A customer experiences recurring driveability issues. What should be your first step?

The first step in addressing recurring driveability issues is to review the service history for past repairs. Understanding the vehicle's history provides valuable insight into previous maintenance, repairs, or modifications that might contribute to the current problems. This can help identify patterns or repeat issues, enabling a more targeted approach to diagnostics.

For example, if the same issue has been repaired multiple times, there might be an underlying problem that has not been addressed. Additionally, reviewing service history can reveal whether the customer has followed recommended maintenance practices, which can impact engine performance and may explain the driveability concerns.

Connecting to an engine analyzer, checking for diagnostic trouble codes, and performing a cylinder balance test are all useful diagnostic tools that can follow after understanding the vehicle's background. However, without first considering previous repairs and service history, it may be difficult to effectively pinpoint or resolve the current driveability issues.