Knowledge, first and foremost
Based on the years I spent fixing other people’s (technical) problems, I realize one fundamental thing. To someone who doesn’t understand the problem (or the underlying technology), anyone who can fix the situation is “a magician”. We depend on that principle to get through the day, in tech support. And by corollary, I know that there are a myriad of areas where I lack even basic knowledge.
My lawn mower motor (a real motor, in passing) leaves me gasping for air. I don’t know why it does what it does, other than those animated lessons from the Internet. Spark, gas, explosion, repeat. Today, we called in a (local) expert to discover why the green machine works for less than ten minutes at a time, on warm days. Yes, we’ve timed the cycle. Less than ten. With a large lawn, scissors start to seem practical.
Anyhow, the premise of a faulty spark coil was considered and then waved off. The machine ran fine; it just tended to choke when faced with extended effort. And there it was… the motor choked. We removed the cosmetic features of the mower, and the air filter. The expert poked and prodded, and then suggested going for a tour around the yard.
Remember the magic part? He also loosened the gas tank cover, just a little. Turns out that in the presence of a vacuum, the fuel pump doesn’t. The cure involved a careful enlargement of a vent hole with a tiny screwdriver. No need to take a long trip into the city. Sometimes knowledge is what solves a puzzle. I now know (a little bit) more, and I have the rest of the summer to get some basics in the field.
