Skip to main content
EVENT TRACKER
Keep track of rescheduled, canceled industry events with our COVID-affected event tracker - Powered by Snap Finance
Close
Sister Publication Links
  • Rubber & Plastics News
  • European Rubber Journal
tb-logo
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • OPINION
    • CORONAVIRUS
    • AUTO INDUSTRY
    • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
    • COMMERCIAL TIRE
    • FACTORY FIXES
    • GOVERNMENT & LAW
    • INTERNATIONAL
    • MOTOR SPORTS
    • NEW PRODUCTS
    • RETAIL TIRES
    • SERVICE ZONE
    • SEMA/AAPEX
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • TIRE MAKERS
    • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Tire Cologne canceled; rescheduled until 2022
      New round of Paycheck Protection Program funding opens
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      Cover-up: More retailers requiring face masks to curb COVID
    • Icahn Auto trims fiscal 2020 operating loss despite 14% lower sales
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Sumitomo adds treadwear-detection to 'Sensor Core' toolkit
      New Porsche 911 GT3 to feature Michelin fitment
    • ATD's Schuette: Other 'strategic opportunities' could emerge in wake of Goodyear-Cooper deal
      Analysts see good signs in Goodyear-Cooper deal
      Home Depot turning to Tweel to solve downtime issues in rental business
      Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
    • Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      TravelCenters plans 6 TA Express sites in California in 2021
      Carlisle TyrFil broadens recycling technology options
      U.K. retreader Vaculug to promote tread rubber supplier Vipal
    • USTMA joins coalition supporting passage of Equality Act
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
      Oshkosh unit gets contract for new USPS local delivery vehicle
      Conti recalling 94,000 Conti-, General-, Barum-brand LT/SUV tires
    • Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
      Rebound in car tire demand drives USTMA market forecast for 2021
      Michelin driving for '100% sustainable' tires by 2050
      Bridgestone celebrating 90 years as a business in 2021
    • Bridgestone World Solar Challenge canceled due to pandemic restrictions
      Pirelli, Goodyear ink sedan racing series contracts in Canada, Europe
      Goodyear extends partnership with Nürburgring race circuit
      BFG to support ATV/UTV racers in WORCS series
    • Michelin upgrades 2 lines of Energy-branded truck tires
      Falken revamps winter tire lineup with studless Eurowinter products
      Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
      Martins Industries launches products in 3 categories
    • Leeds West buys New Mexico Big O store property
      BTS to host three-day virtual sales conference for its dealers
      Our View: Goodyear, Cooper deal historic moment in tire history
      McMahon's Best-One increases its minimum wage to $15
    • Pennzoil offering carbon-neutral lubricants for passenger cars
      Washington dealership uses new-school solution for recruiting auto techs
      Marinucci: Customers may ignore dangerous conditions
      Automotive Lift Institute introduces Check360 inspection, label
    • SEMA scholarships and loan forgiveness now available
      WTC hosting webinar Jan. 20 on load-capacity standards
      Denver's Brian Sump named AAPEX Shop Owner of the Year
      DUB, TIS Wheels founder Myles Kovacs is SEMA Person of the Year
    • Trade groups oppose minimum wage increase proposal
      New stimulus package fixes PPP loan confusion
      Vaccine may usher sense of normalcy
      2020 Review: PPP loans give boost to small businesses
    • Sentury's 10-year global expansion strategy will include plants in North America, Europe
      Industry experts to discuss Goodyear-Cooper transaction in free livestream
      Rebound in car tire demand drives USTMA market forecast for 2021
      Michelin launching ‘eco-responsible' performance tire for sporty EVs
    • Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      Stocking Tires for Crossover SUVs
      Sponsored By AppointmentPlus
      Three Important Lessons Learned for the Tire Business During a Pandemic
      Sponsored By Yokohama Tire Company
      7 questions to ask consumers when they need tires for a crossover SUV
  • SHOP FLOOR
    • BALANCING
    • DEMOUNTING
    • SAFETY
    • TIRE REPAIR
    • TPMS
    • TRAINING
    • VEHICLE LIFTING
    • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Video: Balancing Tire
      An introduction to wheel balancing
      Wheel weights: Balancing form with function
      Choosing the right balancing equipment
    • Video: Demounting
      An introduction to demounting, mounting and inflation
      Staying safe when demounting and mounting tires
      Demounting Equipment
    • Video: Safety
      Introduction: Creating a culture of safety
      Protecting your people with proper hygiene
      Making friends with OSHA
    • Video: Tire Repair
      An introduction to tire repair
      How to properly patch a puncture
      Tire repair: Shining a light on visual inspections
    • Video: TMPS Service
      An introduction to TPMS service
      The importance of proper relearn procedures
      Decoding sensor data for TPMS diagnosis
    • Video: Training
      Intro: Finding and training technicians
      Shop Floor: Scholarships
      Advantages of apprentice program partnerships
    • Video:Vehicle Lifting
      An introduction to lifts and lift safety
      Recommendations for using a jack
      Jack stands for commercial tire service
    • Video: Wheel Torque
      Introduction to proper wheel installation
      Torque check and recheck recommendations
      Using torque sticks to speed service times
  • Multimedia
    • VIDEOS
    • PHOTOS
    • PODCASTS
  • Events
    • ASK THE EXPERT
    • LIVESTREAMS
    • WEBINARS
    • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
  • Data
    • DATA STORE
  • Resources
    • DIRECTORY
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • ADVERTISE
  • DIGITAL EDITION
  • Awards
    • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
February 12, 2001 01:00 AM

