In today's high tech fast
moving industry, the automotive technician has to be very highly trained dealing
with systems like engine management, A.B.S, electronic transmissions and airbags.
Continual training and a constant source of updated technical information are
paramount, and vital to the survival of today's technician.
Along with highly trained technicians, the modern workshop needs to be very
well equipped, sometimes with expensive items such as engine analysers and emission
testers. Today's vehicles are becoming very technical indeed, to a point where
a late model vehicle can be in a poor state of tune, yet not necessarily display
a drivability symptom. Conversely, the vehicle may exhibit driveability
symptoms which a tune may not rectify.
This is hard to understand
by a customer who whenever his/her red motor Holden had a problem just put it
in for a tune and invariably it was fixed.
This of course can make it difficult for the motorist to determine if there
is a problem with the vehicle or not. Equally, it can make it just as difficult
for the technician to diagnose such a problem unless he or she has been trained
to do so, and has access to modern diagnostic equipment. The diagnosis time
alone for an intermittent EFI fault could run into hours and at $40/$60 per
hour, this can be quite crippling for an owner.
With this in mind the emphasis
has to be on preventive maintenance. By having your vehicle serviced regularly
at the recommended service intervals you will save money on fuel bills, and
help keep pollution levels to a minimum.
Despite the fact that our emission control laws in Australia are among the strictest
in the world, most vehicles on the road if subjected to an emissions test would
unfortunately fail. This is due primarily to an overall lack of maintenance
on vehicles new and old on our road today. It is also a proven fact that the
cost of servicing a vehicle regularly over a few years is far less than a vehicle
facing a repair bill from a mechanical failure due to lack of service.
Food for thought
Happy Motoring
Ken Fendle