Livonia Customer Detective Work
June 24, 2018
One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Auto Lab Livonia is diagnosing a problem before it can be fixed.
Cars are made up of a bunch of complex systems. There usually could be a number of reasons for any given symptom. So, it's challenging to track down the actual cause of the problem. And it can be frustrating for the vehicle owner because it can take time and money to get to the bottom of a problem. If it's not something obvious, it's easy for the customer to focus on the fixing and not the diagnosing.
Let us at Auto Lab Livonia introduce you to something we'll call 'Customer Detective Work' – helping your technician find clues to what's wrong.
We start with the detective basics: What, Where and When. Play along with me; You come in to Auto Lab Livonia and your car is making a funny sound...
- Q: Where's the sound?
- A: Around the right front wheel.
- Q: What kind of sound?
- A: Kind of a clunk, clunk sound.
- Q: When do you hear the sound?
- A: When I turn and accelerate.
- Q: Right and left? Forward and back?
Do you see where we're going? You're gathering additional information to help your technician at Auto Lab Livonia know where to start. Based on your car and the tech's experience, he'll know where to look and can start with the obvious suspects.
You can see how that would be more helpful than dropping the car off with a note that says "making a funny noise."
If the tech can experience the problem personally, he's better able to make a diagnosis and repair and then test to see if the repair solved the problem.
Ask us for details.
Auto Lab Livonia
36251 Five Miles Rd
Livonia, MI 48154
734-432-6000
http://www.autolablivonia.com
Need Service?
More articles from Auto Lab Livonia

Lubricate Driveshaft
April 20, 2025
See if any of these are happening to your vehicle. You feel it vibrating excessively underneath when its running, or you hear strange clunking, grating, or grinding sounds coming from beneath. Maybe its hard to turn your vehicle, or you can hear squeaking when youre going slow. Perhaps you fee... More

Rubber Match (Tire Replacement)
April 13, 2025
A set of new tires isn't probably high on anyone's list of exciting purchases. But since your life is literally riding on them, it's probably a good idea to know when it's time for you to buy new ones. If you've been feeling your vehicle slipping more in wet weather or it takes a longer distance... More

Differential Essential (Differential Fluid Exchange)
April 6, 2025
What's the dif? To an automotive technician, it's the differential, a part of your vehicle that helps direct power from the engine to the wheels. The differential is a gearbox that enables the drive wheels to turn at different speeds (they do that when you turn). Inside the differential is a f... More