Working on “Other” Brands
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- I’ve been a professional technician for more than 25 years, mostly working on Hondas and Acuras. I’m very familiar with the Honda brand as a result. Honda isn’t the only brand of vehicle, and from time to time, I end up working on other makes and models besides Honda. Personally, I see these as an opportunity to grow my mechanical skills, although I might complain a bit in the process.
How do you feel about working on unfamiliar makes and models of vehicles?
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Nissan dealer tech here. We work on many different brands to “recondition” them and sell as used cars. Personally, I like working on different brands as they come in. It gives you a taste of what it’s like working in an independent shop and a lot of general repairs cross over multiple brands. Of course there are exceptions, but it does expand your knowledge. It’s just annoying whenever you come across something where you don’t have the tool for it. Lol
Or you come across something that is just a horrible design. Look up the procedure to swap a simple heater core on a Dodge Nitro. smh.. It's a 9 hour job and you have to pull out the entire dash- it's insane. Just to change the front blinker bulb, you have to pull off the entire front grill and parts flying all directions.. I hate it. lol.... I just bought her a $15 heated seat pad--- because that heater core isn't happening. (luckily she's been happy with that)
@@fcex558
Nissan has the leaf. Idk if it’s still in production but I feel besides Tesla they were one of first manufacturers to introduce an electric vehicle
@@Trex6767 Nissan Leaf ?? Ever heard of it
@@fcex558 there's a fully electric SUV coming out from Nissan in the spring or fall I can't remember it's called Aria
@@calholli I don't know of any car built within the last 40 years that doesn't require removing the entire dash to replace the heater core. I did that job on a 87 S-10 and a 96 Ranger and neither was that hard of a job, although I did have some hardware left over when I was done with the S-10, most was from the coolant soaked "hush panels" that came out from under the dash that I threw away (company truck on it's last legs).
I was the used car tech when I was working at a Toyota dealership. I loved it. I didn't have to deal with many waiters. I also got 1.3 times book time because the service manager thought that's how it had to be done. He wasn't very intelligent about fixing cars. He was a business expert, as most managers are. 🤣
I have my own shop now.
Used car tech, I can see why they paid you 1.3. At a Toyota dealer, it might have not been the bad since you should have been wrenching on fairly decent stuff. Get into the B lot cars and you are chest deep in sh**
Retired Nissan/Infiniti technician. My focus was thrown out of focus whenever the used car department brought a vehicle other than Nissan into my stall. I hated it then. Since retiring and working as a volunteer at a garage that reconditions high mileage donated vehicles for single mothers, widows, and dependents of deployed military, I have found a new interest and challenge working across the spectrum of models. We're talking 150,000-250,000 miles on these cars. Very interesting!
How does one get involved as a mechanic in this? Sounds interesting and for a great cause!
@@zandern9489 I hope that you received my reply to you yesterday. If not, I will enter it here.
How can one get involved?
@@aidan6604 I Google searched 'volunteer auto mechanic opportunities' in my local area and came up with some options. I've been doing this since 2018.
Everytime I work on other brands, I feel like it's the first time I ever worked on a car. Its overwhelming.
Yeah, I got a little Kia Sportage-- I have to start pulling the intake off just to check the spark plugs, ect.. Great design. smh.. Apparently the heater core hose started leaking and the water ran down into the passenger floorboard--- which is exactly where the computer is located. lol.. lovely design, again.
As an owner of a 1994 F150, it's amazing how much carries, not just across different models of that truck, but across FoMoCo, generally. You definitely get a sense of deja-vu.
Cut my teeth on small block Chevys and GM in particular. Eventually dealt with all American brands before graduating to VW and BMWs. Now spending my retirement years keeping a 35 year old Ferrari functioning. They all have their own quirks, but in the end, they are all just cars.
I'm a DIY'er (I grew up an Iowa farm kid; we almost always fixed our own junk). We have a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe (108,200 mi), 2005 Nissan Altima (190,000 miles and some change), and a 2008 Saturn Astra (106,000 mi). I've done normal DIY jobs like brakes and struts to not as normal jobs like oil cooler seals on the Astra. I'm glad for guys like you and Eric O. at SMA, Jim the Car Guy, and others who help me learn to work on cars of all types. Thank you ETCG! You give me confidence in to tackle various jobs!
I work on Honda/Acura as well and a friend asked me to work on her Nissan Xterra.
The valve cover is held on with Phillips screws… I saw that and it quickly solidified in my brain that I never need to buy a Nissan.
Her Alternator belt was holding on by a hope and a prayer(not Nissans fault I suppose)
And her auto transmission won’t shift Unless she manually shifts it through third.
Ya never again, Honda/Acura only for me!
Although She was quoted $500 to fix her power steering and it was just the O-rings I was super impressed that her pump had been running dry for who knows how long it still worked great without any noise after I swapped out the O-rings and filled it with fluid.
oh yes! the first gen Xterra's had the damn phillip heads.. and they unscrew themselves and leak! BUT that truck was bullet proof. Just sold my 2000 xterra not that long ago and I think the new owner got it and timing belt snapped ! 180k miles.
