Kevin Mertz, service technician at Saturn of Lethbridge
When you go to buy a car, some of the things you want to know are how good the gas mileage is with the cost of fuel, how well it handles, and the safety features included if you ever get into an accident.
All of those features are controlled by technology, and nowadays, mechanics need to be as savvy with computers as they are under the hood.
“You also have to know how the electronics work together with the mechanical parts. You have to find out if it’s an electronic problem before you can determine if it’s a mechanical fault,” says Kurtis Ruston, a Toyota certified master hybrid technician.
Many of the systems built into vehicles have made driving much safer and more reliable, and according to one mechanic, we’re safer on the roads because of it.
“There’s no question that electronics have vastly improved the safety of cars. With the monitoring of seatbelt systems, with the advent of crash sensors, the car can automatically sent a signal to the authorities to send help. The pros outweigh the cons, “ says Murray Charles, service manager at Saturn of Lethbridge.
Mechanics are doing just as much hands-on work as ever, but now with the aide of computers, they can find out what the exact problem is faster and more reliably.
“They’re dealing with as much hands-on as they ever did, but [now] with electronic assistance. All of the work we do [is] connected to [scanning tools]. [This makes diagnosis] more accurate. The better we can diagnose the car, the more effective we can repair the cars,” says Charles.
A great deal of the technology built into vehicles these days is required by law, and it makes driving safer.
“All vehicles these days are required to have electronics and safety devices on board, for passenger safety of course. [There are] technologies involved there, [so] there typically can be high costs involved,” said Charles.
According to Ruston, finding a mechanic isn’t hard, but it seems the bigger issue is keeping mechanics, since those without passion for the job move on quickly.
“The government is helping people out with grants and tax breaks on the tools you buy, where when I was apprenticing, we didn’t have any of that. They’re slowly catching up, helping you get into this trade,” said Ruston.
Like in any other trade or job, finding people isn’t hard, but finding people with a passion for the work and with the skills necessary is difficult.
“It’s not hard to get people to work in the trade, it’s hard to find quality people,” stated Ruston.
Another benefit of computerized components is that they don’t wear out nearly as fast as their mechanical counterparts, making the car last longer.
“You get a lot more life out a car then you would 15-20 years ago because there’s a lot less maintenance costs, stuff doesn’t wear out now like it did 15 years go.”
Originally posted 2008-10-31 04:13:29. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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