Gonzo

Like oil and water Joe..... Happy or Pissed off...... but there is a definite line between the two... cross the line... you get the other... That's why I keep my glass half full..... room for something different... even if it's kinda oily... LOL

Can ya tell... I'm smiling right now.... that way the grouch that I really am stays hidden in the back room till all the customers go home.... LOL Good point to keep in mind Joe... My dad would put it this way.... You can catch more bees with honey, than you can with salt. Later... Gonzo ... still smilin'

I'm working on a "requested" article from one of the magazines I write for. They want an article on CAN systems (Controller Area Network) I need some feedback as to what you think of this article. I have several different ideas on how to simply the workings of a CAN system, but this one seemed the most "overall" explanation of it. Your reply and ideas is greatly appreciated. Can do CAN: A simple look at a complex system: Controller Area Network: CAN Ever wonder how your cable TV comes into your home on that single coaxial cable? In simple terms… it’s like a CAN system. A good definition of a CAN system would be: High speed communication sent via data lines to and from components. Just like your cable TV, as a signal is sent down the wire from one communication device there needs to be another at the other end that can “descramble” that information and turn it into readable information. These “lines” are generally referred to as BUS lines, or Data lines. Most of the time they are in pairs of two wires that are twisted together (less RF interference). Some manufacturers use a 2 speed CAN. One line is for low priority information such as radio, windows, etc… and a faster 2nd speed for things like transmission, theft, etc… both system moves along the same wires at the same time. What each of the “modules” that are on the BUS line do is only use the information that they are programmed to read all else is just ignored and not read by that particular module. What to expect: The direction of these CAN systems are not going to go away, they’re with us for now and most likely even more complicated in the future. Scanning is the key to working with these systems. Proper scanners and not just a “code reader” is the necessary tool to see these “TV” channels on your little screen (your scanner). A dealer equivalent scanner is the best way to “look” at these systems. Mode $06 is another option but one thing you don’t want to do any more is stab a wire with a test light looking for current or ground… it ain’t there. Imagine stabbing your test light into your cable TV line. What do you think you would find there, nothing that a test light would help with. Also, I don’t advise sending voltage or a solid ground down a data line. Would you try that with that coaxial cable coming into your house, I think not..! My advice when it comes to diagnosing power windows, gauges, or for that matter just about anything these days. Get your scanner out and look for codes, look for a class 2 serial data line on your GM, read the mode $06 information, and or whatever that particular manufacturer is calling their CAN line information. These data information screens will give you the clues as to what to be looking for. The next stop is to your PC and look up the wiring diagrams. Codes are only a starting point; remember… you still have to diagnose the cause of that code and what it means. Here is an example: 03 Cadillac DHS If you used the driver’s side window switch the driver’s window and the passenger front window would go down simultaneously and would go up the same way. If you tried the front passenger window switch nothing happened at all. The driver’s side rear window switch from the driver’s door switch if pushed would operate both the rear windows exactly like the front set. The car was clean, well kept and had no signs of any recent damage. As far as the owner knew there was nothing out of the ordinary that might hint at a possible reason for this strange window fiasco. Scanning the car led to several history codes that could be related and some codes that couldn’t be related to the problem, that is until I went to the class 2 serial data line information. It listed where the trouble was at… corrupted information and loss of communication on the BUS. Looking at the four door modules showed that the scanner couldn’t communicate with either passenger side modules. Using the scanner to operate the windows without having to move the switches showed no difference between the scanner and the actual window switch from the driver’s door. Pulling the prints showed that the serial data lines ran from door to door and back to the BCM. There were no obvious wiring issues to be concerned with but I did notice several slight whitish droplets dried onto the inside of the door. It looked to me like “Bondo” or sanding dust mixed with water. But the owner knew nothing of any body work ever done to the car. Opening the FPDM and examining the circuit board showed no water damage. With the data lines showing no communication with the modules and the wiring looking perfect the next best thing was to change the FPDM and RRDM (Front Passenger Door Module, Right Rear Door Module). It worked like a charm. After replacing the modules I went back into the scanner to see if the communication had been restored, sure enough it was… another job out the door . I never picked up a test light like I would have on an older car and I didn’t have to pull out the old trusty tap hammer and start banging around till something moved. Using the scanner and the CAN lines showed where to go to make the repair. History lesson: 1983 Bosch Corporation introduced the CAN system to the world as a preparation to what they saw as an increase in the automotive electrical system advancements. In 1987 the first CAN system was officially called “CAN” but it wasn’t till 1992 Mercedes Benz that a CAN system was accepted as the true first CAN system. Early GM’s had a system that could have been called CAN back in 1987 but the only references were to call the lines “data lines”. It still worked about the same way but wasn’t diagnosed the same way as we do today. 1995 GM introduced Class 2 serial data lines which run at a speed of 10.4 kbps. In 2004 Gm went to their next generation system called GMLAN (local area network) which had a 2 speed system: low 33.3 Kbps and a high at 500 Kbps. Mercedes Benz uses several BUS lines; on one car I counted 5 different CAN speeds. Closing: With the speed and flexibility of these electronic systems the manufacturers can create in today’s cars I can only imagine how far all this information is going to go. It could be at some point in time that wiring will be a thing of the past too. Everything in the car could someday go completely wireless; modules will get smaller, faster and less likely to failure. Scanning could be done without even seeing the car in a repair shop. Just dial your cel phone to your shop of choice and a complete diagnostics could be done right then. I know it sounds a little “out there” but just imagine what a mechanic from the 50’s would think of today’s cars. Gonzo 2010