Difficult to diagnose

Maureen McDonald Crain News Service
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    CANTON, Ohio—It was a frustrating problem that almost made John Gaddis give up on his customer's Chevy Impala.

    The car would work fine in the service garage of Progressive Chevrolet, a car dealership in Canton, Ohio, where Mr. Gaddis is service manager.

    But then he would release it back to the customer who, two weeks later, would send the vehicle back on a tow truck with the same "engine cuts out" condition.

    All the best on-board technology didn't register a single problem code. The Impala's owner demanded a replacement.

    But Mr. Gaddis, whose dealership traditionally ranks high in customer satisfaction among Chevrolet dealerships nationally, couldn't give up on an intermittent complaint without a justifiable explanation.

    "If we can reproduce the problem, we can fix it," Mr. Gaddis said. "If we can't, it's worse than finding a needle in a haystack."

    Intermittent problems present one of the biggest problems to time-strapped techs, be they in car dealerships or independent service shops.

    Many dealerships don't charge customers when they pay to solve a driveability problem and the vehicle comes back repeatedly for the same complaint.

    Diagnostic difficulties are so troublesome that dealers and managers attending the recent 2000 National Automobile Dealers Association Convention and Exposition said their No. 1 interest at the exposition was service department tools and equipment, said Kara Thorp, an NADA spokeswoman.

    An occasional "engine cuts out" complaint could indicate a failure in the electronic control module, fuel injector, wiring harness, relay switch or a troublesome cell phone that causes electromagnetic interference.

    An astute technician at Progressive traced the Impala's errant circuit on a wiring diagram and caught a malfunctioning relay switch.

    Each of the Big 3 are beefing up their diagnostic capabilities. Ford Motor Co., for example, introduced software into its on-board computers in 1999 to detect system malfunctions quicker.

    "Technicians find an extensive list of parameters that get stored in the powertrain module," said Dave Van Asselt, global diagnostic strategy supervisor for Ford.

    "They can hook up diagnostic equipment and communicate as though they were on the scene when the breakdown occurred."

    Ford also introduced a worldwide diagnostic system for all its product lines, a portable instrument that provides a faster sampling of data from the on-board computer. It can detect even a momentary inconsistency.

    Last November, Ford introduced a new tip system through its satellite communication network that gives updates on problems encountered by Ford's technical assistance department, the group that receives phone calls from technicians nationwide.

    DaimlerChrysler A.G. beefed up its Web-based technician training this year to help technicians improve their capabilities of finding intermittent complaints. It also introduced new customer-service training.

    Dave Shafto, service director of Progressive Chevrolet, doesn't like that General Motors Corp. closed its regional training centers and moved service training to satellite video delivery in 1999 because "watching a complicated procedure on video puts our guys at a definite disadvantage."

    That aside, Mr. Shafto said he has a realistic view of the difficulty with intermittent problems:

    "We'll never solve the intermittent problem completely," he said. "Just about the time we solve one set of problems, the manufacturers introduce vehicles with even more bells and whistles that add complexity to our repair function."

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Newsletter Center

    Staying current is easy with Tire Business delivered straight to your inbox.

    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Subscribe to Tire Business

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Tire Business is an award-winning publication dedicated to providing the latest news, data and insights into the tire and automotive service industries.

    tb-logo
    Reader Services
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Site Map
    • Industry Sites
    • Order Reprints
    • Customer Service: 877-320-1716
    Partner Sites
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Automotive News
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • Urethanes Technology
    RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Media Guide
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Classified Rates
    • Digital Edition
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • OPINION
      • CORONAVIRUS
      • AUTO INDUSTRY
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • FACTORY FIXES
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • INTERNATIONAL
      • MOTOR SPORTS
      • NEW PRODUCTS
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • SEMA/AAPEX
      • SMALL BUSINESS
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • SHOP FLOOR
      • BALANCING
      • DEMOUNTING
      • SAFETY
      • TIRE REPAIR
      • TPMS
      • TRAINING
      • VEHICLE LIFTING
      • WHEEL TORQUE
    • Multimedia
      • VIDEOS
      • PHOTOS
      • PODCASTS
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION
    • Awards
      • Tire Dealer Humanitarian Award