Re: Expectations (Somebody _slap_ me!)

[DeWitt Harrison <de@aztek-eng.com>]

On Thu, 09 Oct 1997 09:16:00 -0640, Cobram wrote:

>[ ... ]
> DH> For whatever reasons, a key point is that technicians tend to develop
> DH> a mindset in which they attack problems unsystematically and
> DH> start by throwing a best guess at the problem rather than actually
> DH> demonstrating a component is defective before replacing it. Works
> DH> more than half the time. Mechanics I know and hold in high esteem
> DH> find it virtually impossible to avoid this kind mental trap.
>
>     Right, but is it REALLY feasable to go through and diagnose
>     a problem that you know is XYZ part 90% of the time?  A GOOD
>     shop/tech will have a good unit or two on the shelf so he can
>     swap the components on the spot, or he'll borrow it from
>     another similar car at the shop for a quick test. This isn't
>     a "mind set" this is experience at work. After doing one or
>     two 5K series with air coming out the defrost vents do you
>     really have to diagnose the problem at $50-$80 an hour or
>     do you just "dig in" and chase the most likely suspect?

I did acknowledge that experience is valuable and works most of
the time. However, when a technician is up against a difficult
problem, I think systematic troubleshooting would reduce the
number of "could not reproduce the problem" results and just
plain incorrect fixes. But few if any can bring themselves to do
this. It's not a reflection on individuals, but rather on the basic
nature of the repair business. Been there myself, once upon a
time, in a different field.

Many difficult problems are never resolved unless the owner
himself bites the bullet and sorts it out himself - no matter
how much money he is willing to pay others.  I'll bet 85% of
the 86 to 88 5kt/q cars on the road today suffer from sh*tty
starting.

DeWitt Harrison    de@aztek-eng.com
Boulder, CO
88 5kcstq