2014 Rogue Fit and Finish

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Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Masters

Charles McFadden, Jr.

Nissan SCOPE Master

Porreco Nissan, Inc.

Erie, PA

Charles McFadden, Jr. has been working at Nissan on-and-off since 1987. He said: “I eventually ended up coming back because I’ve always loved the product. It’s what keeps bringing me back.” Before landing his first job with Nissan, McFadden started his training by attending a vocational high school. “So, I had 4 years of auto mechanics in high school. Then, when I graduated, I went into the Navy and worked on diesel engines.” Like many technicians, Charle’s interest in automotives originally stemmed from helping his father work on cars in the family driveway. “My father was a mechanic years ago, and as far back as I can remember, I used to help him work in the driveway.”

McFadden specifies that his favorite part of his job is the challenge of trying to diagnose a “problem car.” He also enjoys witnessing all of the continuously new technology seen in today’s cars. So understandably, Charles is excited about Nissan’s move toward HEV and electric vehicles. “They just recently sent me to the old Altima HEV class and I’m really excited about going to the new one. I’m LEAF-certified, and the only problem I’ve ever seen with one is the 12-volt battery went dead on a customer while it was stored for the winter. Other than that, we haven’t seen many problems. It’s unfortunate that in our climate they’re not too practical since we get so much snow. You almost need fourwheel drive. But, I’m excited about the HEV and electric vehicles.”

Christopher Goetzinger

Nissan SCOPE Master

CarMax Nissan/White Marsh

White Marsh, MD

Nissan SCOPE Master Christopher Goetzinger says: “I didn’t have any plans to be a technician growing up. I just had good hands-on capability.” That capability has served Christopher well over the 13 years he has spent as a Nissan employee. Goetzinger’s favorite part of the job is simply the experience of working with a team. A graduate of the Lincoln Technical Institute in Columbia, Maryland, he urges that new technicians also go to school for training. He says, “It’s so critical today.”

In regards to his favorite Nissan vehicles, Christopher states that he likes “the older models, like the Nissan Hardbody PickUp. That KA24 engine would last forever. I also like the B13 Sentra.” Despite his love for the older Nissan models, Goetzinger has also found himself intrigued by the much more modern LEAF. “I’m certified in LEAF, GTR and HEV. LEAFs should be really great, and I would love to see more sold. I actually would love to have a LEAF, myself. But, since I live in a townhouse, there’s nowhere to plug it in. I think many other people may be facing the same circumstances.”

Harold Deeton

Infiniti KEI Master

Southwest Infiniti

Houston, TX

Harold Deeton’s first encounters with automobiles came courtesy of his grandfather. “Back in the ‘60s, my grandfather had a Humble Gas Station. I used to pump gas for him in the summertime when I went to his house. Go work for him.” Now an Infiniti KEI Master, Deeton has witnessed a lot of changes in the industry over the years. “I went to a GM training center back in the ‘70s, and I was working at the same time. Back then, all of the guys were specialized. They didn’t do the whole ticket, you know. There was an electrician, an automatic transmission guy, a heavy-line engine guy… you know, they were all specialized for each individual field.” Now, Harold believes it is important that all new technicians focus on electrical training. “Train mainly on electrical and, I would say, probably go to school first with some hands-on at the same time, if you can do that.”

Before making the jump to Infiniti, Deeton had owned a Firestone store for 15 years. He says: “it’s a big change coming from owning your own place to a dealership. But, the people who were here at the time I came in made a difference. I have to give big ‘thumbs up’ to Thomas Thompson, who helped me out a lot. He’s the one that got me in and showed me how to do things in the correct way.”

In regards to the new HEVs that have been introduced to the Infiniti brand, Deeton is reserving his final judgment but admits he’s been impressed so far. “I’ll have to wait and see how it’s all going to work out, but right now, the models that they’re coming out with (the Q50, the M) are really nice cars. Haven’t really had too many problems with them. In general, I’ve been here 12 years and I’ve only seen the quality of the cars keep going up.”

