March 26- March 30 2007

Good time management is imporant at my placement for several reasons. One of them is that the mechanics get paid on a basis of how much time they work on cars for, so they need to make sure they do not spend too much time on a short job, so they are able to keep up with the quick paced atmosphere. To have good time management at my placement, I make sure I am always aware of the time. I want to make sure that when I am given a job to do that I do not take too long and put my mechanic behind schedule. Sometimes I feel tension at my placement when we encounter unforseen problems on a job and the vehicle is not able to be completed by the time it was supposed to be done by. When this happens, the service manager comes over and starts asking questions which sometime leads to disagreements, which always are solved in the end. When I feel stressed at Co-Op, I try to take a breather. I take a moment away from the work I am doing and just try to think of what I am doing in order to releive the stress. Teamwork is important at my placement many times throughout the day. The mechanics need to work as a team when they are keeping the shop clean. Also sometimes jopbs require an extra set of hands, which is when another mechanic usually volunteers to help. I always feel like a good team member, I always put in 110% effort and always help out where I can. Overall, this was a good week because I got to try new things and it wasn't an overly busy week.

Thursday March 29, 2007

Today at Oak-Land Ford, it was a very slow day. The started out with routine tire rotations and balancing. Later, We did several P.D.I.'s which took the rest of the day. TOmorow is an integration day so I will not be at co-op tomorow. Hopefully, there is more work to be done on Monday.

Wednesday March 28, 2007

Today we continued work on the customer's Lincoln from yesterday. We did a road test on it and found out it was making a thumping noise under braking. We returned to the shop and did an alignment on it which did not fixe the problem. We took it on a series of road tests which resulted in us replacing the rotors which we had done yesterday, but the problem persisted. We took a brake from that, and started work on a truck, but it was time to leave. Hopefully we can find out what is making the noise tomorow.

Tuesday March 27, 2007

Today Richard came back and with him came plenty of work. When I first arrived, he was leaving for lunch and he gave me the rest of a P.D.I. he was working on. I finished it by the time he returned. Once he got back, we worked on a big job that took the rest of the day. A customer brought in his car to put on his summer tires and found out he needed $4000 worth of work done. We had to rebuild many of the front end componets, and replace the sway bar. When I had to leave it still wasn't finished and I was told it will still be here tomorow.

Monday March 26, 2007

Today the mechanic I typically work with was not here. I decided to go back to the other side of the shop where I first started. The work load was light, and I did mostly tire rotations all day. The mechanic comes back tomorow, hopefully he brings more work with him too.

March 19- March 23 2007

I was suprised many times throughout the week. The aspect that suprised me the most was the amount of work that I am doing now, compared to the amount that I did at the beginning. The workload has increased dramatically. Today I felt good when I was given work to do on my own. It really makes me feel like part of the team. My supervisor is a really cool person. He treats me like he treats everyone else and he is really laid back which creates a good atmosphere to work in. My colleagues are all good guys. They treat me like anyone else and show me lots of respect. I never feel dissappointed at my coop becasue it is all a learning experience and I should never feel dissappointed. I hope that everything stays the way it is now, because I really like how everyone treats me and the amount of work that I am doing. When my work is finished, I tend to look for more work. If I can't find anything, i usually just watch a mechanic who is doing some work.

Friday March 23, 2007

Once I arrived, the mechanic I work with was just about to go on lunch. So he gave me some easy tasks to keep me occupied until he was finished. These included servicing the battery, lubricating all hinges as well as the weatherstripping. The truck I was working on also needed a new mirror, so we took the door panel off, only to find out that the parts department ordered the wrong mirror so we had to reassemble everything. After that was all settled, we did a P.D.I. on a new vehicle. After we completed this, we did a transmission flush and a coolant flush on a truck. Once this was done, the day was pretty much over.

Thursday March 22, 2007

Today was a very interesting day. There was not much work to do so we did 3 P.D.I.'s which took a while. Although the P.D.I.'s took a whil;e, we still had time to go out and test a vehicle to see if we could feel the complaint the customer was talking about. We could feel the rear end slipping so we brought it back into the shop to try and solve the problem. Not even 5 minutes after we returned, the power went out and we could not work on any vehicles. Fortunately for me this was at 3 o'clock so I did not lose any time.

Wednesday March 21, 2007

Today there was not much work to do. We did 2 pre delivery inspections (P.D.I.). Also we did an alignment on the company shuttle vehicle because it was in a minor accident. It was an easy thing to fix. On this day, a van needed some transmission parts replacedm so I took off the transmission pan so the parts could be accessed. This was a new experience for me and was very interesting. Also, we replaced the fuel filter on the van, this took up a good deal of time, and by the time it was done, it was time for me to leave.

Tuesday March 20, 2007

Today when I arrived, the mechanic just arrived back from taking the truck that we worked on yesterday, back from a road test. he realized that it need the power steering fluid changed and it needed an alignment. We did this and once it was done, we took it for another road test and it was ready for the customer to pick it up. After that was done, he brought in a van to work on. We did the front brakes, serviced the battery and rotated the tires. I also lubricated all the hinges and locks, as well as lubricating all the weatherstripping. That took a good chunck of the day and once that was done, we replaced the driveshaft on a truck and once that was done, it was time for me to leave.

Monday March 20, 2007

March break is over and ts back to work for everyone. Today at co-op, it seemed like I never left. As soon as I arrived, I was given work to do. A customer brought in their van for serviceing, and I sanded the break rotors while the mechanic I am working with was working on something else. After that was done, we moved onto another vehicle. We took apart and rebuilt the entire rear brake assemblies on a customers truck, because it had been sitting for 9 months and the wheel cylinders were seized. That took the whole day. Since I was taking the bus home, I stayed an extra 20 minutes to catch up on the time that I lost from the days I missed.

