Narrative:

In ord, running 'cockpit preparation -- captain,' 'cargo smoke test button...illuminate twice.' this aircraft illuminated 3 times and rang bells 3 times. I was uncomfortable and asked an ord mechanic to look at this system. He was initially not comfortable with saying the extra series of bells was ok. A mechanic supervisor assured the line mechanic that system was ok and to release the aircraft without a delay. While I was making a short PA to passenger advising them of reason for departure delay, the mechanic supervisor told the first officer we were ok to depart with extra fire bell audio. We then flew to phl. Immediately after landing at phl, I called air carrier airbus chief pilot. He also was not sure if we had a problem. Chief pilot called ZZZ airbus engineering and they called me back for additional information. ZZZ airbus engineering said we should not continue without a solution. Phl maintenance found a defective smoke detector in the forward pit. It is my opinion that the ord maintenance supervisor was more concerned with getting us out on time versus thoroughly researching our problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPT WAS TOLD BY THE DEP MECH AND MAINT FOREMAN, THAT A CARGO FIRE WARNING TEST THAT WAS NOT ACCORDING TO THE FLT MANUAL WAS OK.

Narrative: IN ORD, RUNNING 'COCKPIT PREPARATION -- CAPT,' 'CARGO SMOKE TEST BUTTON...ILLUMINATE TWICE.' THIS ACFT ILLUMINATED 3 TIMES AND RANG BELLS 3 TIMES. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AND ASKED AN ORD MECH TO LOOK AT THIS SYS. HE WAS INITIALLY NOT COMFORTABLE WITH SAYING THE EXTRA SERIES OF BELLS WAS OK. A MECH SUPVR ASSURED THE LINE MECH THAT SYS WAS OK AND TO RELEASE THE ACFT WITHOUT A DELAY. WHILE I WAS MAKING A SHORT PA TO PAX ADVISING THEM OF REASON FOR DEP DELAY, THE MECH SUPVR TOLD THE FO WE WERE OK TO DEPART WITH EXTRA FIRE BELL AUDIO. WE THEN FLEW TO PHL. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG AT PHL, I CALLED ACR AIRBUS CHIEF PLT. HE ALSO WAS NOT SURE IF WE HAD A PROB. CHIEF PLT CALLED ZZZ AIRBUS ENGINEERING AND THEY CALLED ME BACK FOR ADDITIONAL INFO. ZZZ AIRBUS ENGINEERING SAID WE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE WITHOUT A SOLUTION. PHL MAINT FOUND A DEFECTIVE SMOKE DETECTOR IN THE FORWARD PIT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE ORD MAINT SUPVR WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH GETTING US OUT ON TIME VERSUS THOROUGHLY RESEARCHING OUR PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.