TECH TIPS FOR JUNE, 1997

A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE "TECH TIPS":

WHEN YOU'RE TAKING PULLEYS OFF, DON'T HOLD THE PULLEY AND BEAT ON THE ROTOR SHAFT. IF YOU DO YOU WILL DAMAGE THE THREADS TO THE POINT THAT THE ROTOR IS NO GOOD FOR ANYTHING AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT THE UNIT BACK FOR CORE CREDIT WITHOUT CHARGING YOU FOR THE ROTOR. THE TOOL MANUFACTURERS MAKE A DEVISE CALLED A "PULLER" SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS TYPE OF JOB. AS PROFESSIONAL MECHANICS IT IS TO BE EXPECTED THAT YOU HAVE AND UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THESE DEVISES. IF A PULLER IN JUST NOT AVAILABLE, REMOVE THE NUT AND LOCK WASHER, REINSTALL THE NUT UNTIL IT IS LEVEL WITH THE THREADS AT THE END OF THE SHAFT AND HIT THE NUT. THE NUT SHOULD PREVENT FLARING OF THE SHAFT AND SAVE EVERYONE EXCEPT THE PARTS SUPPLIERS MONEY IN THE LONG RUN.

NEXT IS A REPEAT OF WARNING MADE SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. WHEN THE ALTERNATOR OR STARTER ARRIVES AT YOUR SHOP AND YOU HAVE THE OLD ONE OFF, MAKE SURE WHAT CAME OFF IS THE SAME AS WHAT'S IN THE BOX. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO REASONS WHY THIS IS NECESSARY, FIRST, WE MAY HAVE MADE A MISTAKE AND SUPPLIED THE WRONG UNIT. A CASE IN POINT, WE SUPPLIED A STARTER FOR A 1990 FORD ESCORT W/1.9, AFTER FIGHTING THE STARTER UP INTO THE HOLE AND DOING UP THE MOUNTING BOLTS, THE INSTALLER FOUND THAT HE COULD NOT POSSIBLY ATTACH THE WIRING BECAUSE OF THE POSITION OF THE CONNECTOR. HE HAD TO TAKE IT BACK OUT, CALL ME (NOT HAPPY) AND WAIT FOR A REPLACEMENT.

WAS THIS OUR FAULT? OF COURSE IT WAS, WE HAD INSTALLED THE WRONG FIELD CASE ON THE STARTER. BUT SHOULD THE UNIT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BEFORE THE ERROR WAS FOUND? I DON'T THINK SO. IF THE INSTALLER HAD TAKEN A MOMENT TO LOOK AT WHAT CAME IN THE BOX, COMPARED TO WHAT CAME OUT OF THE CAR, HE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM. I KNOW HE'S TOO BUSY, BUT BY NOT CHECKING, WHAT DID HE SAVE?  A PHONE CALL WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE CORRECT UNIT TO HIM MUCH SOONER THAN AFTER IT HAD RE&RE'ED.

SECOND, IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WE HAVE HAD 2 ALTERNATORS RETURNED TO US FOR CORE CREDIT AND I HAVE HAD TO SEND THEM BACK TO MY CUSTOMERS SAYING "THEY ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR CORE". ONE WAS A UNIT WHICH HAD BEEN REBUILT IN JAPAN AND WAS REALLY AN OLDER STYLE WHICH HAD BEEN MODIFIED TO FIT IN A NEWER VEHICLE. THE SECOND WAS FROM ONE OF OUR LARGER CANADIAN REBUILDERS AND IS MAKE FROM "IN-HOUSE" COMPONENTS. IN BOTH CASES, PARTS TO REBUILD ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO US AND WE HAD TO DECLINE CORE CREDIT. EACH OF THESE CORES HAD A VALUE OF $50.00 AND IT IS THE GARAGE'S LOSS. WHILE IT IS NOT SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO, IT IS EASIER TO EXPLAIN TO THE CUSTOMER THAT SOMEONE HAD INSTALLED A "WILL FIT" AND THE CORE WON'T BE ACCEPTED, WHEN YOU'RE SELLING THE JOB, THAN WHAT IT WILL BE A WEEK LATER WHEN THEY'VE PAID AND LEFT. JUST TRY AND GET THEM TO COME BACK AND GIVE YOU ANOTHER $50.00 PLUS TAXES.

WE HAD AN INTERESTING "LEARNING EXPERIENCE" THIS LAST WEEK. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WE SUPPLIED AN ALTERNATOR FOR A 1987 CADILLAC FLEETWOOD W/4.1L, AND IT CAME BACK "NO CHARGE". WHEN WE GOT THE ALTERNATOR IT CHARGED ON THE BENCH AT 14.4VTS AND WOULD TOP OUT AT 120AMPS. WE DISASSEMBLED THE UNIT AND CHECKED EACH INDIVIDUAL PART (WHICH OF COURSE TESTED GOOD), REASSEMBLED THE UNIT AND RE TESTED IT. AGAIN IT CHARGED AT 14.4VTS, SO WE RETURNED IT TO THE GARAGE AND THEY CHECKED ALL THE WIRING BUT WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RE©INSTALLED THE ALTERNATOR AND IT CHARGED AT 14.4VTS. EXPECTING THE CUSTOMER MOMENTARILY THEY LEFT THE CAR OUTSIDE RUNNING AND ABOUT 3/4 HOUR LATER WHEN HE HADN'T SHOWN UP THE WENT TO SHUT IT OFF AND FOUND IT CHARGING AT 12.4VTS. OFF IT CAME AND BACK TO ME, AND WHEN IT ARRIVE YOU CAN GUESS IT WAS CHARGING AT 14.4VTS. WE CHECKED IT ALL AGAIN AND THIS TIME LET IT RUN ON THE BENCH FOR ABOUT 3/4 HOUR WITH NO PROBLEM.

