Gonzo

Just an ordinary vacuum sweeper....

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The photo in the article is the actual interlock from this truck.

I needed to finish up some tech articles for later publication. Thought I'd throw this one out there this weekend...well, kinda busy last week...never got around to writing anything else. LOL

Oh, and I did some research on this setup, seems Ford uses this same BOO signal for a number of years. I'll probably see it again I'm sure.

Thinking Outside the Box

An 04‘ Ford pickup came into the shop with a non-functioning cruise control system that had already spent some time at a couple of other shops. None seemed to give the customer any kind of answer as to why the cruise control wasn’t working. And, like many of these types of jobs I get in from those “other” shops, they all eventually come to the same conclusion as to what’s wrong with the vehicle. You know, the typical bail out answer for a problem they couldn’t solve. They’ll tell the customer, “It must be electrical”, and of course, they don’t do electrical. Seriously, what isn’t electrical these days?

A lot of times I find the term “It must be electrical” is just an excuse from these other shops to throw their hands up and send the customer down the street. They either don’t understand the diagnostic procedures or have already spent way too much time swapping parts and components hoping they’ll eventually run across a solution rather than actually diagnosing the symptoms.

I’m not one to shy away from some “electrical” problem. I’m more than a bit bull headed and stubborn enough to stick it out to the very end. Even if that means going to the extreme to diagnose a given problem. This one was no different. But, first things first, as always, verify the customer’s complaint. So, off on a test drive I go. Sure enough the cruise wouldn’t engage. There was no green indicator on the dash and no signs of any action taken by the PCM to engage the cruise. Now, it’s back to the shop and grab the scanner.

Codes were absolutely no help. No codes were stored and no history to see. Which, is probably where these other shops stop testing things and came up with their conclusion, “It must be electrical”. For me, codes are only step one of many to solve an electrically related problem. Let’s face it, codes are not the defining answer. Today’s cars have so many different methods of watching the various components involved with each system that it just makes sense to use the scanner as a tool to aide in diagnosing, and not just simply for reading codes. For this problem using the scanner to look at the PID’s (Parameter Identifications) was going to be more than a bit helpful.

As I’m sitting in the service bay watching every function involved with the cruise (according to the operation description), I did not see anything out of place or giving me incorrect readings. Everything from the emergency brake signal to the BOO (Brake On-Off) signal were correct. There didn’t seem to be anything standing out as the culprit, but there had to be something, something that everyone else has overlooked. Sitting in the service bay is not where the cruise control does its job. The vehicle has to be brought up to speed, before you can rule out if all the various components are actually working according to the manufacturer’s specifications. So, it’s back out on the road, but this time with the scanner installed. The safest method is to have a co-pilot watching the laptop screen. With the truck moving down the road there was only one item that didn’t act the same way it did when the car was stationary, and that’s the BOO signal. As we drove around the BOO stayed ON all the time. It never switched from ON to OFF when the brakes were applied.

It’s back to the shop to try this whole thing again. This time I left the engine running and watched the BOO signal. As I pushed the brake pedal down, the signal switched back and forth from OFF to ON just as it should. Now what in the world is going on? I know I saw a constant ON signal while we were driving, but it shows ON/OFF as we are sitting still. That’s when I reached over and dropped it into drive and allowed the truck to roll forward just a bit. Well what do ya know, the signal never switched anymore. But, in park it worked just fine. I tried the same thing over and over again, and every time I had the same results. It can’t be the brake switch, I’m not changing anything there. The only thing that’s changed is the gear selector. So it’s got to be something with that. Could it be the TR switch? (Transmission Range) Nope, it’s working perfectly. So, what else can it be?

I went back to the description and operation page of the service manual, but even after reading it a second time nothing seem to make sense as far as what I was seeing on the scanner. But, there was one thing I thought might be involved that the general description page didn’t mention anything about, and that’s the shift interlock switch. According to the wiring diagram there is a signal for BOO at the shift interlock, but only briefly mentioned as a possible cause of loss of BOO signal in one of the sub headings regarding the diagnostic procedures for testing the brake switch. Still confused, but willing to go with the “It must be electrical” as the primary cause of the problem, I decided to check further into the shift interlock switch. This time instead of driving it or spinning the roulette wheel of possible components, I’m going to pull the shift interlock and check it myself.