Brad Gingerich

Nissan SCOPE Master

Sorg Nissan

Warsaw, IN

Brad Gingerich says that he came by his automotive skills fairly naturally. “We always worked on our own things growing up. I’m the only one in the family who became a technician, though.” One of the things Brad likes best about working as a Nissan SCOPE Master is “actually having all of the tools available to do a job right.” Although Gingerich regularly works on all areas of the car, he recommends that new technicians focus on learning drivability and electrical in particular. “Those are probably the most rapidly changing parts of the car. They touch on almost every category of the car now. It’s not just brake systems anymore.”

In the three years he is worked at Nissan, Brad has found the Virtual Academy to be an invaluable tool for new technicians in particular. “It’s very practical the stuff that’s in Virtual Academy. Some of the stuff I’ve come across is pretty old news to me, but they are things that definitely the new guys need to know it’s still good to refresh yourself sometimes. I think I’ve also looked at the SIR videos one or two times while dealing with certain recalls. Just so you can get a more visual picture than the photo included in the bulletin.”

Jared Reeve

Nissan SCOPE Master

Naples Nissan

Naples, FL

Like many future technicians, Nissan SCOPE Master Jared Reeve first developed an interest in cars from his father. “My dad always had older cars around. He kind of taught me a little bit about it.” Jared began his automotive career working as a detailer but eventually worked his way into a lube technician position. “I started my technician career at Mitsubishi. I was there for about 2 years then I moved to Florida and started with Acura. A year later, I switched to Nissan. I became a master almost on my 4-year anniversary working at Nissan.”

Reeve says his favorite part of the job is “making the customers happy,” but he particularly likes doing interior work. “I like working on dashboard harnesses and electrical. It’s more challenging. I would definitely choose a harness or electrical repair over transmission or engine work.” Jared recommends that new technicians also become comfortable with electrical work. “Nowadays definitely concentrate on electrical training. Things are becoming very complicated.” Given Reeve’s preference for electrical work, it is not surprising that he also enjoys playing with technological gadgets in his off-hours. “I love messing with technology, whether it’s computers, cell phones, or video games.”

Above all, Jared recognizes how much he owes to those who helped him along the way to becoming a master technician. “I was brought up around very smart people and they actually took the time to train me. I’m sure schools are a great help, but if you can find the right people that is how you get a great work experience.”

Jerry Cooper

Infiniti KEI Master

Dorschel Infiniti

Rochester, NY

Infiniti KEI Master Jerry Cooper has been working at Infiniti for 3 years; however, his automotive career stretches back much further than that. Before he came to Infiniti, Cooper had been a technician with General Motors but left when the company went bankrupt. Even when Jerry was growing up, his father had been a mechanic, which, no doubt, helped instill Jerry with a lifetime love of automobiles. Cooper specifies that his favorite part of working as an automotive technician is enjoying “the freedom that comes with not being stuck at a desk all day.” But, Jerry cautions that new technicians “can’t start cold. They need a background in what they want to do in order to get the most out of their education.”

Although Cooper states that drivability and electrical are his favorite areas of the car to work on, he also recognizes that they can be the most difficult and time-consuming areas. “Sometimes all it takes is your best educated guess. But, new technicians should concentrate on learning drivability and electrical. In particular, you need to know how to diagnose a CAN system. You need a starting point.”

John Wemigwans

Nissan SCOPE Master

Mossy Nissan Kearny Mesa

San Diego, CA

As a native of Lansing, Michigan, John Wemigwans says he grew up in “a General Motors family” both his father and grandfather had worked as engineers for Oldsmobile. But, before pursuing his own automotive career, John chose to serve as an aircraft mechanic in the Navy. No doubt the skills he developed working on aircrafts served him well once he enrolled in UTI soon afterward. Now a Nissan SCOPE Master, Wemigwans also makes time for his second job working at a Nissan racecar shop. At Mossy Nissan, he seems to spend most of his time working on engines, but John says his favorite part of working in a shop is actually “the team environment. Working with people that have similar likes as you.”

