Tech Info Can Keep You Running
When their vehicles break down and they face a costly repair, motorists invariably ask, “Why did that happen to me?”
The answer is often contained in documents called technical service bulletins, which are issued by manufacturers to help dealership mechanics solve common problems.
Getting your hands on the technical service bulletins for your vehicle--and it is increasingly easy to do so--will help you immeasurably in knowing what kinds of problems to expect. If you can get the bulletins before your warranty expires, you can also ask for repairs on parts destined to fail.
A broken motor mount or a transmission glitch or a power-brake failure may seem like bad luck. Yet all too often such breakdowns are the result of design or manufacturing defects detailed in the bulletins, more than 6,000 of which are issued every year.
Not long after the first unit of a new model drives off the assembly line, manufacturers begin to get reports that certain parts are failing at a high rate. In response, they develop modifications and then issue bulletins to advise mechanics on how to deal with the problem.
In some cases, hundreds of motorists are having the same bad-hair day, stuck in a dealership lounge with a too-loud TV or waiting for a tow truck on the freeway.
Some models will have just a few bulletins after many years, whereas others might have more than 100 bulletins. The problems they detail can range from the trivial to life-critical.
For example, let’s say you hear a chirping sound from your 1997 Lincoln Continental and wonder why your luxury coach sounds like a meadow lark. A look at the bulletins would disclose that the problem is the blower motor’s electrical brushes.
At the other end of the spectrum are the problematic brakes on the 1997 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe. According to a General Motors service bulletin, the car’s anti-lock brake system has a defect and “a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.” GM separately recalled the vehicles for a fix.
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In the past, it was extremely difficult for consumers to get their hands on these bulletins, and even many independent mechanics were in the dark. But all that has changed dramatically.
Automotive publishers Mitchell Repair Information, Alldata and Helm Inc. sell these bulletins and other repair manuals to independent garages across the nation.
But of the roughly 300,000 repair garages nationwide, only about 60,000 subscribe to either Mitchell or Alldata, the two major suppliers, said Nick Diverde, product manager for Mitchell’s compact disc system. In selecting a garage, one good question to ask is whether it subscribes to a bulletin service or tries to fly blindly into repairs.
Alldata also began selling the bulletins and repair data to consumers about a year and a half ago through its Internet site (https://www.alldata.com) and at auto-parts stores. Alldata supplies a CD with the bulletins for $20 and repair manuals for an extra $10.
Walt Samuelson, an Alldata vice president, said the company’s information guides are intended not for novices but for consumers who have a fairly high level of automotive knowledge. Alldata’s Web site also has a useful free listing of the titles and numbers of all bulletins for various manufacturers.
Car makers have myriad policies on sharing bulletins with customers, though some will provide specific bulletins to customers who ask for them by number or title.
In general, manufacturers say they are not trying to hide bulletins from their customers. But none of the major car companies posts its bulletins on the Web, for example.
Ford Motor Co. refers requests to Helm, which is based in Highland Park, Mich., and sells bulletins for $6 each. But you have to know the number of the bulletin to place an order. Helm can be reached at (800) 782-4356.
In the early ‘90s, GM made bulletins available free of charge under the terms of a court settlement, but it has since discontinued that policy, a spokeswoman said. The company will give customers individual bulletins if they contact one of GM’s various division customer service departments.
A Honda Motor Co. spokesman said the company provides bulletins upon request, either through a dealer or from Honda’s district customer service centers.
In addition, a limited number of bulletins dealing with safety can be obtained free of charge at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site (https://www.nhtsa.dot.gov).
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Times staff writer Ralph Vartabedian cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to automotive questions of general interest. Do not telephone. Write to Your Wheels, 1875 I St. N.W., No. 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006, or e-mail ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com.
