EGR?

[Shannen Durphey]

Dave Williams wrote:
> 
> -> > 2-3 mpg, right off the top.  The first test a line mechanic does
> -> when a > customer brings a vehicle in with a lost-mileage complaint
> -> is an EGR > valve test.
> 
> > It is?  And here I always asked "When was the last tune up" as the
> > first test. ; )
> 
>  Jeez, you must work in an ancient dealership!  Modern dealerships
> employ "ticket writers" to interface with customer-vermin; the
> relationship between the problem on the ticket and what the customer
> brought the car in for is sometimes tenuous.  In any event, no line
> mechanic ever deals with a customer nowadays.  They might get cooties or
> something.
> 
Ancient??  Just because they still have service manuals for cars from
the 50's, does that make them ancient?  Sometimes, the Service Manager
would grab his tools out and help me, and the other tech.  I could
order parts, write up RO's, mechanic, paint (not really good at that),
and do body work, fix the shop equipment, maintain the shop's two
computers, and would routinely get calls on weekends and after hours. 
That was when I was in Montana, where diversity is the only way to get
ahead.  We had it pretty good by comparison.  At a GM training course,
two of the guys were mentioning how they'd never used a hoist, and
never wanted to.  The big guy was really happy laying trannies on his
stomach and installing them without a jack.  This was the Pioneer
Garage in Jordan.  And Jordan, BTW, was where the Freemen were holed
up.

Now, I'm in a closed shop.  We get a little bit of customer work, and
I try to be at the desk whenever it comes in.  It's a good idea to at
least show yourself to the car owner, IMHO.
Shannen