[HoovDaddy]

Originally Posted by Shiny

Thanks for this!

I'm just curious but do you know how the repair data was shared with Pontiac/GM? Did you ever see a list of "frequent" or "top" repair actions, either under warranty or not? Clearly they had what I call a "quality management system" and I'm curious to know how it worked. I've never seen discussion of this on the forum.. but I've never gone looking for it either

For example, I'm sure you got repair bulletins and parts change notices that were based on dealer service data (although some changes were probably trigggered by discovery in factory or engineering tests - "late discovery").

The top of the list may also have guided staffing decisions for your management (ie how many hours for a typical repair to decide how many techs were needed).

And as long as I'm spewing random questions, did service department managers report to the dealership or did they have their own management chain within Pontiac/GM?

Only warranty repairs were shared with Pontiac Motor Div., that's how the dealer got paid for parts and labor. There were no computers until the late '70s, so all data was input on a teletype machine and sent via phone line to PMD. Customer pay work wasn't kept track of by the dealer or PMD. If a problem occurred soon after the warranty expired, that the customer thought should be covered, or a failure that wasn't covered under warranty, that would be the only time PMD got involved.

I can remember '78 Firebird GM T-top roofs collapsing behind the windshield over railroad tracks. Those claims and the following caught the attention of PMD. Roofs on '78 G bodies rotting out, Transmission coolers on early 70's cars failing. When gasoline started having alcohol added, around 1979, it destroyed accelerator pumps causing a change to Viton. Early speedo hall-effect sensors failed regularly. Serious warranty findings from the dealer level would generate a Service Bulletin.

No list of common repairs, you just remembered it. A walk through the parts room could tell you the popular repairs.

Quality at the dealer level was important, but a short step behind making money. All warranty parts had to be saved for 90 days when a GM rep would approve them for scrap. Some parts PMD was interested in inspecting due to increased warranty claims.

Staffing was determined by work load/reasonable repair time, shop space was also a consideration. There were flat rate books and GM had their own warranty times.

Service managers reported to the dealer owner or general manager. Larger dealers usually had a manager that oversaw Service/Parts/Body Shop. The individual managers reported to that manager.

Around 1979, Michigan required that mechanics be ASE certified which was not welcomed with open arms back then. Then in 1980 cars had the first computer and much training was required. People didn't have home computers yet, nobody knew how to fix these things. Pretty rocky time for a mechanic, a lot to take in.