Troy Customer Detective Work
August 6, 2020
One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Auto Lab Troy 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 Troy 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 Troy 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 Troy 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 Troy
2790 West Maple Rd.
Troy, Michigan 48084
(248) 643-7690
Need Service?
More articles from Auto Lab Troy
Don?t Be Hosed (Radiator Hose Replacement)
January 18, 2026
If you are like most drivers, you dont worry too much about what shape your radiator hoses are in. But they are a vital part of your coolant system, helping carry engine coolant from the hot engine to where it is cooled off in the radiator. When the cooling system has a problem, you will likel... More
Smooth Operator (Shock Absorbers)
January 11, 2026
When you are comfortably headed down the road, you may not realize how many of the imperfections in the driving surface are being smoothed out, so you hardly feel most of them. You can thank your shock absorbers for a lot of that comfort, and its important to make sure you keep your shocks in go... More
What?s That Yellow Squiggly Line Anyway? (What Warning Lights Mean)
January 4, 2026
You may have noticed when you start your vehicle, youll see several symbols light up on the dash. Theyre different colors and shapes, and sometimes its hard to figure out what each of those symbols mean. They are warning lights and symbolize something in your vehicle is sending you a message. I... More