Debate: Do we really need to follow the wiring diagrams to the letter every time?

Had a chat with my lead tech Mike at the hangar last week. He says I'm being too strict about following the AMM diagrams for every cable run, even on old 737s where the routing is obvious. He thinks experience and common sense should override the manual sometimes. But I've seen two guys chase a ghost fault for 3 days at DFW because someone took a shortcut on a harness install. Is there a middle ground, or is it always manual first?

2 comments

2 Comments

quinncarr3h ago

I got burned the same way once on a C130 harness and now I follow the manual step by step even when it feels dumb. Cutting corners might save ten minutes now but it costs hours later when somebody else has to trace the work. The manual is there because the last guy who winged it probably caused a fault like the one you saw at DFW.

lee8471h ago

Preach. Learned that lesson the hard way on a broken oven timer last year.