Hey guys I'm a 2nd year apprentice i work on volvo construction equipment and i am wondering how you master/journeyman mechanics develop your diagnostic skills. Any advice or tips would be awesome!!!!!!
1. Understand how the system in question works. No one expects anyone to know everything about everything off the top of their head, so if you come across something that you're unfamiliar with, reach for the shop manual but read the Systems Operation section before you read Troubleshooting section. 2. Take the Systems Operation manual home. Make it your bedtime reading. 3. Ask the operator questions about the problem before you reach for the tools. 4. Look confident. 5. Drink rum. If anyone questions you, tell them you're practicing to be a pirate. 6. Don't play with yourself more then twice a night. You'll make it sore and you'll find it hard to concentrate.
As always Cmark is spot on!!!
Absolute gold mate, The voice of experience?
Its not easy to remember EVERYTHING.. Get your self a good note book.. Once you find and fix the problem, write it down.. it will keep you from chasing your tail if it happens a year from now on another piece of equipment.. I have a note book I've had for over 30 years!!!! I thought someone had stolen it once and actually offered a reward for it.!!!! Just so happened, I misplaced it while I was looking up parts.. I have p#'s in there that are NO LONGER AVAILABLE on micro fiche or computer BUT STILL instock at the factory.. a 200.00 overflow valve with a broken spring can be fixed with a 3.00 spring but you cant find the spring # ANYWHERE on these "new" programs.. all they give you is the p# for an overflow valve..{200.00] See what I mean.. keep a note book.. I have the kind that takes the cardboard index cards, so if I run out of room, just add more cards.. Some of the cards are full and so covered in black grease you can hardly read the p#'s.. just rewrite the info and cover it w/ clear tape and your good for another 30 years.. PLUS the added bonus of NOT HAVING to go and ask the senior mechanic how to do something, over and over for the SAME PROBLEM is priceless.!!!!! I've been on the otherside of THAT COIN.. SAME PROBLEM, SAME MECHANIC, SAME FIX as last time he asked.. I tell them, " DONT show up to work tomorrow without a note book"... Works EVERYTIME.. Good luck and happy wrenching..
listen to the operator & ask him questions about the problem, sometimes its a simple fix other times its a PITA!! you don't have to have a notebook in this day & age you can use your laptop or phone but make sure you have it saved on a backup incase something happens lol it will come to you with more experience, the more you see the more you learn. like the others have said you cant remember everything DONT TRY itll make your head hurt!! but always remember where to go look up what you need to know
I have a hard time learning from just a book or online courses. I can't just memorize something, I need to understand it. Because I am always asking questions, (the book or online don't answer) some are like this: 1. You taught it me it does this, what happens if I do something else ? (forwards and backwards) 2. You taught me what it does (or supposed to do) what won't it do ? 3. How does it fail ?
FSERVICE>> I said the SAME THING to my boss 1 day.. He asked me about a torque spec and I said give me a minute.. he said, you don't know that off the top of your head?? I said, why should I remember that, when I KNOW WHERE to LOOK IT UP.??? He seemed impressed..
thanks thanks that is really good advice i will be getting new notebook today.
all these different kinds of advice from all you guys is big help hopefully if i keep applying myself ill make journeyman in three and half years instead of 5 @cmark thanks for the advice i will try not to touch myself to much but so far i have failed. "Snap-On and Craftsman is the same **** its te letters your paying for"- Abraham Lincoln.
Perfect! I followed these religiously as a young man especially number 2, but never got into the habit of drinking rum, only beer, vodka, or bourbon... this may explain my lack of success in life?
All here are good suggestions but I would suggest to not worry to much about troubleshooting ability just yet. If you want to diagnose engines, do some rebuilding first. You want to learn transmission troubleshooting, put your hands in the guts of broken ones to start with. For hydraulics you need to learn about the various types of components in all the systems you will likely be working with. Diagnostic ability starts with a base in how something works but someone real good at it likely has years of experience to work with. You won't get good at it until you have to do lots of it.
A place I worked at had a $1 cold drinks vending machine in the workshop. The secret was that one of the supposedly "empty" slots would vend cans of premixed rum and coke. Strictly for 5pm on a Friday though.
You need to go to bed wearing boxing gloves.
Sandpaper mittens?