Back to all

Fort Wayne Customer Detective Work

June 27, 2022

One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Tuffy Fort Wayne - Dupont Rd. 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 Tuffy Fort Wayne - Dupont Rd. 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 Tuffy Fort Wayne - Dupont Rd. 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 Tuffy Fort Wayne - Dupont Rd. 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.

Tuffy Fort Wayne - Dupont Rd.
1910 W. Dupont Rd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46818
260.489.4800

More articles from Tuffy Fort Wayne (Dupont Rd.)

Oh, Stop! (Disc Brake Service)

April 20, 2025

Every time you drive your vehicle, you wear down your brakes just a little bit. And after a while, that adds up. Gradually, your stopping power isn't like it used to be. Since brakes are one of your vehicle's most important safety features, it just makes sense to keep them performing well. Mos... More

The Last Gas (Fuel Pump Replacement).

April 13, 2025

You're heading down the road and you notice your vehicle is sputtering, like it's running out of gas. But the gauge show's it's still got a quarter of a tank. So what gives? It could be that your fuel pump is failing, meaning your engine is not getting enough gas to run properly. While fuel pu... More

Oil Times are a-Changin' (Oil Change Synthetic)

April 6, 2025

When it comes to oil changes, things are really changing. Most newer vehicles require synthetic oil, and while it costs more than conventional oil, it doesn't need to be changed as often. When conventional oil was the only game in town, you changed your oil every 3,000 miles/5,000 km. But as tec... More