How would one quantitate how rough an idle is?

Steve W. wrote:
> Geoff Welsh wrote:
>> I often get work orders that say "check runs rough" when an
>> engine is obviously misfiring.
>>
> Sounds like your writer is like a couple I worked with, don't ask the
> customer any real questions, just let the tech figure out what's going
> on...
>
> My favorite was "Customer Complaint - car acts strange" WHAT????????????
>

"check noise" is my favorite.

I have yet to see a legit customer complaint, he just writes what HE
thinks we should do......groan. I guess he doesn't mind me waiting
around to ask him, "WHICH NOISE? The vrrroooom? That's normal"

GW

wrote:
> On Sunday, March 16, 2014 3:12:09 PM UTC-4, Geoff Welsh wrote:
>
>> I would suggest the Jenga Method. See how many blocks you can
>> stack-up on the hood.
>>
> I love it! I could lean my head against the side of the open hood
> and feel the vibration at idle. I bet there's a way to measure that,
> but the point by Steve and GW is well taken - no substitute for
> experience. Your stories about the writers are great. Thanks.
>

what's flat-out ffffing sad, is that Step One, in the diagnostic process
is "verify the customer complaint". That's not my opinion, that's on
the ASE tests, and taught in all classes. So without a customer
complaint, the work order is, well, INVALID.

Every article I have ever read on service writing talks about getting a
GOOD descriptive, customer complaint....I'd settle for ANY complaint

Customers seem to want to tell you what they think is broken rather than
what's happening. I've been meaning to make a big sign:

Please just tell us:

1. My car DOES ______________ and it shouldn't.

or

2. My car DOES NOT _____________ and it should.

and

p.s. I don't want to know about your feelings or your plans for the day.

GW

wrote:

> I imagine you'd use a scope and some kind of measure about how much the
> idle rpm varies during the course of a few seconds, no?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_pattern

Usually used for high speed digital signal analysis. But this is an
analogous situation at much slower speeds.

--
Paul Hovnanian
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Marching to a different kettle of fish.