Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Come here to introduce yourself, who you are, what you do, and tell us your
experience with our automotive products.
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FioranoCars
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Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by FioranoCars »

Ok, I'm not his dating service :oops: and sorry for the plug, but it's educational and without supporting the cause we'll not have a competition next year, so time to let people know about a great up coming event on 16th September 2017 ... TopTech Live 2017

Want to meet the 5 finalists from this years Top Technician competition ... yes I'm one of them! ... and a few of the previous year's finalists ... STC and a few others should be there too, along with some past winners ... Steve Smith being one :wink: then now's your chance ...

It was a great competition this year with some excellently evil, devious and dastardly faults for us poor competitors to try and not just find, but use a structured and methodical process to prove :twisted: :twisted: (we used other words at the time and in the bar afterwards, sorry can't repeat them here, I'd be banned!! :lol: :lol: )

Well done to the other finalists, Shaun Miller, Karl Weaver, Kevin Toms and Neil Currie, and good luck for the winner announcement on the 16th, you were a wonderful group to compete against and have some fun relaxing afterwards, a great time, many thanks to you and the Aftermarket Magazine Team and event organisers.

David Massey, Andy Savva, John Batten, Eliot Smith, Rob Lewis and Peter Coombes amongst those providing training and seminars so no excuse if you're in the UK to pop along and learn cool new technology or techniques, network with other technicians
TopTechLive2017
TopTechLive2017
http://www.toptechnicianonline.co.uk and click on the Top Tech Live tab,
OR Save £20+vat and call 01732 370340 , QUOTE "RICHARD LUKINS" and pay just £62 + VAT (rather than £82+vat)

Thanks, and see you there
Richard

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

Good Plug for a great event Richard :D :D :D

And of course Good Luck to all 5 finalists, you are all winners already !! To be fair that includes the 5 Semi Finalists that didn't make it to the Final 5 !
No walk in the park getting into the Semi's, never mind the finals.

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by Dcunning35 »

Congratulations Richard I take my hat off to everyone of you for helping showcase this trade in a professional light .
Danny

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

Dcunning35 wrote:Congratulations Richard I take my hat off to everyone of you for helping showcase this trade in a professional light .
Danny
Danny

Will you be making the trek to Daventry ?

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by Dcunning35 »

Not this time stc , im on a well earned holiday .
Enjoy .
Danny

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by FioranoCars »

Thanks Danny, shame you'll not be there, have a great and no doubt well deserved break.
Still a long way to go with that light sadly!

The motor trade generically really needs to look at up-skilling or find itself regulated. Probably over regulated if we let the government do it as a result of self-regulation failing, that's the usual result.

As an industry, we need to root out those who can't or won't undertake work in a professional manner deploying appropriately skilled staff with both the tooling and knowledge to ensure a first time fix, not just some of the symptoms - the root cause, with OE quality items, the customer kept informed throughout, so they get a repair that is both safe and charged the right amount without any shocks! Transparent Service.

Having the right skills and training is from my limited insight into other garage operations a major issue, sadly garage owners are often reluctant to invest for a variety of reasons (all short sighted and wrong!) coupled with lack of motivation or desire by both young and old mechanics (I'll reserve the word "technician" for a different breed) means than many fail to reach their potential and fall short of delivering a professional service to their clients. !! :twisted: :twisted:

:idea: The TopTech Live is a day of training and seminars which would be of benefit to everyone with an open mind about learning, no matter your level - apprentice to master technician ... with access to true experts in their respective fields ...

for just £62, it's amazing value and what an opportunity to learn!

With TWO of the finalists this year being 50ish or more and ONE of the semi-finalists being over 60, it goes to show that learning is possible for us old farts, and yes experience is a key component to a skilled workforce, but continuous professional development is core.

In most other professions CPD is a prerequisite to staying open and really should be mandatory for this industry too. The fast pace of development and new technologies means it's essential ... after all as a technician you are literally take people’s lives into your hands.

I have personally found that the early rounds of the competition helped show some gaps in my knowledge, but the semi-finals and finals of the competition, from both the judges, other competitors and the faults presented to us to diagnose showed that there is still much to learn and improve, buying into the mantra of continuous learning, from courses, books and videos, on the job (and others in the workplace) and from networking and sharing with fellow technicians (like here on the Pico Forum OR at TopTech Live!) are ALL crucial strands to self-improvement. It never ends! :oops:

So here is a chance to get caught up with what's affecting us now and in the near future, get a taster for the techniques and identify further training needs, that is the first step!

