Quote:
1) Never trust someone else's diagnosis!
Steve
Surely this doesn't apply to your good self Steve?
How are you coping with retirement?
Tony.
[/quote]
Naw! It says "someone else's!"
But if I had a quid for every time someone has come to me with "I think it's this" or "the AA man says it's that" or "Joe Bloggs down the pub reckons it's the oojamaflip", let alone a diagnostic computer, well, I could have retired years ago.
I'm not saying no-one else is competent but me, I don't have that kind of vanity!
What i'm trying to say is, engage your own brain before deploying the spanners or buying in expensive parts. Be sure IN YOUR OWN MIND that what you are doing is right and confirm (or deny) a diagnosis yourself.
A case in point, a couple of weeks ago a lady came to me with a brake problem on an 07 Corsa, the brakes were noisy and pulled to the left badly. She showed me a note from another mechanic who had condemned the n/s/f caliper carrier and the o/s/f caliper and flexi hose. So she had bought and supplied me with the relevant parts.
I inspected the n/s first and found no fault save the disc backplate/dustshield was bent and rubbing on the disc which I corrected. On to the o/s and inspection showed a high level of corrosion in the caliper body and carrier but no obvious fault. So I removed the caliper and disconnected the flexi from it, to be rewarded with absolutely nothing, no fluid came out of the open flexi at all! So I moved on to the metal pipe/flexi joint above it, suspecting a damaged flexi (after all "someone else" had condemed it!) but no, no rush of fluid there either! So I traced the metal pipe back back to the ABS block and removed the pipe from it, still no rush of fluid. At this point, just to confirm, I started the engine and stood on the brake pedal HARD. Not only did no fluid come out, but the pedal was firm and high! So the ACTUAL fault was a duff ABS block (seized solenoid in all likelihood) and a bent backplate. Incorrect diagnosis 3 for 3! This had not happened overnight either, she had been experiencing symptoms for months, but being old school (like me) she is quite sparing with the brakes and had somehow managed to survive several months with one front caliper completely inoperative. I think it was only a recent emergency stop that convinced her to take action!
Retirement is pretty much what I expected from listening to the experience of others, I'm busier now!
Steve