Noises, leaks & no-starts
The “and more” in RT’s own words: the noise you can’t name, the spot on the driveway, the morning it would not start.
What usually brings a car in
Tap the one that sounds like your car and the booking form starts with it filled in.
A new noise
Clunks over bumps, a whine that rises with speed, squeaks when you turn. When and where it happens is the best clue.
Book for thisA spot under the car
The color and where it drips usually say what it is. See the guide below.
Book for thisClicks but will not start
Often the battery or a connection. A slow, tired crank points the same way.
Book for thisCranks but will not start
The engine turns over but never catches. Fuel, spark or a sensor are the usual suspects.
Book for thisShakes at speed
A vibration that comes in at highway speed often points to tires, wheels or something worn underneath.
Book for thisA smell
Sweet like syrup (coolant), hot oil, or burning brakes. Smells are worth mentioning when you book.
Book for this
Not sure what it is? That’s fine
You do not need the right words. “It clunks when I turn into my driveway” tells a mechanic more than a guess at a part name.
In one Google review, a customer wrote that RT came out to check whether they could even work on the car, got them in that day, and had it fixed two days later once parts came in.
- Brown to blackEngine oilUsually under the engine, at the front of the car.
- Red or pinkTransmission or power-steering fluidUnder the middle or front. Worth getting checked.
- Green, orange or pink, sweet smellCoolant (antifreeze)Toxic to pets. Clean it up and get the leak found.
- Clear to amber, slickBrake fluidNear a wheel or under the brake pedal. Do not drive it.
- BlueWasher fluidAnnoying, not dangerous.
- Clear like water, no smellA/C condensationNormal after running the A/C on a warm day.
When you book, tell RT
The booking form asks for this in plain words. No car talk needed.
Book a drop-off- What it does, in your own words
- When it happens: cold, warm, turning, braking, at speed
- Where it seems to come from
- For a leak: the color and where under the car it drips