@@midnitemonty good to hear they fixed that.
I am also not a fan of Nissans use of Philips head screws to hold engine parts together. Perhaps they are trying to imitate the Germans who seem to be obsessed with Allens and triple squares. Thanks for the comment.
As a diy type, I have no loyalty to a single brand, but I do prefer orphan cars. Currently own 14 cars and at least one from every decade from the 40s to 2010s. Work on them all so my tool box includes modern Autel scan tool to vintage Heathkit O'scope. Updraft, sidedraft, 1bbl, 4bbl, single and multi carbs, and mechanical, TBI to multi sequential fuel injection. I've work on so many different systems. I still have hopes to work on a turn of the century brass era cars to round out my experiences.
Ford. I cannot stand Ford. I have a Chevy Silverado, Honda Element and a Ford Focus. Ford's engineers must really hate their techs! F150 took my friend and I 8 hours to change spark plugs. It would have been about 4-5 with magnetic spark plug sockets though.
Research in RUclips is super helpful. You, as well as SMA, Pine Hollow and any others with the relevant info. RUclips is an excellent resource, so thank you.👍
As far as working on different stuff, I recently inherited a 1958 Ford 641 Workmaster tractor. Talk about different! Never even touched any kind of tractor in my life, even though I wanted one because we live on almost 4 acres.
Long story short, I was kinda intimidated at first, but holy cow once I got into it, I realized the thing is about as complex as a ball-peen hammer! It's friggin' AWESOME to work on!
I got my start on fixing up old outdoor power equipment left at the curb, then either selling them or using them myself. I'd recommend that as a way to "dip your toes": a simplified 4-stroke engine, you can pick it up yourself, it won't crush you (generally), and you only have to replace ONE of everything! (Okay, riding mowers often have 2 cylinders).
I'm not a certified tech, but I did go to school for it for 2 1/2 years and I do work on my own cars and sometimes friends and families cars. I've owned 2 ford brands and 1 Chrysler brand. Dabbled here and there in GM vehicles as well, so generally speaking, working on American cars is ok for me. But one time I offered the work on this girl's VW Jetta. She hadn't had it long and she says it doesn't run. I told her I'd come by and take a look at it. Previous guy had his hands on it left shit everywhere plus the car had some custom stuff done to it, it was an overwhelming problem child of a car. Probably best to junk it honestly, but I really wanted to change the thermostat housing because it was leaking, but I wanted to remove it first. I tried to access the screws through the intake manifold, not happening, I would have to remove the intake manifold to get it off and I was not about to do all that. That and several other things, including the Christmas tree dashboard when I did start the engine let me know that working on VW cars is not for me.
Neighbors daughter had a "new style" Beetle I worked on a couple times. It was old and tired, prob 15 years old at the time. Everything I touched was made of hard brittle plastic. Pieces literally broke apart in my hands.
I just sold my 2011 mazda cx7 and it was pretty rusty underneath. Good car otherwise. (New england car)
DIY'er, worked on Chevy/Ford/Nissan/Mazda/Subaru/Honda. I'd say the biggest difference is engine layout. Longitudinal is easiest to work on and how God intended engines to be mounted lol. Subaru seems to be pretty service friendly. That said...I have 2 Hondas now thus the added interest in your channels.
Exactly how I feel, hahaha.
DIY here. I’ve mainly focused on Toyota, Subaru, Opel, Saab and Honda. I consider myself a gear head and I am not afraid of getting in to other brands, but I mainly enjoy working with Toyota, Subaru and Honda. I am not particularly skillful. Whenever I feel insecure about anything I consult the workshop manual. Being somewhat OCD comes in handy whenever one is wrenching on cars. 😅
Love to see the video about the cx7.
Had several mazda's over the last 20 years. In my opinion they are very technician friendly and well engineered.
Rust was a real problem during the ford period. I had a 1990 mazda 626 coupe (mx6 in the usa) (GD) it was almost bullit proof. Sold it because i got the newer model 626 (GE) from my granddad.
Missed my old 626 for years. Never had a better car.
Former chevy dealer tech, Im very good at working on chevrolet truck chassis vehicles. Yet I have a friend that just keeps insisting on bringing me his 2009 vw eos. I hate that car. On the flip side. I was also a dealer tech for Volvo and Mack semi trucks. Surprisingly, working on different truck brands isnt as big of a jump as in automotive applications. These days I mainly work on Freightliners and Kenworths, but Internationals and Volvos are still money makers.
No brand loyalty in our stable. 3 GM, 1 Nissan, 1 FoMoCo, and 1 AMC Jeep! I’m truly a diy jack of all trades master of none. But for me seems like the Nissans are the most mechanic friendly and the Fords are the most difficult. Just IMO in 30 years of fiddling with them.
