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Automotive News & Views Right To Repair - A Hot Issue or Big Problem?
133 messages, Last post on Oct 06, 2009 at 3:25 PM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: steve_ (Nov 28, 2007 3:31 pm) But let me give you an example of what can go wrong with the "techs" of today who don't learn basics. Today, I had a machine that had an alternator problem. For some reason, the alternator wasn't charging and some of the lights weren't working. The computer was telling us that the alternator wasn't charging. Ok, we knew that. Upon testing, the wire that signals the alternator to start (Some call it the signal wire, exciter wire or charge wire) didn't have voltage. Here is where it gets tricky. The computer actually controls the voltage to the signal wire. So, where does the tech go? Check the computer? It says the alternator isn't charging. Check the alternator? Why? Alternator can't charge with out a signal. Now, here's a bit to throw you, if you turned the lights on, the alternator started charging. So, back to basics. Visual check. Followed the alternator signal wire back and found that it had rubbed thru and was shorting on one of the wires that ran the headlights. (To clarify, the exciter wire had rubbed thru and partially into the headlight wiring) Headlights off, the connection was broken, headlights on, it supplied power to the alternator signal wire. Repaired the wire and headlights and alternator worked fine. The point of all this typing is that all the computer skills in the world wouldn't have solved this one. What solved it was basic electrical knowledge. For those who I bored to death, sorry about that. 
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Replying to: 0patience (Nov 28, 2007 4:49 pm) Plus I'm sure you've run into situations where the wire got pierced or something and is shorted but there's no external visible evidence of a problem. I'm just tossing out terms I don't fully understand, but I think you get my drift. |
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"The AASP is a national consumer group based in Boston that is pushing the Right to Repair Act, now in the U.S. Congress and also the [Mass.] state Legislature. The bill, if passed, will require car companies to provide independent repair shops access to all the diagnostic codes and repair information that it supplies to its dealers." Local mechanics fight for car repair information (South Coast Today)
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Replying to: steve_ (Apr 29, 2008 10:25 pm) http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120671829721371953.html It should be noted that RCAR is a collection of insurance agencies. I would imagine their agenda involves getting repair costs below the magical $1000 mark, where many folks set their deductables.
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Replying to: estreka (Apr 30, 2008 7:48 am) |
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Replying to: 0patience (Nov 28, 2007 4:49 pm) |
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New Jersey's motoring consumers were granted "car repair" relief when three out of five Assemblypersons in the Consumer Affairs Committee today voted to pass The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act, A-803. The legislation allows motorists to choose where, how and by whom to have their vehicles repaired, even work on their vehicles themselves. Vehicles are equipped with computers that control the repair and service information on vital systems such as, but not limited to: air bags, brakes, steering mechanisms, tire pressure, oil changes, electronics, check engine lights, transmissions and fuel injection." NJ Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee Passes Pro-Consumer, Pro-Competition 'Right To Repair Act'
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Replying to: steve_ (Oct 30, 2008 7:59 pm) The only example I can use to relate to this is the indy Volvo shop I used to frequent. There was nothing they couldn't do that the dealership could do ... but they needed to invest in the same equipment as the dealer. For Volvo, that meant having the VADIS software. Very expensive, from what I understand.
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Replying to: qbrozen (Oct 31, 2008 5:48 am) The article is a bit misleading too - it sounds like the Act just got through committee and hasn't been passed or signed off on by the governor. I want a wireless OBDII gizmo that will let my car talk to my computer so I can then upload the parameters to the forum or Edmunds Answers or the dealer or my indy mechanic and have someone decipher the results. It's easy to run a program like HijackThis and upload the results to the net, and 10 tech heads will jump in and tell you what's going on with your computer for free. I want that for my car and maybe right to repair legislation will make the automakers go that way. 
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