Preaching to the choir

Editor's Note: This month, we launch a new column and introduce a new monthly columnist. Meet Donny Seyfer, operations manager at Seyfer Automotive in Wheat Ridge, CO.Seyfer brings his expertise in using new technology to repair vehicles, as well as his knowledge and experience in networking today's service bays with the front office and the rest of the world through computers, servers and the variety of accessories available today.We welcome your comments and topic suggestions.
Please click here to send Donny a message.Most of you reading this are probably pretty Internet savvy, but I have no doubt that you work alongside someone who is always asking for your help. I hope that you direct them to all of the amazing information that is available online rather than bailing them out all the time. (You know who I am talking about.)

Each month, I want to provide tips and techniques to make information and data work for you. This information exists in many different forms. The first one that comes to mind is computer-based information system products, such as ALLDATA or Mitchell 1.

But let me add to your list: How about scan tools (PC-based or otherwise), those secret data plates on vehicles, automobile manufacturer Web sites, the International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN), Identifix’s Direct Hit service or affinity Web sites created by owners or specialists in a particular brand or model of vehicle? Even with all of our resources, professional technicians can often learn from the experience and perceptions of the people who really love or hate their cars. What about the training you receive or information provided by your peers?

Seriously, consider the times when you have felt you are up against the wall trying to figure out how something is supposed to work. Think about what tools you used to aid you. Did you solve the problem or not? If you did, congratulations.

If you did not, let me take you through an example of a difficult diagnostic situation and suggest some ways that you can get to the information you need without spending all day looking for it. Keep in mind that this effort should be part of the diagnostic time your shop sells to your customer — not a “spank the technician” because he or she cannot memorize millions of pages of service information.

A few weeks ago, my toughest customer — my mom — came in with her brand-new 2006 Lincoln Zephyr. She complained that the sunroof and windows were going up and down on their own when the vehicle was parked.

One part of me wanted to tell her, “Just take it back and let Lincoln fix it under warranty.” But the smart part of me knew that they will tell her that they could not duplicate the problem and it would be "no problem found," or NPF. That means it would end up back in my bay sooner or later anyway. So why add the middleman?

I started by checking whether Lincoln had a technical service bulletin (TSB) on the vehicle. I prefer to go to the source and look first, so I connected to Ford’s service information Web site. I found that there was indeed a TSB to update the Smart Junction Box (TSB #05-14-14). Cool, that made most of my job easy … or so I thought.

I fired up my laptop with the Ford IDS software on it, connected to the data link connector (DLC) and ran a quick network test to see whether any codes were present. I also checked for other software updates, because I had seen other TSBs that mentioned updates. I found that the powertrain control module (PCM) and transmission control module (TCM), as well as the heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system all had updates available.

I proceeded with the updates and cycled the key off and on as directed about 15 times, until the IDS reported that it was clearing codes that might have been set during the updates. After restarting the vehicle, the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) came on immediately. A P1639 code was set: corrupted or missing data block in the PCM was present. This means that the Vehicle Identification File (VID) has something damaged or missing.

I looked at the Ford site for help, checked with our Identifix service, checked iATN and found nothing of any value. I downloaded the “As Built” data for the car from the Ford Web site, thinking that I was going to have to perform a blank PCM reprogramming to rebuild the VID file.

Right at that time, it occurred to me that the 2007 Zephyr, now called an MKZ, has an all-wheel-drive (AWD) option. What if the new software added that parameter to the VID, and it was blank? Once again, I whipped out the laptop and fired up the IDS software, went into programmable parameters and there it sat: “FWD or AWD.”

I clicked front-wheel-drive (FWD), IDS rewrote the VID file and the “Check Engine” light went out. I sent Mom — er, my customer — on her way.

* Total time = 0.7 hour.

* Total time if I did not have the information and a process to follow = who knows?

I proceeded to fire off an information update request to the Ford Webmaster through the National Automotive Service Task Force Web site at www.nastf.org. I also copied the folks at IATN and Identifix on the solution. I received a response from Ford a couple of days later, saying it was putting together a new TSB for the problem.

Within two weeks, Ford published a new TSB on the code P1639 for the MKZ, Zephyr, Fusion and Milan, as well as a new TSB with information on reflashing challenges that techs run into and how to solve them. I could tell you the numbers and make it easy on you, but I think I will let you do your own homework and see the real power of checking for information before you begin a repair or diagnosis.

But, then, you knew that because you already sing in the choir.

Clearly, this is an unusual situation. Still, I hope it can be a tool to put in your mental toolbox as you grow your knowledgebase on this fairly unexplored and unpredictable technology. If you have suggestions on topics you would like covered — anything from turning on your PC to this type of computer-meets-car experience — please send us your comments.