How to Talk to Your Mechanic

Talking To Your Mechanic Doesn’t Have To Be Scary

Sometimes it’s hard to pick the right words, and if your words fail you while trying to explain an issue or observation to your mechanic, it can make things much more difficult than it should be. Cars and other automobiles have their own specialized “lingo,” and while the average layperson may have one definition of a word, your mechanic may hear it and think of something else entirely.

Here at AAMCO Colorado, we train our mechanics to listen to you to in addition to performing a thorough diagnostic inspection, so these miscommunications should be few and far between. That being said, there’s no such thing as too much information, so we’ve compiled a list of common phrases as well as general tips to ensure you’re able to feel confident in communicating whatever issues you may be noticing.

Documentation

Organization always helps, so if you’ve had your car serviced or repaired recently, bring in copies of the repair records so everyone is on the same page. This is especially integral on repairs and work done by a different shop. If you’ve been having an ongoing issue, it’s also helpful to keep a log of when the issue occurs or under what circumstances.

image of woman and aamco mechanic looking under the hood of a car

Descriptions

Similar to how no detail is too trivial when diagnosing an illness, diagnosing a vehicular issue may hinge on the same level of detail. Try to be as explicit as possible in describing specific sensations, like sounds and smells, and try to pinpoint the location or direction those sensations are coming from. Equally important are the circumstances under which the issue occurs as well as a rough onset date. If the issue is intermittent or specific to a certain circumstance, offer to take the mechanic on a ride-along to see it in action.

Definitions

Sometimes there are issues that are best described by a single word, or that have a very specific and recognizable symptom. For those cases, we’ve compiled a list of commonly used words and their definitions:

  • Brake Drag – Brakes failing to release completely after being applied.
  • Brake Fade – Brakes requiring increasing pressure to maintain the same level of braking.
  • Brake Grab – Excessive braking despite light pressure being applied to brakes.
  • Bucking – Vehicle lurches or transmission slips after gear shifts and acceleration.
  • Dieseling – Vehicle continues to run briefly after being turned off.
  • Hesitation – Vehicle briefly loses power when accelerating.
  • Play – Looseness in a moveable component, but most commonly refers to steering wheels and suspension.
  • Pull – Vehicle seems to steer itself in one direction or the other when driving or braking.
  • Rough Idle – Engine shakes or audibly vibrates when the vehicle is idling or at a standstill.
  • Stumble – The engine stops running suddenly, then kicks on again on its own.
  • Surge – Vehicle changes speed suddenly and without accelerator input.
  • Wander – When driving straight, the vehicle drifts from side to side.

Whether you’re experiencing an ongoing issue and need diagnostics or are bringing your vehicle in for maintenance, knowing your concerns are understood regardless of your knowledge of mechanical jargon is peace of mind that can’t be beat.

At all of our AAMCO Colorado locations, our expert mechanics are able to do everything from diagnostics and inspections to complex transmission rebuilds and repairs, and have the community testimonials to prove it!

If you’ve been putting off visiting the mechanic because you weren’t sure how to describe what you needed, call or schedule an appointment today and get an expert AAMCO mechanic in your corner.

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