I work as an accident repair mechanic. Changing bumpers, doors, suspension etc nothing like engine rebuild or servicing etc. I found that working on loads of cars and vans etc gave me a massive experience boost as you constantly have to think about what you are doing and cant be on autopilot. Also the best car i worked on was a 2019 BMW X5M, despite the face value of "omg its so expensive" it really was a pleasure to work on. (I fitted 2 new doors to it)
Technically Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, even Suzuki, seem to be cousin brands. If you know how to work on a japanese brand, there rest of them are pretty much the same thing.
It helps to learn/know how to work on different types of vehicles, expands your knowledge!
Your info from a few years back on Honda Element starter replacement(barrel of fun!)was extremely helpful. I ended up installing the special bolt onto the starter, then put my 3/8" drive 14mm deep socket(with nut inside) onto the bolt's head and used a thick rubber band to secure the setup to the starter while stabbing it. Hooked up wires, then installed starter assembly and started lower bolt, then got upper bolt started using the step on the threaded portion and used my 1/4" drive air ratchet to thread the bolt in, piece of cake! Took me 15 minutes to put the starter in and torque all fasteners correctly, worked like new. I cranked the starter before installing anything else to make sure it worked!
My reason for this posting is that I normally work on my Mopar stuff and some Chevy & Ford stuff, but usually not Asian models. Thanks for all the great info in your videos!
The Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 MPS are two of the most underated cars Mazda built.
I went to school in the late 70's for Chevrolet Division. Dealership said they sent me but didnt have to HIRE me so I wrkd for Westinghouse. Anywho, relative sold me an old Toyota Starlet so I got hookd on toyotas. (hence riceburner😉). U ARE so good w/Acura/Honda. I watch u bc Japanese cars ARE similiar. Plus I'm 69 & can never learn enough. Mazda is a Ford & visa versa. Would love to see u wrk on Toyotas! (By the way, I NOW own a Prius, & like learning all over again).
Mazda's... no, you're correct... I like them but they do like to rust much faster up here in the over-salted road belt (Michigan). My buddy had a 323 (2010).... Rear quarters gone, dog legs.... doors hood lip.... my cousin has an old 2010 Accord... driven is same area.. totally rust free! Both cars were "apartment cars" (didn't get the garden hose baths).. Both vehicles had about 130K on them.I like them but not as durable on a Honda/Ac
My 2 cents. Retired tech after 27yrs, all at dealerships. Some were multi brand shops! Had opportunities to work on Porsche, Audi, Yugo, Volvo, Saab, VW, Pontiac, and Subaru. I was also the used car tech for several years, making sure they were safe and reliable before resale. Such a fascinating experience. Interesting how different countries engineer their cars. Some are frail and others are built like tanks. After so many years you can't help but form an opinion on which ones are better than others. Specifically, frequency of repair. None are perfect but my pick for first is Toyota, then Lexus, Honda, Acura, Volvo, then take your pick from the rest. Last place I would say Detroit iron, then VW. I'm sure some will disagree with this. just sayin. ( Just FYI: I currently drive a 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis. Yes its a barge, but they run forever. :).
Unfortunately my brand to work on is GM. Kind of makes sense since I live in Detroit/Flint metro area. Chrysler/Ford is the other brands I get to wrench on. Very occasionally I do wrench on Hondas/Toyotas, which is a nice change. Ford is my least favorite to wrench on. Specialty tools needed for a lot of items.
Good morning eric,Eric, happy birthday 🎂 as well. Well I saw 1 of ur 📹 of so m of them ur a great 👍 human being a heart of gold I watch the video about pistons rebuild excellent is all I can say .p.s. question what do u think about 011acura and Chrysler t&c, but more acura how good or bad are thay. Please cincerly Luis from prov. Rhode Island. Have a great 👍 day amen 🙏
CX7.......the turbo version is what nightmares are made of. is it the injectors, rail pressure sensor, HP fuel pump, VVT phaser, timing chains, turbo or maybe just a bad afr sensor? Who knows!?
The internet in general, and You tube in particular, makes learning how to work on other brands easier than in the past, but doesn't explain why, in a 2005 Caravan, to remove the EGR valve you have to remove the alternator, but to remove the alternator you have to remove the EGR valve.
BMW tech here. Sometimes I'll get something like a Mazda in for some amount of work. Since I'm used to overcomplication in vehicles, it is a culture shock to take something apart that was built simpler, and more logically.
I worked on a BMW 5 series and it had 3 thermostats. And explaining that to a customer was difficult because he couldn’t understand why it had 3 thermostats and niether can I. But it did and 2 of the 3 was seized. I don’t like BMW owners because they want it done cheap and with the high end luxury cars, you have to go oem or at least good brands and they always want to buy the cheapest part on Amazon or eBay. And I can’t guarantee the work because those parts are POSs. And will just break down and I’ll get a phone call a month later. Terrible. I still work on them but only oem/oem supplier parts so I can guarantee the work.
