TECH TIP FOR MARCH, 1997

DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN SOMEBODY TELLS YOU THEY THINK THAT YOU ARE STUPID.

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THERE HAS BEEN A MOVE TO THE REALM OF PETER PAN, TINKER BELLE & CAPTAIN HOOK BY SOME OF THE MASS MARKETERS IN THE USA, AND NOW I HEAR THAT WE WILL START SEEING "LIFE TIME " WARRANTIES ON REBUILT STARTERS AND ALTERNATORS.

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK! IF THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER, STARTING WITH A NEW, NEVER BEFORE DRIVEN, CAREFULLY ASSEMBLED, EVERYTHING IN PROPER WORKING ORDER CAR, FINDS THAT THEY CAN'T WARRANTY STARTERS AND ALTERNATORS FOR MORE THAN AND AVERAGE OF 80,000km; THEN PRAY TELL HOW THESE REMANUFACTURERS, WHO REUSES SOME PARTS, AND SOURCES MOST OF THE NEW PARTS USED ON THE BASIS OF PRICE ALONE, IS GOING TO BUILD A UNIT THAT IS BETTER AND LONGER LASTING THAN NEW, PARTICULARLY WHEN INSTALLED ON A VEHICLE OF COMPLETELY UNKNOWN CONDITION, AND SELL IT CHEAPER THAN ANYBODY ELSE'S NEW OR REBUILT?

TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THIS VEHICLE OF COMPLETELY UNKNOWN CONDITION HAS JUST PROVED THAT IT CAN DESTROY A STARTER OR ALTERNATOR, OTHERWISE WHY WOULD THEY BE PUTTING A REPLACEMENT UNIT ON?  MAYBE IT'S "PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE".

LIKE I SAID, DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU THEY THINK THAT YOU ARE STUPID. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE A "EVERY SECOND FRIDAY AFTERNOON, IF IT'S NOT RAINING WARRANTY".

MY COMPANY OFFERS A 1 YEAR, UNLIMITED MILEAGE, ANYWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA WARRANTY. THIS IS A REASONABLE WARRANTY, BASED ON 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND A DESIRE NOT TO SEE ONE COME BACK.

I THINK THAT A WARRANTY LONGER THAN 1 YEAR, IS A "NUMBERS GAME" AND CALLS INTO QUESTION THE QUALITY OF THE GRAY MATTER OF THOSE WHO FALL FOR IT. I EXPECT THE MOTORING PUBLIC TO THINK THAT THEY ARE SUCH NICE PEOPLE THAT SOMEONE WILL GIVE THEM SOMETHING FOR NOTHING, BUT I DON'T EXPECT IT FROM RATIONAL, EXPERIENCED BUSINESS PEOPLE.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF THIS IS THAT STARTERS, ALTERNATORS, ELECTRIC MOTORS, IF FACT EVERY PART OF A CAR IS A "CONSUMABLE" AND WILL NOT LAST "FOREVER", IN SPITE OF WHAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE.  WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE CARS THAT WERE SOLD 10 YEARS AGO? WHY AREN'T THEY STILL AROUND?  I KNOW, THE PEOPLE JUST GOT TIRED OF THEM AND BECAUSE THEY HAD SO MUCH EXTRA MONEY, JUST SENT THEM TO THE SCRAP YARD.    RIGHT? 

OVER THE LAST WEEK WE HAVE HAD 3 ALTERNATORS SENT TO US FOR SERVICE THAT ARRIVED WORKING. WE TOOK THEM APART, CHECKED THEM AND RETURNED THEM TO THE CUSTOMER NOT WORKING ANY BETTER THAN WHAT THEY WERE WHEN WE GOT THEM. ONE WENT BACK ON THE CAR AND WORKED PROPERLY, ON THE SECOND THERE WAS A BADLY CORRODED GANG CONNECTOR IN THE HARNESS ABOUT 5 FEET DOWNSTREAM OF THE ALTERNATOR, AND THE LAST ONE MADE AT LEAST 2 TRIPS BACK TO THE SHOP WHILE WE CHECKED IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND THE MECHANIC CHECKED ALL THE WIRING, AND FINALLY IT WAS INSTALLED, WORKED, AND THE CAR LEFT. I THINK WE HAVE A BAD CASE OF GREMLINS.

A COLLEAGUE IN TORONTO WAS TELLING ME, THAT ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON HE HAD A TOW TRUCK SHOW UP WITH THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT ON. HE REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND THE BATTERY, AND BECAUSE HE HAD DONE WORK FOR THE COMPANY BEFORE (BUT DIDN'T REALIZE THAT SOME WERE BROKERS) HE ALLOWED THE TRUCK TO GO. AT THE END OF THE MONTH HE SENT A BILL AND THEN FOUND OUT THE GUY WAS A BROKER. SEVERAL MONTHS AND STATEMENTS LATER THE GUY HADN'T PAID. MY FRIEND STARTED AN ACTION IN SMALL CLAIMS COURT TO RECOVER HIS MONEY.

ON THE DAY OF THE TRIAL, THE GUY DIDN'T DISPUTE THAT THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE OR THAT HE HADN'T PAID; HE POINTED OUT TO THE JUDGE THAT THE INVOICE WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MOTOR VEHICLE REPAIR ACT, IN THAT IT DID NOT SHOW THE VIN NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE WORKED ON AND THE MILEAGE "AT THE TIME THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE CUSTOMER". THE JUDGE SAID HE HAD NO OPTION AND THREW OUT THE CLAIM.

JUST THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.

QUESTIONS? (1) IF A 12 VOLT STARTER DRAWS 600 AMPS DURING CRANKING, AND THERE IS 12 FT OF CABLE BETWEEN THE BATTERY AND THE STARTER, WHAT SIZE MUST BOTH THE POS AND NEG CABLES BE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE DESIRED VOLTAGE DROP OF .2 PER LEG AND NO MORE THAT .4 TOTAL? 2.) IF THE ABOVE VEHICLE IS AN AMBULANCE (OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE) EQUIPPED WITH A 250 AMP ALTERNATOR, WHAT SIZE CABLE MUST BE USED ON THE POS AND NEG TO MAINTAIN NO MORE THAT.2VT DROP PER LEG?.

ANSWERS NEXT MONTH TIP THINK BIG!