SureTrack Users General Discussion
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So not to get off track with the Prius thing, that might have to wait till tomorrow. A vehicle gets towed in, no crank, jump the starter ( I always try this to avoid having to tow it into the shop), no run too. No scanner communication. After an hour or two of hunting around the powers and grounds and data wires and pulling things apart, you find it's a bad ECM/TCM ground. Sounds simple enough but it just doesn't do justice to the amount or work and knowledge required to figure this out and I want to make the customer feel like he's real paying for and getting some value. " Bad ground" just doesn't sound dramatic enough.Comment
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So not to get off track with the Prius thing, that might have to wait till tomorrow. A vehicle gets towed in, no crank, jump the starter ( I always try this to avoid having to tow it into the shop), no run too. No scanner communication. After an hour or two of hunting around the powers and grounds and data wires and pulling things apart, you find it's a bad ECM/TCM ground. Sounds simple enough but it just doesn't do justice to the amount or work and knowledge required to figure this out and I want to make the customer feel like he's real paying for and getting some value. " Bad ground" just doesn't sound dramatic enough.Comment
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G102
What went wrong there?
Tell em Repair Wiring.
Any repair what brings life back to a dead subject is worth moar than polishing a turd esp when thinking is required.
I still gotta 03 Dakota no comm, no bus, no nothing. Maybe me should look see G102. Still waiting ona body compute. Putta engine in and no run..
A Doctor wood need a 1000 ruebulls/min fore such heavy thinking/doing. Min 60 minutes or a Mercedes 560 SEL w/good tires.Member of Klunker's Corporate, Land of the Great Scarples, Meat Rocks, Footsticks & Spray.Comment
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It is all in the wording Greasy, locate and repair open circuit in power distribution box sounds better than replace blown fuse! You are like many of us, want to find the problem fast and sometimes diagnostics takes time, learning time that is trait of this trade. We do deserve pay for studying a customers vehicle that may cross our path once. Like you tip on OD for a 2006 F-150 4X4 no comm and fuse 29 blown that saved me tons of time last Monday! You did the dirty work and I got the easy fix! Money made and happy customer, Miles,Comment
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And two hours or so is a lot better than the "other" shops could have charged after many dollars of parts and labour to stumble on the root cause of bad ground!Comment
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There's nothing wrong with telling someone that you checked and tested multiple circuits, located the issue or problem (short, open, high resistance, bad ground) and then repaired said issue and re-assembled components and wiring as necessary.Comment
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We've all been this victim
Tell the customer there is no return on electical parts
Mark the replacement as defective and submit a warranty claim.
OR they might just assume that customer was incorrect with his original diagnosis. They stuff the now ruined PCM back into it's box and sell it to the next poor schmuck [you]. Been there, done that, got the Tee shirt!Comment
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I've tried but never fried a few PCM on older cars , never returned to vendor. Probably the main reason I bought my Counselor scope. I always have checked grounds , inspected harnesses and tested suspect circuits , and look for causes of any blown fuses.
One mis diag where a Rock Auto $80 PCM was tried and then removed was on a 1990 3.8 Buick Regal with a 3.8 that replacing the ignition module and coil pack ended up resolving the concern.
The other was a $35 used PCM from a salvage yard for a 99 Escort ZX2 no start after I purged 2 year old stale fuel from the gas tank by jumping power to fuel pump via the inertia switch and then I must have fried the CCRM (Constant Control Relay Module) by jumping ground to the fuel pump from the connector of the fuel pump driver module. In the 2nd case the PCM didn't fix this no start concern and I should have looked at the circuit schematic and went straight to the buzzing CCRM ,Comment
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I've found that things go better everyday if ya be truthful with everybody as much as you can.
Gotta make em understand it takes ruebulls to fix cars and moar ruebulls to figure out what it needs. Testing, X-rays, Lab work, Reading.....
I never tell em replace a fuse. I fix open circuits to something.
Long time ago, we only get money for fixing. Now..........knowing what to do is worth moar esp if ya right alot.
I had a mechanic come to me week or two ago. He was saying the starter was turning slow when hot on a ninety something caprice w/LT1. Had a new starter and good battery. I say what about the cables? Then he say Fairview Auto down the road said the pistons are getting tight in the motor. It needs an engine. Hard to believe they never hit one w/voltage dropper cables. Father n law bought a new 76 Olds 98 w/455......it did that brand new. The positive cable was too small.....back then didn't know the cure. Amazing how many still don't in 2014.Member of Klunker's Corporate, Land of the Great Scarples, Meat Rocks, Footsticks & Spray.Comment
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charging for "simple" repairs
knowledge is power and that's worth an hour = doctor visit. then we start billing from there for tests: checking fluid levels and conditions = checking vitals, checking all circuits = x-ray, taking stuff apart = mri, fuel samples = lab test, ekg = hooking up lab scope, transplant = trying known good part, sonogram = listening for noises, clearing codes and letting customer drive = try this and see if you feel better, diagnosing bad part = writing a prescription. and so on. tmcComment
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Member of Klunker's Corporate, Land of the Great Scarples, Meat Rocks, Footsticks & Spray.Comment
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