In my experiences you kind of pick your poison when it comes to working on any car. The way I see it, almost all cars are the same. They literally have most of all the same parts, and all in slightly different locations. All cars have brakes, suspension, wheels, A/C, heaters, engine, transmission, sensors of all sorts, etc, etc.... From what I've found some cars are much easier to work on than other cars. This mainly has to do with the placement of these parts. You can tell when a little bit of engineering was in mind when they packaged a certain vehicle together. And you can tell when other cars were seemingly thrown together and parts are hard AF to get to.... I like working on Honda's, I have two of them, and so far pretty easy. Ford's are not bad, Toyota's are nice, Mazda is not too bad, Chevrolet is dumb, but who's judging.... 🙂
Thank you for your videos. As a recent Integra owner, your videos have really informed and helped me care for the car. However, my comment isn’t about your content, but your health. In this video, you seem to be short of breath and your color seems off. Might be a common cold, but sometimes health issues can sneak up on you. Just hoping you’re well.
I’m not a professional mechanic. Over the years I’ve owned VW, Nissan, and Chevrolet. I’ve worked on a Golf I, a Golf 3, a Nissan pickup and most recently a Chevy. I find it challenging and fun to learn new ‘styles’. I’m also knee deep in a BMW motorcycle stator replacement and have also dabbled in generator engines. The more varied the fleet, the more I learn. Oh, I also owned two Hondas but they never failed on me. But I like learning how machines are put together snd how they fail. After a while, I get bored with fixing the Nissan and want to move onto new things. I guess the most challenging job was two MF tractors from the 50s. Damn things were just too old to keep running
Only ever working in independent shops, my POV is that you master the fundamentals and foster/nurture relationships with the “brand hag” gurus.
Sometimes it’s better to know who knows, than to try and know it all
I will work on anything, but my diagnostic and programming equipment is primarily centered around GM, Ford, Honda and a little Chrysler. I like fixing Hondas, but I am leery of them because I seem to get stiffed doing Honda work more than any other brand. Something about Honda owners just don't want to pay when the work is done. I really only work on them for my regular customers. Nissan is my least favorite brand to work on. I don't really do many Toyotas, I don't think the break that often.
DIYer here, in the UK. I've had exclusively Audis for about 20 years, until my latest car a couple of years ago that's a 2015 Dodge Challenger. Different way of doing things, but most of it is similar as it's a ICE car with 4 wheels. Where I think I might struggle is when I ever get an EVAP leak, as the whole EVAP / purge valve / charcoal canister / venting business is completely alien to me having owned only UK spec cars before.
Brand loyal to honda/acura. working on other brands is pretty lame because engineers definitely wernt thinking about mechanics and easily changing parts.
The only thing I want to add is that despite internet memes and misinformation, Subaru is one of the easiest brands to work on by far, in my opinion. It's much more like working on a small truck than working on most cramped cars. The longitudinal engine with a short block front to back, all the accessories right up front, and generally everything being fairly accessible is quite nice. I also feel Subaru engineers pay more attention to what mechanics will have to do for service than other brands. About the only thing more difficult on a Subaru than other cars is changing spark plugs, and it's still not difficult. Timing belts/chains are a bit more time consuming as well, but not very difficult, especially compared to something like the common transverse V6. Subaru engines are also some of the easiest to pull in general. Overall, I prefer working on a Subaru to almost any modern transverse engine car.
As a subaru tech, basic maintenance is super easy. But as a performance car guy, fudge those engines. I do agree subaru engines are easier than most engines to pull. Just cause its easier to pull doesnt mean you want to everytime you need to get to the heads or something like that.
I'm a DIY "tech" :) i do by my self everything i can do on my cars (also on my family cars). I always purchased German cars Audi and now Porsche. My family own mostly Japan cars (Toyota, Mazda an Hiunday hope it's spell right :) ). I saw in my little experience as a DIYer that the biggest difference is not only about brands, but about country that they are from (or industrial groups)
I work on everything and I am not brand loyal, but I do not like working on fords and I cringe when I have to do a repair on any of them. I like some of their models, I just don't like working on them.
I prefer to own and work own Japanese vehicles in general. In my experience they're straightforward (and usually not too expensive) to maintain and they're fairly reliable (especially when maintained properly).
Ps lol I've never seen you so happy about having fixed a car lol you must of really scored some big points either with the wife or the father in law lol congrats!.
Looking forward to that Mazda CX 7 video Eric, I know it will be cool😉
I’m an iPhone specialist and occasionally will work on other phones like Androids but surprisingly certain literature (schematics etc) can sometimes be harder to find for those phones which keeps me mainly focused on Apple products. But definitely a nice challenge trying to apply iPhone knowledge towards fixing other brands. Feels more like a win!
All schematics are nearly impossible to find for all phones but since Apple shit is more expensive there's some level of gray market information available that you can't find as easily for Android stuff.
You probably know this already if you've ever heard of Louis Rossmann.
@@fisqual Definitely. I pay to use a boardview software which includes schematics. But I’ve found they’re all mostly geared towards Apple devices, iPhones in particular as the information for other devices is very bare bones at best
We have a man of culture here...
