On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy hits one of our collective nerves: tools. From the tools that we use every single day and would be lost without, to the tools that get relegated to the back of the bottom drawer once a particular recall is done - we can’t get the job done without them. We also talk about the level of mechanical genius often found in some of the ways that we modify tools to do certain jobs better, or look at a tool designed to do one thing and having it do something completely different that requires some of the same physical properties. We also take a look at tool trucks, how they target the new guys, and what tools DIY’ers should have which should actually be as simple and non-destructive as possible. No DIY’er needs a 3 ft breaker bar, but if they do they should definitely have a tap and die set ready to go. Also Uncle Jimmy pitches a worklight torture test, with a pitching component. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy hits one of our collective nerves: tools. From the tools that we use every single day and would be lost without, to the tools that get relegated to the back of the bottom drawer once a particular recall is done - we can’t get the job done without them. We also talk about the level of mechanical genius often found in some of the ways that we modify tools to do certain jobs better, or look at a tool designed to do one thing and having it do something completely different that requires some of the same physical properties. We also take a look at tool trucks, how they target the new guys, and what tools DIY’ers should have which should actually be as simple and non-destructive as possible. No DIY’er needs a 3 ft breaker bar, but if they do they should definitely have a tap and die set ready to go. Also Uncle Jimmy pitches a worklight torture test, with a pitching component. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 257: Ya Tool!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy dives into an article about alternative career paths for automotive technicians - written by people who know nothing about being an auto technician and even less about some of these other jobs. We’ll give them the easy ones like building maintenance technician, Parts Manager, HVAC maintenance, and even shop foreman and shop owner for those who age out of being an auto mechanic, but that is about it. If you had a hard time working on cars, we do not want you working on the next aircraft that we fly on! We also cock an incredulous eyebrow at some of the salary ranges that these jobs provided because most of the welders we know make what they say in a slow quarter (but they’re really good and some of them do it underwater) Bottom line, if being an auto mechanic is wearing you out, there are a myriad of other employment options that require the same critical thinking and problem solving abilities that the average mechanic really needs to be a master of. The real problem that we have with these articles is that they try to make it seem that getting a job in the automotive industry as someone who fixes cars is a difficult task, when the basic laws of supply and demand are making that simply false. Also Uncle Jimmy goes scorched earth on COVID and almost gets evicted. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy dives into an article about alternative career paths for automotive technicians - written by people who know nothing about being an auto technician and even less about some of these other jobs. We’ll give them the easy ones like building maintenance technician, Parts Manager, HVAC maintenance, and even shop foreman and shop owner for those who age out of being an auto mechanic, but that is about it. If you had a hard time working on cars, we do not want you working on the next aircraft that we fly on! We also cock an incredulous eyebrow at some of the salary ranges that these jobs provided because most of the welders we know make what they say in a slow quarter (but they’re really good and some of them do it underwater) Bottom line, if being an auto mechanic is wearing you out, there are a myriad of other employment options that require the same critical thinking and problem solving abilities that the average mechanic really needs to be a master of. The real problem that we have with these articles is that they try to make it seem that getting a job in the automotive industry as someone who fixes cars is a difficult task, when the basic laws of supply and demand are making that simply false. Also Uncle Jimmy goes scorched earth on COVID and almost gets evicted. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 256: Get Out Now

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy starts off with an innocuous enough question and rapidly descends the rabbit hole of what people who don’t know about cars think about car repair. The question is, “how hard is it to change an engine?” Simple enough right? Not for these folks! There are plenty of jobs that are more mechanically difficult or arduous than changing an engine. Sometimes changing the entire engine is a completely preferable alternative to the massive amounts of intricate work that rebuilding one can require. However, these people are so far in the dark about it that seemingly all of their advice is stupid. It’s a fun one of ripping the normies! Also Uncle Jimmy gets into aftermarket warranty companies and how adjusters could be rendered obsolete by video. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy starts off with an innocuous enough question and rapidly descends the rabbit hole of what people who don’t know about cars think about car repair. The question is, “how hard is it to change an engine?” Simple enough right? Not for these folks! There are plenty of jobs that are more mechanically difficult or arduous than changing an engine. Sometimes changing the entire engine is a completely preferable alternative to the massive amounts of intricate work that rebuilding one can require. However, these people are so far in the dark about it that seemingly all of their advice is stupid. It’s a fun one of ripping the normies! Also Uncle Jimmy gets into aftermarket warranty companies and how adjusters could be rendered obsolete by video. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 255: What Are You Talking About?

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy takes a look at some of the reasons why you should stay at your current job. We know we have spent the last 250+ episodes telling you why you should leave, but there are often serious pull factors such as not having to look for a job, and being stable financially to some degree. There are also people that make the job worth it sometimes, and many times these people get genuinely close to you due to the amount of time you spend in close proximity. Many shops can begin to feel like family with the right personnel in place, and that is not lost on customers. When a system works and every piece of it can rely on the others, you have a good thing going! Also Uncle Jimmy fixes everything vehicular in Band of Brothers. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy takes a look at some of the reasons why you should stay at your current job. We know we have spent the last 250+ episodes telling you why you should leave, but there are often serious pull factors such as not having to look for a job, and being stable financially to some degree. There are also people that make the job worth it sometimes, and many times these people get genuinely close to you due to the amount of time you spend in close proximity. Many shops can begin to feel like family with the right personnel in place, and that is not lost on customers. When a system works and every piece of it can rely on the others, you have a good thing going! Also Uncle Jimmy fixes everything vehicular in Band of Brothers. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 254: Flip the Script

