Was I overtesting my installs or was the old-timer just set in his ways? Feedback I got at a hangar in Phoenix

So I had a senior avionics tech tell me I was wasting time by running full functional tests on every wire bundle before I even button up the panel. He said I should just do continuity checks and trust the drawings unless something feels off. I argued that I caught two shorted pins that way last month on a Cessna 172 install, and he said that was just bad luck not a standard. Now I'm split. On one hand, his way saves maybe 45 minutes per job. On the other hand, I already missed a ground fault once that cost a redo. Has anyone else gotten feedback like this and actually changed their test routine? What did you decide?

3 comments

3 Comments

pat_moore1mo ago

Are you telling me that old timer actually said catching a shorted pin was "bad luck"? That's not luck, that's your testing working exactly like it's supposed to. I'd rather have 45 minutes of boring testing than a whole weekend of ripping out a panel and trying to find a gremlin nobody bothered to check for.

sage_moore371mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah that actually changed my mind too.

riverdavis1mo ago

The thing about corners is you never know which one is gonna bite you until you're already bleeding. Sounds like your old timer's been lucky so far, and you've been thorough. I'd rather spend an extra 45 minutes now than a whole weekend ripping a panel apart later.