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Hot take: I think relying on built-in diagnostic modes is a mistake

Was working on a King Air 350 in Wichita last month and the built-in self-test on the Collins Pro Line 4 said everything was fine. But I had a gut feeling about a weird flicker on the MFD, so I cracked it open manually. Found a loose connector on the backplane that the system never caught. Since then, I've been double checking everything by hand instead of trusting the box. Anyone else think we lean too hard on those diagnostics?
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2 Comments
spencerw72
spencerw721mo ago
@lucas165 man that's brutal, hope that diagnostic didn't get you into too much trouble. Reminds me of a time I was working on a Cessna 172 and the engine monitor said the CHT was perfect. But I noticed the number three cylinder was way cooler on the scan than the others, hand checked with an IR gun and found a stuck thermostat. Built ins just can't see everything. Its like when my old truck's check engine light stayed off even though the oxygen sensor was dead, I only knew cause it was running rough.
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lucas165
lucas1651mo ago
Trusted a diagnostic once and it said I was qualified to work on planes.
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