In regards to new technicians, Wemigwans suggests that “if you just want to slowly get into it, start as a lube tech and then work your way up. Learn as you grow, because going to a trade school is a large money investment. But, if you really want to be a technician and go in with both feet, then I could see going to a school.” John says that new technicians should pay particular attention to learning electrical diagnosis, a subject he is aware can be difficult for some. “It’s the hardest to teach because it’s time consuming and really hard to grasp. Obviously, you can’t see electricity going through the wires. So, it’s hard to explain to someone who may not even understand how electricity goes through the wires in the first place.” Despite the difficulty, Wemigwans says he really likes the idea of electric cars, like the LEAF as well as selfdriving, or autonomous, vehicles.

Patrick Hale

Nissan SCOPE Master

Nissan of Chesapeake

Chesapeake, VA

As a former Infiniti Master, Patrick Hale says he “kind of got grandfathered into” becoming a Nissan SCOPE Master. However, it really is the result of 7 years hard work, and after all of that time, Hale says he fully recognizes the advantages he has enjoyed working within the Nissan family. “All the resources we have: if you were at an independent shop, you just wouldn’t have that. But, we have TECH LINE, we’ve got ASIST, we have Consult . . . all these great tools to help us out.”

Although Patrick trained at the UTI in Phoenix, Arizona he does not necessarily recommend that path for new technicians coming up. “UTI was good on the basics: what to do, what not to do. But, as far as brand specifics, they don’t give you a lot there. I don’t know if you can get into specialized training, or not, but if I was a new technician, I would be looking into that. I’d say try and figure out what brand you’re interested in (Nissan, Toyota, Dodge, etc.) and then see if you can find some specialized training.” But, Hale warns against new technicians becoming too fixated on training within one specific area of the car. “The cars are more complicated now. It’s good to be able to just know the car from front to back. If you specialize in just one area, you’re kind of at a loss in a Nissan dealer. The Nissan lineup is small enough that you can just do everything.”

Jose Diaz

Nissan SCOPE Master

Nissan of Visalia

Visalia, CA

Jose Diaz originally started working for Nissan in 2006, but it was not until he took a brief break to attend UTI in 2008 that he began to really pursue becoming a Nissan SCOPE Master. Actually, attending UTI had been Jose’s dream since high school. “They came to the high school, took us down for a trip and all that stuff. So, I always wanted to go and I think that’s why I ended up going there. I enjoyed the experience at UTI a lot, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who doesn’t know how to turn a wrench yet. I noticed a lot of people there struggling, who weren’t really getting the lessons or were just kind of skating by. The classrooms are so fast that if you don’t pick it up right then, you’re not going to. I’d been in the field for 3 years, so UTI ended up being kind of fun for me. But honestly I’d recommend that the technicians coming up should work in a shop, really stick to a master technician and use the Nissan training courses. You don’t want to go into school blind. Then, if you see something you’re not sure about, start asking around the shop and see. You only get out of it what you put into it.”

Although Jose says that his favorite area to work on is electrical, he gets a great fulfillment out of doing diagnostic and heavy line work as well. “You take everything apart and it’s kind of a puzzle. It’s a bit of headache, but I get a great deal of satisfaction once I’ve completed the job.” But, Diaz warns that new technicians should not get too engrossed in learning heavy line work. “Of course, when you get into cars and you see people tearing down motors, you get excited. But, new technicians that are coming in should pay more attention to diagnoses. They should really ask all the questions they have to ask. If you don’t understand how something works, you should ask those questions. You really need to pay attention when they’re trying to teach it all to you.”

Saldano Castellanos

Nissan SCOPE Master

Mossy Nissan National City

National City, CA

Nissan SCOPE Master Saldano Castellanos’ love of automobiles began when he started working in his father’s shop. By the age of 15, Saldano had also developed a passion for quarter-mile racing, which he continued to dabble in throughout his early twenties. Nowadays, Castellanos’ hobbies include fishing and playing soccer with his three boys. He says: “I love soccer. So, I’m guiding my boys towards it too to see if they like it.”

