- Be clear when describing to a repairer what you want done.
- This is particularly important if the fault is intermittent and the repairer can’t experience it personally.
- The more they know about the issue the easier it will be to find and fix, which will ultimately save you time and money.
With intermittent faults it’s a good idea to keep notes of the circumstances leading up to the problem appearing. Every bit of information could ultimately be important in identifying the cause.
Some of the things that could be important are:
- road speed when the problem occurs
- how long you’ve been driving when it appears
- whether it happens when the engine is hot or cold
- in hot or cold weather
- on start-up
- the symptoms
Have reasonable expectations
It could be completely unreasonable to expect a repairer who hasn’t experienced a problem to make a correct diagnosis first time based solely on your description of the symptoms.
Specified repairs and misdiagnosis
Take care when specifying the work to be done. If you diagnose the problem yourself and get it wrong, or request repairs that don’t resolve the issue, the misdiagnosis, and costs, will be your responsibility, not the repairers.
Ask Questions
If there’s something you don’t understand – ask for an explanation. If you still don’t understand, get a second opinion.
RACQ Motoring Advice (http://www.racq.com.au/membership/what-you-get/motoring-advice) can assist in explaining complex technical issues and may be able to offer an opinion about the accuracy of the information you’ve been given.