On this week’s holiday episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy breaks down just how many job openings there are on Indeed.com for every brand of car manufacturer. We really like Indeed, and they didn’t pay us to say that because it allowed us to break down the national demand for wrench twisting folks quickly and efficiently. Likewise, we see that national demand for technicians at independent shops is almost equal that of dealerships. The wildest part is that most jobs get filled before they're ever posted because that is the way this industry works. The bottom line is that if dealerships spent more time developing their native branding and employee retention programs instead of paying for recruiters, “talent acquisition” and ad space they would be a whole lot better off. Also Uncle Jimmy almost bonsai-parachutes into a place with a 1.8 star google review score. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

On this week’s holiday episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy breaks down just how many job openings there are on <a href="https://www.indeed.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indeed.com</a> for every brand of car manufacturer. We really like Indeed, and they didn’t pay us to say that because it allowed us to break down the national demand for wrench twisting folks quickly and efficiently. Likewise, we see that national demand for technicians at independent shops is almost equal that of dealerships. The wildest part is that most jobs get filled before they're ever posted because that is the way this industry works. The bottom line is that if dealerships spent more time developing their native branding and employee retention programs instead of paying for recruiters, “talent acquisition” and ad space they would be a whole lot better off. Also Uncle Jimmy almost bonsai-parachutes into a place with a 1.8 star google review score. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 253: Independence Day

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy endeavors to extend his thanks to the rest of the world that fixes things - by bringing you content created from people who need things fixed, but can’t. This is a good one folks. Anyone who seeks out information is already ahead of the game in some ways, but some of the responses you get on the internet can be dubious. In this episode we see responses that run the gambit from: “learn from the ground-up how to fix and shred the engine yourself” to the factually correct “take it to a mechanic/shop”. We especially love the “are these good used cars for $X?” because they can often yield some hilarious results. Bottom line, thank you for what you do - because if it were up to the people in the facebook groups, nothing would be running!Also Uncle Jimmy talks logic vs. E90’s. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy endeavors to extend his thanks to the rest of the world that fixes things - by bringing you content created from people who need things fixed, but can’t. This is a good one folks. Anyone who seeks out information is already ahead of the game in some ways, but some of the responses you get on the internet can be dubious. In this episode we see responses that run the gambit from: “learn from the ground-up how to fix and shred the engine yourself” to the factually correct “take it to a mechanic/shop”. We especially love the “are these good used cars for $X?” because they can often yield some hilarious results. Bottom line, thank you for what you do - because if it were up to the people in the facebook groups, nothing would be running!Also Uncle Jimmy talks logic vs. E90’s. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 252: Thank You

Episode 251: Drivers Seat

On this weeks episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy gets back to good old fire and brimstone with the service advisors. Anytime you can start off an episode with the prompt, “you couldn’t sell an AC repair to a woman in June, in Texas” as a statement of fact instead of a murderous burn - you know we’re in for a good one. In this episode we explore how the customer service arm of the service department can and often does drop the ball when it comes to customer interactions. When you think that the customer is already there and knows that they either need repairs or maintenance - the hard part is over. Really all that leaves to to figure out the price and ask for the sale, which some of them completely ignore for a variety of reasons. As soon as there can be an AI Service Advisor, there will be - especially considering we will tell it not to diagnose from the base inputs until after someone has looked at it. Also Uncle Jimmy actually gives some tips for Service Advisors to balance out the hour or so of running them into the ground. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode! 

On this weeks episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy gets back to good old fire and brimstone with the service advisors. Anytime you can start off an episode with the prompt, “you couldn’t sell an AC repair to a woman in June, in Texas” as a statement of fact instead of a murderous burn - you know we’re in for a good one. In this episode we explore how the customer service arm of the service department can and often does drop the ball when it comes to customer interactions. When you think that the customer is already there and knows that they either need repairs or maintenance - the hard part is over. Really all that leaves to to figure out the price and ask for the sale, which some of them completely ignore for a variety of reasons. As soon as there can be an AI Service Advisor, there will be - especially considering we will tell it not to diagnose from the base inputs until after someone has looked at it. Also Uncle Jimmy actually gives some tips for Service Advisors to balance out the hour or so of running them into the ground. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 250: Ask for the Sale

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy takes a look at the Automotive DIY Market. This is one of those countercyclical industries that really kicks in when the economy gets bad - and in the past that wasn’t the worst thing in the world because cars were exponentially simpler. Today, depending on the make, model, and Russian YouTuber whose video you find - the results can be a lot more mixed. We go into an article about jobs that the internet thinks that people can do themselves - and a lot of them aren’t even relevant anymore. When was the last time you changed a distributor on a car? Regardless, there is often tons of money in it for the people who can undo this carnage and return these vehicles to their proper working order. The market forces are bound to balance out with the rising inflation and dwindling number of technicians entering the field. Also Uncle Jimmy again avoids obvious anecdotes about Erik the Producer. This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode! 

