Quantcast
Jump to content


It's Blowin' in the wind...


Recommended Posts

 

Blowin’ in the wind

 

Another headlight problem to deal with, this time it’s on an old 280z.

 

Both headlights took their turn going on and off. I’ve seen this problem hundreds of times, and I find it a common problem on this style of headlight system. My first test is to pull the trim from around the steering wheel and pop off this little plastic guard on the back of the headlight switch. If the headlight switch is causing the problem, all you have to do is take your finger and gently push on the terminals of the headlight switch that you exposed when the plastic guard was removed. In this case, that’s exactly the problem. No further diagnostics needed. Chalk that one up to experience.

 

After filling out the invoice I gave the customer the news. He was quite startled that I found the problem so fast.

 

“I had it at the last shop for hours,” he said, “Until they gave up and sent me here.”

 

“It’s not a big deal I’ve seen it before,” I said.

 

The part was ordered and I had it installed in a flash. Simple repair, made simple with lots and lots of experience mind you. After the install, I checked the headlights. All was well, no other problems that I could see. I pulled the car around front and filled out the rest of the paper work.

 

A big thank you and a hand shake was all that was needed at that point. I handed him his keys and he drove off down the street. I figured I just made a new customer… not bad, I look like the genius. You know the one, the one, that I think I am… well, there I go again… did I forget about the proverbial teeter tooter of auto repair? The one that has genius on one end and idiot on the other... and the job for the day is to try to keep it in balance by constantly walking back and forth. But, everytime you think you're standing on the genius end and you think there is no way you are heading the other way... look out... it’s going to slide right to stupid… and idiot isn’t far away.

 

Several weeks later the car was back, again with the blinking headlights. I went thru the whole routine again… it is absolutely without a doubt, hands down, totally for sure… working just like it should. And I mean perfect. It never blinked it never even thought of blinking. Now I’m getting concerned. This isn’t right. Whose playing games here…? Is there one of those hidden cameras around here? Ok, who put this guy up to it? I’ve got a lot of practical joker friends that would love to pull some stunt like this… but I ain’t laughing fellas!

 

Since nobody jumped out from behind a bush or a tool box I guess I better consider that this guy is dead serious about his “blinking” headlights. Time to go talk to the owner.

 

“How often does it do this,” I asked.

 

“All the time, especially at night,” the 280z owner explained.

 

(I deserved that....sometimes in a rush I ask the wrong questions. "especially at night, hmmm, when do you think he would notice it... I’m sliding even closer to idiot right now… I hope there’s a safety harness attached to the see saw of auto repair.)

 

“Well, I’m having a problem duplicating the blinking at this point,” I said with a bit of confusion in my voice.

 

“Oh, I guarantee it’s going to do it,” he said, “Just wait, it will.”

 

I went back out to the shop and pondered over this odd situation. Now I pride myself on being able to figure this stuff out, I hate thinking I’m going to have to end up like the last shop and give up on it. Oh come on, I seen the headlights blink the last time it was here, that was cut and dry, this I don’t know.

 

About then one of the tow drivers that brings cars to me came in the shop. Not for a car, just to say Hi. I explained to him what I was up against and I told him I’m running out of ideas on how to solve this one. Not that I expected any help but I could use a shoulder to cry on right about now. He had this quirky smirk on his face… as if he knew something that I didn’t. Something told me he was up to something, aha; he’s the guy with the hidden camera. Ok, ok, I’ll play along.

 

“Hop behind the wheel and turn the lights on,” my tow truck driving buddy chuckled.

 

“Ok,” I said, perplexed by his sudden show of diagnostic abilities.

 

Once I had the headlights on he walked to the front of the car and stood in front of one of the headlights.

 

“Are ya ready for this,” he said, still laughing his butt off.

 

“Go for it there Einstein,” I said … not knowing what he was about to do. I couldn’t think of a thing I missed, and how in the world was he so sure of it.

 

As he stood there looking at me sitting behind the wheel, his legs were lit up with the headlight beam, he reached down and grabbed the bra that was on the front of the car. As he flapped the bra up and down … the headlight… blinked. What the??? I jumped out of the car leaving the headlights on.

 

“Ok, now I've seen everything... you stand in front of the headlight and it appears to be blinking from the driver's seat,” totally astonished by now, “What the hell are you doing.”

 

The bra is fitted into the recess in front of the headlight, and the attaching “Velcro” strips were gone. So, when the car was up to speed the bra would flap in the wind and would make it appear as if the headlight was blinking. Now on the other hand, the other side was tight and was holding the bra down just the way it should. So it was actually only "blinking" on one side of the car... let's see if the customer agrees.