Castellano says that although he is a “bumper to bumper technician,” his favorite area to work on is electrical and those more complicated diagnoses. He recommends that new technicians also focus on learning electrical. “I think electrical is harder for some people to understand, so pay a lot of attention to it. I’m seeing a lot of vehicles coming out with a lot more computerized systems. Concentrating on learning each particular system will also help them a lot in understanding how the vehicle functions and how to get it fixed.” Saldano firmly believes that if “you want to work as a technician and make it your career, you should love what you’re doing. If you do, don’t just start with going to school. Working at the same time as going to school will definitely get you a lot more experience than just hitting the books. If you wait until after you’ve finished school to get the job, that will make it a little bit harder. Now newer cars are coming in with a lot of new systems that sometimes you don’t see in school. My advice would be to try and do both at the same time: study and hands-on.”

Richard Solt

Nissan SCOPE Master

Salem Nissan, Inc.

Salem, NH

Although Richard Solt has only become a Nissan SCOPE Master recently, he has been working on Nissans for 20 years. He says his favorite part of the job is “basically just fixing things. That’s always intrigued me. I grew up around cars and I very much grew up around racing.” Even now, car racing remains Richard’s main hobby. “I have some cars that do race. Just short track, memory lane model stuff and some mini-stock, 4-cylinder stuff. Not many other hobbies. I’m working, racing or playing with the family. Take your pick.”

In regards to new technicians coming up in the industry, Solt says: “Unfortunately, I believe experience is the only thing that really helps. You need the real-world experience. You can take my example; I started right in high school working here. It’s just a matter of getting your hands on things, helping people out, watching and figuring out what’s going on. Then, with Nissan specifically you’ve got to learn what’s going on with the Consult-III plus. All of the rest of it is just basic stuff.” Speaking of the Consult-III plus, Richard has been really impressed with the improvements made. Improvements that might have finally made him move away from using his trusty Consult-II so often. “You still might see me using the C-II. We’ve got a lot of stuff that it’s compatible with and works well with. I’ve just been using it for a long time, and I try to hold on as long as I can. I think I avoided using the regular Consult-III completely. The C-III plus is great, though. I don’t have any problem using that thing. I’ll use that any time.”

Tony Standard

Infiniti KEI Master

Infiniti of Hilton Head

Hardeeville, SC

Tony Standard’s master technician status has meant a good deal to him. He says: “I’m proud I made it. My family members are proud, too.” His plaque hangs on the wall at the home of him, his wife and two girls. June will mark ten years of his service to Infiniti of Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he most enjoys how every day is different and presents a new challenge.

Standard’s words of wisdom for new technicians coming up are: “Stay the course. Sometimes it’s discouraging, but stay the course.” Standard suggests technicians focus on electrical vehicles, which also happen to be his chosen cars to work on, as he loves “anything hybrid: the M hybrid, the soon to come out QX60, and the Q50. This is the way of the future. The M is a really nice car, a whole lot of car to get thirty miles to the gallon.” Of his favorite Infiniti, he says: “It’s just a very luxurious car with tons of power.”

Juan Sosa

Infiniti KEI Master

Infiniti of Orland Park

Orland Park, IL

Juan Sosa came to Nissan in 1998, moved to Infiniti in 2000. He describes the Infiniti car as “a luxury car with nice touches; a sophisticated car.” His recommendations for up and coming master technicians include focusing on evaporative codes, drivability codes and electrical systems, but mostly just to “study, know your systems, and try to be the best you can be, not just a halfway mechanic.”

Juan studied up to three hours a day to become a master technician. Outside of his tasks, he freshens his knowledge whenever a new SIR video or test is released, and he feels very confident with the C-III tool, using it three or four times a day. “Everyday, there is something new . . . I look forward to problem solving.” When he is not working on a QX80, he loves to spend time with his wife and two daughters at parks in Illinois.

Gilmarck Moncada

Infiniti KEI Master

Pepe Infiniti, Inc.

White Plains, NY

The first Nissan Gilmarck Moncada ever worked on was a 1971 Datsun 240z, which he still owns. He fell in love with the car at the age of 12 when he first saw his brother’s. He vowed to himself that he too would own one. At 17, he bought his Z. “I have always loved the Z’s. Believe it or not, I have a tattoo of a Z on my arm.”

