I did go over the potential problems with him before he signed the workorder. After talking to him again today, I strongly suggested that the machine be repaired properly. For him to save a few bucks for the company with a move that could potentially cost a lot more helped sway his decision.

Thanks for the advice guys!

sleepwheel,
what edwardt says is the way things could play out if you do not get a handle on the situation at this customer and make them understand the implications behind bypassing systems on these trucks. Also the lack of maintenance is the sole contributer in the shape these trucks have gotten in.

I surely hope you have documented all cases where he has refused required maintenance and had you bypass circuits.

The company i work for issues thier techs some stamps that we are required to use when we come across situations such as this, these stamps we use are "safety alert" and "abuse" stamps. When we come across such a situation we have to write up in detail what we find and stamp the workorder before we get it signed. THEN at the point of the customer signing we are required to explain to the customer why this is on the paperwork and give him the option to correct the discrepancy or not. IF it is a safety violation i strongly urge the customer to make the repair for obvious reasons, most of the time they make the repair due to the nature of the situation. Of course the "abuse" stamp is self explanatory and just lets the supervisor know he has a careless operator that is tearing up the truck from careless driving.

Now in the case of the BDI bypass, this is not necessairily a safety device but it is designed to keep from damaging the battery and/or the systems on the truck. By bypassing it your creating a situation that will probably in the short term cause a myriad of other issues that will crop up from low voltage/high amperage and wind up costing the customer alot more money because of it. I usually do a pricing comparison for the customer to show him the current cost v/s the predicted cost if he refuses the repair at that time. I know there is no way to predict a future breakdown but if you are articulate enough you will be able to give him a general idea, if he is as money concious as he seems to be i'm sure he will do the right thing. This is the point you have to make him understand, he may bawk at it and in the end even still refuse the repair but like edwardt says, CYA (cover your azz) and actually your covering his too by explaining this to him, it also puts the ball in his lap :o)

If you do it right, he will probably understand and be more reptive about it. But then again he may just be the type of customer that wont and your wasting your time. The main point is to make sure he knows whats going on and make sure your covering yourself and your company too (if you work for one) If your independent then it would be imperative to do so for your own survival. A lawsuit could break you and ruin your reputation.

In a case like this, with a customer like this, I always make my customers sign a long hand written explanation that uses the words they "are routinely bypassing safety devices", with the strong assertion that I have to CMA/CYA.
In the USA, that phrase usually makes them reconsider, since that is the same wording US Fed OSHA uses to justify a multiplying factor to what ever the normal fine would have been for having bypassed a safety device.
The reason we have BDIs with low battery lift cutout, is to prevent a 'run-away' condition of the traction controls, since low battery voltage and the resulting high amperage has the potential to have an SCR fail to turn off, and at the same moment a traction contactor tip pair weld itself closed, not so much to help the battery last longer. When that happens, only disconnection of the battery at the connection to the truck, or getting the traction tire off the ground is about the only things that are going to stop the truck without a fire, (you may find a wall strong enough to slow the truck down, but if you don't disconnect the battery, that will be where the fire starts)
If you fail to "CYA", and you made a paper trail that shows you were the one who bypassed the safety control, (a work-order to bill the time) once an accident has happened, a judge and jury can find that you can be made personally responsible for the negligence of not properly informing the end user of the results of having bypassed those safety controls.
At least in teh USA, your lack of 'deep pockets' will mean that you are not alone in court, but that will also mean those others with the deep pockets will not be as interested in protecting you as they are in protecting themselves.

My customer decided that he didn't want to spend the money repairing it so he had me bypass the lockout to keep the machine running. And then he wonders why his machines all keep breaking down............none of them have even seen grease since new!

That whole box that includes the BDI is a controller, and should be rebuilt by someone like flight systems, who may well have 'on the shelf exchange replacements' that will just drop in. a lot less headache, imho.

The battery is brand new, it was installed after the machine went down, so the problem was already there with the original battery. I've traced the problem down to the circuit board under the dash, it's receiving the right voltage signals from the truck but it's not supplying power to the BDI charge level LED bars. I'm now on the hunt for a circuit board. The BDI could be blown but I want to replace the board first and see if the BDI works.
Thanks for the suggestion.

what kind of shape is your battery in. sounds like your battery is not performing, it may have caused your original fuse to blow(low voltage/high current) do you have access to a good battery? Also I wound suspect your bdi is possibly blown , try battery first