TECH TIP FOR OCTOBER, 1998

SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS I HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH CUSTOMERS ABOUT LABOUR RATES. EVERY ONE SEEMS TO FEEL THAT FLOOR RATES SHOULD BE ABOUT $60.00/HR, BUT MOST ARE NOT COMFORTABLE TELLING THIS TO THE CUSTOMER.

HERE IS AN EXERCISE THAT MY WIFE CAME UP WITH, TO DETERMINE THE "COST OF OPERATION" OF OUR SHOP. SHE TOOK THE CHEQUE REGISTER FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS AND TOTALLED ALL CHEQUES WRITTEN. FROM THIS TOTAL SHE DEDUCTED ANY CHEQUE WHICH PAID FOR PARTS OR WAS A PAY CHEQUE. WHEN SHE HAD FOUND OUT HOW MUCH WE SPENT NOT COUNTING WAGES OR PARTS, SHE DIVIDED THAT FIGURE BY 4160 (40hrs/WK X 52wks X 2 years) AND CAME UP WITH WHAT IT COST TO OPEN THE DOORS PER HOUR, BEFORE WE DID ANY WORK. ONCE YOU HAVE THIS FIGURE, IF YOU START ADDING WAGES IT IS NOT HARD TO RAISE OR JUSTIFY YOUR LABOUR RATE.

A CUSTOMER REPORTS HAVING A 1992 OLDSMOBILE CALAIS W/2.3L ENGINE WHERE THE CAR WILL NOT CHARGE AT IDLE. HE BROUGHT ME THE ALTERNATOR AND IT CHECKED OUT PROPERLY. THE ALTERNATOR IS A 110 AMP CS130 SERIES AND WOULD CHARGE AT 14.4VTS & 65AMPS AT IDLE ON MY BENCH. THE CUSTOMER RE©INSTALLED THE ALTERNATOR AND BEGAN TO CHECK WIRING AND CONNECTIONS TO NO AVAIL. FINALLY HE REPLACE THE BATTERY OUT OF SPITE AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. THE BATTERY APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, PASSING LOAD AND "3 MIN. CHARGE " TESTS, BUT IT WILL NOT ALLOW THE ALTERNATOR TO WORK PROPERLY IN THE CAR.

MY WIFE DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS I DO FOR A LIVING AND HER METHOD OF TELLING A STARTER FORM AN ALTERNATOR IS: IF IT LOOKS LIKE A BULLET, IT'S A STARTER AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE A BALL, IT'S AN ALTERNATOR. THE BALANCE OF THIS TECH TIP IS PICTURES OF THE ALTERNATORS THAT DELPHI/GM IS INSTALLING ON THE 1998 CARS, ALONG WITH PICTURES OF THE NEW WATER COOLED ALTERNATOR WHICH IS ON THE CADILLACS AND COULD SOON BE ON EVERYTHING. ALL THESE ALTERNATORS ARE THE NEW CS130D VERSIONS. THE REASON I MENTIONED HOW MY WIFE TELLS STARTERS FROM ALTERNATORS IS THAT WHEN SHE SAW THESE PICTURES SHE SAID "IT LOOKS LIKE A MESS".