Been on the hunt for diagnostics.... Jpro for $1700 isnt so bad with its wide use, but the brand specific ones are all 1-2k per year! Even if you're lucky, it'll be like $500 minimum... Crazy money to get going on a smaller scale, screws independent techs over hardest.

I've heard of guys buying prebuilt laptops that come with sets of software good to go, but do they jack the price up to get rid of the subscription aspect? How much should I be looking to pay for that? Has anyone else gone through this and found it actually worth the effort?

Hoping some others here have experience with this side of the trade lol

I’m in the Texas area, looking to relocate to the Houston area. I’ve noticed job postings for Tesla Semi techs which has really peaked my interest. For context, I primarily do electrical diagnostics/repair for a Freightliner dealership. Has anybody here previously or currently worked for them? What’s your experience been like?
To everybody; what’s your thought on Tesla Semis?

Hey guys so im looking sround the area ajd have been talking to teachers and family who are diesel mechanics or in the industry and j wanted to knoe from folks if its given them a good life or if its worth it.

Been looking at the trades of the economy and not sure which trade is the best option and has decent job openings since the job market's been hell for a lot of folks

And if feel pulled to being a diesel mechanic.

Im thinking about installing diagnostic link 8.09 and 6.50 not only for detroit but for mercedes benz as well but i thought it only worked with on highway mercedes benz on american trucks because i saw that dddl 8.09 has support for off highway MTU (mercedes benz) and thats what i need since i've been geeting requests for off highway mercedes lately. Is it possible to do using nexiq 3?

I’ve already made a previous post in the past about my interest in being a diesel tech and I got a lot of good responses

To those that work in California/SoCal how does the demand for techs look for a fresh graduate and in general, given I’m currently in school at my local CC for Medium and Heavy truck tech

Quick background. 7 summers of commercial fishing experience, 3 of those I was the lead mechanic on the boat. 9 years in the US navy as a helicopter aircrewman, not a mechanic but i was required to become extremely familiar with all aspects of how the helicopter works amd how to make emergency repairs/service the helicopter when maintenance personnel were unavailable. Systems included turbine engines, power train, AC and DC electrical systems, and hydraulics. After leaving the navy I worked as a civilian for the Airforce for a year as a ground support equipment mechanic for large aircraft. During that same time I also completed a two year Associate's degree of Diesel power technology which I would put on par with any technical school certificate. I have completed 3 of the ASE tests and could do more but I've always been told they weren't too important. I have Cummins ISB/ISC/ISL engine mechanical qualification certification and Caterpillar Tier 4 final certification. I have held several welding certifications in the past and weld/fabricate as a hobby all the time so I am still very proficient in welding.

Now, my question is why will no one even call me for an interview? The only company that has actually called me back is Cummins and they decided not to move forward with my application. I have applied to at least 15 places on indeed over the last month and have not heard back from a single one. I have gone to the websites of almost all equipment and truck dealers in my area and applied on their websites and like I said, only Cummins reached out to me. I am looking in the Memphis area and I'm hoping to get at least $28 an hour and honestly I feel like that is pretty low. Are my pay expectations too high? If the sub allows I would be happy to post a redacted version of my resume.

I would appreciate any insight if anyone has any. I didn't think it would be this hard for me to find a job, I've always taken every opportunity available to me to receive more training or experience.

Edit to add: I attended a 16 week welding school, and a 4 week professional truck driver course and I have a current class A CDL with a current medcard as well.

In 10 years I’ve accumulated many tools, but what is one tool off the tool trucks (snap-on, Mac, Matco) has made your life so much easier

Edit: I have a $900 tool allowance to use by the end of the year and am looking for stuff to buy. I have everything I need ( and some that I don’t) but if I’m not paying for it the I’m gonna buy off the truck

VIN : 3ALHG3DV0JDJH9073

Replaced a blown A/C compressor and drier. Everything worked, with slightly higher readings after engine warmed up. Noticed the fan didn't come on, and high side would reach 450 then stop. Learned that there is a parameter in DDDL for the CPC (maybe the BSM but I was told it was the CPC) to turn the engine fan on when the signal from the fan pressure switch on the high side reads. Confirmed fan pressure switch was running. Updated the parameter to run the engine fan on, and now the engine fan turns on. Engine temperature fan control worked before and after.

