Should I go to online mechanics school?


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Should I go to online mechanics school?

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Auto Repair Home>> Automotive World>> General Discussions

noxistoxic
New User

Jun 3, 2017, 9:52 PM

Post #1 of 3 (1455 views)

Should I go to online mechanics school?	Sign In

I plan on going to a hands on mechanic program that will let me take the first year apprentice exam. But I can't go to it until next April due to the need to upgrade.

In the mean time I'm working on cars with a haynes manual.

Should I also take an online mechanics course?

(links not allowed)

its $900 / $50 for 24 months

It seems like bullSh!t but I'm just wondering if the knowledge would be helpful, or should I just stick to hands on work on my own?

(getting a job is out of the question in my area right now)

Thanks!

update: also would anyone recommend taking apart my car and putting it back together? Or should I buy a crappy car and do it on that? or or not at all?

(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Jun 4, 2017, 12:18 AM)

Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jun 4, 2017, 12:53 AM

Post #2 of 3 (1435 views)

Re: Should I go to online mechanics school?	Sign In

Can't allow links selling stuff especially.
To your question - NO. Computer technology can be excellent but it can't know your device and how you interpret what you see, hear and how something works is explained. Can't hurt to supplement if you can trust it. Since your math is off I see either $1,200 if $50/mo. Or $900 up front then that.

What a rip off. Of course the real tech school is tons more than that generally you learn from techs personally part of which is the concepts then the hands on part in a shop doing what you learned proves you understood it.

It's near impossible now to explain noises for example even with recordings of them too how that is a clue to a problem. Real life you need a wild outlay of bucks in tools and a place to do work.

When something breaks not if things will break which approach will you take and tools will you use?

I really don't want let's say a surgery that could kill me done by someone who learned how on line not in person first in fact they practice and call it that on cadavers first and by the time you do real surgery on a live person you aren't even allowed to do so without another right at your side if you for some reason collapsed.

Just vehicle by vehicle learning each one what is where is ongoing doesn't address the problems of getting to a part and proper treatment well for parts or the vehicle properly prepared to work on it.

Is it too rusty to even hoist for example? OMG - there's so much to know even with years of school you really begin to learn when you start really doing it for customers assorted vehicles and problems.

In short save the money on the web bull and find even night courses if need be and or apprentice for real watching work even if you position isn't to do it at all just be there and see up to helping what is being done.

Why practice on a clunker at all just download one and fix it virtually on line now and see it the thing works? That's about where this question ends,

T

Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 4, 2017, 10:39 AM

Post #3 of 3 (1416 views)

Re: Should I go to online mechanics school?	Sign In

Although you can't learn without hands on training and experience, you absolutely do need classroom time to learn theory and how systems actually work. You will need electrical training to completely understand electrical circuits and how to read a wiring diagram. Times and cars have changed dramatically since we trained for this trade. There is a lot more high tech now that has to be learned to have any understanding of the systems in today's cars.

Whether the school you are looking at is a good deal or not, I cannot say but you DO need to get that classroom training time somewhere.

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