking apparently and the alternator for no reason.

 

[ep82jm]

certificates ultimately mean bugger all. i know of countless people in various jobs in various trades who got loads of qualifications, and they aint just not great at their job...they r downright stupid aswell lol.

Yea but my post is about people without the qualifications. I know people are saying you don't need them bla bla,but I can 100% say I wouldn't be anywhere near the level I am today without the theory behind the qualification. I think if some people sat through it they'd realise the extra bits you learn in comparison to just picking up a spanner at home and going hell for leather at things lol.

 

[ep82jm]

Before I start my little rant I have nothing against you or your garage I am sure your good at your job and your garage like wises. As customer don't think it makes a difference. There are to many certified staffed garages out there that do shit jobs and rip people off. I Only let people I know work on my car if I can. When I bought my last a car straight after I got it, it started pulling to left so I took it to an official BMW dealership garage and Got a laser alignment check and an inspection 1. They took my money off me and told me it was probably my tyres. I then got it MOT'ed back home and it failed because of excessive play on swing arm. When I told them about it just coming out of BMW they were shocked that they never noticed the play or checked for it. I think that they never even bothered to do it and that's an official BMW garage. I also had a hose perish that went to the EGR sensor. The car ran like shit which led me to belive it was an Injector fault. I took it to a diesel specialist but because the car wasn't running well it went buy trailer and I pushed it into the garage. because I turned the power steering when the car wasn't running the resovior overflowed I seen it dripping but never said to the mechanics. Got the car back all fixed with a bill for 960 quid they changed the power steering pump because it was leaking apparently and the alternator for no reason.

Oh believe me I know all about the crooks,I used to work for a man over here,a Land rover discovery or freelancer came in,I can't remember which,basically the owner of the business diagnosed it as a primary fuel pump before any mechanics had even looked at the car (the owner wasn't a trained mechanic at all,owned a petrol station and basically built the place for his son) so it was booked in and the customer paid up front on the owners word that this was the problem...£700 odds for parts and labour. A mechanic took the pump out,wired it to a 12v supply and found that it was still working 100%,the bosses reply to this was "stick it on a 24v supply there and blow it up in case the customer asks to see it" and then he had to have a secondary pump fitted + costs. Fucking disgrace,plenty of con artists out there!

 

[Paul_JJ]

Yea but my post is about people without the qualifications. I know people are saying you don't need them bla bla,but I can 100% say I wouldn't be anywhere near the level I am today without the theory behind the qualification. I think if some people sat through it they'd realise the extra bits you learn in comparison to just picking up a spanner at home and going hell for leather at things lol.

I must comment on that -)

Piece of paper doesn't mean ANYTHING. Trust me mate! There are loads of successful people who hasn't got any qualifications at all and make a good living. THere are loads of people who have a good education and high qualifications and can't find a job! Just to give you an example - look at Bill Gates - Dropped out from Harvard - he actually said that he was wasting his time there! Well I suppose you know the rest and heard in your life about Microsoft.....

When it comes to the Mechanics - on my personal experience I would say that the best ones who has no qualifications! Those who actually have qualification know a lot of theory, but it doesn't mean that the theory always goes with the practice...

Another example - find an electrician and ask him What is an electricity? - I can guarantee you the bloke will not be able to answer - even though he knows everything else...

 

[Paul_JJ]

Oh believe me I know all about the crooks,I used to work for a man over here,a Land rover discovery or freelancer came in,I can't remember which,basically the owner of the business diagnosed it as a primary fuel pump before any mechanics had even looked at the car (the owner wasn't a trained mechanic at all,owned a petrol station and basically built the place for his son) so it was booked in and the customer paid up front on the owners word that this was the problem...£700 odds for parts and labour. A mechanic took the pump out,wired it to a 12v supply and found that it was still working 100%,the bosses reply to this was "stick it on a 24v supply there and blow it up in case the customer asks to see it" and then he had to have a secondary pump fitted + costs. Fucking disgrace,plenty of con artists out there!

Oh yeah! I definitely believe that! How about this one? And he was recommended on the Forum........
http://www.toyotagtturbo.com/forums/showthread.php?53816-S-amp-M-Services-Droitwich

 

[pig666eon]

i have no papers to be a mechanic but i could still do anything that was put infront of me. tbh i am mechanicaly minded same with alot of people doesnt just apply to cars, i fix computers, cars, bikes, fridges ect ect dont have a single qualification to put on a wall, but still able to do a good job and the same quality that some one with papers could do

also it depends on where you got trained it could be a downfall aswell, i have a friend who is a qualified mechanic but because of his teachings is very close minded and cant think out side the box on problems always has to be done to the letter of the book and if its not in the book then he doesnt know how to fix it, experience is the only way to learn properly in my op, my granddad left school when he was 14 and worked with telecom eireann by the time he was 20 he was the manager of all the repair men in ireland and that was with no papers and fuck all schooling, he did go higher but you get my point you dont need a piece of paper to say that your good experience is all you need

 

[5e colin]

aslong as they know there stuff its grand but theres a fair few cowboy qualified mecs out there for sure

i am not fully qualified neither who cares , raised in mi grandads main dealers been around engines sinds i was 8 and bean working on them for more than 25years full time

at the end of the day its just a piece of paper for smart nerds / not all mechanics are good whit a pen like me