Back to all

Clinton Township Customer Detective Work

February 28, 2016

One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Tuffy Clinton Township 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 Clinton Township 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 Clinton Township 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 Clinton Township 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 Clinton Township
19535 15 Mile Rd
Clinton Township, Michigan 48035
586-792-6660
http://www.tuffyclintontownship.com

More articles from Tuffy Clinton Township

Fuel Saving Tip: Slow Down in Clinton Township

November 16, 2025

Theres not much Clinton Township drivers can do about the price of gas in MI, but we can control - up to a point - how much we use. Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.The first thing we can do is watch the go-pedal. Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop ... More

Giving CV Joints the Boot! (CV Joint and Boot Replacement)

November 9, 2025

Ever wonder how your vehicles transmission is connected to your wheels? After all, when you hit a pothole or some other uneven part of a roads surface, there has to be something that can maintain the connection between the transmission and the wheel yet keep everything moving at the same speed. ... More

Move it or Lose It (Dormant Vehicles)

November 2, 2025

When it comes to your vehicle, driving it too much can cause some issues. But what about not driving a vehicle enough? That has consequences as well. Here are a few things that can happen if a vehicle isn't driven enough. When the engine doesn't operate, the oil isn't lubricating. That means so... More