mecp certified technician
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=100170
Printed Date: May 08, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Topic: mecp certified technician
Posted By: rfwave
Subject: mecp certified technician
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 10:14 AM
what does MECP means ?
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Replies:
Posted By: bassop823
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 10:18 AM
Posted By: thepencil
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 12:59 PM
It mean you have reference materials in your brain when you have taken the reading material versus someone who doesn't have one. That's about it.
Not so good of a material to impress your date. 
------------- Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it.
Posted By: tedmond
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 2:37 PM
thats true, also u get a grasp on alarms and audio, basically u will know more than what an amature would, unless the amature is serious ahah. i dont know who has the signature but i give credit to them.. "who needs an installer (mecp) when u got the 12volt." Cheers to whoever it may be.
Posted By: howie ll
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 5:12 PM
Tedmond, empty your inbox.H.
Posted By: rfwave
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 8:35 PM
well , 12volt needs mecp !
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Posted By: wirewise
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 9:37 PM
rfwave wrote:
well , 12volt needs mecp !
The 12 volt industry needs competent installers more than it needs the MECP. While the intentions of the mobile electronics certification program are not without merit, from what I have witnessed it has opened the door to many unqualified installers gaining employment in this industry. I'm not saying I'm against MECP nor am I knocking all certified installers, but MECP is for the most part nothing more than a multiple choice test. Without knowing a thing about mobile electronics and having absolutely no experience, you still have a 25% chance of answering each question correctly instead of closer to a 0% chance in the real world.
Yeah, it's a cool thing to add to your stack of training certificates (or I attended that meeting certificate) and I know several people that could easily pass the test that would fail miserably in the bay, but many of the professional installers I know that are more than capable of obtaining them either never have or no longer bother to because their experience and quality of work better demonstrate their qualifications and abilities.
If you're just starting out, by all means get it. At the very least it says you have a strong interest in this field.
~wirewise~
Posted By: kylecm85
Date Posted: December 18, 2007 at 11:10 PM
I agree with wirewise it is a good thing to have under the belt but taking a test and working in the bay are two diffrent things. I am mecp certified and i dont use much from the test in the industry today. I think the test is a little outdated but does help gain knowledge in the industry. So if u want to take it get a book and start studying but if u have good knowledge of car audio then you should be alright without it. Good luck
Posted By: perly
Date Posted: December 19, 2007 at 5:45 AM
I know that from personal experience I came out of Mobile Dynamics in Toronto with MECP and I knew the theory but I knew NO practical. I feel that I learned far more in my first few weeks actually in the bay then I did at Mobile.
I have also seen many people who come out of Mobile and they are WAY too cooky and think that they know everything(only to break something later on and then either a) get fired or b) get sent to the sales floor). In my opinion practical experience in the bay trumps MECP/Mobile any day of the week.
Posted By: vitrox
Date Posted: December 19, 2007 at 4:33 PM
nothing will replace hands on training, period. MECP is good to have if you want the certificate to display in your shop though. Some customers may want only mecp certified installers working on their vehicles.
I personally do not have it, but I could run down and take the test whenever to get it.
Posted By: tedmond
Date Posted: December 19, 2007 at 9:33 PM
well thing is, in Ontario, Canada. we are the only province that says MECP - is nothing more than a piece of paper that said u passed a course. To get a guarentee bay position, they want you to have your automotive electrician certificate. this requires school but u learn alot. I wanted to go to mobile dynamics, but i was still too busy from school work. High school is sure fun, but work is kinda nuts, cant wait for uni haha. well, a shop in toronto that i know SLS, they hired 2 guys from mobile dynamics and seriously, they dont know jack doodie. they have all knowledge but no hands on or practicle work. I was visting the shop the other day and talked to the owners buddy (manager) and he was the one that told me that MECP is nothing here in ontario. its the ONLY province, now isnt that some messed up thing.
Posted By: perly
Date Posted: December 20, 2007 at 5:54 AM
tedmond wrote:
well thing is, in Ontario, Canada. we are the only province that says MECP - is nothing more than a piece of paper that said u passed a course. To get a guarentee bay position, they want you to have your automotive electrician certificate. this requires school but u learn alot. I wanted to go to mobile dynamics, but i was still too busy from school work. High school is sure fun, but work is kinda nuts, cant wait for uni haha. well, a shop in toronto that i know SLS, they hired 2 guys from mobile dynamics and seriously, they dont know jack doodie. they have all knowledge but no hands on or practicle work. I was visting the shop the other day and talked to the owners buddy (manager) and he was the one that told me that MECP is nothing here in ontario. its the ONLY province, now isnt that some messed up thing.
Now just a question are you thinking of the 310k as the peice of paper which only Ontario has? I agree that MECP is not worth much but I have worked in Ont and Alberta and both places talk about MECP.
However, the Ontario 310k Tech certificate is only in Ontario and it is truly worthless since once you get it then you just simply pay each year(or two) and it never expires and you never need to retest. And from what I have been told by the installer i work with it is very very easy/basic test to pass. So basically it is just another way for Ont to get easy money out of people.
The principle is really good since in theory only shops who have the 310k can legally install starters but the actual testing is a joke. If they want to standardize the "trade" then they need to make it a formal trade with an apprenticeship and then maybe, just maybe the ghetto hack job installers will cease to exist. OK enough ranting, it's just my two cents.
Posted By: ers1121
Date Posted: December 20, 2007 at 7:11 AM
Certifications are something started as a marketing tool in my opinion. Most consumers see the word certified this or that and assume that they are getting expereinced professionals. as we all know this is not always the case. I have worked in the auto repair industry for 35 years, I have worked along side of mechanics that were ASE Certified Master Auto & Truck Technicians, and some of these people couldn't handle the most basic troubleshooting problems. All certification means is that you read the book and passed the written test. If I were to give my son the study materials for the MECP he would probably get a near perfect score (he has 3 college degrees). Could he install or repair any of what we do, NO! This is not to say that all the certified installers are bad, but there is too much emphassis on it. Unfortunately certifications are here to stay, and there are more coming, (believe it or not there are certifications to repair lawn mowers) and we will have to deal with them. The more the big companies keeps marketing it the harder it will be for the small guys to compete. Our best hope is that customers realize that the big box stores can't give the service the small shop can, and from the comments I read here I think they are starting to realize it. ------------- Ed
Posted By: perly
Date Posted: December 20, 2007 at 7:46 AM
ers1121 wrote:
Our best hope is that customers realize that the big box stores can't give the service the small shop can, and from the comments I read here I think they are starting to realize it.
without getting into a long reply I will simply say, not all big box stores are bad just as not all small shops are good. I have seen many great big box installers and just as many HORRIBLE small shops installers.
Posted By: ers1121
Date Posted: December 20, 2007 at 8:08 AM
I won't argue that point, in fact I do agree. Where I live in NJ most of the big box stores have a horrible reputation, one in particular. I'm not a shop or a full time installer but do it on a part time basis. I have had several customers from one chain in particular that have had so many problems I have had to completely remove and re-install their alarms or remote starters. The 99.00 installed bargin was anything but a bargin. ------------- Ed
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