Hi everyone! My name is Keith Skorpen and I started out as a Honda technician at Shepherd Pontiac/Honda located in Concord, California in you probably guessed it, 1985. (hence the name hondatech1985) I was Honda factory trained from 1986 to 1989. I actually attended the very first Honda class taught in French Camp, California. It was a 5 day electrical class taught by Bill Schouten. In 1989, I opened up an independent Honda/Acura repair shop in Walnut Creek, California with my business partner Mike Chiu, who also worked at the same dealership. Mike still runs this business called Walnut Creek Autopros. It has always been a 5 star rated shop and even back in 1989 through 1996 we were the highest rated auto repair facility in the San Francisco Bay Area according to the Bay Area Consumer Checkbook magazine. We drew customers from a 100 mile square radius and were always booked out 2 to 4 weeks year round and we never advertised! We even were sent cars from the local Honda dealer that they couldn't fix and we fixed them every time. Mike Chiu is the current owner and still a very good friend of mine. Awesome tech!

In 1996, I moved to Colorado and opened up another repair facility where I specialized in Honda/Acura vehicles, but also took on all Japanese makes and did very well there too. I had spent 15 years in the field as a full-time Honda tech and decided that I would like to pursue teaching. I spent 1 year taking graduate level classes at Colorado State University and earned my Vocational Teaching Credential for Automotive Mechanics - Post Secondary/Adult in 1999. I also have a Bachelors degree from Colorado State University and an Associate of Science degree in Automotive Mechanics Theory from Solano Community College in Suisun City, California. After I received my teaching credential in 1999, I applied for a number of teaching positions and was offered two positions, but the pay was pathetic! 36k a year for a 9 month teaching job at a Colorado Community College. I saw an ad in the Denver Post in 1999 for an OEM looking for a service training instructor in Denver. I wasn't sure who the manufacturer was, but applied, went through two interviews and was hired in October 1999. Turned out to be Ford Motor Company. There was a bit of a learning curve, but I taught at the Denver Training Center for 5 years and then relocated to Seattle in 2004. I taught there for 6 years and took on the position of Field Service Engineer for the Northern Washington and Alaska Ford/Lincoln Dealers. I've been in that position now for almost 8 years. I own a company that makes electrical terminal pin fit/tension testing tools. One reason for joining the forum was to get information on the tool that Honda sells to check pin fit. Tool number 07XMJ-001000A. I tried to order one but they are on backorder until June or so of 2018. I have had a number of Honda techs and dealers ask me if I make a tool for Honda/Acura vehicles and I currently only make them for domestic vehicles.

I have a wealth of knowledge and hope to share that with others on the forum. Look forward to chatting.