How do Garages Know?

wonder_lander

wonder_lander

wonder_lander

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
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Stone, Staffordshire
I'm going to be taking my Alfa in to have the headlight motor replaced before the MOT and am wondering how garages know how to work on cars?

For instance to remove the headlight on the Alfa you need to first remove the bumber. Do garages have a massive haynes manual so they know how to do it or do they just ....."work it out"?

The Alfa isn't the most common car on the road and it's going into a general garage for the work so is there any merit in me grabbing the necessary information to give them when I drop the car off?
 
I guess the dangerous thing is that they don't always know - which is why it's usually better to go to a manufacturer specific garage rather than a jack of all trades.
 
I generally take a look at what im about to do and if its a big job, then trial and error.. If your compentent enough you shouldnt break anything!
 
You/They either work it out themselves through being practical or they ring around there other mates in the trade. ;)
 
Autodata has tonnes of information, not on how to change headlamp motors though. A lot of the time it's a case of making it up as you go along.
 
Autodata, its a really cool program that lists near enough every make model and year of every car.
It gives times for most jobs, how you get to whatever part and anything else you have to remove in the process, basically everything you'd ever need to know about any car.
Its awesome but only available for garages and comes at a nice price id imagine.

edit; Doh, beaten to it!
 
I've got a couple of good garages I use, but they're not mark specific.
I usually give them the relevant dealer manual printouts when I take my car in for some work (if it's not something I want to do myself).

Makes it easier for them, and less chance of something going wrong when they're working on my car (but I know them well, so they don't think I'm being a cheeky barsteward).
 
If the work was being done at a FIAT/Alfa/Lancia dealer then they would be using an on-line system called eLEARN. It's an on-line workshop manual system.

They also have ePER, the parts catalogue, some forums actually host ePER publicly. There is also eLUM where you can download owners manuals.
 
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I've got the entire GTV workshop manual (something which I assume was invented before eLUM) in PDF format. Its basically an idiots guide on how to do everything from what tools are needed to how long it takes. From what I remember its about 1000 pages so must have been a hefty paperweight in its time.
 
Aren't the manufacturers required to make this information available to independent garages, and there's a bit of a stink going on as the law that requires is up for renewal/revision quite soon.

Of course the manufacturing industry don't want to make it available as it helps protect their dealer network.

I would've thought that with a car like an Alfa a half decent mechanic would get offended if you turned up telling them how to change a headlight. Ok it's not a common car but it's not an uncommon car either.

OTOH if you have any mods, bring the manuals for those along if they're relevant to the job. The alignment guy who worked on my car needed it for the adjustable camber bushes I recently had fitted and appreciated it.

If I'm concerned I tend to stick around, watch the work, and point out unusual features or modifications before they **** them up. The trick is not to interfere too much.
 
Lum said:
Aren't the manufacturers required to make this information available to independent garages, and there's a bit of a stink going on as the law that requires is up for renewal/revision quite soon.
Click to expand...

Nope, they are only required to disclose certain OBD information.

They sell workshop manuals to their own dealers and anyone else who's willing to buy.

Haynes, Autodata and the likes work out how to do things themselves as well as using information they have licensed from the manufacturers.
 
/Searches Newzbin for Autodata

/Curses

/Searches torrent sites

/Possible Jackpot!
 
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Gaijin said:
/Searches Newzbin for Autodata

/Curses

/Searches torrent sites

/Possible Jackpot!
Click to expand...

*1 week later*

/Runs multiple spyware removal packages and still can't get rid of all those popups

/Unknowingly sends viagra ads to millions of people daily.

/Helps DDOS the US foreign office website

/Reinstalls Windows.
 
Lum said:
*1 week later*

/Runs multiple spyware removal packages and still can't get rid of all those popups

/Unknowingly sends viagra ads to millions of people daily.

/Helps DDOS the US foreign office website

/Reinstalls Windows.
Click to expand...

Thanks the interwebs for sandboxie ;)
 
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