Louis banned me for some reason-- not sure why, but I can't hang out in the chat anymore. lol..
@@calholli I feel like getting banned by Louis is almost a right of passage. I generally don't participate in the chats/comments but I really thought he was kidding about banning people for one silly reason or another, but I guess not! lol
Only commenting to say I love Mazda. Had a 92 Protégé LX that is still one of favorite cars ever.
I have a Honda Fit and a Chrysler 300 and have owned many GM’s so I try to learn and help people to diagnose many issues
Yeah right! You know it feels good to say to the father in law "yup I fixed it" lol but yeah the point of this video wink wink is to be opened to new things lol.
As a diyer I started learning car repair on an 89 camry a few years ago and that wasn't too bad for a newbie, then I had to do repairs on a 2000 kia rio...but thankfully even though it was newer and another brand it was so similar it also wasn't too bad, but I now own a 93 Toyota Soarer (or Lexus SC400 to you in U.S.A) and my god it is terrifying to work on depending on the repair, which is weird considering it's an older toyota like my first car, personally I don't think different brands are too different, from my experience it's about the age and technology in the car, like my Soarer, it has features that my friends 2018 Camry doesnt have (and geniunely seems decades newer than my old camry) so certain work would be easier for me on his car than my own, but there's other things with his car that i'd never even attempt to work on, but that is just my experience as somewhat of a newbie still
I was a tech at a John Deere dealer for about 7 years and I hated seeing some other branders of mowers/tractors. However, the thing you need to remember is that brands may do things differently for the most part there is only a couple logical ways of doing something and fundamentally most of them are very similar. I find that this applies to cars and trucks as well.
@Justinian Yi Depends what level of each you look at, an X738 is built better than the small 42 in zero turns. Anything commercial and the legit tractors 1025 and up are built to a higher standard.
That's a Mazda but I think it still is very close to Ford cars, newest Mazdas are more like Toyotas.
DIY Tech here, I grew up with lots and lots of Honda's, and then suddenly one day everyone I know including myself no longer had a honda, and had a toyota instead. It was a fun learning experience, and learning some of the differences has helped me greatly. I have gotten to learn new quirks cars have, overall I'd still prefer to go with what I know, instead of having to research certain issues that pertain to specific models.
The sounds too, we get so attuned to engine sounds. Just the rumbling of a different engine makes me wonder is this normal or somethings not quite right.
I work on first generation dodge rams mostly, I have 2 and know them inside and out, any problem I can diagnose and fix with my eyes closed, I recently picked up a 1950 Pontiac streamliner with the flathead straight 8 and it’s definitely a whole other world compared to what I’m used to but I definitely enjoy the challenge it’s been fun
As a DIYer I've worked on a bunch of different brands and types of vehicles. Truthfully they all work in similar ways and if you understand one you should be able to understand the other. The only struggle I have is the variety of plastic clips, harness plugs and other connectors that need to be removed. Inevitably there is one hidden positioned where I can't see how it is supposed to come apart and I lose so much time trying to figure out how to undo it. (This is compounded by old plastics being brittle and possibly unobtainable to replace).
I always waste so much time taking apart plastic pieces with clips, mostly because I'm trying not to break it all.
Oi! Connectors are a subject unto themselves. I hate having limited access to a connector and you're not sure whether to push, squeeze, whatever then the brittle sungun breaks on you! ETC should do a video on connectors. LOL
Country mechanic work on all type, it hard to kept up, I'd used guys like you to help when get one that turned into a headache, so thank you, and others for doing this, can't afford the new internet car service now, like just buying disc and looking thing up. Thank for your help 🙏
Having owned two Mazda 323's, I still do remember the rusting part very well :P But my Mazdas were so long time ago, I think the CX-7 being so much newer, it would probably be like totally another brand compared to the ones I had, newest 323 I had was 1990.
Mazda’s not very good over all we have a lot of issues and lots of ford influence which is not good
I was working on Subarus almost exclusively as a hobby through college. The two German vehicles just about had me swearing off the Germans forever. After college, I picked up a GMC, an Isuzu, and now a Simca.
The GMC was a little unfamiliar at first, but I at least had the experience built up to know what to look for and figure it out.
The Isuzu has needed some more in-depth work, but I still had the experience for big jobs to do it. I just needed some guidance. I can still do a lot of the basic work without much more than a little reading.
The Simca? Oh boy. This'll be a trip.
I mostly stick to Honda, Toyota and even Subaru. Repairs for the most part is pretty easy and standard for these brands.I have distanced myself from the big 3 brands years ago , the built quality is poor and complex access to do basic maintenance which is such a turn off. Now as far as European brands go, they’re great to look at and drive but an expensive nightmare to work on repairs.
Thanks for the Great content👍 Experience is everything!
