What Are Your Mechanic Customers Reading? How well do you communicate » f ” with yourmechanic | ‘) ~~ customers? Are , you simply there to answer an occa- sional question with the basics, or do you take every op- portunity to educate them and clear up misconceptions? Consider the follow- ing scenarios: Bo! K M=Mechanic R=Rebuilder M: Starting problems today can be harder than ever to diagnose due to all the related control circuits. R: Supply written and pictorial in- formation to ease in the diagnosis. List all things that can prevent starter op- eration. M: Bench test the old starter after removal. R: Supply sample readings of good starters keeping in mind the test volt- age makes a big difference ona free run starter test amperage. This is es- pecially true on Ford shift lever start- ers. M: If the drive gear is damaged there is no need to replace the entire starter, just replace the drive. R: Let the mechanic know what else will be failing next, i.e. bushing, brushes, solenoid, etc. M: Bench testing a starter should be done by measuring voltage, amper- age and rpm. R: Do you check rpm on free run and load? M: On Delco pad mount starters, re-shimming the starter will solve the engagement problem. R: Not all pad mount starters are shimmable. Some will be much worse when shimmed. To help solve this starter problem always make sure your replacement starter has the same me- chanical drive end housing, 1.e., mount- ing pad to pinion location. M: Continuous and prolonged cranking is hard on the starter and solenoid. R: Tell the mechanic what will hap- pen if the starter is overworked and fails. This is not always the starters’ fault and should not be warrantied. M: Unit consolidation can allow you to end up with a starter fora much smaller engine than the one you are working on. R: Don’t let the consolidation bug bite you. Keep your part numbers tied to the engine size. M: Check the entire system, cable size, voltage drop, battery and sole- noid. R: The more education you can give here the better. A lot of readers will say that this approach of working closely with the mechanic will not gain you anything. We feel that if your mechanic picks up on 20 percent of these things you will save at least 20 percent of your re- turns. Richard Vensel is owner of Vensel Enter- prises, Crystal Lake, IL. JANUARY, 2000 Page 1 of 1