AS CAR WINDOWS GO DOWN, REPAIR BILLS CAN GO UP
Spring is springing up all over, and with it comes an increase in one specific category of automotive repairs, and the biggest chance to misspend your money.
Above-zero sunny days usher in the window-down cruising that Canadians have longed for all winter, but with these more enjoyable commutes and tours comes something all motorists love to hate: driveline and suspension noises. We’ve emerged from our long winter hibernation, filled with miles of driving with the windows up, full heat on and radios blaring. Now that we can get closer to our environment, we might notice all kinds of sounds coming from our vehicles, and many of them are not the music of a fine-tuned and well-oiled machine.
Repair shops from coast to coast get much busier this time of year with noise-related complaints. Whether it’s a loose steering or suspension component or an exhausted muffler or a wheel bearing singing its final dirge, when the car windows go down, the noises and repair bills go up. Frost-heaved and potholed roads take their toll on even the sturdiest of vehicles. But what about the toll of misspent repair dollars?
Hearing a noise is one thing; getting it fixed right the first time is something else altogether. You can do your best to describe the noise to your service counter staff and hope that because you’re dealing with a reputable shop with experienced techs, things will get resolved. But with noises, never take anything for granted. The way you communicate to your shop and the steps you take have just as much to do with a successful and affordable outcome as the skill of the tech and the quality of the job done. So before you even pick up the phone to make an appointment, do a little auditory detective work of your own and make notes.
Identify the type of noise: Is it a clunk or rattle? A grinding or moaning noise? Does it happen when moving or even when still? Does it happen with the engine on or off? And at what speeds? Do you hear it when going over bumps, and if so, how big? Do you hear it during cornering or braking, or both? Is it worse when the vehicle is loaded with passengers and gear, or when empty? Try to narrow it down to front or back, and which side of the vehicle.
A lot of vehicles, especially minivans and SUVs, are rolling sound chambers, and noises that seem to be coming from the rear can actually be from the front or vice versa. While it might seem obvious, remove all personal items from the trunk, cargo area and any other cubby areas where they might rattle; you’d be surprised at the number of customers with noise complaints who bring in vehicles that are full of empty cans, hockey gear, boxes and other junk.
Drive next to a large solid building or retaining wall to use it as an echoing device to help you source the area the noise is coming from. If it’s a rotational grinding or howling noise that only comes on when the vehicle is rolling, pick a safe traffic-free location and gently swerve the steering back and forth slightly to load and unload the wheel hubs, noting if the noise gets worse or lessens.
On your way to the shop for your appointment, try to duplicate the noise on streets near the garage and point out the best route to your service consultant. If you deal with a large facility that makes communicating directly with the tech impractical, ask in advance if you can take your service writer on a short road test. This is unlikely to happen if you drop your vehicle off during the busiest hours, so adjust your appointment time as needed.
Don’t let the counter staff do their own diagnosis based on your description, and check the repair order instructions to make sure they match what you’ve said and attach your notes for the tech if necessary. If any of this seems like overkill, remember, it’s your car and your money, and a few minutes of prep can go a long way to make sure you and your service provider are on the same page. It’s easy to hear a noise, but finding the cause is more difficult.
Finally, when the repairs are done, take another road test and don’t wait to report back if the problem is not resolved.
Is it a clunk or rattle? A grinding or moaning noise? Does it happen when moving or even when still?