Became a BMW technician right out of high school back when the BMW 1600's and 2002tii's were popular and I did that job for 5 years. I didn't pay much attention to working on any other vehicles as I owned a few BMW's as did my family. It was only after I left BMW and went to work for a major utility company as a fast tracked ( super b, learn and get paid well) Fleet Technician did I gain a vast knowledge of the repair and maintenance of many different cars, trucks, cranes, trailers etc. Just a extremely large amount of all types of vehicles and specialized equipment and hydraulic systems and it's just amazing, when you spend your whole life in the automotive and truck repair and maintenance field, how much you learn and see and do.. I learned how to work on just about everything and anything at this utility and a Texaco service and gas station that I worked at as a second income and over 45 years, learned that although vehicles are identically different, they really are similar in more ways than not! 😁 ✌️ 🇺🇸
I totally know what you mean. I am just a DIY guy that works on VW's. I find Vw's easy to work on and diagnose. But when I was throw a 2019 toyota to diagnose a no start condition and replace rear pads my brain just signed out. I found out the fuse to the coils was blown due to a manufacture defect.
Same thing/thoughts apply in the MC world.. Situation you didn't mention tho- Once you're certified in one Brand, EVERYONE sees you as ONLY a tech for that Brand.. It's easy to branch out.. NOT so easy to get work outside of your 'wheelhouse' so to speak.. This subject alone is worthy of discussion.. Have a Great Day, Eric!
I made the comment to the guy at the parts store to the effect of, "They're all the same."
He looked at me dumb and was like, "No they aren't."
What he didn't realize is I meant metal, plastic, nuts, and bolts. In that sense, they are. :-)
Made me lol.
I share a distaste for chrysler minivans and most mazdas.
100% agreement with your statement. My dad has worked on cars as his hobby, repairing his car and each of my family member's cars, doing it for at least a decade now. And during that time, he has worked on so many different brands; first Jeeps, then Fiat, VW, Subarus, Toyotas. Even when he was a young adult, he has touched on Hondas, both a car and a motorcycle. Because he has those experiences under his belt, I have confidence in his knowledge in DIY car repairs and maintenance to ask any advices about those topics.
Like wines, each brand has their good and bad models.
But generally prefer old , simple, stuff.
See ETCG video on why mechanics drive old beaters.
Linked in the description. Thanks for the plug and for the comment.
Have you considered working on Fords in the future? Perhaps a… oh I don’t know… Ford Fairmont for example? Maybe one that I keep seeing in the background but haven’t seen a video for in what seems like years?
I do have some upgrades planned for the Fairmont. A bunch of stuff, including the pandemic, changed those plans. I hope to get back to it after the move. Thanks for the comment.
I’ve spent most of my career working on custom, race and exotic cars. Throw a Honda or Toyota in my stall and I can figure it out but I’m not quick. That timing belt and water pump that takes a dealer tech 1 hour and pays 2, takes me 3. On one hand this is a huge disadvantage if I was to become a full time line tech at a dealer or independent as I would struggle to feed myself working flat rate until I got up to speed. On the other hand, you can throw a Sherman tank, classic mustang (car or plane), a Peterbuilt, offshore powerboat, forklift, whatever you can dream of that has moving parts and I’m comfortable working on it, probably more comfortable than working on a Honda or Toyota. My comfort comes in working on oddball stuff that has limited technical resources available and that the expectation isn’t a 3 hour job gets done in 1, real quick in a hurry.
am I alone here or did Eric seem to have drank 20 double espressos before recording this...ZOOM ZOOM....oh WAIT...Mazda reference...I get it! LOL
30year tech here,.. worked in independent shops only. My take is you become a better rounded tech working on everything. What you do end up missing are some of the inside tricks learned from doing a specific brand inside and out. Most time I can beat the book easily. But there are occasions when a model will shows up that I'm not familiar with. Then it will take me longer than book time. You just have to tell you self, that you are educating yourself. My biggest frustration comes when the service information isn't available or presented in an un favorable format. Which for me I find is the usual case for European vehicles. I find that I spend more time looking up information than I do actually working on the car. But now that I'm working for myself, I've decided to not service any European vehicles. There are shop who specialize in them, so they are actually better for the customer than I would be.
Hey Eric. . .Great content! Saw Oliver over your right shoulder, Are you all done with "him" or is it a work still n process?
Project cars are never done. 😉
DIY'er here. I am brand loyal (Honda) because my experience level is so low, I really don't have room for too many other brands. In other words, I need all the help I can get, and introducing a new brand can and has put me over the edge. I have worked recently on Hyundai's and Chevy's but that is it.
Shade tree and RUclips certified mechanic here 😂 (ASE brake certification/Air brake certified as well)
Didn’t have much of a choice with 6 kids the plethora of cars coming and going, but I do have my preference’s. JDM first choice (minus newer Nissans, just ass backwards engineering if you ask me, love the cars, hate to work on them)
GM’s, Ford, Mitsubishi’s, Hondas, Nissan, and my fav- Toyota!