Will he require the two seat rule on the plane?? Caught me off guard with that one. Too funny. Never expected that one.

Joe, this is one subject that I can't understand how it's even an issue. You know, sometimes, I "feel" like I'm higher than the dealer, but, I'm a specialty shop dealing mainly in odd ball electrical problems that no one else (even the dealer) doesn't want to touch. So how the hell is my price proactive with another shop... go figure. My biggest argument is: If you go to hospital "A" and have a surgery... it's going to be one price.... go to hospital "B" and it's entirely different. Same with a dentist, a plumber, the way a bank charges for their services.... hell, even a resturaunt doesn't charge the same for the same meal. So why is it expected that we... the people that keep you moving on this countries roads and byways be "cheaper" just because "YOU" say so. That's my story... and I'm stickin to it... LOL

I always wondered.... why is it that "our" price has to be lower?? Who sets the standards?? the dealer?? Sometimes I think it's just the nature of some types of people to bitch at whatever the cost. I've got some stories on this subject... I should post one of them... AH, customers... gotta love em' Whether they are right or wrong... in their eyes your still wrong... another day in paradise.

That I'm afraid to say is a small one... I think it was about 4 lbs. It came out of my pond in front of my house. I've got a 4 acre pond on my property. I've caught two bigger than that. Both close to 9 or 10 pounders... I'll have to post some pictures of the pond. You can link to my wifes website, I think she has a few photos there. I'll post some here this weekend. It's the best part of living out in the country... (out of town that is) private fishing anytime I want. 5 minutes from a golf course...5 minutes from resturaunts, and a billion miles from the shop.... ah... the serenity...

Welcome, glad to have you here. Stop back often... there is always something going on here. Check out everyones website when you have time, browse the posted messages and stories... Any and all input is welcomed. Gonzo

Nah, it's not the fuel pump... hubbie has the wrong rearend in the workshop.

I'm glad my stories spark a memory or two... this is the best part about writing them down... You guys make my day... and I'm proud to call each and everyone a friend for life... This is a great tribute to our industry... how guys from different parts of the country can see the humor in this crazy mixed up industry. I take a bow to all.... thanks for the memories... Oh, and Joe... the contest idea is a super one... I think we all could "one-up" each other for years and years... and just to let you know... reading glasses are important... I where bifocal saftey glasses (they don't fall off) Thumbs UP all around... great stories guys.

