While watching a YouTube video, the subject of some engineers not knowing real-world scenarios came up. And it reminded me of something that happened to me years ago.
Back in the late 70s and 80s, I was installing air-conditioners on automobiles. They had just gone to electronic thermostats. The first shipment that we got work fine. The second run was cutting off prematurely. At first I thought it was something I did wrong. So I double checked everything, nothing helped. I finally called the company and spoke to an engineer. They were frantic. It was the middle of summer, their peak season, and they had a Major problem. all of their units were not cooling. When I asked the engineer what I could do to solve this problem, he said there was nothing I could do, they were having to redesign the whole thermostat, so it would be adjustable. I would just have to wait and it would take a month or so to fix it. After a few more comments I finally asked them how about putting a resistor in line with the temperature sensor or the potentiometer. The phone got deathly quiet. After a few seconds I asked him will that work. He said yes yes. I said, So you will authorize it, he said yes yes do it. So I went down to the local RadioShack, bought some resistors and a potentiometer to make sure I got the temperature right. I dialed in the temperature that I needed, measured the resistance, and install the resistor. problem solved. I know he turned around and said I've got the answer. Because the next batch of units we got, all had that resistor in it. Unfortunately after they got the thermostat fixed, they left the resistor in which presented another problem. So I wound up with a drawer full of resistors that I had to remove.
another incident, involved a retired mechanical engineer from Ford motor company. He had converted an old Lincoln to run on propane. The way the propane lines were run, to me were absolutely criminal. He tied them directly to the rear axle. Which means they moved every time he hit a bump. When he opened up the trunk to show us the propane tank, I smell the propane, and told him he had a leak. he said no it's just the exhaust, it's normal. I went over to the tire machine, and grab the soap swab. Running it over a couple of fittings, it started bubbling. I said you got a leak, you need to have it fixed quick. You don't need to be driving this car. He looked at it, and said I better get that fixed.
It just reminds me that engineers are trained to think in a complicated manner. Some of the simplest things just go right by them. But the good ones think outside the box.
I know many of you are engineers, but what is your favorite encounter been with an engineer.