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy takes a look at the Automotive DIY Market. This is one of those countercyclical industries that really kicks in when the economy gets bad - and in the past that wasn’t the worst thing in the world because cars were exponentially simpler. Today, depending on the make, model, and Russian YouTuber whose video you find - the results can be a lot more mixed. We go into an article about jobs that the internet thinks that people can do themselves - and a lot of them aren’t even relevant anymore. When was the last time you changed a distributor on a car? Regardless, there is often tons of money in it for the people who can undo this carnage and return these vehicles to their proper working order. The market forces are bound to balance out with the rising inflation and dwindling number of technicians entering the field. Also Uncle Jimmy again avoids obvious anecdotes about Erik the Producer. This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 249: DIY Land Ahead

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy goes further down the “talent acquisition” rabbit hole and finesses some good ideas out of mediocre ones. Establishing relationships with tech schools, colleges with automotive programs, and even some high school trades are a good start - but they need to be catered to the objective reality that the applicants are facing that cars are getting harder to work on every single day. We also get into the idea of hiring both the formerly incarcerated and homeless veterans to fill the ranks of automotive shops, which both come down to the willingness of the individual to develop and make a serious career of it. They also may require some additional support outside of work, and if their employers can help with that it will likely greatly increase their odds of being a successful part of your business. With the shortage being so dire and younger generations not yet interested in personal transportation - the future looks really bright for the people in these generations who enter the trades, especially one where the shortages are going to cause massive wage increases like the Automotive Industry. Also Uncle Jimmy threatens an end-run on every single automotive “Talent Acquisition Specialist”This episode is distributed by The Wrenching Network. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode! 

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, Uncle Jimmy goes further down the “talent acquisition” rabbit hole and finesses some good ideas out of mediocre ones. Establishing relationships with tech schools, colleges with automotive programs, and even some high school trades are a good start - but they need to be catered to the objective reality that the applicants are facing that cars are getting harder to work on every single day. We also get into the idea of hiring both the formerly incarcerated and homeless veterans to fill the ranks of automotive shops, which both come down to the willingness of the individual to develop and make a serious career of it. They also may require some additional support outside of work, and if their employers can help with that it will likely greatly increase their odds of being a successful part of your business. With the shortage being so dire and younger generations not yet interested in personal transportation - the future looks really bright for the people in these generations who enter the trades, especially one where the shortages are going to cause massive wage increases like the Automotive Industry. Also Uncle Jimmy threatens an end-run on every single automotive “Talent Acquisition Specialist”This episode is distributed by <a href="https://thewrenchingnetwork.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wrenching Network</a>. Whether you're a technician, a mechanic, or someone who just loves the car scene, The Wrenching Network is a place that you have to check out. They have all sorts of great content, gear, and snacks to keep you turning wrenches in whatever capacity you do it. Also if you see us over there, make sure you say hi and leave a comment with what you think about the episode!

Episode 248: Find Em Wherever

A Master Technician, a microphone, 30 years of experience in the Automotive Industry: buckle up! Come along as we take a look at the current state of the automotive industry from the point of view of the guys and gals turning the wrenches. So no matter what you fix, how you fix it, or how many tools you have to fix it with: welcome to the Grease the Wheels Nation. Also once in a while we take a look at the makes and models of cars we work on through the lenses of history, economics, politics, our own personal experiences and the experiences of our listeners. Special thanks to The Wrenching Network, Curien, Surfwrench, and Murray the dog.

Uncle jimmy hits the nail on the head with most of his topics. I find myself agreeing with most of the things he talks about. Might not be for everyone but the can grease the wheels and find a different podcast.

Great podcast for auto techs

Very relatable topics he has and I’m glad he’s getting the word out there about this occupation and the struggles that go unseen/how unappreciated technicians are.

Funny & Relatable

Grease The Wheels Podcast

If technicians were guided by a major deity, there's really not a lot of doubt in our minds that it would be the Norse Trickster god Loki. From constantly spouting off movie quotes and hazing the new guys, to squirreling away extra parts in people’s toolboxes and personal space, the pranks and humor that we use to keep ourselves entertained are literally endless. In today’s GTW, we are going to talk about them. Also, we’re going to talk slightly less about choosing your moments and knowing when not to fuck with people. Most importantly we are going to talk backup camera photobombing, using stuff in customers cars as props, and a short movie review of Inglorious Bastards. GTW is a weekly podcast for mechanics, technicians, and DIY'ers that can be heard every Thursday on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. We are also on Stitcher and the Tune In app, as well as Patreon for bonus content, swag, and all sorts of other goodies from our sponsors.

Episode 23: Pranks

Some parts of our job are clearly defined by management, but your actual role in the shop often comes down to the intangibles. Weather you're the shop Guru, DJ, Clown, or just the guy who fucks everything up, you have an important role in your shop. Own it, because every shop has one!

Episode 13: Tech Types

On this weeks GTW: we talk recalls, an arm of the federal government, and all of the shit that had to be put on cars because the government says so. A lot of the recalls are safety related, and that's good, but when the government tells us what has to be on/in cars that's not so great. We also talk in depth about the awesome times when dealership mechanics became EOD techs (and almost as badly paid). The laws of physics haven't changed, but holy shit the rules around stuff in your car that keeps you from dying have, thats for sure. The idea of getting killed by something that is supposed to save your life is the very definition of irony- but cars are a hell of a lot safer than when Uncle Jimmy was a wee lad. We also learn that not all Takata Claymores are created equal, and that the Japanese government had to bail them out so they could replace all of the airbags that they messed up in the first place.  Also Uncle Jimmy talks about wrecking cars in spectacular fashion, NOT setting off a shotgun shell with a hammer, and makes copious references to various explosives.

