Narrative:

On engine start at ZZZZ; the #1 engine would not start on 'start B' on 2 attempts -- started fine on 'start a.' we left and proceeded to ZZZ and wrote the problem up in the maintenance log. In ZZZ; maintenance worked on the aircraft by changing igniter boxes with no luck fixing the problem and then decided the ignition control panel on the overhead was the problem. They swapped boxes with another A300 and the problem was fixed except that the first officer told maintenance that he was sure that swapping boxes between A300's is not allowed because the boxes are aircraft specific. I believe that is true too; as that seemed to be the case when I was an first officer on the A300 though I have not seen it in writing anywhere. As I was told; airbus did not wire all the aircraft the same -- so no swapping of boxes. Well; they did; and we went to ZZZZ1 and came back the next morning. Lo and behold who was on the jetbridge when we arrived to change the ignition control panel without any call from us for any maintenance problem? -- Maintenance. The panel was changed again back to the original box from the previous day and tested both 'start a' and 'start B' on the #1 engine only. Unfortunately; after taking the aircraft back to ZZZZ; the 'start B' system failed on the #2 engine on the original box and we got an extra night in ZZZZ. I am submitting this because I believe that maintenance did an improper or illegal repair on the aircraft but due to lack of any written word on swapping boxes on A300's; I could not have refused the aircraft without the world going nuclear. If it was not wrong to swap boxes; why was maintenance on the jetbridge on our return from ZZZZ1 with control panel box in hand to swap out? You may have difficulty on the paper trail with the logbook as a portion of the actions taken are not necessarily documented. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he has not been able to confirm whether or not the practice of swapping out various system electronic boxes has any written language against the practice. The issue of nonstandard wiring on some of the airbus aircraft appears to have been the concern by maintenance for not swapping electronic boxes or panels.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A 300-600 PILOT REPORTS HIS CONCERN ABOUT MAINT SWAPPING THE IGNITION CONTROL PANEL ON THE OVERHEAD WITH ANOTHER AIRBUS.

Narrative: ON ENG START AT ZZZZ; THE #1 ENG WOULD NOT START ON 'START B' ON 2 ATTEMPTS -- STARTED FINE ON 'START A.' WE LEFT AND PROCEEDED TO ZZZ AND WROTE THE PROB UP IN THE MAINT LOG. IN ZZZ; MAINT WORKED ON THE ACFT BY CHANGING IGNITER BOXES WITH NO LUCK FIXING THE PROB AND THEN DECIDED THE IGNITION CTL PANEL ON THE OVERHEAD WAS THE PROB. THEY SWAPPED BOXES WITH ANOTHER A300 AND THE PROB WAS FIXED EXCEPT THAT THE FO TOLD MAINT THAT HE WAS SURE THAT SWAPPING BOXES BTWN A300'S IS NOT ALLOWED BECAUSE THE BOXES ARE ACFT SPECIFIC. I BELIEVE THAT IS TRUE TOO; AS THAT SEEMED TO BE THE CASE WHEN I WAS AN FO ON THE A300 THOUGH I HAVE NOT SEEN IT IN WRITING ANYWHERE. AS I WAS TOLD; AIRBUS DID NOT WIRE ALL THE ACFT THE SAME -- SO NO SWAPPING OF BOXES. WELL; THEY DID; AND WE WENT TO ZZZZ1 AND CAME BACK THE NEXT MORNING. LO AND BEHOLD WHO WAS ON THE JETBRIDGE WHEN WE ARRIVED TO CHANGE THE IGNITION CTL PANEL WITHOUT ANY CALL FROM US FOR ANY MAINT PROB? -- MAINT. THE PANEL WAS CHANGED AGAIN BACK TO THE ORIGINAL BOX FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY AND TESTED BOTH 'START A' AND 'START B' ON THE #1 ENG ONLY. UNFORTUNATELY; AFTER TAKING THE ACFT BACK TO ZZZZ; THE 'START B' SYS FAILED ON THE #2 ENG ON THE ORIGINAL BOX AND WE GOT AN EXTRA NIGHT IN ZZZZ. I AM SUBMITTING THIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT MAINT DID AN IMPROPER OR ILLEGAL REPAIR ON THE ACFT BUT DUE TO LACK OF ANY WRITTEN WORD ON SWAPPING BOXES ON A300'S; I COULD NOT HAVE REFUSED THE ACFT WITHOUT THE WORLD GOING NUCLEAR. IF IT WAS NOT WRONG TO SWAP BOXES; WHY WAS MAINT ON THE JETBRIDGE ON OUR RETURN FROM ZZZZ1 WITH CTL PANEL BOX IN HAND TO SWAP OUT? YOU MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY ON THE PAPER TRAIL WITH THE LOGBOOK AS A PORTION OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN ARE NOT NECESSARILY DOCUMENTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT THE PRACTICE OF SWAPPING OUT VARIOUS SYSTEM ELECTRONIC BOXES HAS ANY WRITTEN LANGUAGE AGAINST THE PRACTICE. THE ISSUE OF NONSTANDARD WIRING ON SOME OF THE AIRBUS ACFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE CONCERN BY MAINT FOR NOT SWAPPING ELECTRONIC BOXES OR PANELS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.