drphilsauto

Just curious if anyone else has run across a GM 3.8 naturally asperartated engine...where the plastic plenum has turned into shrapnel. I came across the car in this condition after the customer said they tried to jump start a very weak battery. After cranking the engine a few times the plenum exploded after a huge backfire in the intake. She was very lucky the car did not catch on fire as a result Doing a quick Google search on the condition resulted in other cases like this, when owners tried to jump start their cars in this manner. The destruction of the type of backfire is beyond belief. I wish I would have took pics of it. Anyone else with similar experience?

http://www.drphilsauto.com

Yes, that is somewhat true...Illinois is a very pro-worker state. Other than Municipal jobs there's hardly any union jobs left & has been like that since around 1990. The local 701 Mechanics union is pretty pathetic as well. Most of my family worked at various GM divisions around Chicago until they all got whacked in the 80's. People here know the UAW as U....AIN'T WORKING!

Here's my two cents on this. It's a touchy situation when debating whether to dock the tech's pay. In Illinois for example the employer cannot deduct anything other than the usual taxes & such. He legally can not do it arbitrarily on his own. The deduction needs to be in writing & approved and signed by both parties for that particular occurrence. Not following that can get you in hot water with the state...especially if you have a tech that knows his rights & the law.

It's been some time since i posted on this topic....but i figured most wouldn't agree with my logic. First off, I only recommend this proactive preventive maintenance approach to a select few of my customers. These select few practively live in their cars & they put well above the 15,000 yearly average. I really think that stressing about mileage is overrated anyways, i would love to see a engine hours gauge instead for a barometer for maintenance. In Chicago traffic it can take you twenty minutes to travel just one mile. That whole time fuel pumps, alternators etc. are turning the whole time. We change engine oil without sending a sample to the lab for analysis....alot of us recommend battery replacement after 3 years, even if it seems fine at the time. Theres alot of services or replacement we recommend based just on time or mileage...I just use this approach to the few customers that cant afford the inconvenience of a breakdown like couriers, deliverymen, salesmen and such. These guys are usually on top of their maintenance. Since onsite breakdown work is my niche...i see the results of neglected maintenance quite often. I don't see the harm in being proactive as long as the customer understands they are in control when the vehicle is out of service, and they are totally within their right if they choose to wait till it fails. I just give them the option of having more control of down time of their vehicle & they are able to budget for it as well.

Just curious if anyone out here has viewed the George Witt Automotive Management Videos....if so, What did you think about them?

This industry sells parts & services based on mileage all the time. Do we have to wait for a component to actually fail to replace it? Do we want a timing belt to fail? The attitude of "if it aint broke dont fix it" that a lot of techs have really erks me. As for me I strive for a zero breakdown rate. I practice this principal on my own vehicles & recommend this to my best customers or anyone who hates the inconvenience of a breakdown. I replace critical components after 3 yrs. Such as starters, alternators, fuel pumps & batteries. Mainly items with DC motors that are critical to not leaving one stranded. I tell my customers by taking this approach, THEY control when the vehicle is out of service. Making it convenient for them. I'm sure others may give me hell for this approach. I believe it works out better for the customer in the long run. I'm not sure but I've often wondered if this is what fleet maintainers practice?

I'm going on my third year of business and it seems that just until recently, that I've finally learned how to effectively manage & use the net 30 account to maximize cash flow. For me it really came down to reclassifying in my mind whats the parts bill really means other than it being a huge bill at the end of the month. I always came from the mindset to try to pay off debt quickly as possible & don't carry big balances. I found this very difficult when trying to apply this principal in my business. One would need a huge reserve of cash on hand for parts, this is not usually practical though. I always viewed using credit as bad or avoid it when possible. But now, i realize the huge advantage of using the trade credit we get from our suppliers is a valuable asset to us. Without it, my draws that i take would be very erratic & unpredictable. I now embrace the idea to use OPM (other peoples money) to work for me so i can be profitable. I view my parts bill total as a gauge on how my business is growing...as my bill gets higher so does my business level. For me, I had to stop looking to the bill as a expense but rather look at it more like a investment of sorts. How do other owners tackle this monthly bear?

Is "Some Guy" just a cover for the owners that attempt the repair based on a AZ store employee opinion? This is maybe more rampant than we care to believe.