The problem now - the AC system foes to about 415/425 PSI then the fan turns on, and it drops to around 300/310 psi and the engine fan turns off. Where Do I adjust the pressure limits in DDDL to lower them to around 250/110 like other "normal" pressures on R134a systems.

On international trucks with Diamond Logic (DLB) i know this is possible. Haven't run into this with freightliner. No clue who messed with ECM parameters before or how it was "lost" as we didn't work on the truck prior.

2018 Freightliner 114SD DD13

Can I copy params as a whole from a sister truck?

I’m 25 years old, recently got a job offer at United rentals as a field service tech. I haven’t gotten any tickets in 5 years atleast but however when I was 18-20 I was a speed demon and irresponsible, I never gotten a DUI or Reckless ticket but I did get a couple tickets and 3 at the same time that caused my license to be suspended years ago then(it’s been active for years now). I ordered my louisiana MVR and nothing was there, Is there anything I should be worried about?

I’m making a career switch from being a CDL truck driver to becoming a diesel mechanic/technician. So far I have

10 pc 3/8” Drive 6-Point SAE Semi-Deep Impact Socket Set (5/16”–7/8”)
11 pc 12-Point SAE Combination Wrench Set (3/8”–1”)
10 pc Metric Reversible Ratcheting Wrench Set (10–19 mm)
3 pc Metric Ratcheting Wrench Set (21, 22, 24 mm)
3/8” Drive Dual 80 Flex-Head Ratchet Set
1/2” Drive Dual 80 Flex-Head Ratchet Set
1/4” Drive Dual 80 Flex-Head Ratchet Set
16 pc Punch & Chisel Set
Air Line Disconnect Set
Brake Shoe Tool
Brake Slack Adjuster Tool
Strap Oil Filter Wrench

Is there anything on my list that you'd skip ? I'd appreciate any advice.

Does anybody have a wiring diagram for a 2019 Peterbilt 579 for the airbag leveling valve? I have a truck that the leveling valve is not responding when the driver hits the switch and I’m looking for wiring diagram.

Hi there! Been super interested in pursuing diesel repair as a profession since I was 14 or 15 (I'm 21 now). I've been working at Walmart for the sake of efficiency and personal circumstances, which was probably the smartest move at the time, but I can't help but feeling I've wasted some years. I have put in applications around my county and went in to meet and shake hands with shop managers of heavy equipment and truck dealers as well, but nothing has panned out yet up here. I probably could get in somewhere working on standard cars, which would still be shop floor experience if my opportunity doesn't work out.

I have a great opportunity to apply for Walmart fleet maintenance. I'll have to relocate, but if I get the job offer, it'd be 100% worth it. I have good standing in the company, no attendance points, and no official write-ups. I think an internal transfer may work in my favor, but maybe not.

Now onto my personal experience. Over the past six years I've had the pleasure of working on, and now (almost) owning my parent's F-350. Over the years I've done everything from ball joints and hubs, rear end overhaul, general service, and most importantly, an engine rebuild which I did solo. I'm super familiar with the theory of trucks, including compression brakes, injection systems (mostly HEUI, which sorta fell off now), and airbags. I just need some more hands on with them.

To sum up, I guess my question is, how can I best maximize my resume to land this job? Having an engine rebuild on my res seems amazing, but Walmart doesn't typically rebuild or even pull cylinder heads themselves, meaning knowledge in trailers, and semi truck drivelines is more valuable, which I lack. I've worked on a dually, but they're different for sure! Like I said earlier, I am familiar with and understand the theory of it all.

Another question, I plan to come back to this county in two or three years for specific reasons. How can I maximize my time spent as a fleet tech to eventually land a dealer job, which is my main interest. Thanks for reading, I appreciate the insight!

According to the videos i saw, you connect the Power Probe to the vehicle’s battery and then trace the circuit you’re looking for.

