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<center><big><big><b><i><font color="#3333ff">Giammalvo Files</font></i></b></big></big></center>
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<p><i><font color="#000000">Mark Giammalvo specializes in driveability
diagnostics </font><font color="#000000">at his family business,
Sam Giammalvo's Auto Sales & Service, Inc. in New</font>
<font color="#000000">Bedford, MA. </font> </i>
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<i><font
color="#000000">Mark, who has been with the business for
over 20 years, is an ASE Master Technician and Parts Specialist.
He also holds the ASE L1 certification, and has an
associates degree in business</font> <font color="#000000">management.
<br>
Mark is also a writer for Motor Age Magazine and is the past secretary
of the Alliance of Automotive Service Professionals, (AASP).</font></i>
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<p><small><i><font color="#000000">(Printed in the Journal of The Alliance
of Automotive Service Providers, AASP) </font></i></small></p>
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<big><big><b> Wire Woes</b></big></big>
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Recently we had a regular customer bring in his 1997 V-6 Ford Explorer
with a complaint of both engine skipping and a flashing check engine light.
An analysis of misfire history with our scan-tool revealed that the Explorer
was suffering from a misfire condition on multiple cylinders. The cause
was found to be faulty spark plug wires. Being an OBDII (On Board Diagnostics
II software) compliant vehicle the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) was correct
in flashing the check engine light to alert the customer to a <i>"Catalyst
Damaging Missfire." </i>Once the customer was called and advised of the
situation he made an unusual request. The customer had heard a lot about
Jacobs Electronics and their ignition products. I myself have heard they
offer an excellent product line. The customer asked us if we could contact
this company to see if we could purchase their spark plug wire set. I told
the customer I would look them up on the Internet and give them a call. After
a brief search I found their web site. The site listed all their products.
Everything was there but a phone number. No matter what page I viewed there
was no phone number, not even a mailing address so I could place a call to
information and look them up. Then, after looking at some automotive magazine
web sites, I found their phone number. Upon calling them the company advisor
stated that they did not sell direct to the public but only to dealers. I
advised them that we were an independent dealership and not an end consumer.
Still, they would not sell to us. They offered several phone numbers of dealers
or distributors that we would have to purchase from. A call to the distributor
proved to be quite interesting. The distributer wanted us to fill out a credit
application and mail them our most recent business tax statements. I advised
the distributor that all we wanted to do was purchase one spark plug wire
set to satisfy a customer's request. Still, no dice. I decided to hang up.
I was not about to call our accountant and turn our dealership upside down
to disclose our personal business tax information and assets for a $50.00
set of spark plug wires. I called the customer an explained my dilemma.
The customer was very understanding. So understanding that I decided to
break the general automotive industry rule about customer supplied parts.
I told the customer that if he could somehow acquire these spark plug wires
he so dearly wanted, that I would install them even though we were not making
any income on the parts. The customer thanked me and came to pick up his
Explorer. <br>
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Approximately two weeks later the customer called to again book another
appointment. Now the customer had finally purchased the wire set and wanted
them installed. On the day of the appointment the customer came in with
the still badly skipping Explorer. Now we had another dilemma. The wire
set would not fit the Explorer. No matter how we ran the wires, even in
a straight line, outside of the factory loom clips, no single wire would
make the path from coil to plug. Again we offered to use our brand spark
plug wires but the customer took the skipping Explorer home to again try
to locate the correct wire set. <br>
<br>
After yet another week of skipping and coughing, the Explorer was back
again. Finally, this time he had the correct wire set. We installed the
wires with no problem and cleared the PCM's trouble codes. <br>
<br>
Overall it was a long haul but in the end the customer got the spark
plug wires he wanted. I am left wondering though what damaged was caused
in the process. Driving a vehicle skipping that badly, for that long, usually
results in damage to the catalytic converter, ignition coils and ignition
module. Well, it does not all happen all at once but it is usually a latent
failure which can total upwards of $1100.00. Well until those symptoms begin
to show up, the customer is satisfied for now. Chalk it up to another day
in the life of auto repair.<br>
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