Keep Up With Changing Times COLUMN BY CHRIS THOMPSON I just attended a technical seminar by 4 Joe Davis (which by the way was very outstanding), and one thing I realized is that times are defi- nitely changing and we must be able to keep up with them. The 10SI days have changed—more voltage regulators, more differences in stators, rotors and so on. We can’t just look at a part anymore and say it will probably work or it is probably correct. It might work on your test bench, but will it work on the appli- cation it’s intended for? Do not wait for something to come in your shop and use someone’s car or alternator as a guinea pig. It could cost you money and possibly a customer. Davis told me of two different instances where an alternator job not correctly repaired cost the rebuilder over $1,900. The alternator tested fine on the test bench, but one little thing was not done right and burned out a computer and a few more things. So learn about these problems before you learn about them the hard, expen- sive way. Attend tech seminars on a yearly basis or more if you can, because what you don’t know will hurt you. Read tech articles that come out in the Exchange or the Global Connection. If you are not signed up to receive these mailings, you need to do so. It will be worth the money. Stay up to date with the latest test equipment and proper manuals for test- ing alternators. There are some compa- nies out there that sell these manuals and they are well worth the money. Blowing a few voltage regulators would more than pay for some of these manuals. Grounding or applying power to a termi- nal where it shouldn’t be can blow these regulators, so if someone comes into your shop with a good alternator and wants it tested, with the wrong hookup it will be bad. Then by the time you figure out what’s going on, you have spent a small fortune on regulators and still the customer has the same problems. So how does that make you look? We need to be auto electric specialists, not parts changers. There are enough of them out there today. When you have a toothache, you go to the dentist. When you have eye problems or need glasses you go to the eye doctor. They went to school several years and have to take classes to stay up to date on the new things that are out there, so why shouldn’t we stay up to date with all the new technology? If you have a very old tester that only tests up to 100 amps, I would strongly suggest purchasing or leasing a newer one. I hear “I can’t afford it’ My ques- tion to you is how can you afford not to have it? We must stay up with the times if we are going to survive. Despite what people say about the auto electric rebuilding business going downhill, I am optimistic. I say that the rebuilding business will get better. I see more and more starters and alternators coming out every day. ATVs, lawn and garden, marine, just about anything with a motor has a starting and charging sys- tem on it. Parts stores will not be able to stock all the complete different units that are coming out. They will never be able to test them properly, they will have no idea when it comes to checking any- thing late model. For example I have heard on numerous occasions that parts stores tell the customers that the 13245 Denso unit for Chrysler has an internal regula- tor. That’s just one example, there are several more out there. But it boils down to that they just don’t know and we do. We don’t handle all the other parts that the stores carry, we have just a few things we need to stay focused on and current with, so I believe that we will be winners in the field we are in. You will see more and more specialty shops, like alternator repair shops, transmission shops, air con- ditioning repair shops and so on. If we stay on top of what we are doing and stay focused, we will survive and be strong and be professionals at what we do. I say stick with what you know, do it, do it well, and do it the only way —the right way. Chris Thompson is owner of Electric Motor Service, Stollings, WV.