From the outside of the little box everything looked great, all the connection are solid and there were no signs of something that might have been spilled into the console. The circuit box was not glued together and could easily be taken apart, and I had a pretty good idea it had to have something to do with the BOO signal going awry, it seemed like the logical thing to do. After I opened up the box, all I could say was, “Holy cruise controls there’s the problem!” A transistor had a burnt terminal. Now I’m more than confident this is the problem, time to order one.

After installing the new shift interlock I took it down the road for a quick test drive. The green cruise indicator light came on, it accelerated, resumed and functioned just as it should. The shift interlock was definitely the problem. Of course, just to prove my hypothesis that it was the cause of the entire problem, I had to perform the same test I did earlier by placing it in and out of park and letting the truck roll forward while watching the laptop. The BOO signal was doing its thing. ON then OFF just as you’d expect it to do.

It’s not the first time I’ve run across a diagnostic situation where all the PID’s or information given wasn’t in plain English. Sometimes what you have to do is go that extra step and follow your instincts as to what you believe is the problem. I’m sure another sharp tech would have a completely different way of coming up with the same answer, but in this case, this is how I came up with it, and it worked. That’s what counts in the end. The customer is happy, I’m elated and you can be sure I’ll be watching out for the same kind of problems in the future, too.

Even though my diagnostics information didn’t have all the answers laid out with pinpoint accurate details the answers were still there. Ya just had to dig them out from between the pages of the diagnostic manual. As with a lot of today’s electronic mazes, you might find yourself having to solve a problem that wasn’t a problem just a few years earlier. I mean seriously, who would have thought a shift interlock would have something to do with the cruise control 20 years ago? Or for that matter that you could look at so many different sensors or components all at the same time on one tool.

At times it does seem like an uphill battle to keep up with all the changes in the modern mechanics field, but at the same time very gratifying when you overcome a problem that seemed impossible to solve. Sometimes, ya just gotta think outside the box or in this case… open it up and look inside.

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Hi Tony,

 

We’ll be there, too. If you’re still interested in custom reporting for Mitchell 1, swing by to discuss the details. We’ll be able to give you a better idea of what’s involved.

 

We’ll be in the following booths:

 

• Mitchell 1, booth - 644 (at AAPEX)
• Omnique, booth - 4081 (at AAPEX)
• TCS, booth - 43135 (at SEMA)
• Lighthouse 360, booth - 34285 (at SEMA)

 

Hope to see you there.

MIke, I'll be running around the event doing on the spot interviews. Maybe I can sneak an interview in with you... it will be taped for later release.

I'll be there Monday night until Thursday. It's like any other convention, just bigger. LOL

Oh, don't forget to get one of the complementary bags at the door, everybody has some sort of freebie or giveaway at their booths.

Gotta bring this back... at least once a year.

If somebody offered to buy me out the keys wouldn't hit the floor before I was out of sight. After 3 decades of this...put a fork in it

Excellent thread gentlemen, every aspect of running a business, being a mechanic, and of course a shop owner is well covered.

I for one, hate to work, hate to turn down jobs, and hate to stay late. All of which I'll do from time to time because it's the best course of action to take in that particular situation.

The best advice, "You run the shop. Don't let the shop run you!" One of these days, after you've put in 6 or 7 days a week, 12-15 hours a day, and countless sleepless nights you're going to turn around and find your kids grown, or worse yet your marriage has fallen apart.

Find something outside of the world of cars, drop the wrench once in a while.... you're in business to make money, but you're also in business to provide for your family, and the one thing the business can't provide is time with your family unless you allow for that time.

Once you take that "vacation" away from the shop you'll come back to it with a whole lot better attitude.

Like you Joe, I'd rather be the professional mechanic and not the teacher. I shouldn't have to explain things in such detail. Granted, I might get just as rude as they are...the only problem is they see me as the rude person and not themselves. Seems they don't like it when it's back at them the same way they delivered it

Ironic that I've seen this situation more than once....

