PROPER DIAGNOSIS AND PART REPLACEMENT

It has come to our attention that numerous parts are being replaced on cars under repair without verifying that the parts replaced were in fact "defective."

The customer may be impressed by the initial repair effort but, their opinion of the service received can quickly becomes unfavorable when the condition recurs. When working on intermittents and no trouble found conditions, every effort should be made to verify the complaint and diagnose the condition. The GM-CAMS vehicle service monitor and the Tech One Scanner (used in the snapshot mode) are excellent diagnostic tools to assist in diagnosing intermittent driveability conditions. Our Technical Assistance Center also stands by to assist in these cases. If the problem cannot be diagnosed, or the condition is considered "normal," the customer should be advised and the repair order should reflect the same.

It becomes extremely difficult to sell the customer any customer pay items when we cannot diagnose and repair "a simple warranty item." It is also difficult to convince an owner or an arbitrator that nothing was wrong with the car when we just spent considerable time and money trying to fix it.

Thank you for your continued cooperation in helping maintain customer satisfaction.

General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.