im wanting to become a certified ford tech and get my ase. whats the best route for this? a local community college teaches you all the stuff you need to get your ase then you take your test. but i would rather be a certified ford tech since i have a job lined up once im certified. thanks in advance for the help.

 

good thing with ford , is they will keep you busy especially in heavy line . the powerstrokes like to be worked on and many of the jobs are cab off's .

its not a bad job , i have a friend at ford and he seems pretty happy . always busy and makes a decent living.

Some dealers have apprentice programs where you can get hired on , they pay for school and you can get certified. I did this @ gm for a bit but left from lack of work back in 05-06 . I liked it alot and learned alot . One thing i still tell everyone mixing a hobby and profession sometimes leads to finding a different hobby at least for me since im not working on cool cars . Most of the time after work , the last thing i want to do is work on my sled .

 

Find your local Ford dealer service manager and ask about the Ford ASSET program. Also, GM has the ASEP program. That's where you should start. They combine college classes with on the job dealership training.

 

you made some very good points. im currently laid off and i wanted to try something new. so is 20-25/hr a good wage for a tech? do they teach you to work on a certain model or all the models?

 

AFTER you're a seasoned tech, you can command those higher wages. Don't expect anything near that to start out. I know guys that have been on the job 20 years making just over $20/hr. But they also flag 60-70 hours per week.

 

it depends on what line of work you choose.

lube tech,brake/alignment,15a/electrical/driveability,heavy line,trans....etc

all departments work on different vehicle . some vehicles are plagued with problems so you will see certain models often in certain fields .

starting the program entering as a tech they start off pretty low like 14 hr at least when i was there that was starting for autonation which is a huge chain of big name dealerships . You will most likely work with one of the master techs and be under his wing for a while until your ready.

 

I'm the heavy line gasoline tech at our Ford dealership, I do gas engine drivability, transmissions, and most all of the driveline work too. Axles, transfer cases etc... I stay pretty busy but the wage has alot to do with your area and certifications. Let's put it this way, I haven't had a raise since I was a lube tech because we've been waiting on classes to fill up for me to get the rest of my certs. Its shitty, but around here, if you've got a job you keep it. Everyone seems to think that just because I'm always overhauling an engine, trans, or have a vehicle torn halfway apart that I must make a lot of money doing it... Not the case... Honestly around here, the hours are in Diesel work and frontend and suspension/chassis. You may not make as much per hour but there are plenty of hours out there

I stay busy working my day job and I normally am working on something after hours and on the weekend. If you're a decent tech, you inevitably will end up with work on the side. But there's the factor of mixing work and play.. And that has just about taken the fun out of going fast for me.

 

thanks guys for the help. my father inlaw owns a couple ford dealerships and has mentioned to me many times he wishes i was a ford tech and told me he would start me at $20. i talked to him this morning and he said he would sponsor me for work/training/school program. does ford take care of its employees? im unemployed now and i would prefer not to put my family though this again.

 

most dealerships are franchise it all depends on how the delaership is. i worked at some that are good and some that are shitty it all dependes on how its run if the owner is actually pays attention to how the dealer and its emoyers operate or they just care if there making money and dont care about anything else. is that 20 flate rate or hrly. i did the gm one it was good but alot of dealers dont care about there employes. ive bet you have seen all the gms close becuse they were shitty dealers. alot sut down in canada. some ford too.

 

I have (had?) all my ASE's. I got out while I had the opportunity. I went to UTI, then into the Jaguar PACE program which no longer exists. I was a tech for 5 years or so.

nothing prepares you for a life of automechanics like jumping in and getting wet. you can learn the hands on technical stuff at community college or trade school. what you really need to be prepared for is the bullshit that comes with it. flagging repair orders, overlapping time, etc. it sucks. Ive been out for 5 years now.

to make good money, you either need to be a sneaky no good scoundrel, or a very good technician. if youre average or somewhere in the middle, you can make a living, but not the projected numbers all the commercials tell you.

theres a ton of politics. doing it for a living took all the fun out of it.


go work at an independent shop, or a Goodyear that does repairs just to get started while youre attending the program or going to school. You'll get a little taste of everything and see a lot of different makes and models.

you can have fun making a living working on cars, but you have to get settled in the right place. I worked at a hole in the wall Dodge dealer, and a world renowned European dealer. same **** at both places.


I would look into the programs suggested, manufacturer training and educatino is the best way to go.