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My worry about the hands-off trend in inspections
I've seen a lot of mechanics rely only on digital tools now. They scan the system and call it good. But computers can miss things. For example, I found loose bolts on a hoistway door that the diagnostics said were fine. Another time, the motor sounded off but the readout was green. We need to trust our senses too. It's safer that way.
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nora_wood433mo ago
Actually, those digital tools catch way more than we ever could by just looking and listening... Our ears and eyes get tired, and we all have bad days where we miss stuff. I've seen guys swear a part is fine because it sounds okay, but the scan shows a tiny fault code that would've caused a big failure later. Loose bolts are a basic check... any good tech still does physical inspections along with the computer scan. The tools are for the hard stuff. Relying on senses alone is risky because people skip steps or assume things. The data doesn't lie. So maybe the trend isn't about being hands-off, but about using the best tools for each job... tech and touch together.
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jade322mo ago
That part about the data not lying really hits home. I remember my old boss, guy was a wizard with a wrench but hated scanners. He kept saying his gut knew better than any machine. Well, his gut missed a failing sensor that a simple code reader would have spotted, and the customer came back with a tow truck a week later. It's like what nora_wood43 said, you need both. That boss taught me a ton about feel, but it was a hard lesson that feel has its limits too.
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