Expert Advice On Finding A Good Mechanic

A truck or van is the second costliest purchase you will ever make -- out ranked only by your home. And it's also likely that you're discouraged by the thought of maintaining your vehicle. Today's vehicles seem too complex for your own backyard tinkering, and finding a good repair facility with competent mechanics seems more difficult than it should be.

Fortunately there's a group that can help take much of the guesswork out of finding a competent mechanic. The independent, nonprofit National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, better known as ASE, is dedicated to improving automotive service and repair by testing and certifying the competence of individual mechanics, or "technicians," to use today's terminology.

ASE is the only automotive certification group that is both national in scope and industry-wide. It is self-supporting, with a forty-member, volunteer board of directors drawn from all segments of the automotive service industry, as well as representatives from education, government and consumer groups.

ASE means Good News for Consumers

ASE-certified technicians have proven their competency to you, to their employers, and to themselves by passing national, standardized exams.

Because ASE's program is voluntary, technicians who have paid in time and money to earn ASE certification can be counted on to have a strong sense of pride in their profession. Moreover, prior to taking ASE exams, many mechanics attend training classes or study after work to increase their knowledge, another plus for consumers.

ASE certifies only the individual technician, not the repair shop itself, but it stands to reason that employers and managers who encourage their technicians to earn ASE's national credentials will be concerned about all aspects of their business.

The Nuts and Bolts of ASE Certification

Twice a year some 100,000 technicians sit for ASE certification exams at over 600 locations. The exams are administered in the field by ACT, the same organization that offers college entrance and other professional exams.

The exams, which stress real-world diagnostic and repair problems, are designed by representatives from the automotive service and repair industry, vocational educators, and ASE's own in-house technical specialists.

There are eight automobile exams: Engine Repair, Engine Performance, Electrical/Electronic Systems, Brakes, Heating and Air Conditioning, Suspension and Steering, Manual Drive Train and Axles, and Automatic Transmissions. There are also tests for collision repair/refinish technicians, engine machinists, parts specialists, and medium/heavy truck technicians.

The exams are no cinch to pass; on average, one out of three test takers fail any given exam. But those who pass and fulfill the work experience requirement earn the title of ASE-certified Automobile Technician, while those who pass all eight auto exams earn Master Auto Technician status.

Every ASE technician is issued credentials listing his (or her) exact areas of certification and an appropriate shoulder insignia.

Nor does it end there: certification is not for life; ASE requires its technicians to recertify every five years to keep up with technology and to stay certified.

How to Find an ASE Certified Technician

ASE-certified technicians can be found at every type of repair facility: new car dealerships, independent garages, service stations, tire dealers, special shops, and major franchises. There are about 375,000 ASE technicians at work across the nation.

Repair facilities with one or more ASE-certified technicians are entitled to display the blue and white ASE sign and post their certified technicians' credentials in the customer service area.

Choosing the Right Technician

As with physicians, auto technicians specialize. Because ASE offers certification in all major technical areas of auto repair and service, it's wise to ask the shop owner or service manager specifically for a technician who is certified in the appropriate area, say, brakes, engine repair, or air conditioning. The technicians are issued pocket-sized credential cards listing their exact areas of certification.

For free information about ASE technician certification, send a business-sized, self-addressed, stamped envelope to: ASE Consumer Brochure, Dept. CCC-F95, P.O. Box 347, Herndon, VA 22070.