Darryl Keiser

• Name: Darryl Keiser

• Age: 39

• Family: Wife, Carol; sons, Joseph and Joshua

• City of residence/years in area: Sutter, 14 years

• Employer/years employed: Yuba City Toyota-Lincoln-Mercury-Scion, 10 years

• Training/certifications: ASE master technician, Toyota master technician and smog certified

• Years in the automotive industry: 20 years

• How did you get your start in automotive? Pumping gas at a gas station in Dunsmuir

• What are the most important skills automotive technicians need to be successful? You have to be knowledgeable in computer systems and understand how the relationship between inputs and outputs in today’s cars work.

• What is the biggest problem facing the automotive industry today? There’s a coming to a head of emissions and the environmental impact. It’s a dance to meet the environmental standards and still sell cars.

• In recent years, what has been the biggest change in the industry? In the past, cars were more reactionary. Today’s vehicles are more dynamic; they can detect things before they happen and anticipate when there might be an accident. Today, the vehicles are more sophisticated so technicians spend more time diagnosing problems than performing repairs.

Repairs take a lot less of our time than they did 10 or 15 years ago, and some car owners have a tough time understanding the cost and time it takes to diagnose modern problems.

• What advice would you give to aspiring mechanics? A lot of high schools offer ROP automotive programs, but you need to stick with your math and sciences. Newer vehicles require knowledge in physics, chemistry and math, so reading newer articles relating to newer vehicles is important to keep up with the new technology. There are also a lot of good trade schools out there, and learning the fundamentals is always important.

• What brand of tools do you use? Any brand - but you don’t want to skimp when it comes to tools

• Hobbies/interests: Hunting and fishing

• What brought you to the area? My wife getting a job in Yuba City

• Where is your favorite place to go in the Yuba-Sutter area? The public firing range by Spenceville

• What was the first job you ever had? A paper route when I was in the seventh grade

• What was the first car you owned? A 1972 Plymouth Satellite that I paid $500 for

• If you could have any car of any year, what would it be? A 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda

• Whom do you admire most and why? Jesus - he lifted me out of the mire, put my feet on a rock and put a new song in my heart.

• What is the closest you’ve been to a famous person? I saw the Rev. Billy Graham at an event at Arco Arena.

• What was your biggest life-changing experience? Inviting Jesus into my heart

• Favorite sports team: San Francisco 49ers

• Favorite television show: “Seinfeld”

• Favorite movie: “A Few Good Men”

• Favorite book: “Wild at Heart” by John Elderidge

• Favorite band: Third Day

• Favorite food: Anything on a barbecue

• Favorite subjects in school: Ecology and anatomy

• If you were in charge, what would you change about the community? I would control the growth so we can retain that small-town feel. I would also do something about the traffic on Highway 99. People drive too fast through town. It’s dangerous in my opinion.