Modern vehicles and their electrickery, they are making Mechanics lazy
The Ratmobile suffered a breakdown, actually it wasn't as dramatic as that. Dragonlady brought the Motorhome out to get it ready for our Scotland trip a week or so ago and there was a selection of warning lights on the dash
According to the manual the problem was ABS related. I called the AA, hoping it would be a simple electronic reset, AA man arrives, not a spanner in sight. Diagnostic device plugged into the van and....
"It's something to do with your ABS mate"
No investigation, no lifting the bonnet just some friendly advice to take it to a Fiat dealer.
I start ringing around, bear in mind this is a vehicle that cost close to £60,000 and was a year old
the best the big Fiat dealers could do was fit me in in eight weeks
I called a small local dealer (some benefit of living in a one horse town), they agreed, with some pleading to fit me in in a few days time
The day arrives, because of the fault the van is in limp mode, no speedo and very limited acceleration (not good in a 28 foot vehicle), anyway, I get it to the dealer, I then watch him plug his diagnostic device in and.....
"It's something to do with your ABS mate"
For the love of Jebus
I then have to limp the van back home, I hadn't realised that the appointment they had given me was just to diagnose (or not)
A new appointment was made for the following week (meaning our Scotland trip was cancelled).
Same drama, limped the van back to the dealer and drop it off. A couple of hours later they call me to say it is fixed
It turns out that a connector had come loose
With all the bloody technology today, the skills of a Mechanic seem to now be dictated by an electronic diagnostic machine, why couldn't the AA man have investigated, why couldn't the Fiat dealer have done a basic inspection during our first visit, why, why, why