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Date:         Thu, 7 Sep 2000 15:59:47 EDT
Reply-To:     Pfunky@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Patrick Foltz <Pfunky@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: scammed? Idle stabilizer
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 9/7/2000 12:21:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, KENWILFY@AOL.COM writes:

<<Subject: Re: idle stabelizer control unit solution? Unfortunately you have been scammed.>> Having just come back from visiting the shop I worked in for ten years, I have to take exception to this badmouthing of professional technicians. It's a damn tough job on every front, and while there are some less than honest folks out there, for the most part they are honest and fair. Mr. Wilford is hearing this second hand and seems to be making an awful lot of assumptions in his decision.

<< As far as the other two items, you, yourself could replace them in less than 30 mins (I could do both of these items in less than 10mins).>> So, what do you charge to install these items, 10 minutes labor? Also, having diagnosed many Bosch systems in my time, there is a fair amount of testing that needs to be done before condemning those parts. The temp sensor should be checked over a wide range of temps, and testing an idle control unit and/or motor requires a good frequency meter to properly diagnose. It is reckless to throw parts at a car and hope they fix themselves and is considered unprofessional (kind of like badmouthing another technician's work on word of mouth). Proper diagnosis takes time and a competent technician should, ney, must charge for his time. When was the last time anyone went to the doctor and left without a bill?

<<both are pretty much plug and play. >> Diagnosis? or Parts Roulette?

<<The temp sender is the only slightly less straightforward thing here. You have to pull a clip, pop out the old one and pop in the new one quickly so as not to lose coolant, but then you just plug it in and it is good to go.>> You're telling me that you would open up the cooling system of a wasserboxer and let it go without warming it up and making sure there weren't coolant issues stemming from changing the temp sensor? You are brave.

Sorry to flame you, Ken, I don't mean this as a personal attack, but that "mechanics are crooks" attitude is far too prevelant in the general public, and should not be carried by someone who makes his living working on cars.

Patrick Foltz (12yrs Auto tech, ASE Master Cert, MACS, Virginia State Insp, blah)


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