“Doc, it hurts when I do this.” We all know the end to that dad joke. But in reality, how is the doctor supposed to give any kind of diagnosis or advice without more information? Your mechanic is in a similar situation. Your car has a lot of parts and processes, and your mechanic really needs your help to narrow down the problem. Here are some ways you can speed up the diagnostic process.

Write down all of the little details.

Before ever thinking about calling a mechanic, you should make notes of what your car is actually doing. When a problem first starts, make note of the symptoms and the date. If other symptoms show up, record the same information for them. As symptoms change or develop, make note of each. When you talk to your mechanic, they’ll be happy to have the history of the issue to give them a starting point for diagnosis.

Helpful information

There is a lot of information about a particular issue that might give a big clue to the mechanic as to what the problem might be. It is very helpful if you can be prepared to provide the following information:

• The sound, feel, or vibration that you are feeling when the problem shows itself
• When the problem started and how fast it worsened
• If any dash lights came on before, during, or after the issue occurred, and if the light stayed on
• What you were doing when the sound/feel/vibration first started
• Any specific types of driving, (speed, highway, long-distance, short distance) that makes the problem seem worse

When you provide us with this information, we’ll be able to best serve you. If you have noticed symptoms of problems with your car, contact us today for an appointment.