August 21, 2022
One might say the most challenging part of being an automotive service technician at Tuffy Pelham 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 Pelham 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 Pelham and your car is making a funny sound...
Do you see where we're going? You're gathering additional information to help your technician at Tuffy Pelham 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 Pelham
3422 Pelham Parkway
Pelham, Alabama 35124
205-624-2190
https://www.tuffypelham.com/

December 14, 2025
If someone told you there was a fairly inexpensive way to improve your vehicle's handling, fuel economy and extend the life of your tires, you'd probably ask, "What do I have to do?" The answer is to rotate your tires. But you have to do it regularly. A lot of drivers think skipping tire rotatio... More

December 7, 2025
Its always a good idea to keep your cool, and thats especially true when it comes to some components of your vehicle. One is the engine. Its hot under that hood thanks to the mini explosions that are occurring in the internal combustion engine when its running. Your vehicle has a cooling syste... More

November 30, 2025
While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there's one that isn't complicated but still important. It's your engine air filter. (And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn't to be confused with the cabin air filter. The ca... More