TECH TIP FOR MAY 1995

THANKS TO THE SUPPORT FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AND IN AN EFFORT TO SUPPLY BETTER AND BROADER SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMER WE HAVE ENTERED INTO ARRANGEMENTS WITH SOME OF THE O.E.M. SUPPLIERS TO DISTRIBUTE THEIR PRODUCTS AND IN SOME CASES HANDLE ANY WARRANTY THEY MAY HAVE. THESE COMPANIES ARE:

PRESTOLITE ELECTRIC INC. AS THE ONLY AREA SERVICE DISTRIBUTOR FOR  THIS COMPANY WE CAN SUPPLY PARTS AND HANDLE WARRANTY FOR THEIR ENTIRE GROUP WHICH INCLUDES THE BRAND NAMES: PRESTOLITE (MOTORS, SWITCHES, DISTRIBUTORS); LEECE-NEVILLE (ALTERNATORS, STARTERS), AND TECHSTAR (INSTRUMENTATION PRODUCTS).

ROBERT BOSCH INC. BEING A DEALER FOR THIS COMPANY WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE VAST RANGE OF PRODUCTS FROM ALTERNATORS & STARTERS TO SOLENOIDS & RELAYS.

LUCAS AFTERMARKET CANADA AS A DEALER WE CAN OBTAIN ALL LUCAS BRAND NAME PARTS INCLUDING THE VERY LARGE RANGE OF ELECTRONIC CONTROL PRODUCTS, AND POWER SHUTOFF SWITCHES.

SYNCHRO START PRODUCTS INC.WE ARE A DEALER FOR THEIR FULL LINE CONTROL AND PROTECTION PRODUCTS, WHICH INCLUDES: D.C. SOLENOIDS, SIGNAL GENERATORS, ELECTRONIC SPEED SWITCHES, ENGINE PROTECTION SYSTEMS, & MECHANICAL SPEED SWITCHES.

IN ADDITION, WHILE WE DON'T DEAL DIRECT WITH THE MANUFACTURES, WE CAN ACCESS MOST ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT PRODUCTS BY NIPPONDENSO, DELCO, UNITED TECHNOLOGIES (FORMERLY AMERICAN BOSCH), AND FENNER STONE MOTORS.

ON A MORE SERIOUS NOTE, WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE "CONVERSION" UNITS THAT ARE BEING SOLD TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR OR STARTER WHEN THEY FAIL. THIS IS USUALLY DONE WHEN THERE IS A VERY LIMITED SUPPLY OF EITHER THE OLD CORES OR PARTS.BRANTFORD STARTER HAS, IN THE PAST, (AND I CAN'T GUARANTEE NEVER AGAIN) SOLD CONVERSION UNITS, BUT ONLY AFTER SATISFYING OURSELVES AS TO QUALITY AND THAT REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE.

UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ARE A LOT OF UNITS AVAILABLE, SOMEONE HAS JUST TAKEN AN OLDER MODEL CORE AND REWORKED IT WITH PIECES FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHERE, IT "WILL FIT AND WORK" IN THE PLACE OF THE ORIGINAL ONE. THE "WILL FIT AND WORK" SOMETIMES MEANS THAT THE IDIOT LIGHT WILL GO OUT AND AN ALTERNATOR WILL REACH THE RATED OUTPUT AT MAYBE 10,000 RPM, OR THE STARTER WILL ROLL THE ENGINE OVER IN THE SUMMER FOR A SUFFICIENTLY LONG PERIOD OF TIME THAT EVENTUALLY IT WILL START.

IF YOUR CUSTOMER HAS HAD ONE OF THESE "WILL FIT & WORK" UNITS INSTALLED ELSEWHERE AND IT FAILS, THE CUSTOMER MAY HAVE BEEN CHARGED AS IF IT WAS A "REAL" UNIT AND IS NOT HAPPY THAT IT DIDN'T LAST. THEY WILL BE EVEN MORE UNHAPPY WHEN I TELL YOU THAT THE CORE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE NO PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND EVEN IF THEY WERE I WON'T REBUILD SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE PICK UP OUR CORES EVERY FRIDAY AND UNFORTUNATELY IF WE FIND ONE OF THESE "WILL FIT & WORK" UNITS BEING RETURNED TO US, WE WILL HAVE TO GIVE IT BACK TO YOU AND DENY CORE CREDIT.

IMPERATIVE, THAT IF THE UNIT YOU TAKE OFF, DIFFERS IN APPEARANCE TO WHAT I SUPPLIED, THAT YOU CHECK WITH ME TO SEE IF IT IS ACCEPTABLE. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO ABSORB A $30.00- $??.00 CORE CHARGE AND NEITHER CAN YOU! IF ALL ELSE FAILS, I WILL PICK UP THE ORIGINAL UNIT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE RIGHT THING. THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT I WANT TO OR AM WILLING TO, PICK UP EACH UNIT BEFORE I SUPPLY YOU ONE, BUT IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE CALL ME. THIS PROBLEM MOST OFTEN COMES UP IN THE NEWER IMPORT PIECES AND HAS BECOME SUCH A PROBLEM THAT WILSON AUTO ELECTRIC LTD. HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WILL NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING OTHER THAN AN OEM UNIT AND IN ADDITION WILL NOT ACCEPT A UNIT THAT HAS BEEN DISASSEMBLED OR HAS BROKEN PIECES.

FROM THE "THINGS WE HOPE WE NEVER SEE" FILE, COMES IN 1996 THE BEIJING UNITED AUTOMOBILE & MOTORCYCLE CO. WILL BE IMPORTING A JEEP-LIKE VEHICLE INTO THE U.S.A. MY EXPERIENCE WITH PRODUCTS FROM CHINA IS THAT THE QUALITY CONTROL IS VERY SPORADIC, HERE'S HOPING SOME GENIUS DOESN'T DECIDE TO MAKE HIS FORTUNE BRINGING THEM HERE.