You wanna come down and put it in for me
Seriously, thanks for the help on this one. Shoulda asked you in the first place but forgot you had a Jeep, too. I got sticker shock looking at that switch at Autozone but found it for a lot less moola on Amazon. Might not be Mopar, but as long as it works and lasts for at least a year I'll be happy. I do plan on replacing the Jeepster with a pick-up by the end of this year. The Jeep is not really all that practical for me, need to be able to easily move 4x8 sheets of plywood or sheetrock every now and then. A four door pick-up, even a Sport Trac, need the room for Leo, will work better for me.
You wanna come down and put it in for me
Seriously, thanks for the help on this one. Shoulda asked you in the first place but forgot you had a Jeep, too. I got sticker shock looking at that switch at Autozone but found it for a lot less moola on Amazon. Might not be Mopar, but as long as it works and lasts for at least a year I'll be happy. I do plan on replacing the Jeepster with a pick-up by the end of this year. The Jeep is not really all that practical for me, need to be able to easily move 4x8 sheets of plywood or sheetrock every now and then. A four door pick-up, even a Sport Trac, need the room for Leo, will work better for me.
If you were close enough I'd gladly help you so long as your willing to get dirty too.
Best price I could find at the time was around $125. If it won't come off the shaft easily be careful prying, you could open a can a worms that would be more then even I would deal with. Even if I had a lift to put it on, these days that heavy work I just won't do anymore, the price I'd pay in pain just isn't worth it. If all else fails, I'll guide you through putting a toggle switch in, flip it on to bypass the park switch, starter her up then flip it back off after the engine starts. All that park/net switch does (in park or net circuit ) is ground one side of the starter relay, lnot even a whole amp, the high amps to crank the starter go through the other half/circuit of the relay.Yeah I need to replace my beater soon too, hoping to get one more year out of it. It's my hauler and beater, it's getting rust and ugly but she is handy. I have the haul trailer for getting sheets of plywood or stuff that won't fit inside. But you can fit a lot in it with the rear seat flipped down, we just replaced the dryer last week, in the box it slid right in laid on it's side. I'd like to get another used Cherokee or a small pickup like a 4X4 Nissan, with my back and leg it's easier for me to get in and out of then it is mama's car.
Yeah, rusted on NS switches suck. I've had to cut them off the shaft with a metal cutoff wheel. Not too hard, takes less than 10min and a little care.
I downloaded a legit copy of the service manual right after I got it so I have all that stuff handy. Biggest problem is looking at the wiring diagrams and translating that into the real world of wiring in the Jeep. I've already thought about a bypass for it but, if it comes to that, will ask for your help in PM or email. Don't want to bog this thread down with Jeep complexities any more than I already have.
The headliner keep coming down and I keep putting it back up with spray adhesives. Rust is showing on the bottom corners of the drivers side door and rockers. The paint is going to crap, clear coat slowly wearing/peeling on all the leading edges. She's seen better days, for sure, and the gas mileage is terrible, especially for a six banger. A pick-up will be a better choice for me, anyway. If I had my druthers, it'd be an F-350, four door, 4X4, 8ft bed with all the bells and whistles. I don't want a payment book though so it'll be a used whatever I find in good to decent shape.
This DST stuff is a pile of crapola. Mrs. Awsum sent me a text at 3:27PM that I didn't get until 4:27PM which tells me that the messaging system is hosed. A reminder I have set on Comtrash Xfinity came up at 7PM, as scheduled, but then popped up again at 8PM telling me they're not with the program, yet, as well.
The headliner keep coming down and I keep putting it back up with spray adhesives. Rust is showing on the bottom corners of the drivers side door and rockers. The paint is going to crap, clear coat slowly wearing/peeling on all the leading edges. She's seen better days, for sure, and the gas mileage is terrible, especially for a six banger. A pick-up will be a better choice for me, anyway. If I had my druthers, it'd be an F-350, four door, 4X4, 8ft bed with all the bells and whistles. I don't want a payment book though so it'll be a used whatever I find in good to decent shape.
This DST stuff is a pile of crapola. Mrs. Awsum sent me a text at 3:27PM that I didn't get until 4:27PM which tells me that the messaging system is hosed. A reminder I have set on Comtrash Xfinity came up at 7PM, as scheduled, but then popped up again at 8PM telling me they're not with the program, yet, as well.
2nd circle of hell today (ikea returns)
I thought I'd do my gf a favor & get her order fixed but this was worse than the dmv... actually looking at it the pictures don't really convey the hellishness.
I thought I'd do my gf a favor & get her order fixed but this was worse than the dmv... actually looking at it the pictures don't really convey the hellishness.
