Is it just me - or shouldn't the text of automotive recalls and Technical Service Bulletins be freely available on the internet? Is this 1950s Moscow, or the Land of the Free???
I find it annoying, arrogant, communist, and depending upon the the issue with your particular vehicle, DANGEROUS to have to pay for access to, or even have to register an account, to read this critical information. And it doesn't matter if it's a rattly glove box door or a gasoline leak that could result in fire.
I encourage all automotive mechanics, technicians, and even customers, with access to the full text of TSBs related to their issues, to post that text here on Usenet, or on Facebook, or where they deem fit to share it.
I did the cold war thing. I've read opinions from other spooks that the new form of US with bosses always getting away with things is, in these profes sional opinions, very soviet.
I had a problem with some non-auto equipment, and asked for help, and searc hed, and by the time I found out what to do to fix it, too late. My "WTF" e xasperated talk was met with "ooh, if they told folks how to fix it, they w ould know it wasn't perfect, and it would cost sales".
Well, it was a ground swell of grass roots customer research that helped solve power steering and rear end alignment issues causing their then new 2011-2013 Hyundai Sonatas to pull one way or another or wander across lanes. Very often dealer service departments were way behind on TSBs concerning power steering modes available for adjustment via the shop computers they plug into the dash, and didn't have the latest rear alignment specs for the cars!
Because of this, they were telling customers:
"there is no setting/adjustment for that"
"You simply aren't used to electric steering"
"We would be deviating from factory setting" (When it was the FACTORY that programmed the damn things!!!)
etc etc.
So customers started doing research on line, and discovered TSBs and procedures that had not yet filtered down to the dealers for whatever reason, and most were successful at having the adjustments made. The ones that didn't get serviced were likely the victims of dealer techs that didn't appreciate being caught knowing less about their product than their customers. (!)
You can browse the Hyundai Forums for the threads concerning the steering mode solution.
TSBs are not written until a verifiable complaint/issue is actually found as a "common" problem and a solution is found.
TSBs go out to the dealers as soon as the company publishes them on the support systems. BUT the techs may not have access to them unless the correct tools/parts used in the TSB are also available at that dealer and the dealer has released them. However a TSB isn't treated like a recall item, they don't do the repair/adjustment unless the vehicle is brought in with a complaint that falls under the TSB.
So at the time they were saying that there is no setting, it is very possible that the company had not identified the issue as a problem.
One thing that forums and tech help lines have done for auto repair is made it somewhat easier to figure out if something is a real issue, and if there are any real repairs possible.
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