"Trucks are not tuned correctly, so they are only getting 12 miles a gallon because manufacturers don't know whether the trucks are carrying a six-pack of beer or 6 tons of rock."

"Parts warehouses are using generic scan tools to do quick diagnosis on people's cars, so when they come to my shop and I spend at least an hour giving the customer the proper diagnosis, they think I am ripping them off.

"I think cars today have too many bells and whistles, which just means it is going to cost more to fix it when it breaks down," Huelsman said.

Huelsman is not bitter, he said, but those are just some of the problems he sees with the automotive industry, an industry that has went through vast changes since he graduated from Ranken Technical School in 1979 with a degree in automotive repair.

The answer to many of the problems, he said, is to educate customers on the complexity of the cars they are driving today.

"Cars are getting more high tech, and the public still thinks that we are working on a '65 Chevy," he said. "Just to pick up the phone and call the lawyer costs $50. We are professionals, too, and customers have to be educated so they understand that technicians also deserve to be paid for their time."

Huelsman, the only technician in his shop, said he spends most of his time on emission work, diagnosing drivability issues, and electrical work. He keeps up to date with the latest diagnostic scanners, including a GM Tech 2, Snap-on Modis, and Bosch/Vetronix MasterTech. He said he also uses iATN and Identifix for diagnostic fixes and troubleshooting tips.

Huelsman said a lot has changed since he purchased his building for $13,000 in 1997. At one point, four technicians were working in the four-bay, two-lift shop, he said, but now it is a family affair with his wife, Jan, running the office and assisting with repairs, and his father, Hank, a longtime technician, helping around the shop and picking up parts.

"We have a pretty good system," he said. "My wife can get the scanner out and plug it in. She is like my nurse. And my dad will lift the car up and pull the wheels." 

When things get really busy around the shop, Huelsman said his wife also will work in the shop.

"My wife does a lot of heater core work," he said. "She prints all the necessary procedures off Alldata and follows the steps. It may take her a little longer, but when she gets done there are no squeaks or rattles," adding that she recently also put injectors in a Ford Power Stroke engine.

Huelsman said he orders most of his parts from Al's Automotive, Factory Motor Parts, and CARQUEST. He said he gets in about 15 cars a week with an average repair order of $350 each.