Third Time’s the Charm

There’s one situation every professional automotive mechanic/technician has had to deal with from time to time, and that’s the all-knowing-can-do-it himself kind of customer. Yep, the home grown garage guys who just so happen to own a couple of ratchets, a repair manual and broken down car. They’re the type who got lucky tinkering on their own car a few times, and may have picked up a few tips after spending their weekends watching a couple of those automotive reality shows. Now they’ve ventured into doing the neighbors’, relatives’, and friends’ cars. However, TV shows and manuals both have their limitations. They only tell you what to do, and only if you read their directions carefully. For some people, a quick glance at a page or a few seconds on the TV screen is not enough. They need to be reminded again and again before it sinks in.

Some of these connoisseurs of the all-knowing repair manual don’t really read enough. They’ll skip over certain information, or just skim through sections without comprehending any of it. Many just assume they already know how a certain system works based on a previous system they’ve had some luck on. It’s as if they are stuck in a time zone of out dated automotive technology, but after they’ve turned a few screws, glanced at a few more pages, and turned a few more screws they find their problem isn’t solved. Then and only then do these experts head to a real repair shop. Of course, their repair manual is always laying on the passenger seat with the important pages carefully marked for the shop mechanic to examine. As if to say, “Here’s what you need to know”, when in fact it’s the other way around.

By the time they have made it to a repair shop they’ve already rehearsed their explanation of the problem over and over again, and know just what they’re going to say to the service writer/mechanic. Sometimes it’s a pretty farfetched story and sometimes it’s right on, ya just never know. Now that manual of course, it can’t say much, but it does show the wear and tear it’s been through. All the corners are dog eared and riddled with greasy finger marks from the constant thumbing through. Sometimes the pages are even highlighted or notes have been added. (I’m still waiting for somebody to leave nothing more than a note with some website address on it instead of a paper back manual.) With a battle weary repair manual on the passenger seat and at least one more comment from the owner, the car eventually gets pushed into the service bay.

The last job I had at the shop that fits this description was no different than any of the previous ones. The car in question wouldn’t start, and this neighborhood mechanic did his best to read and understand what was on the diagnostic pages of the manual, but he still didn’t have an answer. He just couldn’t make any sense out of the wiring diagram for the fuel pump circuit. His final verdict, “It’s not getting any voltage to the fuel pump.”

This was one of those cars where the fuel pump doesn’t turn on until after the first spin of the crankshaft. In a lot of systems, especially older ones, turning the key on would at least let the fuel pump relay run for a few seconds, but not on this car. I checked the signal according to the manufacturer specifications, and sure enough the voltage (and ground signal) was at the fuel pump. All it needed was a new pump.

Now, the other half of dealing with the weekend pro mechanic comes to a head, and that’s the diagnostic results I have to explain at the service counter. You can bet he won’t believe any of it. As usual, there’s a bit of distrust and an attitude accompanied with their response, “I checked the fuel pump fuse and there wasn’t any power there. So how can you say the fuel pump is bad? All I wanted you to do was find out why there was no power at the fuse, not tell me it had a bad pump! I can check that myself!” I personally find it rather insulting to go to any professional in any type of business and rudely say something like that. Surely you could think of another way to tell me that you’re not sure of the diagnostics results. The short version of what it sounded like to me was, “You’re wrong... and I know it!”

I always figured, you get what you give. So, while still trying to be the professional, and at this point somewhat of a teacher too, I answered his remarks with my own sarcastic response, “This vehicle doesn’t turn on the fuel pump relay until it knows you’re going to start it. Meaning, until the engine spins and sends a cam/crank impulse to the PCM the fuel pump relay isn’t energized. The fuel pump fuse is after the relay and since the relay isn’t on there won’t be any voltage at the fuel pump fuse. But, I’m sure you knew all of that, because you had the page marked for me in your repair manual. In fact, you had it highlighted, too.” The expression on his face was classic. That stunned look of confusion and a loss of words to back up his previous statements was enough to make me want to go in the other room, close the door, and wait for the giggle snorts to fade away.

