What automotive garages make money on, mostly?

[Moreno]

If here is some person who knows automotive busines deeply, you could tell me what is an operations that allow to make automotive technicians most of money? Could you do a rough percentage breakdown? It may include such subsections as:

 

1) Oil and filter replacement.

2) Tire rotation and rubber change.

3) Suspension.

4) Electronics.

5) Engine.

6) Electrics.

 

etc...

 

Which specializations are in the highest demand now, at least in U.S. or Canada? Is it profitable to have a garage?

[Phi for All]

In the US at least, the first two are covered by national chains that specialize in oil changes and tire maintenance respectively and exclusively. Modern cars have pretty amazing engines and suspension.

 

If I was going to start a national chain in the US, I'd specialize in fixing electronics problems cheaply. Electronic problems on cars scare most people. They often see it as a dealership fix, and pay a LOT of money to fix it. And they hate paying for it, since it just brings the car back up to typical, rather than improving the driving experience (new tires cost a lot too, but you love the new feel of the steering after the old bald ones).

 

If you could figure out a cheap and easy way to hire semi-skilled people to trace wiring and electrical problems and fix them for a lot less than the dealerships charge, you could make a lot of money. If you know cars, you can still do a bit of DIY with the engine, suspension, transmission, etc, but for electronics, most consumers have no idea how to interface with their cars.

[Externet]

I would replace 5) with brakes servicing on the list. Engines usually go to 'machinists'

 

I always wanted to put an unique noises finding/repair shop. By running the vehicle on dynamometer-like bumpy cylinders without the dynamometer Will be in my next life...

 

To repair electronics, you need a very sharp smart electronics experienced technician, not a mechanic, as cars have not been built anymore, for about 20 years. They are computers with wheels. Mine has seven on board.

[Phi for All]

To repair electronics, you need a very sharp smart electronics experienced technician, not a mechanic, as cars have not been built anymore, for about 20 years. They are computers with wheels. Mine has seven on board.

 

That's why I think this might work. You can't work on your own electronics unless you have the diagnostic machines that talk to the on board computers. But you don't need a grease monkey, you need a sharp young person who knows computers and can figure out where a short is causing something (or a cascade of somethings) to malfunction. If you can focus on the 10 most common electrical problems that usually get taken to a dealership, and figure out ways to fix them quicker and cheaper, you could gain trust the way the oil change and tire change shops have.

[Externet]

"short" is a common improper wording for electrical fault. The diagnostic tools that provide factory programmed codes readout are very commonly misinterpreted, and that is what takes the sharp electronics expert (not a computer expert) to diagnose.

 

A code like P0303 for 'cylinder 3 misfire detected' usually causes the 'mechanic' to replace the #3 spark plug, in a guess. As the problem stays, then goes to replace a O2 sensor, then the other... Problem can be from many other things, as head gasket coolant leak, corona discharge in a high voltage wire, sticky valve, a bad connector in many places, a rat bitten wire, wet contacts, poor grounding...

Takes a lot more diagnostics than trial and error blindly replacing parts from an error code displayed.

 

Murphy's law states that if you focus in the 10 most common failures, the first vehicle to repair will present failure # 174, and intermittent.

 

The trust in oil change places does not work well when they remove the oil pan steel plug with a pneumatic pistol instead of a plain wrench -because it is easier-. Its button set in 'in' instead of 'out' on your new BMW with an aluminium threaded oil pan.

[Phi for All]

"short" is a common improper wording for electrical fault. The diagnostic tools that provide factory programmed codes readout are very commonly misinterpreted, and that is what takes the sharp electronics expert (not a computer expert) to diagnose.

Apologies. But that's what the average car owner is going to tell you when they have an electrical problem. They know things like this can get expensive, so if there was a place that could fix most electrical problems cheaper than the dealers and the mechanics...

 

A code like P0303 for 'cylinder 3 misfire detected' usually causes the 'mechanic' to replace the #3 spark plug, in a guess. As the problem stays, then goes to replace a O2 sensor, then the other... Problem can be from many other things, as head gasket coolant leak, corona discharge in a high voltage wire, sticky valve, a bad connector in many places, a rat bitten wire, wet contacts, poor grounding...

Takes a lot more diagnostics than trial and error blindly replacing parts from an error code displayed.

Well sure, but I was trying to isolate common electrical problems. I know how most mechanics resolve these computer issues, and I was suggesting that using a young person more skilled with electronics and computers might change this.

 

Murphy's law states that if you focus in the 10 most common failures, the first vehicle to repair will present failure # 174, and intermittent.

Slippery Slope argument, really. This is how the oil change and tire change places operate, with the majority of their work being very cookie-cutter. Those profits offset the tougher problems that take more resources.

 

The trust in oil change places does not work well when they remove the oil pan steel plug with a pneumatic pistol instead of a plain wrench -because it is easier-. Its button set in 'in' instead of 'out' on your new BMW with an aluminium threaded oil pan.

And yet Jiffy Lube and Grease Monkey and Big O Tires still thrive. Maybe something like that can be done for electronic automotive systems.