Episode 26: "NHTSA-cheisse"

What is the most important automaker of all time? That’s a difficult question when you really break it down and as is so often the case it depends on who you’re asking Some people might argue longevity and heritage. Hardcore petrol/gearheads might argue motorsport success and bringing gobs of power to the masses. Sentimental people might go with something deeply personal, like the fact that their parents always had one, so the nostalgia factor creeps in. Numbers people would probably argue for profitability — how many units were produced and how much of the world they conquered. Big picture people always look for industry-changing innovations that shaped the automotive landscape for years to come. Detail-oriented people will look for things like how the doors shut and the feel of the ride. All of these people will almost all have different answers to that question posed in the first sentence, but what about a brand that people forgot about? A brand that made cars for 107 years in the heart of Michigan....that invented the assembly line.... that helped invent the automatic transmission and made it a mainstream luxury.... that turbocharged their aluminum V8 and gave it water injection, oh by the way, in the early 60s....that helped win a world war. ...that made one of the first overhead valve V8’s. ...that took a 455ci V8 and made it front-wheel drive the hard way....that came out with countless crossover and small SUV prototypes, in the 80s and early 90s- 30 years before they became the most common things on the road....and whose death rattle produced a way to move cars to the masses through a warranty so good, it has become the norm.So come with us, as we explore one of the most important automakers of all time in our first installment of “The Makes” by Grease the Wheels. In this episode, we talk about some of the innovations carried out and invented by Oldsmobile that have completely defined the automotive world today. It’s just a shame that they are not around to see it. Also, Uncle Jimmy talks about running over a “steaming pile of guts,” pitches LS swapping a space shuttle, and Erik forces him to talk about a truly great idea with disastrous execution.This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at patreon.com/greasethewheels, because as you can probably tell, this is a long ass episode. It took a lot of storage to get done and it wouldn’t be possible without our patrons, so thank you all so much! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. Seriously, we love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it!

What is the most important automaker of all time? That’s a difficult question when you really break it down and as is so often the case it depends on who you’re asking Some people might argue longevity and heritage. Hardcore petrol/gearheads might argue motorsport success and bringing gobs of power to the masses. Sentimental people might go with something deeply personal, like the fact that their parents always had one, so the nostalgia factor creeps in. Numbers people would probably argue for profitability — how many units were produced and how much of the world they conquered. Big picture people always look for industry-changing innovations that shaped the automotive landscape for years to come. Detail-oriented people will look for things like how the doors shut and the feel of the ride. All of these people will almost all have different answers to that question posed in the first sentence, but what about a brand that people forgot about? A brand that made cars for 107 years in the heart of Michigan....that invented the assembly line.... that helped invent the automatic transmission and made it a mainstream luxury.... that turbocharged their aluminum V8 and gave it water injection, oh by the way, in the early 60s....that helped win a world war. ...that made one of the first overhead valve V8’s. ...that took a 455ci V8 and made it front-wheel drive the hard way....that came out with countless crossover and small SUV prototypes, in the 80s and early 90s- 30 years before they became the most common things on the road....and whose death rattle produced a way to move cars to the masses through a warranty so good, it has become the <a href="http://norm.So" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">norm.So</a> come with us, as we explore one of the most important automakers of all time in our first installment of “The Makes” by Grease the Wheels. In this episode, we talk about some of the innovations carried out and invented by Oldsmobile that have completely defined the automotive world today. It’s just a shame that they are not around to see it. Also, Uncle Jimmy talks about running over a “steaming pile of guts,” pitches LS swapping a space shuttle, and Erik forces him to talk about a truly great idea with disastrous execution.This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at <a href="http://patreon.com/greasethewheels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">patreon.com/greasethewheels</a>, because as you can probably tell, this is a long ass episode. It took a lot of storage to get done and it wouldn’t be possible without our patrons, so thank you all so much! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. Seriously, we love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it!

The Makes: Oldsmobile

On this week's episode of Grease the Wheels, we’re talking about leaving your job for good. This one is near and dear to our hearts and probably yours too (hopefully not, but probably).We’ve experienced every which way to leave a job, with the exception of faking your own death. Leaving a job and knowing where you're going next is fairly important. However, because of the technician shortage, this frees you up in contrast to other industries where there are more bodies than open positions. Were not saying that you should pull some sort of outrageous stunt to get fired, because a lot of the time the things that you do at a shop will end up following you around and possibly even black list you in certain circles. The generally accepted way to leave a job is by giving your employer a 2 weeks notice and if you're wondering if you’re valuable employee this is a quick way to figure it out.  They may offer you more money to stay or they may offer you whatever you want to keep you there. This can backfire greatly if you think you’re a better employee than you actually are. Managers often take it personally when you say that you're going to leave, so you have to be wary of this. The most important thing is to let them know the real reasons why you're quitting. Tell them the truth, and you might want to be ready to leave at that moment, because the truth hurts. Also, after you leave for the next 6-8 months, all of the problems that they have, no matter what they are, are going to be your fault. Even if it has nothing to do with the employee that left the job. This is going to happen no matter how you leave, it’s just too convenient. Also, Uncle Jimmy outlines the perfect way to rage quit a job and reminds us: if you're going to burnout of your former job with your toolbox in the back of your truck, make sure it's properly fastened down. This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by toolheadzcrate.com. Toolheadzcrate.com is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.Also, we have set up our own Patreon campaign to help pay for our storage and some of our upcoming projects. Check out https://www.patreon.com/GreaseTheWheels for exclusive access to new projects, swag, outtakes, and an inside look at the making of GTW! We have long held that we have the best listenership on the entire internet, so thank you so much for your contribution.

