Some of us thrive on problem jobs whilst others shy away.
Most of the time these jobs need a combination of advanced diagnostic equipment, accurate technical data, in-depth knowledge of modern vehicle systems and plenty of time to get to the route cause.
Very occasionally, a good helping of luck and a vehicle technician’s sixth sense does the trick.
I received a call from a local garage regarding a problem Vauxhall Astra with a four-month back-story and an owner at his wits end.
They gave me a brief history; the car had gone into a workshop for the gearbox to be replaced and the engine wouldn’t start afterwards.
They were the sixth garage to attempt to locate the fault and, after eight hours, had given up.
The question was simple; would I be prepared to take on the job?
I spoke to the car’s owner later that day.
In addition to what I already knew he had also taken the car to both a Vauxhall specialist and a diagnostic specialist, the latter fielding some theories about faulty wiring going to a door module or a faulty ABS module and offering to buy the car, not something he wanted to hear.
The engine computer and column-integrated module (CIM) had both been replaced.
His bill so far was nearly £1000 and his car still didn’t start.
The next day his car took another trip on a recovery truck, this time in my direction.
I didn’t know how long it would take or how much it would cost but I would get his car running again.
My first task was to carry out basic checks…
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