Yes, they all have their quirks and normal issues, BUT what always intrigues me is the generational differences. Maybe the 1st gen had specific issue with rear taillights going out after 6 months. (Chevy Colorado’s from 2008 ish) had a fleet of those and like clockwork every 6 months a driver would roll up with a bad tail light bulb.)
It’s those nuances and quirks I find interesting. Usually due to some price bidding for a specific part and that company’s QC was subpar. So now you’ve either got recalls or common quirks.
Had a few run ins with German cars- actually not bad!
The logic seems backwards but it’s actually well engineered.
Example- VR6 Jetta, front bumper removal to get to infamous crack pipe bypass tube water pump leak. 8 bolts! That’s it. Headlight plugs are one way plug, on the bumper side.
My Chevy mini van front bumper- H E double hockey sticks! Wire looms everywhere, nothing labeled, just sucked.
Hope to get some more experience on European cars. Fiats, lancia’s, maybe some British cars too.
I work at an independent shop and we get a bit of everything, euro, Japanese, american, old and new and some light trucks. I'd say really the hardest part about it is just the amount of tools you need to have both for the tech personally and shop tools and whatnot. And there's always a car that comes in and you don't have the right tool and need to make it work. But other than that I prefer it over a dealership (was at Ford then VW before). The best part is that you get to see which cars really suck so you can tell your friends and family to stay away from them!
As a former tire and battery tech, I’ll give my opinion.
Personally, there’s nothing wrong with different makes and in the shop I (briefly) worked at, everyone had their “halo” car to work on and we’d all compete to see which of us had the best/worst experience.
I remember a time when I came in and was given the task of trying to diagnose a battery problem with a Chevy Equinox. Sounds simple enough, right? Well… it took us nearly two hours just to even find the damn battery that was under the passenger seat! That was quite embarrassing.
Then there was another time that I had to figure out how to open a gas filler door on a vintage Mercedes. Took nearly an hour, only to find that in the owners manual, there was a pressure release valve in the boot/trunk that will release the vacuum-actuated lock. It was the weirdest way I made $20 and at a time I’m my life when I desperately needed it.
Anyway, that’s my story but my point is that you should do as many different vehicles that you are able to be afforded the benefit of working on to grow your skill. Myself personally, I get bored of doing the same thing constantly and I find that I get complacent. Working on different cars calls upon your experience and challenges you mentally to be able to diagnose and repair those vehicles you’re not used to.
Diy. Not a Mazda fan either, but due to a couple of friends owning a Mazdaspeed 3, a Mazdaspeed Protege, a regular Protege sedan, a Protege 5 wagon, and a Mazda 3, plus my wife's 87 B2000 project. So like it or not I am learning more than Civics and Accords and old GM junk.
Got my ETCG1 video. I can start my Monday.
Hope it doesn't have the Ford V6 engine with the water pump in the crank case. Just try getting answers about the coolant. New water pump says use only FOMOCO type&*%^$ while Mazda Owners manual says use only Type !@#@!. And are they compatible? Funny you should ask
Eric, you're a master mechanic/technician and not just some bloke that bolts new parts to old machines.
Therefore it's no surprise to you I'm sure that vehicles are much like women.
Women have different badges (faces) but under the bodywork they're all very much the same but different.
They all have wheels, brakes, valve trains etc you just gorra figure out each of their quirks, and so we're back to the women again and both are after the same things, your undivided attention and your WALLET‼️
😜 😂 🤣 😆 🇬🇧
I've only ever owned Hondas not including my first car and it's mostly for two reasons (outside of I just like them). 1. I've gained a lot of familiarity with them both to own/drive and to work on them. 2. I don't do all my work and my mechanic who is amazing... is a Honda/Acura specialist. Once he retires, that may encourage me to branch out more but even then, I'll probably stick to what I know 2nd and 3rd best which is Toyota and Subaru.
The 2011 Mazda CX-7 is one of the worst crossover vehicles that were unreliable and not fuel-efficient. I would rather get a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe XL instead, because it is more powerful, reliable and fuel-efficient. Thank you very much and have a great day.
*Mr. Eric Thecarguyski ,please work on a 1997-2001 Honda Prelude* lol..
I used to have a '94 with an H22. Loved that car. Still miss it to this day. BTW, it's pretty much the same car as the later models you mentioned, just different body panels.
So, this is it then, Eric. You can have the kids on weekends. Haha. Maybe you should make a spin off channel called "ETCG1 The Honda Only Car Mechanic Channel" so that there are no mix ups in the future. Just my suggestion to you. You can have that for free, and you are welcome, sir.
That’s cool Eric that you’re going to work on that Mazda for your father-in-law with roughly 47 years of automotive expertise I have worked on just about every make and model vehicle you can think of
I started my career at a Ford dealership in the 70s working on Granadas pintos gas tanks that like to blow up!!
But over the years I open my own shop ended up working on jags saabs Audis BMW Mercedes-Benz man just about every American car out there AMC‘s and enjoy every minute of it.
There are some that I receive that I have no clue then I get into research google, RUclips.