On this week's episode of Grease the Wheels, we’re talking about leaving your job for good. This one is near and dear to our hearts and probably yours too (hopefully not, but probably).We’ve experienced every which way to leave a job, with the exception of faking your own death. Leaving a job and knowing where you're going next is fairly important. However, because of the technician shortage, this frees you up in contrast to other industries where there are more bodies than open positions. Were not saying that you should pull some sort of outrageous stunt to get fired, because a lot of the time the things that you do at a shop will end up following you around and possibly even black list you in certain circles. The generally accepted way to leave a job is by giving your employer a 2 weeks notice and if you're wondering if you’re valuable employee this is a quick way to figure it out. They may offer you more money to stay or they may offer you whatever you want to keep you there. This can backfire greatly if you think you’re a better employee than you actually are. Managers often take it personally when you say that you're going to leave, so you have to be wary of this. The most important thing is to let them know the real reasons why you're quitting. Tell them the truth, and you might want to be ready to leave at that moment, because the truth hurts. Also, after you leave for the next 6-8 months, all of the problems that they have, no matter what they are, are going to be your fault. Even if it has nothing to do with the employee that left the job. This is going to happen no matter how you leave, it’s just too convenient. Also, Uncle Jimmy outlines the perfect way to rage quit a job and reminds us: if you're going to burnout of your former job with your toolbox in the back of your truck, make sure it's properly fastened down. This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by <a href="http://toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toolheadzcrate.com</a>. <a href="http://Toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toolheadzcrate.com</a> is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.Also, we have set up our own Patreon campaign to help pay for our storage and some of our upcoming projects. Check out <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GreaseTheWheels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/GreaseTheWheels</a> for exclusive access to new projects, swag, outtakes, and an inside look at the making of GTW! We have long held that we have the best listenership on the entire internet, so thank you so much for your contribution.

Episode 66: Leaving a Job

Fixed ops managers like to go on tv and talk about why there is a shortage of techs. They blame everything from shop classes not being taught in school anymore, to millennials and gen z not wanting to get their hands dirty. While they're not totally wrong they are ignoring the big problem- what they are doing to make the workplace harder on us. This week, we talk 100k/year promises, harder work, and shrinking pay by the same people who can't figure out why no one wants to be a technician anymore!

Episode 17: Fixed Ops

In one way or another, all of us have some form of a dispatcher who doles out what we're working on for the day. Human dispatchers have human downsides such as playing favorites and are at the mercy of customers. However good dispatchers can read a shops technicians skill levels and keep the work flowing efficiently. Make yourself available to the dispatcher for the stuff that needs to get done that no one wants to do- they will throw you a bone. On the other side of the dispatcher equation, you would think that an electronic RO system would be harder to mess with, however experience would say that there even easier to fuck with than the human kind. Also, Uncle Jimmy explains spontaneous human combustion and price fixing collusion by dealers.

Episode 42: Dispatchers

Let's just call it straight out, we’re wrong a lot. We’re wrong so often that we don’t even know how we get it right sometimes. First big thing that we’ve been wrong about is that a lot of techs make over 100k a year. A lot of these guys are in California though, so the cost of living is so insane that it doesn’t really count. The next thing that we’ve been wrong about is our stance on service managers and advisors. We really should give new ones the benefit of the doubt, and their job is very difficult because of the inconsistencies with the customer base. One minute they’re dealing with the best customer in the world, and the next they’re getting stonewalled or screamed at by a complete belligerent. Sometimes we ourselves need to be taken to task because our diagnosis is wrong. It happens, and there's really nothing that we can do about it except for taking the time to get it right. Finally, we shouldn't automatically assume that our customers concerns are wrong. Sometimes they tell us things that are wrong with their car that don’t even seem physically possible, yet we go for a ride with them and sure enough, they’re right!Also, Uncle Jimmy goes over some unwanted details about his conception right on the top of the show. This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at patreon.com/greasethewheels! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it! Merry Christmas from all of us here at Grease the Wheels!

Let's just call it straight out, we’re wrong a lot. We’re wrong so often that we don’t even know how we get it right sometimes. First big thing that we’ve been wrong about is that a lot of techs make over 100k a year. A lot of these guys are in California though, so the cost of living is so insane that it doesn’t really count. The next thing that we’ve been wrong about is our stance on service managers and advisors. We really should give new ones the benefit of the doubt, and their job is very difficult because of the inconsistencies with the customer base. One minute they’re dealing with the best customer in the world, and the next they’re getting stonewalled or screamed at by a complete belligerent. Sometimes we ourselves need to be taken to task because our diagnosis is wrong. It happens, and there's really nothing that we can do about it except for taking the time to get it right. Finally, we shouldn't automatically assume that our customers concerns are wrong. Sometimes they tell us things that are wrong with their car that don’t even seem physically possible, yet we go for a ride with them and sure enough, they’re right!Also, Uncle Jimmy goes over some unwanted details about his conception right on the top of the show. This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at <a href="http://patreon.com/greasethewheels!" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">patreon.com/greasethewheels!</a> We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it! Merry Christmas from all of us here at Grease the Wheels!

Episode 73: Wrong

On this weeks GTW: we want to hear your worst customer stories- everyone has one and most of them are hilarious given enough time. The customer is most certainly not always right, in fact in our industry, more often than not they are completely wrong. In this episode we are going over all of the ways customers can be the absolute worst. Customers who ignore major problems with their cars, customers who try to skip out on paying for their repairs, and customers who try to drive a wedge between the techs and management are all very good examples of bad customers. In reality we need our customers because they are the ones that keep our industry rolling, but the cold hard numbers are that there are thousands of us and hundreds of millions of them. Also Uncle Jimmy talks the upsides of being an orphan and the downsides of being a mechanic in a family with a papal attitude towards birth control.

Episode 30: Bad Customers

On this week’s episode of Grease the wheels, we’re talking about training. As technicians, brand specific training is some of the best educational and time investments that you can make. The downside is that many manufacturers are seemingly cutting back on the training that gets offered. Whether this is from dealers who need their techs in the shop making them money every single day, to the lack of instructors available to teach these very hands on, and often quite extensive classes; we are unsure. Either way, it’s still completely worth it because of the value it will provide on repairs that you have to make down the road. We also talk about training other people in the building, that more often than not have less-than-specific training options available, such as lot kids and service writers. Also, Uncle Jimmy mounts a surprisingly effective defense of service writers in reference to their complete lack of training.This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at patreon.com/greasethewheels! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it!

