Ask Pete

[#1]

Ah yes, the old communication conundrum! This is one part of the automotive repair experience that can either make or break its success. When I used to train new service advisors, I used to instill in them that they were not only to document the consumer's comments, but to ask (almost interrogate) them until the service advisor and the consumer were on exactly the same page; and that the service advisor had a clear picture of what information had to be relayed to the technician and how to relay it. By going into a repair facility and just telling them what to fix puts both parties at a disadvantage. The consumer may (or may not) really know what the cause of the problem is and the shop may (or may not) know if the consumer’s assessment is correct. It leaves a lot to chance.

For consumers, I would suggest telling the service advisor what the symptoms are and let the shop tell the consumer what it will take to cure the symptoms. This will shift the responsibility for an accurate diagnosis from the consumer to the shop.

Think of it this way: if the consumer says, “I want a new alternator installed” and the shop installs one only to find out the battery is the problem, chances are the shop will still want to be compensated for a service the consumer requested, even though it had no improvement on the vehicle.

Now if the shop says the alternator is the problem and it is later determined the battery was the issue, the consumer is in a much better position to only pay for what actually fixed their car.

Granted there are some instances where the consumer states the obvious (i.e. my water pump is leaking), but do your self a favor and let the professionals give you the assessment and diagnosis. It puts you back in the driver’s seat!

[#2]

I  have a 98 lincoln  town car, the battery light keeps coming on, the battery connections are  good, had a mechanic look at it, he  said  14.5 volts are coming through when  you rev the engine, does not know if aternator is bad, I,'m afraid to drive the car, I do have AAA insurance but still  would like it fixed, what do I do?

[#3]

I would bet the alternator is your problem. The best way to know for sure is to have a qualified technician formally inspect and diagnose your concern.

[#4]

A while back I started smelling what seemed to me like radiator steam in the cab of my 2003 Chevy S10.  On my next oil change, I asked the dealer to check it out. They said they ran a "pressure check" and it was fine. Problem is, I still smell it. .  Temp gauge measures midway, same as always and it runs fine. Just smells.  Any ideas?