In any relationship, communication between two people is important, and communication between you and your auto repair shop along with the auto mechanics that work there are no exception. Being able to let your mechanic know what has happened to your vehicle is vital to efficient and practical repair services. You don’t want to spend extra time and money over the diagnosis of repairs, and your repair shop doesn’t want to waste that time either – they would rather get to the problem too.

Below are five very important and helpful tips straight from the mechanics who know and love your vehicles. If you follow these tips, your repairs will be easier and quicker than they ever were before. We see it too often – people don’t pay enough attention to their vehicles and don’t know what to tell repair technicians about the problem at hand. A little attention and a little more love for your vehicle and it could save you a lot of time and money down the road. Here are some important things to remember:

1. Give as many details as you can when you call. Too often, someone will tell us “my car died.” While that is something to go on, the information is way too vague for us to know where to look and what needs to be repaired. Details like what happened when you were driving, the speed you were driving when you broke down, any unusual sounds or vibrations, smoke or odors, or if there were any dashboard lights on can help tremendously. Be specific, not vague.

2. Don’t diagnose the problem yourself. We are experts in our field here at Good Works Auto Repair. Misdiagnoses happen, and it takes additional time and money to fix the errors.

3. Pay attention to your dashboard indicator lights. Know what the lights mean and when they come on, don’t ignore them. Your manual can be helpful if you don’t know what the light means. This can help to avoid many complicated and expensive auto repair costs down the road.

4. Preventative maintenance and simple, routine car checks can prevent major breakdowns. Maintaining your vehicle is one of the best and easiest ways to avoid major problems. By checking little things like belts and hoses, and replacing them if they’re worn, you can avoid major, costly repairs in the future.

5. Give our auto mechanics a call if you have questions. If you don’t know if you should have your vehicle serviced or not, give us a call. Don’t wait until things get too bad. You and your vehicle deserve quality auto repair and it always starts with communication.

We take pride in ensuring that your vehicle is safe and performing well. We look forward to hearing from you soon!