From my teen years driving $50 beaters with loose headliners, these screw type upholstery do-dads work best. Mom had some in the kitchen junk drawer, back when everyone had arm chair covers and used these to hold them in place.
You got me email address don't you? If not I'll PM it to you, feel free to give me a yell.
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Yeah, Snap-on prices have gone through the roof! My son in law got in the habit of returning my tools when he got around to it, frustrated I wanted him to get an idea just what kind of money I had in my tools. So when he was over one day I pulled up the Snap-On website to show him some prices, there was my 1/4" metric deep and shallow socket set now selling for $400, holy sheep dip!! I paid a $125 for the set when I bought it and thought it was expensive then... Yikes! The mechanics must be making at least triple what I use to and I thought I had made damn good money! Wish my body would take me go back to it, just for one year!
Tray, Socket, Magnetic, Red, 1/4" Drive Sockets, 26 compartments
$35.50 + Tax
20 pc 1/4" Drive 6-Point SAE Flank Drive® Shallow/Deep Socket Set
$353.00 + Tax
FTA: The swivel I keep in the set
1/4" Drive Friction Ball Swivel Ball Impact Universal Joint
$43.75 + Tax
$35.50 + Tax
20 pc 1/4" Drive 6-Point SAE Flank Drive® Shallow/Deep Socket Set
$353.00 + Tax
FTA: The swivel I keep in the set
1/4" Drive Friction Ball Swivel Ball Impact Universal Joint
$43.75 + Tax
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Have you looked at the hourly shop rate at a new car dealership lately?
That said, I have reason to believe the mechanics (who are called "technicians" these days) aren't getting very much of it.
All depends were you work! I have friends who turn wrenches & they make 6 figures.That said, I have reason to believe the mechanics (who are called "technicians" these days) aren't getting very much of it.
They work on heavy equipment & it's not a very nice job
My friend Pat is a Master Mechanic on the exploration rigs, in the bush, He makes a stack of Cash!
But He works 21 on & 6 off in the middle of now were
Have you looked at the hourly shop rate at a new car dealership lately?
That said, I have reason to believe the mechanics (who are called "technicians" these days) aren't getting very much of it.
Well it depends how good you are, I loved working on cars, I wanted to learn as much as I could early on. I started taking the ASE tests a few years in, took three and passed two. Automotive Service Excellence - ASE After that the dealer started sending me to factory training, they knew I was striving to become better. Every year when the new service manuals came out I'd take one at a time home and study it at night so I would have an advantage as to what was new on the new models and how each new system worked.
Every service manual has trouble shooting flow charts, you start with what the problem is, then follow the chart to test A, B, C, if one of those failed then it would tell you where to jump to next in the chart. I called those flow charts for the lazy. If you took the time to learn and understand how the system works, say for example what signals the computer was sent, why and what the output control would/SHOULD be from those signals and why it was designed that way, you wouldn't need the flow charts as much. Understanding the entire system, you had an huge advantage and could diagnose the problem faster, and that's more money in your pocket and the service manager takes note of it.
As I passed more tests, they'd send me for more training, in about ten years I racked up a lot of training and I passed all the ASE test making me a master tech meaning I could diagnose and repair any system on a vehicle. Once I reached that point the wheels on my tool box came into use.
I knew the rule of thumb at a dealer ship was they had what they considered three grades of techs, A, B and C. An C tech was someone who could do oil changes, change tires and brake jobs, a B tech could do a lot more but not everything and an A tech you could rely on them for any job that came through the door. I also knew an A tech by rule of thumb should get 1/3 an hour pay rate of the posted labor rate and that was with the flat rate system. If the book said it pays two hours to do a brake job and I did it in one hour I'd get paid the two hours, if it took me three hours I'd still get paid two.
Once I got all the factory training on record and hit ASE Master I started asking for a lot more, the 1/3, if I didn't get it I'd move to a dealer that would pay it and it wasn't hard when you have those credentials, dealers are always hungry for a good tech.
I know, I know, no pics or it didn't happen, I'll dig out my old certificate and post it.
So unless things have changed, in a dealer ship, an A tech should be making at least 1/3 of the posted labor rate and if that shop is using the flat rate system, in an average week you should be able to add 20-25% on top of your forty hours so your talking about pulling down 48-50 hours of pay made in a 40 hour week, I had weeks I'd pull 60 hours. Time's that by your hourly rate at 1/3 posted rate and you'll get an idea what a good tech can make.
POOF! And it's gone! Didn't think I'd leave it up there did you? If you didn't grab it by now you missed out LoL.
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Love the photo, Willie! You were young once!
I just tighten things up until they feel "right". Never snap small stuff, but I have a habit of snapping bolts 3/8 and up. I tend to get carried away.
