Ve is Schmarter Zan Zem?

["Al Powell" <apowell@agcom.tamu.edu>]

> JohnBoyd wrote:
> > 
> > Most Audi dealers I have come across here are only interested in
 > selling very high value new and used cars and have a fairly
> > sneering attitude towards owners of older Audis who are not
> > willing or able to pay their outrageous parts and labour prices.

And MJ Murphy added:

> With several exceptions, the above appears to be the corporate
> mantra of AoA.
> MJ Murphy
> 89 100

I'll add my .02...(usually .05, but on special for YOU!!)

I think part of the problem is the personnel that auto dealers of all 
kinds can hire.  LOOK at the brainpower on this group - frankly, I 
consider this group's members in the top 5-10% of the US in "smarts" 
...aside from their arguably flawed taste in cars....  ;-)

But who generally becomes a mechanic?  Someone who loves cars as a 
kid - works on them while in high school - and usually goes to a 
trade school, at MOST.  Without denigrating these nice and 
hard-working folks, are they really trained to troubleshoot 
computer-based components and work through electrical problems which 
interrelate with computer functions? 

Not nearly!  To REALLY hire someone trained to understand and cope 
with all the ins and outs of these highly technical cars is futile!

#1 - They aren't out there.
#2 - If you COULD find one, he'd be me - or Igor - or Dave Head - or 
Scott - and they'd have to pay us  more than we're capable of making 
on the open market.  OUCH!!  I'd never take my car there - couldn't 
afford it!

So what are we left with??  Guys who are capable of handling 
mechanical breakdowns well, because they're familiar with 
them.  But when it comes to the electronics, about all they 
can do is follow factory directions to unplug test unit A and plug 
in Test unit B - and if it works, replace Unit A for <$50gazillion>.

So it's not ALL the dealer's fault.  They can't do much but plug 
in parts and charge up the gazoo.  Where the fault is - is when the 
bast**ds charge more than retail or get sticky on parts returns when 
they really don't need to.

I don't see this situation getting any better.  The greatest hope may 
be that engines are being made better and tighter, and the 
electronics will (hopefully) become more modular and easier to deal 
with.  Problem is, you just can't make auto electronics cheaply when 
you only make 30,000 of them.  You need a million or two to get the 
cost down.

And when that car goes flooey 40 years from now, don't expect to 
rebuild it like my brother is with my mom's 1950 Studebaker 
Convertible.  The elctrconics will be LONG gone.

Sigh.


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Al Powell, Ph.D.                 Voice:  409/845-2807
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