:arrow: Still time to book, but hurry as only a few places left now! call 01732 370340 to confirm your place.

So come on, jump aboard a great opportunity to re-enforce your professional skills and have some fun too!

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

Richard
(I'll reserve the word "technician" for a different breed)
This where I get myself into trouble ! I don't know it all and I know I don't - I am the Conscious Incompetent.

I give my clients a fair ride and it is fine and dandy in STC's little world. I didn't call my self a Technician - Ever ! The IMI, ATA & Bosch say that I can for 3 years. A Master Technician even - WOW !!

AAE. MIMI. As long as I pay for it !!! Not because I have earned it, proved myself worthy, reached a level ......

What do they know ? My strong point is my Tourette's Syndrome. I say what I see without delay, I "tick" else I would forget. :D :D :D

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by Dcunning35 »

Ive a mainly dealership background but have always had inbuilt into me that somebody is paying !!. Now im self employed I agree a fair price for a fair job , Training is crucial but so is experience we all make wrong calls but the professional like you say richard is transparent keeps the customer informed and maybe to my financial downfall if I make a wrong call I stand it period! . But from that we draw experience I take my hat off to all the people who entered top tech . I am no where near ready to put myself on that stage but maybe one day .
Danny

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by Dcunning35 »

Just wanted to add, This forum.has proved a really informative place when.I started on my own I joined having buying a used pico , my first post for help was answered by richard who in a very polite non patronising manner pointed me in the right direction. Since then stc has been a huge help and this is what this forum is about!! .
I will always help if I can ,but if I cant il keep it zipped .
Its really good to see you back stc
Danny

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Re: Wana Meet Steve Smith?

Post by STC »

Danny
Thank you for those kind words.
transparent keeps the customer informed and maybe to my financial downfall if I make a wrong call I stand it period!
In the real world of Automotive Diagnosis this cannot be easily achieved. We don't know how long it will take. as long as you have the right knowledge, literature & tooling for a particular job then it is ok to say "It takes as long as it takes"

I agree, if you call it wrong then you pay - Period, that way you wont call wrong again in a hurry.

I start with a minimum 2 hours for any job even if it can be fixed in 5 minutes. If another time it runs over time I will stick to the agreed 2.

Two extreme examples just today

1. Mr Googlenostics has a 2007 320d BMW. Has had a new turbo fitted and now it wont start. He wants me to do a CAS DDE alignment.
The engine is cranking and trying to fire but not catching, that and a code read (no codes) tells me DDE / CAS are aligned. I could hear it was missing compression but he would have none of it. So we agree the 2 hours.
It falls down on the first test, amp clamp on starter cable with sync on Injector 1. Indeed No compression on Cylinder 2.
Quick Easy in and out 20 minutes.

2013 318 Petrol with codes for misfire on Cylinder 3. Not a hard misfire, you had to get it into Second gear at 3000 Rpm to get the misfire and the code.

Swapped Coil 3 to Cylinder 2 and now have codes for Cylinder 2. Happy days it is the Coil. Me being me and not satisfied then moved the bad coil to Cylinder 1 to be absolutely certain. From that point on it never misfired again, ran a bit lumpy but no misfire. I explored fuel pressures, fuel quality, intake coked up, EGR, MAF, Dual Mass, Smooth Running, Misfire Counters, Vanos, Chain Stretch ...... a good 3 or 4 hours down the pan. Only on a longer test run at higher speeds and loads it threw a charge Pressure deviation Code. that saved the day.

On this car, the Engine Cover has a Vacuum reservoir effort within it. First time I lifted the cover up and swapped the coils, second time I pulled it off and put it in the boot, that is when the Vacuum pipes to the Turbo actuator came off and I didn't notice.
My guess is that the coil was in the early stages of failure and would only fail when loaded up with higher (boosted) compression in the chamber.

Joined the vacuum pipe up and Misfire back on Cylinder 1 as expected.

Schoolboy error but in my defence, no parts darts, totally non intrusive testing and the correct result. Only additional cost was to me - my time. I put that down as education and experience.

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