That's a good one Joe, I read your post to my wife, she had a laugh too. Then she remind me of another situation I got myself into. It was on a dual tank truck and I was trying to explain the workings of the electrical wiring to my new tech who had never worked one before. With so much effort put forth to explain how it worked I over looked on thing... he was putting gas in the wrong tank. I was looking at the front tank gauge and he was putting gas in the back... I had already found the problem and all I was trying to do was verify that the gauge moved. I was about to give up when I notice he was putting the gas in the wrong tank... my wife was close by the whole time, listening in on the "shop talk", when she heard... "Geez, we've been putting the gas in the wrong tank"... she grabbed a camera... now she has a picture of the two knuckle heads putting gas into the "correct" tank just to prove her hubby ain't allows the sharpest tack in the box. (BTW, the rear tank was full by the time I spotted the "oops") Gotta love'm ... These posts remind me that work, and the shop, is still a lot of fun even after all these years. Ah, what memories....

Now that's funny... I had a tech do about the same thing... except he was a proud to show off that he was a ASE certified tech... and he kept on bragging that because he was ASE he knew more and could avoid making stupid mistakes.... he didn't last long.. LOL But you know there's a Forest Gump around every corner... they can surprise you sometimes.

The K-I-S-S Method An older gentleman came to the shop with a wiper problem. His problem was simple, the wipers wouldn’t turn off. Well, that’s not unusual, this sort of thing happens a lot, it’s just the kind of repairs I like to do. Except for the fact that this guy was insistent that it had to be a serious malfunction. This made me think there was something seriously wrong with the car, he sounded so sure of himself. And if it was going to be a huge expense he wasn’t going to have it fixed, instead, he would return the car back to the lot that he just bought it from. My job was clear, find the problem, find the solution, and make the repair. Not hard, no big deal, piece a cake…! I drove the car into the shop with the wipers on full blast, wiping away on the now very dry windshield. Screech, screech, went the wiper blades. Just before I turned the key off I gave it a shot of windshield cleaner … damn… empty, the old guy has already went through the supply of fluid in the bottle. Oh well, shut the car off and check this thing out, I’ll take care of the fluid later. Now the nice thing about the newer cars is the factory scanners have the individual systems on the screen so you can check them without tearing anything apart or grabbing a test light. You can read the system on the screen and determine the fault without even getting dirty, pretty cool if you ask me. I grabbed my NGS scanner and plugged all the car info into it. Make, model, engine, etc… Found the menu for sub-systems, and what do ya know; there it is… wiper diagnostics… cool… I’ll run it through the tests. Ah, let’s see … switch override, aha, and …main relay on… hmmm, good. Low speed, ah, yep, there’s the high speed control.. awesome … washer pump control… crap… gotta go fill the reservoir up with washer fluid so I can check it. Ok, that’s done, … let’s see, washer pump activation, press 1 on the scanner… yep… washer pump works great too. Ok, now what’s the problem…? Reading the scanner is one thing, understanding what you’re looking at is another. Here I am with the scanner … watching the command signals on the scanner telling me that the wipers are ON, and not once looking to see what position the wiper switch was in. All the guys in the shop are watching me standing behind the driver’s door holding onto the scanner, and dodging the windshield fluid spray as if it was incoming fire from an enemy sniper. As always there is plenty of sarcastic remarks from the crew, and few choice words from me when I would get caught with the spray. Let’s see; I filled out an invoice, brought the car in the shop, got the scanner hooked up, played around with the scanner, and… never checked the basics. My bad… I’m feeling a little dumb at this point, the boss isn’t suppose to do stupid things like “not checking the switch” that’s what the junior mechanic is suppose to get caught doing… not the old man himself. I was hoping nobody noticed the sly little movement of my left hand twisting the wiper switch to the, OFF position. A quick glance at the scanner’s information;……Now how about that… the scanner shows “commanded signal – OFF” and so are the wipers. It’s A miracle! No don’t tell me… oh no, he didn’t, did he?… yep, he did. The old guy drove his car all the way to the shop with the wiper switch in the ON position… and, the dumb ass tech went straight for the scanner without looking at the car first. Ya’d think I would at least have looked at the position of the wiper switch before I did anything. It could have save a lot of time; it could have been a quick thank you from the customer, but, noooo… Nope, just had to do it, just had to go get the scanner, after I just got done telling all the guys in the shop how we needed to simplify or diagnostic procedures and pay closer attention to the information that the customer was telling us. Which information was that??.....He just bought the car, should have been a dead giveaway. My bad…again. I took the car around front and gave the keys back to the proud owner. He was busy telling another customer about myself, and how he knew I could fix “anything” on a car, and how I was always honest and up front with all my services. When I told him “no charge” he turned to the lady and said, “See, I told ya.” Now with his new found information that seemingly incredible problem was nothing to worry about at all, and there was no need of going back to the car lot where he just bought it at. Down the road went my happy, non-wiper turning off customer. I was actually happier for myself than for the customer... Why you ask? Because I didn’t have to explain to anyone in the shop … how the boss couldn’t figure out the wiper switch was left on without consulting a scanner. You know this new technology is great and these new scanners are wonderful….. But I have to remind myself from time to time….. <KISS >…….Keep-It-Simple-Stupid….

