Automotive Training Schools

[hammerhead]

Hi guys,

Can someone point me in the right direction:

I never finished college, and have been making a decent living so far, but decided I gotta make a move before it is too late,

so,

I am considering moving up from Central America to do career training in automotive repair. At this stage I am trying to figure out my options and approximate costs, to see how practical it would be for me financially.

Here is what I am looking at:
ASE Certification, Specialized training in Engine Management and Troubleshooting, and if possible to mix it in, air conditioning.

If anyone here has any info on reputable and more or less decent priced schools, it would be greatly appreciated. I have family in Oklahoma City, Dallas, Austin and Houston, and some friends around L.A. So of course those areas are prefered.

Thanks in advance,
Delmer.

 

[Zumtizzle]

i wouldn't man!

Jobs are too hard to come by in the automotive industry.

 

[hammerhead]

Remember I'm just going to train and study in the US, then come back home to Belize to work. Regular mechanics are a dime a dozen around here, but more and more new and modern vehicles coming into the country every day, and good qualified technicians trained in troubleshooting and engine management are very few.

 

[airhead04]

Universal Technical Institute (UTI for short)
University of northwestern ohio. (That school is BADASS, has there own tracks for racing)

Thats all I have to far, if I come across some more Ill let you know.

 

[Mk3runner]

get a job at any decent shop and learn hands on, schools for autos are a joke around here.

 

[hvyman]

do not go to uti.

i would just take a community collage class or the toyota t10 class(it refers to all makes)

engine management and trouble shooting there really arent any classes other than like when you take electrical classes. usually dealers will pay for your school for engine management and advanced diag.

 

[hammerhead]

I was checking out UTI, but read too many reviews on that one by now. I once applied for and got accepted into the Oklahoma Community College Automotive Technology Internship Program. Damn am I sorry I never went. Thats a 3 year program, was thinking if I went to a trade school and did specialized training I could spend less money, but not sure anymore. Seems like most of these Technical Institutions are just out to make money and not really train their students.

 

[hvyman]

^exactly.

go to a community collage class there way cheap and tech you the same shit.

i regret going to uti but at least it was like 4 years ago and way cheaper than it is now.

 

[airhead04]

Maybe the uti there sucks, but here in fl it is pretty nice, and the teachers do actually teach you shit. only problem is that the toyota program isnt here. :cry:

 

[hammerhead]

engine management and trouble shooting there really arent any classes other than like when you take electrical classes. usually dealers will pay for your school for engine management and advanced diag.

hey if you don't mind, can you clarify that for me a bit:

my mechanic here told me that my best bet to get into the automotive field here would be to get training in engine management (including electronics, i assume), and advanced troubleshooting, then he would definitely have a job for me. Like I mentioned before, technicians qualified to diagnose the newer vehicles are still very rare here.

So what course (if any) or what school would you be able to recommend? Would community college (eg Oklahoma City Community College ATIP program) give enough in-depth training?

 

[hammerhead]

I really appreciate any input, being 2000 miles away make it kinda hard for me to go and actually visit any facilities or interview anyone.

 

[88_7mge]

Universal Technical Institute (UTI for short)
University of northwestern ohio. (That school is BADASS, has there own tracks for racing)

Thats all I have to far, if I come across some more Ill let you know.

SCREW UTI. And thats straight from someone that went there. That place freaking sucks donkey balls. The instructors are all former techs that for the most part couldn't hack it in the field. I learned more in high school autoshop than i learned at that school. Waste of money and its over 30K dollars to go there now. If you are completely in the dark about cars and how the stuff works, then yeah, you will learn a little, but nothing you couldn't learn by actually working on the cars for a dealership.

Just my 2 pennies.


hvyman, did you go to the Rancho Campus? When did you graduate? Cuz i got out around late Oct. of 2005.

 

[greg88]

Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Tx and Lamar State College in Port Arthur, TX.