He ended up dragging the car back to his little hole in the wall, and I’m sure, cursing the repair shop for showing him up. No doubt when all his buddies get together it’ll be another round of “slam the repair shop mechanic” again. (They travel in packs ya know.) Me, I’ll just put my tools away and wait for him to return. I know he’ll be back in about a year or so. How do I know this is going to happen? Because this very same guy did the very same thing with the very same car last year. Oh yes, and with the very same problem. Not only was it exactly the same problem, the same guy, and the same problem, but the same attitude and explanation at the counter. Of course, just like last time, he’ll run down to the same cheap-o parts store and buy the same bargain basement fuel pump that might last another year or so.

Even after explaining how the system worked a year ago, he still doesn’t get it. I might be able to do all the show and tell regarding this diagnosis, but I don’t think I can do too much if he doesn’t remember it next year. He might just spend a little more time reading his manual. But, if need be, I can go over the whole thing again and again. Well, that’s twice so far, maybe the third time’s the charm.

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It's made entirely out of walnut it's actually my second one the first one I was made out of pine as a test piece

I think I got it loaded now...

my bad, gotta figure out how to get it off my wifes FB page and download it to my laptop first. Thought I could "copy paste" but that ain't working.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1074555325898722

OK, try it now... think I got it uploaded correctly.

The older I get the more I become aware of how many things have changed from childhood. Paper to plastic is one of the biggies. The next big change... who knows...???

Paper or Plastic

A customer comes to the checkout counter with their loaded down shopping cart, the clerk asks, “Paper or Plastic ma’am?” We don’t even think about it, it’s just the way things are. Paper or plastic. It’s where we are in the world these days. However, the last time I went shopping with the wife I started thinking about that very subject. You know, paper or plastic, and how far we’ve come in the last couple of decades. Stop and think about it; how many different things were paper based products, but is now plastic? The list runs the gambit from the phones we all carry to the way things are packaged. Just about every item in a household is affected by plastic these days.

The modern world as we know it today is so much different than just a few generations ago. It’s a constantly evolving and ever changing system of checks and balances to our existence. Each new technical advancement, whether it’s in plastics or electronics, brings on its own set of problems as well as making us aware of our previous technical failures. Along with these ever improving, ever changing advancements in technology, we’ve also been made aware of how crucial it is to be the custodians of our environment, and how fragile the eco system really is.

I can remember back in my early years as a mechanic when oil cans were made with cardboard sides and metal ends. There was a funnel/spout that you had to shove into the top of the can so that you could pour it into the car. Once in a while you’d stab a can, and instead of the spout going through the lid it would crush the side of the cardboard can. Makes an awful mess when that happens, and when it did I’d get the typical lecture about being a greenhorn kid who didn’t even know how to open a can of oil.

There was a time when most things manufactured used more natural products than plastics. A natural product such as cotton or paper may have been the only thing available at the time. However, being a natural product it tended to degrade and deteriorate with time and weather. Those old oil cans pretty much disappeared after a while. The lids would rust away, and the cardboard just seemed to vanish. Then, when plastics came along it made a world of difference how everyday items were produced. Now, with the all plastic oil cans there’s not much in the way of deteriorating or degrading.

Gone was the lonely oil can spout too! The first plastic oil cans looked very similar to the old cardboard cans, so there for a time you still needed the old spout. It took a while before they finally made them with the shape we know today. I kept one of those old style oil can spout/funnels in my tool box for a long time. Don’t know why I did, and I’m not too sure where it is, but I’ll bet it’s still there… somewhere.

The change from paper to plastics not only brought on changes to the cars, but also how the mechanics repaired them. Who else remembers setting a set of points with a paper match book cover? (For you younger techs you might have to go ask one of the old salty dogs in the shop what a set of points are, and while you’re at it ask him what a match book cover is, too.) All that timing and dwell issues we used to have to deal with is handled by a small sensor mounted in a piece of plastic these days.

