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Eric Lowenbein of Norwalk, remembers a time when car maintenance might involve tightening some screws and changing some hoses. Times have changed and todays mechanics need a constant education to keep up.
Its taken a lot of guys out of the industry. Theres a lot who survived as basically parts changers. Where theres room for a guy like that is less and less, said Lowenbein, 40, of Norwalk.
As service manager for BMW of Bridgeport, Lowenbein says up to 1,000 cars come through his bays every month. Some just need a tune-up or tires, others need bodywork. Hes worked on cars almost all of his life, and hes seen many changes in the technology.
Back in the '60s and '70s, you had an engine with a carburetor on it. You turned a couple of screws and tuned it up. Now everything has a computer on it, said Lowenbein. The computers can make diagnosis easier, but they come at a training cost.
The downside is when something is outside of the norm, you really need to know how that software works and how that car interacts with it, said Lowenbein. He has a shop foreman who specializes in keeping the network with BMW up to date so the diagnostics work properly.
Some maintenance practices remain immune to technological advancement. As Spring looms, Lowenbein recommends getting a carwash to get the roadsalt off of your car. Its a good time to get a standard tune-up as well, according to Lowenbein.
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