fnevets

Its sounds like more trouble than its worth! While at Ford, we often had engeneers visit the location due to faults with reprogramming things like the pscm or instrument cluster and several things security related. How do shops know if they can handle a specific repair or that it will require factory programming in the first place? Im trying to wrap my head around small full service shops. I dont want my oporation to be just tires and alignments but I am afraid that is what the future holds.

When I worked for Ford, we often had to reprogram the ecm for most parts being swapped. With diagnostic tools like Snap-on Solus and Verdict, do you have the ability to do this? Im trying to find info on any scanner outside of the IDS really!

I am looking to migrate toward my own shop. I will be purchasing a house with shop within the business ordinance and starting my business there. I have been looking at the snap on solus as my main diagnostic but after speaking with a few small shop owners, most were saying there primary diagnostic and repair info is thru alldata and that they hardly use the solus or verdict. However the alldata we use at work does not go into detailed diag or repair info, it does not have tsb or vin search features. Im asssuming they are using something a little more detailed like the s3000. Anyone input is appreciated.

I have been turning wrenches my entire life being an avid automotive enthusiast. I have repaired almost every square inch of a vehicle in my driveway including transmission rebuilds and axle repairs. I am 25 years old and have been self employed my entire life. Owning a landscaping company has given me the business knowledge I otherwise would be lost without. My passion has always be the automotive work. I am registered for auto tech school starting mid summer. I have tried to obtain a job in the automotive business for the past few months with no luck. From a business stand point, I completely understand why noone wants to hire someone with no experience to back them up. I have two choices right now, either keep searching and find a 8.50 an hour lube tech job which my wife and I could not live on, or continue my landscaping business while paying for school. I feel the only area I lack experience is diagnostics. Fully understanding WHY the engine locked up or WHY the transmission lost reverese. I hope to learn this while in school and obtain my ASE certifications before finishing. I apologize for the long post but it gets frustrating when you are confident in your skill set but cant obtain a starting position at minimal pay. Have any of you guys started your own shop with no actual work experience under someone else?

I do not trust local shop owners which is a MAJOR factor of going into business for myself. I have helped family and friends by repairing there vehicles due to false diagnosis by all of the local mechanics. Whether it be a $1,800.00 quote for two ball joints replaced and lift coil spring spacer installed on a 2wd dodge ram, or a $2,100.00 transmission rebuild price on a 2002 impala only needing a extension housing seal from a slow leak. All mechanics in this area are seasoned con artist and people are aware of that. The only time I have ever taken a vehicle to a mechanic in my life was to get an alignment because of camber being off a bit. After the alignment my camber was even worse. Several weeks of arguing with a manager only to never get a refund or alignment correction. These are just a few of very many situations that people around here deal with. As you can see, I do not have plans to talk or ask questions from local mechanics for this reason. If I have to learn the hard way then so be it. I am well aware of different quality's/grades of oil and reliable companies that you can build a relationship with just by paying a little extra here and there. I have owned a business for the past ten years and all of this applies in one way or another. The purpose of this thread is to find out who these companies are, what company's sell wholesale, if middle men can be overlooked with wholesale tire . These questions cant be answered by looking in the phone book and calling a tire or oil shop. In addition, I have found that wholesale parts companies and tire companies wont even entertain your phone call unless you already have a business and have there required buy in let alone give you prices just because i am looking to open an account.

People in your area may be different but in my town, they will not share information like that. I have a high school friend that has been in the automotive industry for several years in the parts department. I tried to buy him lunch to pick his brain and I was told he would tell me parts distributors if I did his lawn work. In his defense, people in the area are different ( to put it nicely). Therefore the research will be entirely on my own. This site is amazing for my situation. I guess I really need to know who sells the bulk oil, the wholesale tires and so on. This will allow me to come up with prices and a plan to execute. I have been in the automotive hobby for over 10 years. I have repaired everything on a vehicle at least once. I have experience rebuilding engines, transmissions, axle assembly's and so on. I am currently enrolled in school and have plans to cut back half of my customers with my current business starting in January to peruse the automotive field. It will take time to be the one stop shop I have visioned. Therefor I plan to do brakes, wheels, suspension,tune ups, and oil changes to build clientele and equipment to offer other services.

I am trying to get started on a business plan and I am looking for cost and locations of wholesaler. My intentions for my shop will be starting with brakes, wheels, and suspension as a primary focus in the beginning. I am currently trying to come up with a start up cost for tire dealers, machinery, and bulk oil purchases. Can anyone here lead me in the right direction with oil and tire wholesalers or if most shops just buy fluids at a local franchise under commercial discounts?