where in SD can i learn about cars?(intro)

[s14vagabond]

k so in high school i did have an auto class and i did take it...
but all my friends were in it..and lets just say we were goofing around...and our brains was somewhere else....and i really didnt learn anything except oil change and replacing tires....
now this is one thing i do regret.... i was learning where in my spare time can i take a class to learn about cars??
I currently go to miracosta near encinitas...and though miracosta does have an auto class...its in oceanside and i dont want to drive that far.
so where in SD are there auto classes?

[DataXUnknown]

your doing it wrong.

trial and error is the best way. work on your own car, work on others cars, work with friends on cars, have friends tell you what does what and what goes where. I think that is the best way, and double check all your work in the FSM for each car.

other than that, if you really want to learn and get all the paperwork (certifications and such) I'd suggest UTI, Wyotech, or cypress.

[s14vagabond]

well i dont want to get tools until i learn more myself...
i just want to learn all the maintence and more on suspension...in local SD.
something i can pay like $40 and learn

[kornaz]

your doing it wrong.

trial and error is the best way. work on your own car, work on others cars, work with friends on cars, have friends tell you what does what and what goes where. I think that is the best way, and double check all your work in the FSM for each car.

other than that, if you really want to learn and get all the paperwork (certifications and such) I'd suggest UTI, Wyotech, or cypress.

Good advice, also read on the forums a lot. Read what other problems other people have, search search search. Searching always pays off. Trust me, it helped me a lot. If you have a question, search harder. If you cannot find answer, search the hardest. THEN, post a thread, if you REALLY CANNOT find an answer. Trust me, it pays off. Good luck.

[kornaz]

well i dont want to get tools until i learn more myself...
i just want to learn all the maintence and more on suspension...in local SD.
something i can pay like $40 and learn

Any tools you will buy, they will be helpful for the rest of your life. Any metric tool is needed in anyone's garage/tool box.

[silly_13]

just go to a technical community college...just pay like $60 or whatever the cost in SD....i go to 1 here in LA..called Trade Tech..and its a pretty chill school....except for 1 teacher that doesnt teach u shit...everytime we ask him a question he always say "look in ur service manual"....but other teachers were cool... just check on the community colleges in ur area

[ryceboy_124]

I think Southwestern College has auto classes...but its all the way down in SouthBay (Chula Vista).

[blakeZX]

My friend just finished up a 6 month certificate program that operates out of downtown SD. I think he said it was called "City Centre Auto Technicians" or something to that effect. Best of all, it was absolutely free. I think it's pretty basic but they covered a whole lot of stuff.

And now he just got a 50% off deal on a full set of Snap On tools as a bonus since he's an 'automotive student'. PM me if you want me to find out more about it.

I got a full SAE/Metric Kobalt socket set and trust me, it has more than paid for itself in money saved by doing my own work. Just be sure you get something with a lifetime warranty (i.e. you break it, they replace it). That's the way to go. You WILL want tools, or you won't be learning shit. (Outside of the class that is)

[XperienceM5G]

Yeah UTI and stuff is a little more for if you want to end up being a car salesman, or tech. Either way you still wont know much more graduating from it then you did when you enrolled. I got a friend in MMI and he really hates it, and it sounds like a big waste of money to me.

Trial and error is a good way to learn, or just forum reading. I've logged in a good 40 hour week just surfing google and zilvia to troubleshoot my car problems, and it's really helped a lot.
Ask questions and do work. Chances are someone has had the same issues as you sometime or another.

[Xbroke_kidX]

Just read on the internet and get your hands dirty, ask alot of questions and watch your friends work on there cars.