On this week’s episode of Grease the wheels, we’re talking about training. As technicians, brand specific training is some of the best educational and time investments that you can make. The downside is that many manufacturers are seemingly cutting back on the training that gets offered. Whether this is from dealers who need their techs in the shop making them money every single day, to the lack of instructors available to teach these very hands on, and often quite extensive classes; we are unsure. Either way, it’s still completely worth it because of the value it will provide on repairs that you have to make down the road. We also talk about training other people in the building, that more often than not have less-than-specific training options available, such as lot kids and service writers. Also, Uncle Jimmy mounts a surprisingly effective defense of service writers in reference to their complete lack of training.This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at <a href="http://patreon.com/greasethewheels!" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">patreon.com/greasethewheels!</a> We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 74: Training

On this week's episode of GTW, we are talking about the tech shortage. We know that we’ve talked about this in previous episodes, but this time we’re bringing some cold hard numbers into the argument. First off, everything we read about the shortage of technicians comes from fixed ops people. Now here comes the real dilemma: either they know how to fix the problem with staffing mechanics in their dealerships and they aren’t saying anything, or they don’t know how to fix the problem. Both of these options are equally terrifying when you're at the mercy of these people, as we often are. Everyone's idea of being well paid is different, especially when it comes between mechanics and the office folk. Management wants to give them the minimum amount of money to get them to keep showing up. When we start quitting and start leaving them short, if they continue to believe that you can keep paying mechanics poorly is where the problem starts. No technician we’ve ever met walked into a shop and took the wheels off of their toolboxes. Also, Uncle Jimmy talks about how he isn't good at reading.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by toolheadzcrate.com. Toolheadzcrate.com is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of GTW!

On this week's episode of GTW, we are talking about the tech shortage. We know that we’ve talked about this in previous episodes, but this time we’re bringing some cold hard numbers into the argument. First off, everything we read about the shortage of technicians comes from fixed ops people. Now here comes the real dilemma: either they know how to fix the problem with staffing mechanics in their dealerships and they aren’t saying anything, or they don’t know how to fix the problem. Both of these options are equally terrifying when you're at the mercy of these people, as we often are. Everyone's idea of being well paid is different, especially when it comes between mechanics and the office folk. Management wants to give them the minimum amount of money to get them to keep showing up. When we start quitting and start leaving them short, if they continue to believe that you can keep paying mechanics poorly is where the problem starts. No technician we’ve ever met walked into a shop and took the wheels off of their toolboxes. Also, Uncle Jimmy talks about how he isn't good at reading.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by <a href="http://toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toolheadzcrate.com</a>. <a href="http://Toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toolheadzcrate.com</a> is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of GTW!

Episode 52: Techs, Management, and the Open Market

Work anxiety is something that most people face, but folks, a car that isn't repaired correctly is one of the least dangerous pieces of machinery on the planet (unlike an airplane that isn't fixed correctly as Uncle Jimmy recounts). Sure, if you don't put a wheel on right it could fly off and if you don't put in a drain plug after an oil change it could blow up the engine- but at the end of the day it all culminates to things that you have seen before. Also we talk the “Push Button Timing Challenge” and drumming on oil pans to remember if you put the drain plug back in. When you remember that every car on the planet has/will/is broken, you get a bit more perspective and don't bring the stresses of work home with you. Finally, we talk about what happens if you have too much anxiety about fixing stuff wrong, but still love working on cars.GTW is a weekly podcast for mechanics, technicians, and DIY'ers that can be heard every Thursday on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. We are also on Stitcher and the Tune In app, as well as Patreon for bonus content, swag, and all sorts of other goodies from our sponsors.

Episode 20: Anxiety

Dr. Phil would say that, "communication is key to any relationship", but that becomes really true when people are trying to describe what's wrong with their car. Thankfully(heavy sarcasm) people are often less than forthcoming with the details of their problem for fear of admitting fault. Combine this with service writers who aren't listening anyways and its like trying to solve a puzzle without half the pieces. Thankfully, sometimes we get to talk to the customers directly and we get what Paul Harvey would call, "the r-r-r-rest of the story!"

Episode 16: Communication

All men might be created equal, but as for shops- not so much! On this week's GTW we ask the questions that should be asked when looking for a new shop to work in such as: does it have the right equipment? Will you have to push cars in by hand with some of the other heavy hitters in the shop? Is it built to the standards of a 3rd world country? Will you have to go off site to take a shit? You know, the important stuff!

Episode 15: Shops

Episode 86: Corona BabyOn this week’s Grease the Wheels, you’re getting a little bit of everything as we actually delve into the COVID-19 madness taking a look at it from several angles. This includes large corporate shops, small indy shops, and some of the businesses that support the automotive industry. Also, we use the way-way-back machine to talk about what is going to happen once this pandemic is over in the automotive industry and the country at large. More importantly we go over some of the best ways that tech’s are keeping themselves safe in this environment where they routinely have to work in a 4-wheeled petri dish. Most notably: steering wheel condoms, ziplock baggies over shifters, mats and seat covers, and if anyone has an idea on how not to touch the stop start button we are all ears! Additionally, we talk about sourcing jobs for yourself in times of economic hardship using a website/app that we have been developing where people post their broken cars and you mechanics bid on fixing them. You do the repair, you collect the money. It’s called Surfwrench. Also, Uncle Jimmy’s phone goes off and Erik the Producer stumbles into a post-apocalyptic cosplay convention. Uncle Jimmy pleads with tech’s with nothing better to do to NOT name their “corona babies” James or Erik.

