TECH TIP FOR AUGUST, 2000

FIRST OFF, I GUESS HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SEMINAR BY ONE OF MAYBE THE 5 BEST TRAINERS IN NORTH AMERICA ISN'T IMPORTANT. SO FAR, I HAVE HAD 3 CONFIRMED RESPONSES. IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS NOT IMPORTANT ANYWHERE BECAUSE ALL OF THE OTHER REBUILDERS INVOLVED ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. SO, HERE IT IS AGAIN....OCTOBER, 2000....ALL DAY SATURDAY....$50.00 INCLUDING LUNCH AND HAND OUTS...1 OF TOP 5 TRAINERS IN NORTH AMERICA ON DRIVEABILITY AND CHARGING SYSTEMS...REGISTER (SEND CHEQUE) BY AUGUST 14 OR SORRY ABOUT YOUR LUCK!

I SOLD AN ALTERNATOR FOR A LATE MODEL PONTIAC RECENTLY AND AFTER A WEEKEND THE CUSTOMER CALLED SAYING THE UNIT HAD FAILED, BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS FLAT AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. BROUGHT THE ALTERNATOR BACK AND IT WORKED FINE ON THE TEST BENCH. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION THE CUSTOMER LEFT WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO CHECK SOME OF THE WIRING. CALLED BACK TO SAY THAT ABOUT 6" FROM THE STARTER, IN WHAT WAS THE MAIN BATTERY FEED TO THE ALTERNATOR THERE WAS ABOUT 6" MISSING AND BOTH WIRE ENDS GREEN AS GRASS. FUNNY HOW THE ALTERNATOR CAN'T CHARGE THE BATTERY IF IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO IT.

A YOUNG LADY PHONED, WANTING AN ALTERNATOR FOR HER VW CABRIOLET. THE ONE THAT CAME WITH THE CAR HAD FAILED AND THE USED ONE SHE HAD JUST HAD INSTALLED DIDN'T WORK EITHER. I SOLD HER THE ALTERNATOR AND ON MONDAY SHE CALLED BACK THAT MINE DIDN'T WORK ANY BETTER THAN THE OTHER 2. I ASKED HER SOME QUESTIONS, LIKE HAD ANYONE WORKED ON THE CAR BEFORE THE ALTERNATOR FAILED, AND FOUND THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHE HAD THE BODY WORK DONE AND IN FACT, IT WAS THE BODY MAN WHO WAS CHANGING THESE ALTERNATORS AND PRONOUNCING THEM BAD.

I ASKED HOW HE KNEW THE ALTERNATORS WERE NOT WORKING AND RECEIVED THE STANDARD "THE CAR STALLS WHEN HE TAKES THE BATTERY CABLE OFF". SHE REALLY SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND WHEN I EXPLAINED WHY THIS WAS NOT A VALID TEST AND WHAT DAMAGE COULD BE DONE BY PRACTISING THIS PROCEDURE. SHE BROUGHT ME THE WHOLE CAR AND WANTED ME TO FIX IT. SHE BROUGHT ME THE WHOLE CAR, AFTER WORK, AT 4:45pm, AND WANTED ME TO FIX IT. I DON'T WORK ON CARS, BUT COULDN'T REFUSE.

I FOUND THAT HER CAR HAD AIR CONDITIONING, AND WHEN I WENT TO LOOK AT THE CAR, I IMMEDIATELY SPOTTED THAT THE GROUND WIRE FROM THE BLOCK TO THE BACK OF THE ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN REMOVED AND WAS HANGING DOWN BEHIND THE ALTERNATOR MOUNTING BRACKET. A FLAT, LOCK & 5mm NUT FIXED HER PROBLEM. ON THESE CARS THE ALTERNATOR IS ATTACHED TO THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR WHICH IS RUBBER MOUNTED. AGAIN, IT'S HARD FOR THE ALTERNATOR TO CHARGE THE BATTERY WHEN IT'S NOT CONNECTED TO IT.