Shop work orders are another thing that plastics have taken over. They used to be made up of several sheets of paper with a carbon paper between the copies. Ya had to press hard to get through all the layers, and it wasn’t uncommon to have someone come back with their receipt that you couldn’t even read. That evolved into the carbonless copies, then to a rough paper copy that the mechanic could scratch out what was being done and then it would be sent to the front office where the entire invoice would be typed into a computer. It took banks of filing cabinets to store all the invoices too. Today, the whole process is almost entirely paperless with laptops the mechanic uses to fill out work orders, and all the data can be stored on a small plastic thumb drive.

A lot of car components have changed from a paper based product to plastic as well. The old “rope” type rear seal changed over to the new and improved one piece plastic/rubber seal. Nearly all of the gaskets on an engine used to be made from paper or cork. There might still be a few hold outs using paper for their gaskets, but for the most part all the gaskets today are a composite material made with some form of plastic or paper coated with plastic resin.

Along with these changes from paper to plastic we also had to take a good look at our environment as well. Not just the smog but the recycling aspects. Right now, the automobile is the most widely recycled consumer product, even with all the various plastics they contain. That alone is pretty impressive. But, the stringent US emission standards don’t hold true all over the globe. Pollution levels in China, Mexico, and Africa are at staggering levels.

But, if you’re curious whether or not there’s even more changes in store for us, well, look no further than your local grocery store. Back when groceries stores bagged everything only with paper sacks, you’d take your groceries home and save the bags for a rainy day. Everybody had a stack of paper sacks tucked away somewhere. I think my grandmother had the market cornered on paper grocery bags though, she had a room full of them.

Then, along came the plastic bag. It took up less space at the end of the checkout counter and were cheaper to make. Just like the paper sack, the plastic bag did have a secondary use when it was home. Most of time as a trash bag, which ended up right where you didn’t want to put them… in the landfill. Nowadays, that’s changing as well. A lot of major grocery stores offer discounts if you bring your own reusable shopping bags with you. In our household we’ve made the change to reusable insulated grocery bags quite some time ago, and I really don’t miss having those paper or plastic bags stuffed somewhere in the house.

I could see this catching on in other stores as well. I think it would be a safe prediction to say that sometime in the future everyone will be carrying their own bags into department stores, shoe stores, appliance stores, 7-11’s, liquor stores, and perhaps even parts stores too!

We’ve come a long way in taking on the responsibility for the eco system that we are leaving for the next generation, and I’m sure even better and better technical advancements will improve on what we already have.

So, I think I’m going to start something new at the shop. When I’m at the service counter with somebody ready to check out, I’m going to ask them, “Will that be paper or plastic?” Just to see their reaction. Hey, money is made from paper, credit cards are plastic, why not? I just wonder how long it will be before the dollar is more plastic than cotton fibers and paper? I guess that’s the kind of change that will change our change.

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unbelievable......

I use a graduated diag. fee based on a 5 year spread. Such as 2000 to 2005 is $20.00 cheaper than 2006 to 2010 so on and so on. Diagnostic time is also a separate charge as well. I try to keep diag. time to no more than 30 minutes. If the problem hasn't been located by then, then... it's by the hour, based on what the tech has found out in the preliminary 30 min. diag. time.

Gonzo: yep, you got to use a rental for a trip like that! What did you say to the rental company because they usually ask where you going to be driving it? some restrict usage to in state only![/quot

Gonzo: yep, you got to use a rental for a trip like that! What did you say to the rental company because they usually ask where you going to be driving it? some restrict usage to in state only!

we told them where we were going. They weren't concerned. Lol

What a trip is was.

Pikes Peak and the Rental

Anytime we are planning a long trip out of town we generally will rent a car. Not that I don’t have full confidence in our personal vehicles is just that if something would go wrong I know exactly who’s the lucky guy that’s got to fix it. Instead, I’d rather make a phone call to the rental agency and tell them to bring me another car. It always seemed a little strange to me that someone would purposely lend you a brand new car with nothing more than a driver license. But, they do it every day, and I doubt they really know what goes on with those rentals once they’re out of sight. I’ve heard of people renting a car and taking them to the track, or removing the engine and replacing it with something else. Me, well I didn’t go to that extreme, I just took my rental up to the summit of Pikes Peak.