I'm guilty of working on my own stuff, so I don't fuss to much if the techs need some time on their own cars... But I'm with everyone else, not allowing them to work on other family or friends cars. Those I always will tell them... OUTSIDE ONLY... DO NOT BLOCK BAYS... But at the same time we might get a rebuilder in or a restoration project that isn't a direct paying job for anyone. But, I'll give them a cut if we resell the car. That always works well... they tend to act like little greedy vultures when you tell them they can make a few bucks on a car... Nobody minds the extra cash... Great posts ... I like reading about things like this... gives me new ideas for new stories... Gonzo

It's not a lot fun dealing with an employee that doesn't want to BE an employee. That's what this guy sounds like. I've had a few over my nearly .. getting close.. to 30 years. They all seem to be the ones with the best track record for attendance and work. But that chip on the shoulder will wear you down after awhile. I'm kinda like the big old softy when it comes to guys like this. Since they do such a great job, I would try to over look the attitude. But let's take a look from the grandstands. Imagine yourself watching a ball game from the grandstands and you see two guys out on the field that seem to be always butting heads. You see the reactions of the two of them (oil and water) but you are not a part of the game... you're merely watching. As a spectator you have the ability to look at both sides... without your personal ego getting in the way. If you can picture this, is... this... what you want in your daily working enviroment. Which one are you? Over the years I've seen myself in the "game" and felt that I could have been on either team... but in the long run... It's still my business... and not his. That attitude almost always is hiding something. I had one guy that after working for me nearly 10 years, a good worker, and always with an attitude. He got into the habit of throwing tools... I tried to stop it.. but it just kept getting worse. Soon, I found myself acting the same way... didn't like it. Had to make some changes. Later on, he would .. politely ask for an afternoon off to go see one of his kids in a school play... then it was a day off.. then it was showing up a minute or two late... then it was the ever lengthing lunch break... and finally the work wasn't getting done on time. He eventually came into my office and threw his key on the desk and said "I quit" ... Later, (about a year) I found out what it was all about. It was me.... oh not me in the shop... it was me with a new truck, me and a motorcycle, me moving to another house... what it turned out to be was simply jealousy... of my good fortune and his lack of getting ahead. Do you see where I'm going with this?? I hope so. I guess what I'm saying, is ... take care that you are not the cause of the attitude... but on the other hand, you and I and everyone else that runs their own business are not here to "make do" we all want to strive and do better financially for our families. That takes time, employees that are willing to work for a good wage, and of course your own personal efforts. Giving them everything they want can, and will backfire on you... because at some point in time you may end up the only one holding the keys.

