Repair Flow Charts

[Oilydad]

Many years ago in one of the Sunday papers, I collected a series of Repair Flow Charts which were given away by the AA. They were A5 size, and I think there were 5 of them.

Long since lost or chucked away inadvertantly, but I can remember how useful they were in diagnostic work. I used to keep them in the car all the time.

I came across these today whilst looking for something similar and wondered if anyone knows of others? They may be useful for basic diagnostic and repair work for some less mechanically inclined members, apart from saving a few quid.

http://www.ifitjams.com/

[Laney760]

They're really useful. I recently had a braking problem which turned out to be a very bad lip on the (quite new) front pads, the brake flow chart would have led me to broken or worn pads straightaway, led me in the right direction, whereas I had been faffing around with calipers for ages believing that the newness of the front discs and pads automatically eliminated them from the equation

[Oilydad]

As a follow up to this, would anyone be interested in forming a 'group' to maybe put together some flow charts specifically for our Volvos?

I know that NO flow chart can cover all eventualities, but they are certainly a help when working through a problem methodically.

I'd be willing to do the work with the flowcharts (being retired soon I will have plenty of time on my hands), but obviously would need lots and lots of information from all sorts of sources and owners. Might take a few months to put it all together, but what do you think?

Feedback please.

[Oilydad]

Well..........Maybe I'll just go ahead and do it anyway.

It will keep me out of mischief!!

[DWM]

I think it's a fantastic idea and I haven't volunteered only because you can write what I know about fault-finding on a postage stamp.

I reckon if you can make a start others will join in when they see the beauty of the project. Thank you.

[Oilydad]

Thanks for that DWM. A very honest perspective on it. That's something that I will remember as the basis for the flow charts. I will assume that anyone using them will have very little, if any, mechanical knowledge.

[Anadinolin]

Originally Posted by DWM

I think it's a fantastic idea and I haven't volunteered only because you can write what I know about fault-finding on a postage stamp.

I reckon if you can make a start others will join in when they see the beauty of the project. Thank you.

if you could send it to him, it would be a great start to his flow chart...and stamp collection

the flow charts would be great, specially if they had pictures relevant to the parts...so throttle body being mentioned in a box would warrant a picture of a general throttle body for those of us who dont speak technical-like

[Oilydad]

Yeah. Sod the stamp collection, but one thing that is always significant to me, is that when people talk about changing parts they very rarely tell you exactly where they are on the vehicle, which is always a good idea. Also what size spanners you need to remove parts. It's all useful info to the DIY mechanics.

The Haynes is pretty useless for this sort of information, and unless you have an Ebay copy of Vadis, it can be a pain when you really need the information.

[Anadinolin]

Originally Posted by Oilydad

The Haynes is pretty useless for this sort of information, and unless you have an Ebay copy of Vadis, it can be a pain when you really need the information.

haynes was more help than VADIs on one or two occasions to be honest....but both are a little unweildy when it is assumed that the unit comes sealed and as a whole....for example - driveshafts

i was doing a CV joint boot and the driveshaft fell out of the gearbox end...ball bearings went everywhere and i kacked my khakis

http://volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=123853

at any rate, a range of spanners would be great use....what about alternative tooling incase the proper tools arent available or too expensive? i.e the piston wind-back tool on the rear calipers for the V40, apparantly it needs a special tool....went down to volvo in bishops stortford...they are using G-clamps with the little rotating disk on the end of the windy bit to push back the piston, their reasoning was that tool makers scare you into buying this stuff and are in cahoots with haynes - product placement. if the piston "winds" or "rotates" as it returns, the pressure from the G clamp and the rotating disk would allow for it allready

[lyron]

what!! you say you will have a lot of spare time on your hands when you retire you must be joking,great idea with the flow charts and thank you for posting the link.