5 Tips to Help You Speak "Auto Tech" to Your Car Technicians

by Marjorie, Cars for Keeps Social Media Manager

Have you ever brought your car into a repair shop only to realize you have no idea what to tell the technicians? Or - perhaps more commonly - to realize that you have no idea what your car technicians are telling you?

Well, first off, we take pride at Cars for Keeps in making sure our customers understand exactly what's wrong with their autos, and how we plan to fix it. Ok, well maybe not EXACTLY (that would be a long, boring visit indeed), but a well-informed car owner is far more capable of keeping their car healthy, which is what we're all about.

If you're anything like me, you might tend to say things to your car technician like, "Um, it's not working. I know something is wrong with the...car. Fix it!" Here are a few ways to prepare for your next visit to the repair shop, impress your technicians and make sure you're getting the best service for your car:

1) Take a moment to write down your car's symptoms and/or performance issues. Sloppy steering? Any rattles, vibrations or unusual smells? Does it have trouble starting? Weird sounds? Does the steering pull? Even if you don't know what these symptoms mean, this information can help your technician more accurately diagnose your car.

2) Bring the paperwork from previous repairs, tire changes, oil changes et cetera with you. Think of these as your car's "medical records" - and who doesn't ask for a diagnosis from the doctor without first giving him or her your medical records?

No surprises here!

3) Use the terms "passenger side" and "driver's side" instead of "right" and "left" when describing what's wrong. This will help clarify what you're describing; it turns out, "left" and "right" are subjective to where you're standing!

4) If there's any jargon, process or problem a technician describes that you don't understand, ask him or her to explain it more thoroughly. We pride ourselves on keeping customers well informed, but we can't answer questions you don't ask!

5) Read over the repair order thoroughly and ask technicians to explain any parts you don't understand. If certain parts are vague or not clear, ask they be rewritten so there are no surprises later on.

Safe driving and healthy cars!