I have a different dodge than the toggle switch. A push button right to the starter solenoid. Nothing to remember to flip back and forth. Turn the key, push the button and go like the good olde days.
I just tighten things up until they feel "right". Never snap small stuff, but I have a habit of snapping bolts 3/8 and up. I tend to get carried away.
I have a different dodge than the toggle switch. A push button right to the starter solenoid. Nothing to remember to flip back and forth. Turn the key, push the button and go like the good olde days.
My familiarity is limited to dealerships of one particular manufacturer. But yes, things are different now. One of the things that's changed is that the flow charts are now all scripted and embedded in the factory scan tool, and the techs have little choice but to follow them, no matter how little hands-on experience the guys in the white lab coats with the title "Dr. Dipl. Ing." who wrote those scripts have. In addition, no dealership I know of has one scan-tool per tech, meaning they're often waiting for their turn with one.So unless things have changed, in a dealer ship, an A tech should be making at least 1/3 of the posted labor rate and if that shop is using the flat rate system, in an average week you should be able to add 20-25% on top of your forty hours so your talking about pulling down 48-50 hours of pay made in a 40 hour week, I had weeks I'd pull 60 hours. Time's that by your hourly rate at 1/3 posted rate and you'll get an idea what a good tech can make.
Anyway, I've hired three absolutely top-notch techs away from dealerships, and it was no problem making them offers that were considerably better than what they were earning previously. No, they no longer turn wrenches. Instead, they spend their day helping people who do turn wrenches over the phone and via e-mail.
In my 20's, I was about 95% of the way to being diagnostic tech for Acura, I ended up having accident involving a truck/rear differential & a lift & had to go back & finish college bc I can no longer do the job... but anyway I did make ok money at the time, it definitely wasn't bad but it was really hard work, the guy who I was under, as I understand did made really good money but he's sort of the exception. I did had to pass 8 ase certifications while making very little before they would even let me into the training program, & then basically do 99% of somebody else's job & all the Acura-specific training before I could start making a decent salary.
I was decent at it & had a good time, probably bc all the fun hadn't been sucked out yet, but unfortunately that wasn't even close to the only injury I still have from that time & what the happens to me has also happened to a crap load of other techs & ex-techs that I know. So I give loads of respect to people who are lifelong mechanics & think they should be compensated more fairly than they are.
I was decent at it & had a good time, probably bc all the fun hadn't been sucked out yet, but unfortunately that wasn't even close to the only injury I still have from that time & what the happens to me has also happened to a crap load of other techs & ex-techs that I know. So I give loads of respect to people who are lifelong mechanics & think they should be compensated more fairly than they are.
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I also worked in a Honda and Acura dealer, I liked them both, enjoyed working on them, made the best money I ever made at that dealer.
I truly enjoyed working on cars, I love all things mechanical, nut and bolts, figuring out how things work. I wanted to be the best mechanic I could be and make the most money I could for my wife and daughter, I paid my dues to get there then like you life thew me a curve ball. I was forced to stop as a tech because of spine problems, I tried to keep working, the dealer let me come in, gave me lighter work and let me work til I couldn't take anymore then go home early, my paychecks were half what they use to be. I really didn't want to give it up but the doctor told me I was just doing more damage and it was time to face I just couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't pull a tire off a Civic without pain, it was time to give it up.
Now I love to tinker in my shop, but I don't enjoy working on cars anymore because it's just frustrating I can't do it with hurting. I don't take care of my cars like I should, I don't repair them unless it's needed. But that doesn't mean I can find pleasure in just being in the shop, listing to tunes and tinkering around. It keeps the hands and mind busy.
After giving up the wrench twisting a buddy who is a gun smith got me into handgun shooting, he belonged to a Bullseye team and got me involved in shooting Bullseye pistol matches. Gun's are just machines, it was a naturally progression for me to be drawn to them, learn how they worked, take them apart and learn how to make them better, more accurate. Shooting a lot get's expensive unless you reload, so that was then next progression/hobby. Again, the reloading machines and tools were something new for me to learn and tinker with. But then the spine problems from my back also started showing up in my neck. Bad back, bad neck, your either leaning over when under the hood or looking up when under a car on the lift. The pinched nerves in the neck weaken my arms and my hands are not as steady. Soon precision Bullseye shooting wasn't fun any more, I couldn't shoot a decent group to save my a**, my scores plummeted, it was getting hard to keep all the shots on the paper and once the fun was gone I gave that up too.
I still find things to tinker with, building mods became a natural attraction and gave me something to tinker with. I enjoy building mods but I've got more DNA mods then I need or can use, but yet I can't help but build more.
We're only weeks away now from weather warm enough that I'll get outside and back in my shop, I look forward to it!
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