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Realized I was asking the wrong question for years about my car issues
I mean, I always thought the trick to fixing my old Honda was to describe the sound as precisely as possible, so I'd say things like 'a rhythmic click that speeds up when I turn left.' Then last Tuesday, a mechanic in Birmingham told me he just needed to know when it started and what I was doing, not the sound. It took me three separate visits over 4 months to learn that, and I wasted about $150 on parts for the wrong thing. He finally asked, 'Did this happen after you hit something?' and that's when it clicked. I never once thought to mention the pothole I hit in March, because I figured the sound was the main clue. Has anyone else been guilty of over-explaining symptoms and missing the basic context? Or am I the only one who treats car repair like a detective novel?
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hayden1442mo ago
Kinda disagree with you there, and here's why. Sounds are the detail that separates a good mechanic from a parts changer, at least in my experience. I had a Nissan that made this faint whine only on cold mornings, and if I'd just said "it started after I drove through a flood," they'd have never checked the alternator bearing. The sound told them exactly what was wearing out, the timing just told them to look. That pothole thing is useful context for sure, but honestly, most people can't tell you the exact day a noise started, let alone what they were doing. You gave them a better clue than most customers do, even if it took a few extra trips to figure out.
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