The whole purpose of this trip was to take our son and all his belongings to college. It took a full size van this time, and it was loaded down with everything from clothes to his bike, as well as all the stuff we would need for the trip too. The University Of Denver was our destination, so with a full tank of gas, a couple of road snacks, the dogs at the kennel, and the GPS fired up we were on our way.

Being in the repair business of course I’ve got to check the car out myself. Even though it’s practically new I still had to poke around under the hood and chassis. The van wasn’t one of the high end models, just a basic van, but it would serve the purpose that we needed it for. But, with every trip like this, my wife will always ask if I have one of my pocket screwdrivers with me, and it’s not because she thinking about any emergency repairs or something else that might go wrong that requires the use of the most versatile tool there ever was, no… that’s not the reason at all. She knows if I get bored I’ll start taking the car apart while she’s taking her turn driving down the highway. So, to keep the sanity in the family I’m not allowed to bring one.

The trip took about 11 hours from our house, mostly uneventful, other than I didn’t care too much for the cruise control. It seemed to vary way too much from the set speed before it would kick in. Not a big deal, but one of those things I’m sure at some point I’ll run across a customer who will have a complaint about one of these models doing just that. Most people probably wouldn’t notice it, but if they did, I don’t think there’s much I could do about it.

We arrived at the hotel with plenty of spare time on our hands, which was our plan in the first place. We have a daughter who lives in Boulder which is not that far away from the college and we definitely wanted to spend some time with her too. In the meantime the plan was to get up the next morning and check out some of the local sights. One in particular was Pikes Peak.

It wasn’t that far from the hotel so it seemed like a pretty good way to spend the afternoon. So, we headed to Pikes Peak with typical tourist interest and our fully loaded rental van. As we got closer to the mountain range the roads began to twist and turn even more than before. A few of them had some really blind turns and steep drop offs on the edges. The only comment from the wife was, “Boy, that’s a long way down.” Soon, we were at the large wood framed entrance to Pikes Peak. The signs said that there wasn’t any snow fall problems or issues that should concern anyone that wanted to drive to the top, so … we did just that.

The park ranger gave us some information about the two to three hour drive we were about to undertake, and about the many switch back roads and very tight turns there are. It all sounded like a casual drive into the mountains to me. Thus, are journey began. At first it was just a winding roadway with a gradual slope, but that was all about to change. The ranger did remind me to keep it in 2^nd or 1^st gear most of the way, and before long I found out why. The road became even more twisty and steeper than I thought was even possible to get an asphalt paver to negotiate. Most of the switch backs changed grade right in the center of the curve and there are hardly any guard rails on any of the steep drop offs. The edge of the road just disappears down steep canyon walls. I’m not too sure the engineers of this rental ever thought of using Pikes Peak as part of their testing, but onward and upward we went.

As we neared the tree line I could see up to the next set of switch backs that there was one car that didn’t make it to the top. A roll back wrecker was coming down from the summit with a VW Vanagon strapped down to the bed. As the driver negotiated the next set of switch backs the entire wrecker would lean out over the 10,000 foot drop off that was just off the edge of the pavement. I did my best to give him as much room as possible as the wife leaned towards the center of the van terrified that the next inch of ground that I used to get closer to the edge was going to be her last. I firmly believe this guy has to be the bravest tow driver I’ve ever run across, because there’s no way I would have ever tried that.

The rental van was getting a bit warm, not bad yet, but holding it down a gear or so and keeping the revs up wasn’t helping. But, we didn’t have much farther to go. With one last turn and one more switch back we made it to the summit. The overloaded rental could take a break while we did the tourist thing. You know, look over the edge, by a few souvenirs, and stand in front of the large stone sign while having our picture taken.

Going down was going to take a whole lot more care than going up ever did. As we made the turn to the first switch back from the parking lot there was a small pickup trying to tow another small pickup up to the summit with nothing more than a web strap. Now you have to image, you’re at better than 14 thousand feet, you’re on a road with no guard rails and a drop off well past 10 thousand feet and you’re using nothing more than a tow strap. If it broke, you’re going straight down to oblivion. And, I thought I was crazy taking a rental to the top. This has got that beat.