The two parts of his job that he loves the most are lending a hand to technicians that are having trouble and picking the brains of other technicians, both of which are testaments to Moncada’s zeal for his knowledge of the Nissan brand. Gilmarck described Nissans as “dependable cars, with great drive trains, going in the right direction with technology, staying a step ahead, and keeping the technicians a step ahead.”

Moncada said that becoming a master technician was “a personal goal, and something that has been very fulfilling. “He achieved his goal by completing his AFC testing and asking his manager to send him to classes. He especially enjoys diagnosing engine concerns and working on G35s and G37s “because they are such great cars.”

Donald Hamilton

Infiniti KEI Master

Nalley Infiniti – Marietta

Marietta, GA

At Nalley Infiniti of Marietta since 2006, Donald Hamilton says the best part of his job is “being able to affect the guys in the shop in a way they’ll remember by coming in, giving it my all, and treating them with the utmost respect.” He praises TechTalk for the ease with which he can find answers for new problems. Happy to own his favorite Infiniti vehicle, the M35, he enjoys spending time outside of work with his wife and also gaming with his three boys.

As his service department’s team leader, Donald Hamilton said: “Determination, studying, staying on top of my game, taking all of the proper steps, and following through” helped him become a master technician. He also credits his mentor, Gary Madison, who passed away last year, for his achievements, “He took me under his wing when I came to Infiniti. He’s a lot of the reason why I am where I am.”

Brian Murray

Infiniti KEI Master

Infiniti Auto of Norwood

Norwood, MA

Brian Murray traveled from his home in Massachusetts to Chicago and New Jersey to complete the classes required to become a master technician. He says “Becoming a master technician was a goal I set a few years back… My dad was a car mechanic. He had his own little shop with my grandpa in Ireland. I have always wanted to stick with cars. I had a couple other careers in Ireland, but this, this was great.” He loves the way it feels to complete the tasks at work, especially problems that are affecting a vehicle’s drivability because when it is fixed “you can feel what you have done.”

Murray cites one of his favorite Infiniti vehicles, the new Q50, as delivering a great ride. “ I like the feel of the car, the way it drives . . . you still feel like you are driving a sporty car even though it is an EV.” According to Murray, who started to appreciate Nissan during the Datsun 240z years said, “the best part of the job is that, “everybody is so good to me here.”

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TechTalk would also like to congratulate and recognize these Infiniti and Nissan Master Technicians

Mackie Mcdowell

Nissan SCOPE Master

Stone Mountain Nissan

Lilburn, GA

Scott Ross

Nissan SCOPE Master

Bergsrom Nissan/Appleton

Appleton, WI

Muhammad Ashraf

Nissan SCOPE Master

Don Davis Nissan, Inc.

Arlington, TX

Joseph Deangelo

Nissan SCOPE Master

Suburban Nissan/Farm Hill

Farmington Hills, MI

Nicholas Vargas

Infiniti KEI Master

Austin Infiniti, Inc.

Austin, TX

Joseph Mcallisters

Infiniti KEI Master

Infiniti of West Chester

West Chester, PA

Donald Weekly

Nissan SCOPE Master

Childre Nissan, Inc.

Milledgeville, GA

Luis Diaz

Nissan SCOPE Master

Metro Nissan of Montclair

Montclair, CA

Kris Kugler

Infiniti KEI Master

South Motors Infiniti

Palmetto Bay, FL

Edward Waddell

Nissan SCOPE Master

East Charlotte Nissan

Charlotte, NC

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Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Senior Specialists

Michael Denier

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Infiniti of Palm Beaches

West Palm Beach, FL

Kenneth Mcadams

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Infiniti of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

Gary Laabs

Infiniti of Peoria

Peoria, AZ

Nathan Armas

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Lake Norman Infiniti

Cornelius, NC

Shane O'Brien

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Crossroads Infiniti of Roanoke

Roanoke, VA

Mike Smith

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Infiniti of Warwick

Warwick, RI

Anthony Stacey