 

I ran to get the customer, had him sit in the driver’s seat. My still laughing tow truck buddy and I went through our little experiment. The most surprising thing was the owner agreed that was what was happening and it only did it on that one side… which after thinking about it was different than what it was doing with the original switch installed.

 

At least he understood the problem now and everything was back to normal… except… how did the tow driver know…?

 

“I was on a call last night and I saw this same car on the highway pass me,” he said, still laughing, “I knew it was at your shop a while back. You couldn’t miss it, what got my attention was the blinking headlight as he came up along side of me, I thought it was some weird emergency vehicle, but as it passed by my truck I could see what was going on. I was laughing the whole time, in fact, that’s why I came by today. I was stopping by to raze ya about it, seems like I came at the right time.”

 

Well, well, well, I owe him one. Maybe a couple, I’m sure he still laughs about this one even after all these years. That proverbial teeter totter is sure looking heavy on that one side. My bad, I’ll work on correcting that problem, maybe with a little help from a gust of wind and a friendly tow driver.

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a great story. LOL. I had a Saturn towed in there a few weeks go that the girl ran off the road and bent the rear suspension. Not a problem. Just go the scrap yard and get another rear suspension. Of course, the driver didn't bother to tell me (the wrecker driver did) that the car had been flooded in their yard while it was sitting there (we had some massive flooding the beginning of May). I called the customer and said that piece of information would have been good to know. If I can't get the car to start, it isn't worth fixing (it isn't anyway but she wants it done). I couldn't believe it when I charged the battery and the engine started right up. It needs a starter but the funny thing is the left front headlight still has water inside of it (3 months later).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

That's a great story. LOL. I had a Saturn towed in there a few weeks go that the girl ran off the road and bent the rear suspension. Not a problem. Just go the scrap yard and get another rear suspension. Of course, the driver didn't bother to tell me (the wrecker driver did) that the car had been flooded in their yard while it was sitting there (we had some massive flooding the beginning of May). I called the customer and said that piece of information would have been good to know. If I can't get the car to start, it isn't worth fixing (it isn't anyway but she wants it done). I couldn't believe it when I charged the battery and the engine started right up. It needs a starter but the funny thing is the left front headlight still has water inside of it (3 months later).

 

 

You should have found a goldfish and put it in the headlight... LOL...

 

now that would have been funny... Gonz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         13 comments
      Most shop owners would agree that the independent auto repair industry has been too cheap for too long regarding its pricing and labor rates. However, can we keep raising our labor rates and prices until we achieve the profit we desire and need? Is it that simple?
      The first step in achieving your required gross and net profit is understanding your numbers and establishing the correct labor and part margins. The next step is to find your business's inefficiencies that impact high production levels.
      Here are a few things to consider. First, do you have the workflow processes in place that is conducive to high production? What about your shop layout? Do you have all the right tools and equipment? Do you have a continuous training program in place? Are technicians waiting to use a particular scanner or waiting to access information from the shop's workstation computer?
      And lastly, are all the estimates written correctly? Is the labor correct for each job? Are you allowing extra time for rust, older vehicles, labor jobs with no parts included, and the fact that many published labor times are wrong? Let's not forget that perhaps the most significant labor loss is not charging enough labor time for testing, electrical work, and other complicated repairs.  
      Once you have determined the correct labor rate and pricing, review your entire operation. Then, tighten up on all those labor leaks and inefficiencies. Improving production and paying close attention to the labor on each job will add much-needed dollars to your bottom line.
  • Upcoming Events

    • March 24, 2023 01:00 PM Until 09:00 PM
      0  
      Hi all,
      AutoLeap is hosting Amplify 2023, a virtual auto repair conference for shop owners, on March 24. We have 22 incredible speakers, and 13 industry associations and training institutes participating in this virtual event. The conference is free of cost.
      You can book your complimentary, virtual seat today using this link: https://bit.ly/3EXvfWY
      Amplify 2023 speakers include: Joe Marconi, Co-Owner AutoShopOwner and Elite Business Coach @Joe Marconi Aaron Stokes, ShopFix Academy Cecil Bullard, The Institute for Automotive Business Excellence Chris Cotton, AutoFix Auto Shop Coaching Darrin Barney, Elite “G” Jerry Truglia, Automotive Technician Training Services Greg Bunch, Transformers Institute Jeremy O'Neal, AdvisorFix The conference will cover essential topics such as:
      Navigating through the current industry challenges Tackling the technician shortage through employee retention Creating memorable customer experiences Growing & expanding your business in 2023 Financial planning & KPIs to measure And that’s not all.
      The interactive, dynamic conference also offers live networking opportunities, and fun games and prizes.
      You can book your complimentary, virtual seat today using this link: https://bit.ly/3EXvfWY
      #AutoLeapAmplify23
  • Similar Topics

