pp000830

Automotive service technicians are a lot like doctors in their thought processes and decision constraints.

Doctors adhere to something calls "standards of care" which in some cases they have determined certain standards may or may not be in the best interest of their patents but their employer, the law and their insurance company insists that to avoid financial risk they should not deviate from them.

Things such as proposing to a patient with heart disease to take a half an aspirin twice a day before their first heart attack is not recommended because it is not listed in a Standard of Care. Where recommending it after a first heart attack it is, to inoculate against an inflammation event induced second heart attack. Why wait for ones first heart attack where the risk factors are the same?

Technicians use the manufactures maintenance schedule in the same role as "Standards of Care". Many of the items on the schedule if not done have inconsequential failure modes, like checking the level of windshield washer fluid or greasing the door keeper.

Others are more important such as changing oil regularly as the failure mode is financially catastrophic when the engine begins to burn lots of oil.

Other procedures' intervals, due to owner experience beyond the warranty period, can be lengthened over time. In my opinion things such as the replacement interval for plugs & wires. Others prove to need shorter intervals, such as rotors and caps, then those specified in the OE schedule. Some can be eliminated unless you experience a problem. Some need to be added as they are age related such as replacing the odometer gears that become brittle and all fail once in the life of the vehicle.

For this reason I have opinions that may deviate from those who service our vehicles. Evaluating when a procedure is truly necessary vs following a standard of care can make our cars considerably more affordable in the long run.

All opinion here,
Andy

Quadcammer

please just stop.

AOW162435

Andreas

JB 911

Andy, you should consider posting some of your topics here;

https://rennlist.com/forums/general-...ions-forum-73/

pp000830

Thanks

ronnie993tt

Actually I enjoy Andy's posts and would never see them in the general forum. On this topic, my favourite waste of money is the post hibernation oil change and even the annual oil change. I've talked to several Exxon techs and they feel it is a waste of money changing oil and filters annually on low annual mileage cars.

user 723923490

+1
Andy is the voice of common sense on this forum.

Donster

Not if you're a physician. He sounds more like someone who has very little knowledge of what he's talking about.

Leander

I remember when physicians used to believe that bleeding patients would cure them. I also remember when they used to operate without sterilizing their equipment.

EMBPilot

...i think, no.

chaoscreature

Automotive service technicians are a lot like doctors
Except technicians are held accountable for their work

user 723923490

Tough crowd. Did anyone here think Andy was giving medical advice?

Mark in Baltimore

Well, it wouldn't be the first time in history that Home Depot bathtub caulk was used for a "medical procedure":

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_491550.html

BlackSnake99

So you're like 300 years old? Great memory.

nine9six

I too was wondering about Leander's age