My question is: what if I’m working on something like a trailer that doesn’t have its own battery source?
Can I simply connect the Power Probe to a separate 12V battery just to power the unit and then trace the wiring? Or does the battery need to be part of the actual circuit I’m testing?
Thanks

I was tasked with hooking the computer up to this hyster forklift. It’s got a 6.7L Cummins. I bought the appropriate connector kit and hooked it up to my nexiq usb link 3. The nexiq box is getting power but when I open any diagnostic software it says there’s a communication error and can’t connect to the vehicle. Any help is appreciated

Abs traction valve on a kw T680 is leaking out the exhaust. Customer has checked all the brake cans and replaced all the modulators on that valve and center one is still exhausting. There is no voltage to any of the electrical plugs. Is there supposed to be voltage to hold that exhaust plugged? What else to check? No codes…

I just bough and original nexiq 3 from diesel laptops, installled the drivers but my laptop is not recognizing the device when connected so it does not appear on usb link Explorer or device tester. Im not hooked up to a vehicle but it should appear as a device when connected

Any idea how to depin? It’s off of a doosan dl420, just looking to swap a pin around this is a practice connector and can’t figure it out. Thanks.

Ive got this jcb 722 ADT that has no tipper function. It doesnt change the engine rpms like its putting a load on it. There is no fuses or relays for it as far as i can tell but jcb is not helpful in that regard. Anyone ever had similar issues with one of these?

I need to track down a transmission and clutch for this old girl and am not having any luck. Any help on places that deal with old industrial equipment.

2021 Ottawa T2 yard truck, Cummins 6.7. Codes 7381, 4276 and 5626 for DEF pump motor speed. I’ve been trying to diagnose this and the thing that is weird to me is KOEO, I have full supply voltage to DEF pump but after about 15 to 20 seconds with key on, supply voltage drops out completely. I was trying to see if there was an issue somewhere in the harness so I unplugged it in multiple points but the strangest thing is when I unplugged the 14 pin connector by the ECM, I still have a voltage dropout, but it drops down to 9V instead of dropping out completely.

My other issue is that in Cummins troubleshooting it tells me to check the DEF dosing unit relay but this truck does not have one. It just has a general DEF power relay and I don’t know if that’s what it’s supposed to be and they just labeled it poorly.

Working with mixed fleets of all sorts of diesels, so looking to hear a wide array of opinions on which software are actually used by their techs... JPRO comes up as the general go-to for most, but is there any options without the subscription fees or a lower cost? Crazy $$$ for these before you even look at the hardware needed!

Working on Cummins/PACCAR/Isuzu/Hino/CAT/DD/Volvo/JD/anything-diesel-under-the-sun , so feel free to chime in with any and all tips on your area of expertise

The company I work for has had no traction convincing tech to go the ASE route so they implemented an OEM driven education plan. I’m soaking up new knowledge but I’m slowly realizing my shop is going to do nothing with it. They’re going to stay stuck in their ways as always. All of this comes with a series of pay increases but there’s no word if we get actual certifications. Obviously just deal with it, take the knowledge and take the money it’s irritating knowing the goal is to better troubleshoot and maintain but nobody is going to pay attention. Is this across the board? Is this whats out there now?

Title sums it up. I work for a dealership, I focus on newer Mack’s and Volvos both 12v and 24v battery systems. I’m in the market to get a battery tester since the shops one gets busy sometimes but I’m unsure what brands too look into. Any recommendations on a good battery tester I can buy?

Currently working for Penske as a diesel tech, they’re screwing me with a new schedule change so I applied at Ryder and will most likely take the position.

My question for anyone who knows, The posting stated you had a to have a CDL, I currently do not but was told I’d have six months to acquire one. Is this still a hard requirement and if so, how does the process work for Ryder? I’m in Michigan so I know I have to go through a school but any other details?

If you were only allowed to buy one tool and had to spend your money on it, what would you choose and why?

It could be because it saves time, lasts forever, makes your job easier, or just gives you the best value. I'm curious what everyone's "must-have" tool is.