    • By ASOG Podcast
      It's Time To Break Up
    • By carmcapriotto
      Dashboards are a valuable tool for businesses as they provide a quick and easy way to visualize and analyze key data and metrics in real time. Hear from two shop owners as they discuss how dashboards improve decision making, increase productivity, and enhance collaboration and accountability with your team. Jimmy Alauria, 3A Automotive and Diesel Repair, Phoenix, AZ. Jimmy’s previous episodes HERE
      Brent Fleischman, Yocum Automotive, Republic, MO
      Show Notes:
      Numbers without dimensions are hard to analyze. Line graphs show trends as a picture. Where does there need to be more improvement? What caused a ‘dip?’ Using statistics helps find the right "WHY" when looking to solve a problem. Competitive nature for employees Creating a graph for daily production on completed hours for technicians Examples of what to watch: Gross income, the value of services delivered (closed repairs), ARO, gross profit dollars, new customers, number of inspections, quality inspection, ARO, average repair estimates, and close percentage (60-75%). Be careful having the close rate too high/too low. New customers- you need front office staff to have a proper orientation for a new customer. Growth mode- as growth increases, also increase your marketing.
      Thanks to our Partners Shop-Ware and Delphi Technologies Shop-Ware: More Time. More Profit. Shop-Ware Shop Management getshopware.com Delphi Technologies: Keeping current on the latest vehicle systems and how to repair them is a must for today’s technicians. DelphiAftermarket.com
      Connect with the Podcast
      Aftermarket Radio Network
      Subscribe on YouTube
      Visit us on the Web
      Follow on Facebook
      Become an Insider
      Buy me a coffee
      Important Books
      Support our partners:
           


      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio
    • By Joe Marconi
      When I started my repair shop in 1980, we mainly worked on three car lines: GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Through the decades, technology has dramatically changed the average automobile. Plus, today, we have many more car models to worry about, then add EVs, hybrids, and who knows what else car makers will throw at us.  
      Is it time to rethink our business model?  Can we really be that shop that works on All Makes, All Models?  
    • By carmcapriotto
      Talking Points
      Kathleen Long: One of the hardest working women in auto car. A woman of action and impact. She’s a big believer in the value of mentoring. Has a glass-break alarming laugh RepairPal is setting/ limiting what prices I can charge to my customers with their estimator. I don’t need RepairPal because I already have plenty of business and I get great marketing for free through word of mouth. Online customers like the ones that come through RepairPal are just annoying price shoppers. I have a relationship with my local CarMax store, so I don’t need RepairPal’s help. Many consumers haven’t heard of RepairPal so they cannot really help me to increase my car count.  
      Kathleen Bio:
       
      Kathleen Long, Chief Revenue Officer
      Kathleen has built and developed award-winning marketing, sales, success, support and operations teams, centered on principles of authenticity, hard work and empathy. As Chief Revenue Officer at RepairPal, Kathleen leads all partner and consumer initiatives; including business development & strategy, operations, marketing, and IT. Kathleen is absolutely insistent on making a difference for people and businesses, by connecting them with disruptive, useful technologies, aided by humans who are given space to be themselves at work. Kathleen helped transition a startup through a successful acquisition exit, created revenue and monetization streams that supported another startup going public and grew her career from a chair in a call center employee to a seat at the executive table in 10 years (happily mentoring others to do the same). Kathleen is proud to stand for ethical principles, and to be a female executive in a male-dominated industry and is Women in Auto Care's Woman of Excellence, presented annually to a woman who has provided recent outstanding contributions to the auto care industry while demonstrating role model behaviors, leadership and commitment to the advancement of women.  She has been described by some as the literal voice of the company and has a laugh that once set off glass break alarms in a conference room.
      Kathleen holds a degree in General Studies and Philosophy from the University of Nevada, Reno.
      How To Get In Touch
      Group - Auto Repair Marketing Mastermind
      Website - shopmarketingpros.com 
      Facebook - facebook.com/shopmarketingpros 
      Get the Book - shopmarketingpros.com/book
      Instagram - @shopmarketingpros 
      Questions/Ideas - [email protected]
      Thanks to our partner, RepairPal. Visit the Web HERE
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

    By nptrb, in Automotive Industry,

  • Our Sponsors



×
×
  • Create New...