One of the magazines I write for has improved on their website. Now you can actually read and vote on the stories that they publish. I would appreciate it, If you have the time,.. to vote for my column... It not only insures that I have an on going column but also a way for the magazine to know people are reading what they publish. here's the link: Bottom Shocker: True Mechanical Humor from Gonzo Weaver I really would like to thank everyone for their support. Gonzo

. LOL thin crust, original... that's already to many decision to make on a Saturday. My Saturdays are either working around the house or trying to decide on a 5 iron or a 6.... Thanx for the invite. Gonz

Hey, that sounds like a great Saturday. Nice to know there are a few "great" people in the business... It just goes to show... you don't have to have the lowest price, you don't have to have the best advertising, you don't need a million dollar inventory (couldn't hurt though)... but be yourself, treat them like you would want to be treated. Of course I draw the line between actual customers and that "other" type of ... the ones that just come in for free advise and never spend a dime with me. I don't give them a thought. My "good" side only goes so far... but it is sure nice to be the good guy for a change. I'll be up next Saturday... what's on the lunch menu??? LOL

Sorry about the thunder... it's that great minds think alike thing.... heck, it could be like a sail boat in a hurricane... haven't a clue where we are going but hang on.... it's going to be one hell of a ride. LOL Gonz

Nice way to take the world, the community, and the customer and bring them into a that "small world" ... Makes for a better relationship with that customer. Me, I know I need to keep my back into my work in order to keep the doors open, but, I will stop and chew the fat with any customer that wants to take a moment to talk - about anything. (religion and politics I tend to stay as neutral as possible) The whole idea is to make that big world feel like that perverbial small town. I like the concept. In addition, I use the same concept with all of my suppliers. They are as important to me as my customers are. Nice work Joe. Thumbs up !

I have to file on several each year. Most of the time the car isn't worth the bill that's owed. But, at least I have "something" to get some of the cash back. I would have to read this law as it's written and interpreted.... sometimes bad information spread out there by the news media is as bad as stupid laws put into affect by the legislation. However, it sounds more like it's the jerks that can't really repair cars is the reason this law is out there.. Joe, again... totally agreement... it's just stupid what the law will do with situations like this. (BTW, read your comments on the web page too) If I lived in Iowa... every single job would have to be paid for in full up front, and any additional work deemed necessary would have to be paid for before completion. Sounds like you could go to a shop ... have them install a motor or something ... come back in a day or two... and say... "I can't pay for it.... give me my car." and there ain't a whole lot you can do about it. THAT STINKS ! !

I know you and Joe, and I think I know or should I say heard one other... but the rest are on there own. thanx for keepin tabs. Gonzo

Thanx for reading it... thanx for passing it on... then tell them to buy another copy... LOL The stories are all true... the flair is of course to make it more readable and funny. (Mr. Ditto wasn't a happy camper let me tell you) I tried to keep the stories real and to some sort of basic scenario that I have had other shops talk to me about over the years. That's why they are so easily related to any shop across the country. That was my intention... sounds like I did that from what your telling me. And, I'll bet some did migrate from or to Indiana... LOL As far as the wife.... www.persimmonquilts.com My wife has written 2 quilt books so far. the first one has become a best seller, the second one will be out late this year. She is very VERY well known in the quilting world. That Army Rangers wife who is a quilter probably knows my wife... but I'll bet she doesn't know... she knows. (she probably has her book) One of the things my wife does is what is called "Quilts of Valor" you can read about that on her website. It's a organization that hands out a hand made quilt to any injured service person. leaving any military hospital.. it's something that she does that I am very proud of. Oh, and my wife has one of those big quilting machines.... and our entire upstairs is all quilting... she didn't just take over a bedroom she took over an entire house... LOL... I think there is over 150 quilts for service people up there waiting to get done. Have your friends wife go to my wife's site... Thanx for reading my book... it's a little something that I thought all of us in the business needed to read... because... we ain't alone behind that counter... Keep it between the ditches and off the tow trucks.. Gonzo

Again, right on the money Joe... Somehow, the "old school" way of charging for our efforts has to be brought up to today's level. I don't have the answer, but I do think getting the word out may make others aware that there needs to be something done differently than what has been done in the past. BTW the next article I'm submitting to Brake and Front end is going to be the one about the "shade tree mechanic" it should go over pretty good. the "views" here on ASO have been really great... great comments... keep them coming. the more posts on B/Front end the better... keeps me in the spot light at the editors desk... LOL.. thanx again Gonzo

that's great... hope ya like it... Don't forget, like I always tell the customer as they are leaving the front office... "Keep it between the ditches.... and off the back of the tow trucks." Leaves em' speechless everytime.. LOL Later.. Gonzo