Meet the Technicians:
The Volvo Doctors are in
And Ready to Fix Your Car

By Liz O'Connell Gates

Similarities between physicians and auto mechanics were plain to see at Ackerman's recently as master automotive technician Adam Anderson probed an elevated Volvo 240 with a beaked stethoscope designed to locate noises in the heart of the car. At the shop the mechanics often wear surgical gloves since the work is greasy and Adam and his co-worker, master automotive technician Eric Bjorklund-- both ASE certified--have occasionally found rats' nests in the heating systems of infrequently used vehicles. "Never a dull moment around here," said Adam opening and closing compartments of a toolbox lined with screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets, hammers, coiled stethoscopes, and pressure gauges.

Adam and Eric honed their skills differently, but their passion for automotive technology brought them together at a car repair facility in Marin fourteen years ago. A self-taught mechanic, Eric helped put himself through college by repairing cars and gets great satisfaction from seeing something that was broken fixed and in good working order once he's repaired it. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 1974 with a degree in psychology and then chose to build and campaign racecars instead of going on to graduate school. By contrast, Adam earned a two-year degree in automotive technology from Sonoma State University and later completed a four-year apprenticeship in Marin.

Today both mechanics enjoy the varied diagnostic challenges presented at Ackerman's. Even simple problems get their creative juices flowing. Recently a customer came in with a faulty brake light. The mechanics discovered that several ounces of water in the tail light bucket had shorted the bulb. To solve the problem, and to save the customer from having to replace the entire tail light lens on that visit, Adam drained the water out by drilling a hole in the lower portion of the tail light lens and then replaced the bulb.

No mechanical hurdle is too tough for the veteran duo when it comes to repairing Volvos and putting them through their paces. "We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Together there is no problem that Eric and I can't solve. I like the challenge of diagnostics and electrical, and Eric has no problem tearing the car down to nothing. Nothing scares Eric. He's the best mechanic I've ever seen in my life and I've met lots of them. He pretty much trained me," said Adam with respectfully.

At Ackerman's, the Volvo's checkup or minor car service begins with the crucial test drive which gives mechanics a chance to listen for noises and observe how the car runs. "We have a seat of the pants type feel for the way a car should drive. We can detect an enormous amount of problems just by driving the car. It should feel solid, sure footed, and responsive to driver's input," explained Adam.

After the test drive, the car is elevated for a visual inspection of suspension, brakes, engine, transmission, and axles, and then lowered again for an under-the-hood inspection of electrical systems, fluids, fuel injection, lights, oil, and filters. "Topping off the fluids is the final step," concluded Adam, an outdoor enthusiast who loves the thrill of fast motor bikes, and keeps an organic garden.

After the visual inspection, some Volvos are hooked up to a Multi-Tester Plus computer diagnostics system to check car parts inaccessible to the mechanics. "The computer is only as good as the person operating it, but nowadays you must have it, especially in the newer cars," said Adam. The computer can be wrong in its diagnosis though. Last week, for example, the mechanics overrode a computer message regarding a faulty sensor replace. Their detective work correctly determined that only a cleaning was necessary, saving the customer $125.

Work at Ackerman's is demanding. On a busy day Adam and Eric inspect and repair as many as thirteen cars. Although vintage and newer model Volvos present different challenges for the mechanics, both receive kid-glove treatment at the shop. To the mechanics' satisfaction, newer model Volvos can pose more of a diagnostic challenge because of the hidden parts and the necessity to interpret and question data from the computerized diagnostic system.

The older models, with their fragile and sometimes rusty parts are more delicate, and call on Adam and Eric's blend of dexterity and innate automotive talent. "In some ways old Volvos are like elderly people with brittle bones, but if you get a very old person who is taking care of himself and getting regular checkups, he's in better shape than the next. The same goes for Volvos young and old agreed the mechanics, who have handcrafted obsolete parts for cars like the turtle-backed Volvo 544, made in 1962.

As you might imagine, Volvos end up in the shop for approximately the same reasons patients end up in surgery. Either the visit is scheduled, a noticeable problem has surfaced, or an emergency has occurred. Even though the technicians go all out for preventative maintenance; ten percent of cars seen at the shop are towed. In Volvos the usual cause is an electronic component failure like a fuel pump relay or an electronic ignition problem when the spark that ignites the fuel fails.

To keep your Volvo in great shape Eric prescribes regular car services. "The customer makes the real difference in a Volvo's performance and longevity by having it serviced often. Performing a minor service is one of the most important things," he continued, adding that the timing belt service schedule is also critical in newer cars.

Ackerman's Volvo driving technical team have more than their trade, friendship, and enthusiasm for all things automotive in common. They were both born and raised in California, and in a sad coincidence, lost their fathers before age 10. Eric was born in Chico in 1953 and moved to Livermore when he was three months old. Still a Livermore resident, Eric is the proud father of a grown son and two teenage girls. His twenty-eight-year-old son Jeffery, himself a father of two, graduated from The University of California at Davis with a degree in biogenetics. Fifteen-year-old Amelia is a debate champion at Balboa High School in San Francisco, and thirteen-year-old Heather is in the gifted program at Herbert Hoover Middle School in San Francisco.

Adam was born and raised in Marin where he developed an early love for nature and the outdoors. He and his teenage rode horses and camped in the Marin hills for days at a time with his teenage buddies. Adam feels that the early loss of his father may have been a catalyst to his become involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which creates alliances between youth and positive adult role models. For the last five years he has been a Big Brother to a young boy named Jesse whose talents lie in math rather than auto mechanics. "He's a God in Math," concluded Adam.

Although Ackerman's mechanics spend their days working with steel, they seem to have soft hearts that would be instantly located if the beaked stethoscope were directed towards them.