Episode 86: Corona Baby

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we have a message for the service managers and shop owners out there. They're thinking, “god I hate uncle jimmy. He keeps telling techs that they are worth something and they should be paid well!” If you're in charge of the things that happen to technicians in your shop, these are the things that you need to know to keep them. Number one is actually the pay. It's not necessarily the pay right now, but we can see how much you charge the customers and having a pathway to making more money is important. The only reason that techs show up is because you are paying them. Number two is having a healthy respect for your technicians and this is a give and take social transaction. When management think that you're not doing the job right, or even worse, think that they can do the job is a fast way to lose respect for them. Number three is making sure that all of the parts of the shop are working properly. If a tech gets bad CSI because the customers car wasn't properly detailed, that isn't on the tech. Also we discuss shop equipment working properly and days off because of the physicality of the job. Also, Uncle Jimmy proposes capital punishment for people who give raises in cents as a part of his brief discussion of inflation.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by toolheadzcrate.com. Toolheadzcrate.com is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we have a message for the service managers and shop owners out there. They're thinking, “god I hate uncle jimmy. He keeps telling techs that they are worth something and they should be paid well!” If you're in charge of the things that happen to technicians in your shop, these are the things that you need to know to keep them. Number one is actually the pay. It's not necessarily the pay right now, but we can see how much you charge the customers and having a pathway to making more money is important. The only reason that techs show up is because you are paying them. Number two is having a healthy respect for your technicians and this is a give and take social transaction. When management think that you're not doing the job right, or even worse, think that they can do the job is a fast way to lose respect for them. Number three is making sure that all of the parts of the shop are working properly. If a tech gets bad CSI because the customers car wasn't properly detailed, that isn't on the tech. Also we discuss shop equipment working properly and days off because of the physicality of the job. Also, Uncle Jimmy proposes capital punishment for people who give raises in cents as a part of his brief discussion of inflation.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by <a href="http://toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toolheadzcrate.com</a>. <a href="http://Toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toolheadzcrate.com</a> is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.

Episode 63: How To Keep Techs

In this week’s GTW we take a break from running Service Managers and Advisors into the ground to describe the type that we all would want. Basically what it comes down to is that if we are respected, appreciated, and paid: we’ll do ANYTHING that person asks us to do. Service manager’s should be in the building- not hiding from problems in their bunker while you go over the top. Service managers should be able to do everything in the building- were not saying that he should do all of that stuff, but they should at the very least be able to. They need to be able to do what the people they delegate tasks to do. Writing r/o’s, talking to customers, even washing cars or grabbing parts in a real pinch. We also talk the sad fact that empathy and common sense isn't so goddamn common anymore. But most importantly, they should ultimately be on your side, because stuff goes wrong and a lot of the time it's not your fault. We also talk interviewing technicians, and the idea of bringing in a technician or foreman to snuff out the bad candidates. Also Uncle Jimmy talks about dogs. GTW is a weekly podcast for mechanics, technicians, and DIY'ers that can be heard every Thursday on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. We are also on Stitcher and the Tune In app, as well as Patreon for bonus content, swag, and all sorts of other goodies from our sponsors.

Episode 22: Inglorious Service Managers

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we are giving credit where it is due. There are on the order of 300 Million cars roving the roads of the United States, and they continue to do so because of a large segment of our listenership. (We kept it in the US because we have up to date stats on that on the top of mind, but we know our listeners everywhere else are doing a good job as well. A little bit of praise goes a long way in a shop, which more often than not feels like a thankless job despite some of the major problems that we are fixing for the customers. We spread this praise in this episode around too, letting service advisors know that it’s not always their fault as they are dealing with an unknown element in the form of the customer. The parts department is an especially thankless job, and Uncle Jimmy knows this because he was a parts guy for a long time! Either way, all of the people who listen to this podcast, in some way shape or form, are the people responsible for keeping the world moving and making Uncle Jimmy late to work!Also, Uncle Jimmy talks the greatest works of fiction: Assimov, King, and “I DIDN’T HIT ANYTHING!!!” customers.This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at patreon.com/greasethewheels! We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it!

On this week’s episode of Grease the Wheels, we are giving credit where it is due. There are on the order of 300 Million cars roving the roads of the United States, and they continue to do so because of a large segment of our listenership. (We kept it in the US because we have up to date stats on that on the top of mind, but we know our listeners everywhere else are doing a good job as well. A little bit of praise goes a long way in a shop, which more often than not feels like a thankless job despite some of the major problems that we are fixing for the customers. We spread this praise in this episode around too, letting service advisors know that it’s not always their fault as they are dealing with an unknown element in the form of the customer. The parts department is an especially thankless job, and Uncle Jimmy knows this because he was a parts guy for a long time! Either way, all of the people who listen to this podcast, in some way shape or form, are the people responsible for keeping the world moving and making Uncle Jimmy late to work!Also, Uncle Jimmy talks the greatest works of fiction: Assimov, King, and “I DIDN’T HIT ANYTHING!!!” customers.This episode was made possible by our listeners, the members of the Grease the Wheels Nation. It was also made possible by donations over at <a href="http://patreon.com/greasethewheels!" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">patreon.com/greasethewheels!</a> We have plans and perks over there for everyone, from the new lot kid at $1/month for basic access to some of our exclusive content and our discord server, to our Master Tech program that gets you all sorts of awesome perks with some of our sponsors and killer swag. We love you all and you're the reason we keep doing it!