At about half way down there is a mandatory check point. The park rangers pull out a temp. gun and check your brake rotor temperature. Sure enough, our brakes were at about 450 degrees, and they won’t allow you to continue down until they’re below 300. So we stopped at the check point for about an hour to allow the brakes to cool down. Not that I was surprised at all, a fully loaded van, going down an 11 mile 7 percent grade what did ya expect? Oh, and yes… the rotors all had this nice shade of blue.

Needless to say, we made it to the bottom without any incidences, other than the wife leaving a death grip embedded in the passenger side grab handle. I did have a chance to ask one of the park rangers if anyone every fails to negotiate one of those curves up there on the mountain, he said, “Yes, usually about 5 a year. Sometimes we might have to rescue one of the racers that go up when we hold the rally too.” The entire trip takes well over 2 hours of slow and steady driving, although the racers… they make it to the top in about 10 minutes.

The trip home had even more surprises for us. As we came through Kansas we ran smack into a huge hail storm. Huge chunks of hail were pelting the car like a sledge hammer. It got so bad we stopped at a restaurant to wait out the storm. Things were blowing all around us and even the restaurant lost power for a moment. After the storm passed I checked the rental out and not a dent could be found. Lucky to say the least, but we still had a long way to go.

We turned the rental back in when we made it home, and of course, I didn’t mention a thing about Pikes Peak or the hail storm, or about the cruise control. I just happy to have made it home in one piece. Needless to say, if this car could talk, what a story it could tell.

So, if you’re ever wondering whether or not buying a used rental car is a good idea, well for the most part, they probably are but, you might want have it checked out first, cause… ya never know where one of them might have been.

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LOL!

 

The steps for the weekend mechanic

A. Ask a real mechanic what to do, then complain how expensive it is.

B. Go by the cheapest parts you can find, and of course stop off and pick up a six pack.

C. Tear it down, have two beers, mutter something about "It don't take no training to do this job."

D. Two more beers, hunt for the lug nuts that you tossed in the yard.

E. Realize there are only two more beers, so you call your buddy over to your house... oh, and bring more beer.

F. More beers, more insulting remarks about mechanics, finally... pass out while watching the latest rerun of "Cars R Us"

G. In the morning the wife complains about the metal sounds, you ... with your now pounding head, can't figure it out.

H. The wife takes the car to the mechanic, finds the problem, pays the bill.

I. Meanwhile, you're still complaining about how much it cost, and you tell the wife you could have fixed it, just as you grab the last beer from the night before.

It never ends.....

It’s not what they say, it’s what they said.

“Take your time, I’m in no hurry, I’ll be back tomorrow, I just want it to last until graduation, or, Let me get your number and I’ll call you back” are just a few of the common phrases you’ll hear at the repair shop. At first, you might be inclined to believe they’re expecting no less than what they actually said, but I’ve learned over the decades of being behind the service counter a lot of times the real meaning is far from what actually comes out of their mouths.

One of the most popular phrases I seem to run across is, “Take your time, I’m in no hurry at all.” Pretty straight forward request right? I distinctly heard them tell me that I don’t need to be in a hurry… at all, and that I can take my time getting it done. But, after the third of fourth phone call since they dropped off the car, or the second trip back to the shop to wander around their car while it’s in the service bay, you soon realize they didn’t mean for me to take my time … at all. I used to think it was me, and that I wasn’t hearing them clearly, but after a few years I figured it out. It’s all in the “phrase” and not the actual words. What they really meant to say is, “I don’t need it back right away, but I don’t want you to do some sort of sloppy repair either. So, I’ll be checking on ya with random spot checks just to keep you on your toes and to observe the progress.”

Then, there are the callers who ask numerous questions about their problem, and by the time we get down to the cost of the repair (based on the information provided) they can’t commit to an appointment. Instead, they give me this phrase, “It’s going to be a couple of weeks before I can get it to you.” Even though in the beginning of this whole conversation, they made it very clear they were in dire need of getting the car back on the road as fast as possible. I know, they were just trying to be polite and courteous, and they said it would be a couple of weeks before they could bring it in. But, in real time terms they rarely show up a few weeks later. What they really meant to say was, “I got all the info I needed from ya, so I can tell my “mechanic” what needs done, (or I can now fix it myself) … thanks.”