March 5- March 8

At my placement, I am still trying to find out the names of some of the mechanics I have not yet met. I want to know everyone that I work with and work around. Getting to co-op is essential. Showing up on time shows many things about an employees personality. It shows that they are committed to their work and it shows they respect their supervisors rules. There is not really much routine at my placement. The only thing like a routine is cleaning up once a task has been completed. It can be hazardous for tools and parts to be sitting in places where it may interfere with other people. I haven't really experienced a day where the amount of work has overwhelmed me. But, the mechanics have told me that the busy season is coming. At the beginning, I found that there wasn't enough to do, but now that I have switched sides, there is always something to be done. I have learned many things about being a mechainc, and I hope I learn much more.

Thursday March 8, 2007

Today I did not attend Co-Op.

Wednesday March 7, 2007

Today was a little slower than the two previous days this week. When I arrived, there was nothing to work on, so I talked to one of the younger mechanics and we talked about how mechanics are going to be in high demand in the future and this is a good career to be getting into. The mechanic I usually work with went on lunch and he told me to washt the engine bay of the CN truck we were working on yesterday. I also replaced the dome light which needed replacing. After completing that, we took it for a road test and it got his seal of approval and we were done with that truck. After than, another mechanic was inspecting another CN truck and I helped him with that. This truck was in good shape and was completed in a few hours. After that, a customer brought in a truck, and we had to rebuild the rear end. I assisted on this. It was a new experience to take a differential apart. It was very interesting. That is pretty much what I did today, and I am looking forward to returning to Oak-Land after the break.

Tuesday March 6, 2007

Today started off alot like yesterday, with lots of work to be done. When I arrrived, Rich was just starting an interesting job. We had to replace an axle on a customers van. It was an interesting job. After that was complete, we did an inspection on a CN rail truck. This inspection consisted of a road test to listen for vibrations or other noticable malfunctions. The road test revealed a subtle vibration. Once we arrived back to the shop, I checked that all the lights were functioning properly, which some weren't and need to be replaced. Also, once the vehicle was lifted into the air, the source of the vibration was revealed, a broken fastener. After the inspection, I watched the mechanic write up the estimate for the customer, and I realized that there is a lot of paper work to do if your a mechanic. I really enjoy the change of pace from the first week, which was a little slow.

Monday March 5, 2007

Today was not a slow day. From the moment I arrived to the moment I punched out, there was work for me to do. I arrived and was told to remove the wheels from a car that an employee at the shop recently purchased. Then I put all the tires to 30 psi. After that, I moved onto another car and used a special cleaning machine to clean the whole drum brake assembly. After it was cleaned, I watched the mechanic replace the piston in the drums. I was then told to clean the from brake assemblies on two cars. The cleaning consisted of using a grinder to grind some rust off, and manually sanding some hard to reach spots with sandpaper. We also replaced the upper tie rod on a customers car because it was worn out. This will be a short week, but it looks like there will be lots to do.

February 26- March 2

Being ready at my placement means many things. First off, it means that I must show up in proper attire (i.e. work boots, work clothes, etc.). Also, it means that I must show up with the right attitude. I must show up ready and willing to work, I can't have a negative outlook on the situtaion. I shouldn't expect to be doing big jobs, so I should show up to my placement with that state of mind. This placement is what I expected because it consists of working on vehicles, which is pretty much what I thought it would be like, although there are many differences than what i expected too. At times it can be very slow, which is on the contrary to what I expected. I thought it would be a fast paced environment with no time for breaks. That leads me into my next suprise at my placement. The overall attitude of most of the mechanics at Oak-Land is very laidback and relaxed. Situations that made me feel good was when any of the mechanics would just say hi to me and make me feel welcomed and a part of the team. Also, I liked it when they gave me work to do. There never was anything that made me feel bad, I really shouldn't even feel bad about anything because being able to do my co-op is a privelage and I should not take what I have for granted. Overall, this week has been a very good week and I hope that the remainder of the semester I am able to work with the great people that I am working with now.

Friday March 2, 2007

Again today, I was working with the mechanic I was working with yesterday. From the minute I arrived, he had work for me to do. I started off by removing tires of a car so we could inspect the brakes. They front discs needed to be machined, so he took me to the tool room and showed me how to mahcine rotors. After the machining was started, he told me to go clean the rear brake assemblies. After that he told me to sand the rear pads and drums. Once that was done, I put the brakes back together and put the front rotors back on once they were done. Once that was done, a representative from Ford's ESP (extended service plan) came to inspect a claim that was filed yesterday. It was very interesting to watch him take pictures of the clained parts. After that, another customers car was brought in and I changed the tires and remounted them on the car. Overall, I feel that today was a very productive day. I can't wait for Monday so I can get started again.

Thursday March 1, 2007

Talk about a new month bringing new experiences! Today was the first day of a new month, and man did I do some different stuff today. It was really slow in the area I was working in, and a mechanic from the other shop noticed that I wasn't really being presented to opportunity to learn new things, so he told me to go work with him for the day. His name is Richard. To start off the day, i removed the calipers and pads from a customers vehicle so the brakes could be done. After that, I was told to remove tires off of a truck, and then after removing the wheels, it was realized that the truck needed completey new axles. Once that was determined it was time for a new job. A customer brought a truck in complaining of a vibration, but after a series of tests and a road test, it was determined that there was no audible noise in the drivers compartment. And the finish off the day, I assisted with a P.D.I.(pre delivery inspection) on a brand new Ford Edge. This inspection consisted of checking all the fluids of the vehicle, remocing protective wrapping on the exterior of the vehicle, removing the plastic convering on the seats of the vehicle, attatching the licence plate bracket as well as other things. Well, it looks like March is going to be a good march.