I had an old timer one time say to me if you got a friend in the automotive industry and a new person comes along make friends with them because someday they’re all gonna retire and you’re gonna need some back up..
It was excellent advice because most of the NAPA and other auto parts people that I dealt with are gone now I’m dealing with the new people.
I’m sorry man I could go on and on I still rebuild starters alternators and carburetors for some of the people that have the antiques around me I’m still lucky enough to have vehicles that require installing and setting a set of points and installing a new condenser..
Anything German with more modules than cylinders gives me nightmares...
Chevys, the good jeeps, and Subaru's are my favorite to work on.
I'm a Honda/Acura guy through and through. When someone shows me a problem with their car I always joke that the problem is that "it's not a Honda". I prefer working on Honda's, preferably Civics. But there are certain jobs I would do on other car brands but not nearly as much as I would on a Honda.
I couldn’t agree more with you. I have always been a loyal Ford owner and they are what I cut my teeth on when it comes to working on cars. I have also worked on numerous other makes both import and domestic.
I think knowing a brand like you do Honda, or with Ford myself, also helps with knowing how to maintain the vehicle. There are just certain things each brand does differently.
Hi, My 2016 Ford Cmax Hybrid brake pedal normally stays hard before startup. The Cmax has 16k miles on it, The brake on startup just traveled halfway to the floor before startup. The brakes work normally and there are no visible leaks and the pads are like new. Took it to the Ford dealer under warranty and it was determined to be the Brake booster. 60 days later ( Part delays ), The car is returned to me repaired according to them. The Cmax was returned to me with the same condition I brought it in with. They maintain it was repaired. I'm taking it to another dealer for a second opinion. Is there a procedure to reset the pedal back to factory norms that the first shop missed? Thoughts
I had a dealer lic , did used cars and was trained on Italian they pulled out of US in the 80s , then did mostly Honda , and as customer base grew , branched out to domestic, later European , later did some up to 7 ton trucks , If they had money to pay I would work on it. Did smog checks , bought a bender , did cats exhaust, AC , bought a rim clamp machine and added a good inventory of popular tires. Fortunately retired 2012 after 30 years , around that time the gravy started to disappear, big services were gone , timing belts were very few and clutch jobs also , smog in CA got tougher , and started to get more small services , check engine lights , window regulators , and it seemed like the big money jobs we’re fewer and fewer . Good luck it is much harder these days , to keep decent daily margins . I was one of the lucky ones Of course creating enough business to have employees and buying a large shop property was very important. Often you would beat your head on little jobs and not stick the customer to hard ,because you would get the big jobs later , More modern cars don’t need the big jobs like they use to .
I am a DIY, I like to work and stick with Toyota products. I know them well, I know how to work on them, I got the tools for them. Most of my friends and family have Toyota cars, vans, SUVs. Every now and then I get a Honda or Mazda, I will work on the basic stuff and not get into the deep dives in those
Amateur here, for me it’s not different brands of cars but the country of origin. British, French or Italian okay, but I shiver at the thought of a German built car. The few times I have worked on a German car I find myself thinking “ why would anyone do it this way?”.
DIY'er Love my Honda's / Acura's and my Audis............had some Mini Coopers too but that was just silly.
Hey Eric.. i been a Nissan tech since i got in the trade in 2011 before moving into becoming a train mechanic for a local transit agency… honestly i loved the challenge of being able to work on different brands…with the proper equipment to be able to do the job of course… i was how ever very much not a fan of the European vehicles for whatever reason but american and asain vehicles just always seemed like another day in the office in my opinion..the challenges are exciting when exploring something new
I’m just a DIY guy but I’ve been doing it for a while, I also think this is where people get this idea that one brand is better than another you just get used to how things work on one brand of car and how to fix them and common issues so you start to think those cars are best, but I do like to work on different cars and I probably shouldn’t admit it but I actually ended up really liking French cars even though they’re often cheap and flimsy, I find them quite fun to work on and often easier to fix.
As my Indy Honda tech told me years ago, Hondas are just put together in a way that make working on them more enjoyable than the other brands and I have to agree, have owned and worked on numerous cars in my lifetime.
If you have ALLLL of the special tools and electronic hardware and software needed, working on a BMW is not too bad but not even their dealers have everything.
Owned a ford/mazda mpv with 3.0. what a bad design having the pcv valve hose in back by the firewall. hose and fitting melted. junk
When I worked at Nissan dealers I would always work on 'whatever' for the used car department rather than stand around when it was slow. Now that I work for myself, I prefer Asian cars, but will work on whatever I have to to make a living.
Volvo tech. I'm still young but I worked on independent for eight years on all brands and models. I like the challenge and variety, so when ever I get to work on something other than Volvo, I feel like it is a holiday mentally 😁
Worked on many Other Brands through the years helped by scan tools, All Data, Chiltons etc. Study study study and it usually all works out.
Was a automotive mechanic at a independent, then switched to heavy equipment. I am jack of all trades master of none. I don't care what I work on. Now owning, that is different. I keep away from the problem brands.