On the other hand you’ve got the guy who comes in and asks for a specific test, such as a pressure check on his radiator. “I just need a couple of things done first. Shouldn’t take you long, so I’m sure it won’t cost much.” The clincher was the phrase he used. “Just a few things done first.” By now the warning lights are flashing in my head, the sound of the “whoop-whoop” sirens are in full on mode, because more than likely there’s something he’s not telling me. Sure enough, there was.

Seems he’s been overheating for the past week or so, and he already had it checked at another shop. They diagnosed it as a bad headgasket that had also caused the radiator to rupture. A pressure check wasn’t going to do much good in this case, but… that “phrase”, that little bit of information made me suspicious something worse was lurking under the hood. So, what was he really looking for? He was looking for a second opinion to either confirm or denounce the first opinion. Now, why in the world didn’t he just tell me all that in the first place instead of asking for a specific test?

Maybe what I should do is have a psychologist on staff. You know, one who can evaluate the responses, maybe even offer a little sidebar counseling. I already have a hard time keeping up this trade, learning the new technologies, the tools, and the techniques, now I’ve got to decipher phrases too?! The hard part is dealing with the unknown factor of the repair process, and these catch phrases that have some sort of double meaning make it even more of a challenge. Believe me, I’ve looked long and hard through every repair manual and it never once found an answer for these double meaning phrases. Ya just have to learn how to decipher them as you go.

Another thing to consider is the completely naïve type of car owner who knows nothing except where the key goes and where “D” is. They’re usually the same type who assumes all mechanics are just alike. Some of them believe the guy who put air in their tire last week can also figure out a complex multitasking electrical system, too.

Say for instance, this type of person went back to the guy who put the air in the tires and asked him why their transmission seems to be acting up, and the guy starts talking about space aliens and sun spots as the cause. He might even insists you leave it with him so he can hook up his particle beam separator and realign the trunion springs to the galvanic isolator. Even though you might not know anything about today’s cars, you’re pretty sure the time vortex has nothing to do with your transmission. You might be inclined to use one of these phrases. “Can I get back to you on that? I can’t leave it with you right now.” Or, “Are you open tomorrow? I’ll bring it back tomorrow.” I know, you’re just being polite, but what you really were thinking is, “This guy sounds like a complete idiot. I need to find somebody else to work on my car.”

Sometimes, these phrases are used from the other direction too. Like the mechanic trying to be somewhat courteous and diplomatic. Such as when the mechanic says, “Why, yes I’ve seen this before.” If not handled correctly, this can open up a whole new set of phrases and problems, such as, “It sounds similar, but I’ll still need to check it out properly before giving any kind of estimate.” Or “I’ve seen lots of cars with this same kind of problem, but I’d rather check it out than take a wild guess at it.” What is the mechanic really saying? Probably something like this, “I know exactly what is wrong, or at least I have a pretty good idea, but if I say anything more about it you’ll then ask me the next preverbal question, “How much?”. Then, I’ve got to dig up the prices, find the cost of the parts, and tell you all the above… but, if I’m wrong and it’s something completely different than what you’ve described, you’re going to keep bringing up what I originally thought it was or find another mechanic. I’d rather be sure than to guess at it.

So, my hearing isn’t the problem; it was my understanding of these “phrases” that have double meanings. I’m sure, somewhere there is this highfalutin psychologist who probably has an answer for all these quirky phrases, and there’s probably some scientific name for the condition or situation. I’m no psychologist, in fact I’m more likely to be a patient of an Ivy League graduate with one of those fancy lettered pieces of sheep skin hanging on the wall. I’m just a mechanic, nothing more. All I’m trying to do is comprehend what my customers are telling me without having to go through years of psychoanalysis. Because the one thing I’ve learned, it’s not what they say, it’s what they said.

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