Recent auto industry trends show more people taking their cars to independent mechanics for repair than ever before, which is good news for local mechanic shops such as Gardener Automotive in Corpus Christi.
Gardner Automotive is a locally owned and operated company that has been repairing just about anything on wheels for 27 years. Following auto trends and the changing nature of cars has kept the longtime mechanics at the shop busy, not just in the car bays, but in classrooms as well.
“You have to keep going to school, and you’re constantly tested,” said Gardner Automotive head mechanic Daniel Garcia. “Like a doctor, you have to keep learning.”
Garcia is an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified technician with a 26-year history at Gardner. He and all the employees at the shop keep their training and certifications current, including office manager Michelle Rocha.
A 14-year veteran at Gardner, Rocha prides herself on customer service and her knowledge of the business.
“I’ve gone to school for body shop and automotive,” Rocha said. “I’m not just the friendly smile in the office. I don’t have to bother a technician when a customer has a question. I can answer the questions, too.”
Training in a rapidly changing business is the only way to stay in business, said Garcia, who grew up in a family of mechanics. The simple combustion engines he first learned on have morphed over the years into high-tech computerized machines.
“The biggest change has been going from no computers in a car to full-blown keyless entry, Wi-Fi, electronic everything,” Garcia said. Electronic throttle cables might be the best example of a big change in autos, he pointed out.
“Used to, when you pressed on the gas, a wire that runs from the peddle to the carburetor operated to accelerate the engine,” he said. “Now, it’s done with wires and sensors. There are no more heavy parts moving from your peddle to your engine.”
Flat tires have almost become a thing of the past. Newer cars now alert drivers when tire pressure is low, leaving no excuse for being stranded with a flat tire — unless your indicator is broken.
“The new technology is great, we’re all safer because of it,” Garcia said. “But that’s why you have to keep up with all the training. When you stop training, your business just stops. You fall behind.”
Another challenge common to Coastal Bend mechanics are rusted under carriages, lines, suspensions or brake systems. Salt and sand can be the death of a car, Garcia said.
“Your motor may be running good, but you still have a problem with the under carriage,” he said. “In the fight between car and salt, salt wins every time.”
Gardner tackles the problem by doing full inspections of all vehicles that come into the shop, no matter why they are there. If he’s changing the oil, he looks at the rest of the car to see if there is anything else to do to prolong the life of the vehicle. Another goal is to keep costs down for customers.
“We keep our customers updated on what they need for preventive maintenance,” Rocha said. “We go above and beyond what’s expected. As a customer, you don’t have to tell us to look at your whole car, that’s something we already do.”
The ability to analyze the needs of a modern vehicle requires more than basic auto repair knowledge. The mechanics at Gardner are all ASE certified, something that has to be renewed often. The ability to use computer diagnostics and research and quickly solve problems is a must to stay in business, Garcia said.
“It’s like every vehicle that comes in here has a difference virus,” he said. “And we do it all. We work on 18-wheelers, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, foreign and domestic cars. Any vehicle with any problem that comes in the door, we are trained and prepared to deal with it.”
And more will be coming, according to industry trend watchers. When consumers hold onto their cars longer, more will need repairs. Also, as the economy recovers, even do-it-yourselfers tend to turn to auto mechanics for repairs. And as cars get more complicated, auto mechanics will have to keep going back to school to keep up.
“That’s part of the life of an auto mechanic,” Garcia said. “You have to keep going to trainings. All of our mechanics here have come out of mechanic school, and they have to keep going back for more. As the cars change, the training changes.”