Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Any DA40 related topics

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pisymbol
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by pisymbol »

That's the big issue with the NG: Everyone knows how to fix and maintain a Lycoming/Continental but very few shops know about the Astro.
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dmloftus
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by dmloftus »

Boatguy wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 4:08 am It's not clear to me how you evaluate the risk/reward of that "gamble".
Personally, I might gamble on a nonauthorized service center to work on a car, but not on an airplane. Stakes are far too high in case of a mistake. Even on my Lycoming version. The most I've had local shops do is an oil change. Every annual has been done by Southtec and any engine work by them or other DSC's. Prop work went directly to MT. Definitely less convenient flying it from Atlanta to Charlotte, but the peace of mind is worth it. Can't imagine explaining to my wife as we prepare for an off-field landing that I tried to save a few bucks on a local shop ;-)
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by Colin »

Out of necessity I have had a bit of work done by non-authorized service centers. One of the BEST bits of work was super affordable ($90), and done with no notice, on a weekend, at Burke Lakefront in Cleveland. Just a wire off the starter, but I know how that could be impossible at some shops and they were great.

I always have those shops talk to my mechanic in Ft. Worth (although I think at the time he was in Colorado). It's knowledge that is important, so if you can get the knowledge from where it is to where you plane is that seems to be the key.
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by jwx96 »

I agree with dmloftus about using an authorized service center for my DA40. I think I save money too because they do things right the first time. I also agree with Colin that other shops can benefit from
Diamond specific expertise. I’ve used Savvy for that in the past but I think my Diamond Service Center would be willing to help out too. When I first bought my plane I flew a shake-out flight from Minneapolis to Maine and back, stopping only at airports with Diamond Service Centers, except for the last stop where my alternate air lever got stuck in the open position. It never did get fixed right until I took it to my Diamond Service - Midwest Avtech.
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Mjwatlanta
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by Mjwatlanta »

So, I’ve been thinking about the group’s thoughts about using a non-authorized service center for my D840 NG annual. Certainly, safety is my number one concern. With that in mind, I do think establishing a relationship with a local mechanic that can learn to know my airplane is a positive step towards making its use safer for me and my passengers. When I inquired with the A&P about whether or not he felt comfortable doing the work, without even missing a beat he reached in to the right hand side of the airplane and pulled out the computer connection. He did this on the tarmac while we were just chatting about the airplane with the canopy open. He didn’t look at the book 1st. He didn’t ask any questions, he simply pulled out the commuter connection and said this tool will help him make sure that my airplane is running safely and properly. That he knew about that computer connection gave me a certain amount of confidence that, while he is not an authorized service center, he at least knows the airplane good enough to know some of its unique attributes. Additionally, I do think the substantial savings that I will have by virtue of using this repair facility, as opposed to an authorized center, will make it less likely that I will defer maintenance or other work, because of the cost. That, too, will improve the safety of my airplane for me and my passengers. Lastly, this is a very low time airplane that happens to be out of warranty. Everything on it works perfectly, except for the aggravating coolant light. Plus, I don’t really expect, on this first annual, to have any problems. Furthermore, the A&P assured me that every time he has ever called Diamond about something relating to a Diamond airplane the factory has been exceedingly helpful to him in making good decisions for the owner. Thus, while I very much appreciate everyone’s thoughts, and value your opinions more than you know, I feel that this is the best decision for me and my Airplane at this point in my ownership of it. I will be delivering it for the annual Friday or Saturday. I am comfortable with my decision.

Perhaps my failure to truly appreciate the value of an authorized dealer relates to my experience owning Porsche and Audi automobiles. I’ve truly had some of the worst service one could ever imagine at authorized dealers but, because the cars were always under warranty, I really had no choice. One example is perhaps worth sharing. There was a weird sound coming from the front right corner of an Audi A7 diesel I owned. First the dealer replaced the CV joints. Then the dealer replaced the entire front transmission. The dealer kept the car for nearly 4 months while it did all of this work at its cost of course (about $15,000) Ultimately it turned out to be wheel bearings. Sadly, when they were test driving the car after replacing the $500 wheel bearings, they wrecked it. So, you might understand why I am not quite as enamored with authorized service centers as perhaps I should be. Happy flying.
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jwx96
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by jwx96 »

I have a friend who wanted one kind of a plane (Aerostar) but ended up buying another (Duke) because there was an independent Duke expert mechanic at his home field. The Duke was his 10th plane so maybe there is some wisdom there.
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alanhawse
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Re: Thoughts after 1 year of owning a DA40NG

Post by alanhawse »

Clearly I was willing to spend the $$s to do factory approved maintenance. I suspect that I pay on the premium side... but it is totally worth it given the white glove experience I get. Spearman gets everything he needs in stock before I get there. I walk out DONE DONE DONE in about 6 hours. (except the annual)

One thing to consider at a non-factory-approved maintenance ... can you actually get the parts you need to do the work. Seems unlikely on a reasonable schedule.

And yes I agree with David. Not worth the risk.
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