Gaspar Vasquez Jr.

• Name: Gaspar Vasquez Jr.

• Age: 29

• Family: My wife and we have one son

• City of residence/years in area: Live Oak, 6 years

• Occupation: Auto technician

• Employer/years employed: I have worked for Yuba City Honda for more than four years.

• Training/certifications: I have received training from the Honda factory training school in Stockton and the Hunter Alignment facility. I also try and learn as much as I can from our master techs here at Yuba City Honda.

• Years in the automotive industry: I believe I have a total of nine years working in the automotive industry.

• How did you get your start in automotive? To be honest — I was in the right place at the right time. I was in Roseville and was looking for a job. I happened to stop by to see a friend of mine who worked at an auto repair facility. It turns out that he needed someone at that moment because someone had suddenly quit, so he offered me the job. Needing the money — I took it. I worked there several years, and then I had the opportunity to come to Yuba City Honda, and I have been here ever since.

• What is the biggest problem facing the industry today? I believe the biggest problem facing the automotive industry today is the lack of maintenance. Even though vehicles built today are much better made than previous years, owners still need to have them serviced. In recent years, a mindset has developed that as long as the warning lights on the instrument panel don't light up, all is well. That is just not the case. Regular maintenance will help keep that vehicle on the road for many years to come.

• Where do you see the industry going in the future? There has been a lot of focus on hybrid cars lately and how it's cool to be green. Hybrid cars are great, but I also believe the industry is turning toward diesel fuel. Today's diesel burns very cleanly and efficiently. There are also other alternative fuels that are being developed, and they will be put into service once they have proven themselves. America needs to lessen its dependency on foreign oil and find new ways and means of transportation.

• In recent years, what has been the biggest breakthrough in the auto industry? There are so many new things that have made a difference in vehicles recently, but I believe the use of the computer has to be at the top of the list. Today's cars and trucks can be diagnosed much quicker with the aid of onboard computers. The onboard computer constantly checks what is going on in the car or truck, and if it finds something wrong, it will send a message to the owner through an e-mail or other sources. There are even vehicles that send e-mails telling the owners the air pressure in their tires and send reminders of when their next maintenance check is due.

Navigation systems are becoming very common in cars and trucks now, and each year, we rely more and more on computers.

Computers will continue to do more for vehicles in the future, and it will be interesting to be a part of that growing technology.

• What is the hardest part of your job? I love troubleshooting, but with the complicated electronic systems in modern vehicles, it is becoming more difficult to find electrical problems. Even with the use of computers, they don't catch everything. As a technician, I still have to keep my diagnostic skills up to date, because our customers are relying on us to get their car or truck back on the road ASAP.

• What advice would you give to aspiring mechanics or service techs? They had better love the job. Working with hot engines in the summer and working outside in the cold can have its moments. But if you don't love the job, you had better find something else to do. Vehicles are only going to get more complicated, and we have to continue to be trained and certified in each area of service we are responsible for. You just don't drag your box of tools in and put them on the bench and think your are a mechanic. Work hard, stay current in the technology and be willing to be teachable is probably the best advice I could give.

• What was the first car you owned, and how did you afford it? I had a 1988 Ford Mustang, which I worked as a bus boy in order to pay for.

• If you could have any car of any year, what would it be? Wow, there are so many to choose from. But I think I would like to have a turbocharged Honda S2000 CR from Japan. I don't even think they are California legal, but they are an awesome set of wheels.