Parts Cannon strikes again

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by JTK
Very cool.

I'm surprised a 2002 would still have a distributor cap and rotor!


The 2002 big vans still used the last of the old Vortec small-blocks. They might be the last GM vehicles built that DID use distributors.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted by willbur
I see a Standard parts box in the pic. Regarding non-OE parts and all the complaints about China Junk replacement auto parts, have you had good luck with this brand?


Unfortunately, I think SMP is now Chinesium.

 

[kc8adu]

i can show you quite a few coils that pass ohmmeter tests.
they dont work.
they have shorted turns and flunk a ring test.
1 is a shift solenoid from a lexus.
the transmission was replaced with a reman whos instructions stated to reuse your solenoids.
and the same issue persisted.
one flunked the ring test badly.
a good one gives 7 cycles.
this one gave zero.
now the guy has a fresh tranny he didnt need and cannot return.
and a good used one that seldom fails so little market.

Originally Posted by clinebarger
Originally Posted by mk378
Does the service manual say to test the coil with an ohmmeter? If it does, does that not working coil pass? I bet it does.



Not sure if the FSM calls to Ohm the coil primary. To tell the truth......I don't Ohm components very often! It may work well for other mechanics, But I've never seen much value in it. The guy I was mentored by taught me to use Voltages & Amperage.

 

[KE7JFF]

Good work all around!

As a AAA tow tech, I've gotten many cars running from the side of the road with simple diagnostics in less than 15 minutes. Even if I found out why and it's something I can't fix, its more power to the vehicle owner.

My favorite was on a 2016 Land Rover Discovery Sport. Until recently, Land Rover Roadside Assistance was done thru AAA in the US. I get such a call for the Discovery that was a loaner car from Land Rover of Portland that the lot attendant went to go the gas station to fill it up, then went 5 feet from the pump then stalled out. The kid calls his boss, who sends their "Workshop Foreman" (gotta love the British titles!) who determined it was the fuel pump and needed a tow.

I thought this situation was odd even with British car folklore. I noticed the check engine light was on, so I put my code reader on. Showing one code, "Fuel Pump Relay Circuit Low" which surprised me on again a British car.

So I pop the hood, open the fuse box. I find the fuel pump fuse, noticed it was not seated in correctly, so I pushed it in and I hear the fuel pump relay click on. I tell the kid, watch this....

I hop in the drivers seat, pressed the start button and it cranks then I hear it catch...and IT RUNS. The look on the kids face was priceless..."You smoked the workshop foreman!"

He called the foreman; he didn't believe it and still wanted it towed in the whooping 1 mile to the dealer. I told the kid I'll follow you over and drive it into their service bay. We did that with no problems...their GM was waiting after she heard and shook my hand.

 

[another Todd]

Originally Posted by willbur
I see a Standard parts box in the pic. Regarding non-OE parts and all the complaints about China Junk replacement auto parts, have you had good luck with this brand?


Standard Motor Products IMO is decent stuff and I use it. I just replaced my fuel pressure regulator Friday with a SMP one. 3 year warranty I don't expect I will need. SMP's Blue Streak line is their premier products line and carries lifetime warranty on all Blue Streak products IIRC, and again you are unlikely to need the warranty, it is good stuff. I don't use SMP "T" series products as they are a value product, and I tend to use known quality products only if possible.

 

[willbur]

Thank you for your insight. Much appreciated.

 

[Kira]

bdcardinal said above, "...Winternationals for Saturday. Taking my mom who has never been, but is really excited to see Top Fuel in person."

A) That's lovely. We assembled a group to attend a WNBA All-Star Game at MSG and invited Mom. She'd been a baller in college. And while not sports fan per se, she (we all) enjoyed the spectacles offered during commercial and half-time breaks. The game was nationally telecast so it had gaps in it's overall run time.

B) Bring along some hearing protection.

C) ...also a flask of something warming.....

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

A buddy of mine works as a salesman at a BMW dealership. He's a former Mechanic who owned his own Fuel Funny Car. Apparently all of the competent Mechanics who could actually diagnose an issue and fix it, have left to start their own garages. All that's left are recent Tech School graduates that can hook up a code reader, and swap parts. I guess the 'parts cannon' approach doesn't matter to the customer, as long as the car is under warranty.

Sometimes the old guys are tired of the dealership environment and maybe don't want to learn the new stuff but the stuff they're used to working on is out of warranty so they rarely see it come through the dealer. Time to exit stage left !

 

[Number_35]

Reads like I'm watching South Main Auto on YouTube. That would be funny if you did a post the way he talks.

Welcome back readers to the Clinebarger Auto website! Today I'm working on a 2002 Chevrolet! Express can with the big 5.7 liter. Engine doesn't run and came from another shop that threw the parts cannon at it.

Gotta getta new coil from Napper!

 

[Marcozi]

A buddy of mine works as a salesman at a BMW dealership. He's a former Mechanic who owned his own Fuel Funny Car. Apparently all of the competent Mechanics who could actually diagnose an issue and fix it, have left to start their own garages. All that's left are recent Tech School graduates that can hook up a code reader, and swap parts. I guess the 'parts cannon' approach doesn't matter to the customer, as long as the car is under warranty.

I concur. I've owned bimmers for decades and they just get more and more complicated. My 2018 M240i must have at least 15 computers! No wonder the dealer techs just let the shop computers do the diagnostix.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Stuff like that really trips me up sometimes lol. I hate using a parts cannon I want to diagnose and fix. Too many of my customers watch too much YouTube and end up messing something up trying to fix it on their own then come to my shop. It sucks I don’t have access to a good scan tool anymore though since I do independent now but I’m saving up to buy the Autel maybe.

 

[bdcardinal]

I just want to say that as a parts person that is paid on commission, I absolutely love when a shop pulls out the parts cannon. Especially when all the parts are special order or electrical and therefore non-returnable.

 

[02SE]

bdcardinal said above, "...Winternationals for Saturday. Taking my mom who has never been, but is really excited to see Top Fuel in person."

A) That's lovely. We assembled a group to attend a WNBA All-Star Game at MSG and invited Mom. She'd been a baller in college. And while not sports fan per se, she (we all) enjoyed the spectacles offered during commercial and half-time breaks. The game was nationally telecast so it had gaps in it's overall run time.

B) Bring along some hearing protection.

C) ...also a flask of something warming.....

This is an old thread...

 

[Kira]

Ooops, didn't see the date. thanks