Episode 75: Praise

On this week’s episode of Grease the wheels, we are talking about people thinking that they can do our job. It’s basic human nature to think that you can do something because you have seen someone else do it. However, “monkey see, monkey do” technicians often cause catastrophic failures. Because these technicians are paid next to nothing, they don't get fired despite finding out pretty much right away that it's a lot harder than it looks. This doesn’t just account for other technicians, we’re really talking about anyone who says those famous last words, “oh I can do that!” We've all seen people who think that they can do things themselves and have completely destroyed their car, and then they have to bring their car to you. However hands down the worst, “oh I can do that” comes from management that has never been a technician, and often leads to some explosive interactions. Bottom line, if someone tells you that they can do your job, point them to your toolbox and let them have at it. Because they will be proven wrong, very quickly. For those of you that are technicians, carry on, keep doing what you're doing, and be appreciative of the people that know what they're doing. No one is going out there and going into this field, because they think that they think they can and they are being proven wrong. Uncle Jimmy talks about his mental health and discusses his nominee for “peice of shit of the year”.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by toolheadzcrate.com. Toolheadzcrate.com is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.Also, we have set up our own Patreon campaign to help pay for our storage and some of our upcoming projects. Check out https://www.patreon.com/GreaseTheWheels for exclusive access to new projects, swag, outtakes, and an inside look at the making of GTW! We have long held that we have the best listenership on the entire internet, thank you so much for your contribution.

On this week’s episode of Grease the wheels, we are talking about people thinking that they can do our job. It’s basic human nature to think that you can do something because you have seen someone else do it. However, “monkey see, monkey do” technicians often cause catastrophic failures. Because these technicians are paid next to nothing, they don't get fired despite finding out pretty much right away that it's a lot harder than it looks. This doesn’t just account for other technicians, we’re really talking about anyone who says those famous last words, “oh I can do that!” We've all seen people who think that they can do things themselves and have completely destroyed their car, and then they have to bring their car to you. However hands down the worst, “oh I can do that” comes from management that has never been a technician, and often leads to some explosive interactions. Bottom line, if someone tells you that they can do your job, point them to your toolbox and let them have at it. Because they will be proven wrong, very quickly. For those of you that are technicians, carry on, keep doing what you're doing, and be appreciative of the people that know what they're doing. No one is going out there and going into this field, because they think that they think they can and they are being proven wrong. Uncle Jimmy talks about his mental health and discusses his nominee for “peice of shit of the year”.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by <a href="http://toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toolheadzcrate.com</a>. <a href="http://Toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toolheadzcrate.com</a> is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.Also, we have set up our own Patreon campaign to help pay for our storage and some of our upcoming projects. Check out <a href="https://www.patreon.com/GreaseTheWheels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/GreaseTheWheels</a> for exclusive access to new projects, swag, outtakes, and an inside look at the making of GTW! We have long held that we have the best listenership on the entire internet, thank you so much for your contribution.

Episode 65: Doing My Job

On this week’s GTW were talking about what the customer thinks is wrong with their car. Sometimes what people think is wrong is actually wrong, but most of the time people who think what is wrong are wrong themselves in their guess. Either way, there are hoping that it is going to be a cheap and easy repair: a $12 radiator hose versus a $1200 or $12000 engine. One of our personal favorites is when there are 2 or 3 different people telling you what's wrong with the car and they all have different guesses for the fix. At the root of this problem is the idea that people think it is easy to be a mechanic, and in this they are gravely wrong. Also, we talk about when customers complain about things that their car is doing that it is supposed to be doing, AKA features. We also take a short dive into the world of the phantom problems, the problems that go away the minute the car rolls into the shop. Finally, we go into the often lucrative and fun part of our jobs where we get to buy cars that the owner thinks is catastrophically broken, and its not. Also, Uncle Jimmy talks 429-Thunderbird-on-a-farm drivers ed and why he has an iPhone4 as an excuse to not answer the 99% of people who call him because they need him to fix their car.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by toolheadzcrate.com. Toolheadzcrate.com is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.

On this week’s GTW were talking about what the customer thinks is wrong with their car. Sometimes what people think is wrong is actually wrong, but most of the time people who think what is wrong are wrong themselves in their guess. Either way, there are hoping that it is going to be a cheap and easy repair: a $12 radiator hose versus a $1200 or $12000 engine. One of our personal favorites is when there are 2 or 3 different people telling you what's wrong with the car and they all have different guesses for the fix. At the root of this problem is the idea that people think it is easy to be a mechanic, and in this they are gravely wrong. Also, we talk about when customers complain about things that their car is doing that it is supposed to be doing, AKA features. We also take a short dive into the world of the phantom problems, the problems that go away the minute the car rolls into the shop. Finally, we go into the often lucrative and fun part of our jobs where we get to buy cars that the owner thinks is catastrophically broken, and its not. Also, Uncle Jimmy talks 429-Thunderbird-on-a-farm drivers ed and why he has an iPhone4 as an excuse to not answer the 99% of people who call him because they need him to fix their car.This episode of Grease the Wheels is sponsored by <a href="http://toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">toolheadzcrate.com</a>. <a href="http://Toolheadzcrate.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toolheadzcrate.com</a> is a monthly subscription box filled with all sorts of discount codes, coupons, tee shirts, and things that give you a little taste of some of your favorite tool companies. They ship out the 15th of every month, and at 35.99 plus exact shipping, it’s a lot less than what you owe your tool guy. Plus one lucky winner every month gets their golden wrench box with well over $100 worth of stuff in it. Cheap Box, better stuff- Toolheadz Crate: the only crate made for the listeners of Grease The Wheels.

Episode 56 :What They Think is Wrong

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