LSC has an Auto Tech program. LIT has diesel mechanic and air conditioning.

www.lamarpa.edu

www.lit.edu

 

[hammerhead]

Been researching:
Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (Either Pro-Tech or Toyota TTEN)
Oklahoma City Community College Automotive Technology Internship Program
Dallas Community College (Eastfield, Brookhaven or Cedar Valley)

Is anyone here familiar with any of these?

Gonna check out LIT and LSC right now

 

[hvyman]

SCREW UTI. And thats straight from someone that went there. That place freaking sucks donkey balls. The instructors are all former techs that for the most part couldn't hack it in the field. I learned more in high school autoshop than i learned at that school. Waste of money and its over 30K dollars to go there now. If you are completely in the dark about cars and how the stuff works, then yeah, you will learn a little, but nothing you couldn't learn by actually working on the cars for a dealership.

Just my 2 pennies.


hvyman, did you go to the Rancho Campus? When did you graduate? Cuz i got out around late Oct. of 2005.

ditto. i was there from march 06-07 at the rancho school. i had the early class and was working till 11pm the first half so i pretty much slept threw half the whole year and had only 1 c the rest a's, b's and never re-phased + took my full 12 hours every phase. it was too easy since it was all book work pretty much. they didnt show enough hands on for me. way too over priced since you can get the same knowledge from a cc at a fraction of the cost and might learn more.

one guy in my class was a teachers pet and worked for benz, they didnt accept into the benz program and ended up getting fired cuz he forgot oil in really expensive benz. didnt know shit about hands on either and thats really all this field is.

hey if you don't mind, can you clarify that for me a bit:

my mechanic here told me that my best bet to get into the automotive field here would be to get training in engine management (including electronics, i assume), and advanced troubleshooting, then he would definitely have a job for me. Like I mentioned before, technicians qualified to diagnose the newer vehicles are still very rare here.

the thing is your talking about advanced classes and even if you get a job at a dealer or something along those lines there not just going to put you straight away into those classes. you have to work your way up get your ase's and prove to them that your worthy(so to speak) for them to send you to those classes(since they pay) and for you to be adv diag/master/mdt tech for them.

basic electrical is no prob to find a decent class and can be used for most of the car and most trouble shooting, but like on board diag with scanners and stuff they dont show you everything that there is to do with them. there is a lot of functions you can use them for and for the general scanners there is a lot of great tools you cant access unless you have a factory scanner.
also most of the education you want to know a lot of that knowledge will come first hand. you can only be taught so much with help.(my personal belief.

i used to work for toyota and they sent me to classes prolly about 3-5 times a year. (they pay for it, they pay you 8 hours each day, and you get free lunch) but since the dealer is paying you and your not there sometimes certain dealers dont want to send there techs to school because there losing money. i was working my way up and the last class i took was evap(which all new cars have) and that stuff can be kinda confusing when your not working on it every day.

best bet would be try and call a lot of schools and see if you can get the info that you seek. in my opinion.

 

[StiCk3]

Attended Lincoln College of Technology for a little more than a year here....wow what a mistake

On the plus side, i have a headstart in most areas of auto tech training, so it's not all jibberish to me. Also got a kick out of the High performance program here and even got to go on TV for a Lincoln Tech Chevelle build (Drag show sundays or something on FSN). A few of the teachers there know there way around a car blindfolded and I will never forget the things he drilled into me.

Bad side: costs an arm and a leg and then some, and some of the classes left me a little empty. Some of the teachers didn't give a rat's ass about teaching and couldn't answer some of my more complex questions. School is mostly made up of ex-cons (not all bad, but you get the idea) so some stupid shit goes down every once in a while. Also housing was a nightmare. Instead of dorms, they have a housing program that puts 4 poorly matched students into a cramped apartment paying $430 a month each (no utilities, that was covered). I had everything from the crazy party into the morning black guys to the unemployed rednecks driving 4x4s on the apartment grass and hitting their girlfriends. Oh, and almost for got the BEDBUGS which i have scars for all over my arms and legs.

Overall: costs way too much to learn what i already had a slight grasp on before i entered the school. Could have had a cheaper time working @ an auto shop full time for a few years, learn the tricks of the trade in real life and still get paid for most of it.