Replace with a known good part and retest!

[Bob Smith]

Have you seen this one in the service manuals?

It's been there forever and it's really getting to bug me.

Too often I find the techs are adhering to this procedure even though, in their hearts, they know it's not going to fix the problem.

I had another one just yesterday. We were asked to pickup a PCM (GM vehicle) so the service tech could try it and see if the new unit fixes the problem. After much scrapping with him and the service manager I was forced to give in and get the new unit at another dealership. Well - it didn't do it!

The next step in the diagnosis/repair procedure did fix the problem. A bad crank sensor.

During the argument before procurement process I was informed that he (the tech) would rather have us blow $350.00 on a PCM than possibly lose that flat rate hour.

I had a "private" conversation with the service manager this morning and his response was "that's what the service manual says to do". Lack of concern on their part for the capital outlay really bugs me.

Does anyone else experience this? If so, what do you do about it? Sit on the part and hope you'll use it somewhere?

[cwalden]

A known good part is not considered to be
a part off of the shelf. A known good part
refers to a part that is being used in an
automobile right now,I believe service
manuals even state this.
If this is a non stocking part there is
probably a reason, I.E you havent needed it
to repair a complaint before or it hasnt met
your phase in criteria.
This is truley a forced stock situation,
beware obsolecence looms around this part.

[This message has been edited by cwalden (edited 03-15-2000).]

[MCH627]

This has been a real problem at our store.
If I get a part from another dealership
and it did not fix the problem, I charge
the service dept the mark-up of the part
from the other dealership. We use the ro
number as a p.o. number so the service
manager can track each tech doing this.

[MH]

We had a problem with this too, especially with ECM/BCM's. Put these types of parts in their own source with notes in the comment field so if and when anyone questions it, you're able to identify the parts and/or situations. You then have documentation for later discussions.

[Chuck Hartle]

MH has the best solution to this "Catch-22" problem we all have.

Bob,

Set up a source for these 'forced' stock parts from the service department. The service manager may not give a hoot about the capital outlay but your dealer will. Believe me, if it is a big problem just by tracking these parts and totaling them in a single source will make it easy to show your GM or dealer the dollars that are being wasted by this type of practice.

You could call this the "It's not my fault!" source and report on it monthly to the dealer. It is hard to complain about it and get the point across to anyone if you can't measure it! Source it, and measure it! This will go a long way in beginning to educate your dealer as to the situation in the dealership. Reality will prove that sometimes we just can't get around these kinds of situations, but when they become a common practice rather than the exception we need to have a way to measure it.

Chuck Hartle'

[Bob Smith]

Thanks for the suggestions MH and Chuck.

I just added a source for these items and we'll see how much is actually being wasted.

Maybe I can get the GM/Owner to agree that items like this should become part of the "essential tool" list after first use.

I appreciate the feedback.

[JimH]

When we get a test part back from the service department, we charge the part out on the monthly service supply ticket. If you want the Serv Mgr to see how much they are using each month, hold one ticket open for these "used" electrical parts.

We attach a tag to each part with info about its history, date tried, tech who did it, cost, price charged to serv dept, and date tried. Then, if and when we sell the part, we credit the service supply ticket the amount we had charged.

After a set peroid of time, we return any parts with a core charge to GM. I use a 2nd bin location of "serv" to alert my countermen that we have a tried part.

[cwalden]

I have a question?
Is this transaction a (s) sale or
a (io) inout sale?

[JimH]

I make them (S) sales. It reduces my available inventory because I won't sell them to anybody besides my shop.

I might make an exception for another dealer if he still wants it after I tell him it was a test part. If I do, I credit the service dept.

If all sales and credits are (S) it will keep your inventory straight. Be sure to tell your physical counters not to count any parts with the special tag. I tape the tag over the part number on the package so there is less chance of a mistake.

I have done this for more than 13 years, with 2 dealerships and 3 service managers. I feel this is the fairest way to handle this problem.