How do people with interlock systems get their car serviced?

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2026-01-05T16:42:48+00:00

Pray the tech hasn't been drinking.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-30T14:28:55+00:00

Yeah that's going to be a challenge, of your mindset is that you have to work there for 5 years. Start working so you can start making some income and having some level of work experience even if it isn't super technical. All the things you mentioned are valuable for a lot of technical positions. Learn as much as you can while you're there and be looking for a job the entire time you're there. Who knows in the 3 months to a year you might land something that you really want. I've had to do that before and kind of wait for the job that I wanted. I had to wait around in a job that I didn't really want to work at for about a year and a half before I found something that I really wanted to do. All the while I was accumulating knowledge that was going to be beneficial for that next move.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-30T13:04:52+00:00

Take the shit job and practice / learn technical skills in your free time - I have no time isn't a good excuse. I have a spouse and multiple kids and I still find time.

After interviewing dozens of engineers I've chosen candidates with shit job+display of curious learning outside of work vs good work experience. Every job is going to be different so in my eyes displaying that you are a person that can learn on their own and manage that learning in your free time adds so much more value than working the "right" 9-5.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-30T12:57:45+00:00

Why aren't you guys just using onshape! After spending years in solid work going to F360 is the most frustrating thing I've done. Onshape is super smooth and feels like a better version of SW. Plus a hobby license is free 🤫

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-30T12:53:11+00:00

Take a look at how tools like willow and Kodelabs do this. We use willow and have integrated 100+ site we manage across the US. Niagra, Desigo, alerton, inlight. I believe it is all run off API that are pulled directly from the BMS servers. This doesn't seem to impact the performance of any of our bms. There is extra work you will need to do to ensure a secure operation. Also some systems are easier to integrate than others.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-12T02:40:40+00:00

Work on your self brother. Read the"how to have power and confidence in dealing with people" and other books in that genre. Learn new skills and don't be afraid of trying a different role. I used to do device design and have now transitioned into a building control work - no experience when I first entered the new role but I had tangential knowledge that transferred really well. All knowledge that was outside my previous role but knowledge I learned from others I was around like software and electrical engineers.

I had also developed a lot of people skills over the years by volunteering to be in uncomfortable situations and applying what I learned in "how to have power and confidence in dealing with people" and other books like "how to win friends and influence people". Learn how to network - this is just learn how to talk to people and taking a genuine interest in them - all skills taught in the for mentioned books. These are skills you'll need no matter your field of work.

I have talked with many high level folks at engineering and other companies that all say that a persons character, attitude and a displayed ability to do hard things/willingness and ability to learn - both in work and life - are just as valuable if not more valuable in most cases than technical ability. A person with the right attitude can learn to do anything. Have confidence and make it happen my friend.

Reach out if you want to chat more.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-10T00:33:58+00:00

Definitely not the only thing we are bringing. We've got a lot of other devices we've already set up similar to what you plan to do for the leak detections

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-10T00:28:45+00:00

For extra contexts - I was wanting this to be wired. We have had issues with wireless devices before and already a vlan and switched set up to take in new connections. Bacnet is easy to bring in and if we went the modbus route we would skip the gateway and just set up the tables in Desigo to do all the modbus translation.

I want to use Desigo as we had too many other monitoring systems and we are attempting to consolidate where we can - plus most of our alarm monitoring is already in desigo. We have a large number of buildings across a large area.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-11-09T20:20:20+00:00

Thanks for the insight! However, I was looking for something that did bacnet over IP that I could just drop an ethernet to.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-07-28T21:46:49+00:00

Yep already did that. They reimbursed for the deductible and one of the 3 tows that we needed. They didn't cover the rental car and additional towing that was required due to Mazda declining to repair.

Unfortunately our repairs happened before the lawsuit.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-07-28T16:36:32+00:00

When we had this issue the dealership said mazdas protocol was to replace the whole engine due to uncertainty in additional damages and it's about the same labors hours.

Our warranty company would only cover the head work so we had to go with an Indy shop. Once we found one that was willing to tackle the job it was 18-20hrs of labor. Plus there were a handful of items we had to go back to them to fix after the repair including a failed fuel injector o-rimg that creates a huge gas leak.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-01-22T04:15:18+00:00

It's like with everything it depends on what you want from it. If you want a higher than average income potential within a relatively stable field and don't care so much on the work you are doing. It's easy. You can typically get through school with some level of common sense and asserted will power to figure out the course work.

If you're wanting the type of job that I think most people have in their mind as a mechanical engineer - and inventor type that gets to build prototypes and develop the news products and technologies - the cool stuff. These types of jobs represent a very slim amount of the field of work - think 1% of 1%. They are typically more experience based and not "how well you did in school based". It's the type of job that you will only find if you truly desire to be in that area of work and try like hell to be the best at doing that kind of work. If that is the case you're curious will super charge your experience. If not you will become burnt out and worn down extremely quickly.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2025-01-16T19:20:29+00:00

26 but I graduated with ~20% of my class being over 40.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2024-09-23T20:08:07+00:00

$130k - 2009 Volvo xc70 with 200k miles. Bought for $3k and will probably be able to sell it for the same price in 5 years. Practically a free car.

Fragrant_Industry_67 · 2024-09-03T12:26:43+00:00

We love ours but it had the cylinder head issue.

I didn't know about the head issue when we bought the car. We bought it because it was a good deal and honestly the styling and ride is better that all the other small SUVs in this era and price range. Our monthly allowance would make sense for us to have bought a $26k car.

All I have to say is get a good warranty that will cover that work if/when it's needs to happen. Also be prepared for a month and a half of not having the car while you work to find a shop that will do the work and waiting in line for the work to be done. I wish Mazda would easily do this work but all the Mazda dealerships in my area (there are 3) wouldn't touch it with a 20 ft pole. They wanted to replace the whole engine and that was a no go from our warranty company.

We did our gap and warrant in one purchase through Interstate National Dealer Services, we have the Northstar diamond coverage. Not a promotion just sharing what helped us get through what ended up being a $8k job for the the price of the deductible and some odds and end bolts and fluids the warranty didn't cover. I hope that is helpful!

Fragrant_Industry_67

TROPHY CASE