THE SHOP PUT IT BACK ON, AND 14.4VTS; THEY LEFT IT RUN FOR ABOUT 3/4 HOUR AND 12.4VTS. WHEN THEY CHECKED THE AMPERAGE OUTPUT IT WAS 15 AMPS. WHEN THEY LOADED THE SYSTEM THE ALTERNATOR WOULD CHARGE UP TO 80 AMPS WITHOUT THE VOLTAGE DROPPING BELOW 12.4.  THE ALTERNATOR CAME OFF,...AGAIN! AND THIS TIME WITHOUT CHECKING ANYTHING WE INSTALLED A NEW REGULATOR AND THE CAR IS GONE WITH NO PROBLEM. GUESSING, I WOULD SAY THAT THE REGULATOR'S TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION HAD GONE DEFECTIVE, SO THAT WHEN IT WAS "UNDER HOOD" HOT IT COULDN'T HOLD IT'S VOLTAGE, BUT BY THE TIME IT WAS TAKEN OFF AND BROUGHT TO ME IT HAD COOLED OFF ENOUGH THAT THE THING WOULD TEST AND CHARGE PROPERLY.

THE LESSON HERE IS THAT IF THE ALTERNATOR IS SHOWING BELOW 13.8 -14.5 VOLTS, YOU MUST DETERMINE WHAT THE AMPERAGE OUT IS, BECAUSE NORMALLY ONLY AMPERAGE OUTPUT WILL DROP THE CONTROL VOLTAGE. REMEMBER IN APRIL WHEN I SAID THAT ELECTRICAL WAS GOING TO BE THE BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE?  WELL I WAS RIGHT, BUT I WISHED THAT IT COULD HAVE WAITED TO SHOW ME THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS.

I THINK THAT EACH SHOP IS GOING TO HAVE TO DEVELOP A DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU ARE DOING ELECTRICAL WORK. YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE A FIXED PRICE FOR THIS CHECK ALONE WHICH IS NOT PARTS OF THE REPAIR, AND YES I AM ADVOCATING A CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE. IN THE LONG RUN IT WILL BE LESS EXPENSIVE TO DO IT IN A LOGICAL PROCEDURE THAN, TO GO AT IT HODGE PODGE. WITH HODGE PODGE YOU MIGHT FIND THE PROBLEM SOONER, BUT PROBABLY NOT, AND WHO SAID THAT A CAR CAN ONLY HAVE ONE THING CAUSING A PROBLEM OR ONLY ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME.

VOLTAGE DROP TESTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE DONE BECAUSE ALL COMMUTERS ARE VOLTAGE SENSITIVE, AND THERE WILL BE MORE AND MORE COMPUTERS. I WAS TOLD THE OTHER DAY THAT VOLTAGE DROP TESTS WERE A PAIN BECAUSE YOU HAD TO MAKE UP LONG TEST LEADS...SO! LEADS ARE CHEAP AND TIME IS NOT. THE LESS TIME YOU SPEND ON DIAGNOSIS/REPAIR, THE LOWER THE CUSTOMER'S BILL AND THE SOONER YOU CAN GET TO THE NEXT JOB. MY LAST RANT....IF YOU ARE DOING IT PROPERLY AND IT TAKES 3 HOURS, CHARGE FOR THE 3 HOURS. YOU ARE A REPAIR FACILITY NOT A CHARITY, AND THE CUSTOMER YOU EAT A DOLLAR FOR TODAY WILL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TOMORROW BECAUSE THEY WILL EAT $1.25.

TWO FINAL THINGS.. I HAVE JOINED AN INTERNATIONAL TECHNICIANS SERVICE ON THE INTERNET. THERE ARE 6000 MEMBERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO SEEM TO HAVE THE DESIRE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION THE ADDRESS IS:

http://www.i-atn.com/auto/

THIS NETWORK IS GREAT AND...FREE! FROM JOSEPH DUFF, WHO POSTS TO THIS NETWORK COMES, FROM A TRADE PAPER, THE FOLLOWING:

"IN TOUGH TIMES, IT IS HARD TO TURN AWAY BUSINESS, BUT AVOID TAKING IN "LOSER" JOBS.

LOSER VEHICLE IS ANYTHING THAT IS BADLY NEGLECTED, ABUSED, RUSTED OUT OR A MODEL LONG DISCONTINUED BY THE MANUFACTURER. WHEN LOSER CAR PULLS UP TO YOUR DOOR, YOU CAN BE SURE THE OWNER IS COMING IN FOR SERVICE ONLY BECAUSE THE PROBLEMS HAVE BECOME TOO SEVERE TO IGNORE ANY LONGER. YOU CAN EXPECT THE OWNER TO INSIST ON HAVING THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM DONE. HE'S LIKELY TO CLAIM THAT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS ARE YOUR FAULT (AND EXPECT YOU TO FIX THEM FOR FREE) AND COMPLAIN THAT YOUR PRICES ARE TOO HIGH. YOU CAN'T MAKE MONEY TAKING IN THE "LOSER", SO DON'T LET YOUR EGO GET AHEAD OF YOUR WALLET.

SURE, MAYBE YOUR SHOP CAN FIX ANYTHING.  SO WHAT?  THE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS, WILL YOU MAKE ANY MONEY DOING IT?"