When I bring my car in for service should I tell the service writer the unusual circumstances under which my concern occurs or just tell him/her what is wrong and let the technician figure it out?

Communication is such a key part of being able to correctly repair your car and good communication may even save you money in the diagnosis. The trick is to not tell the service writer what you think isn't working correctly, but what is happening. Let me share a true life example.

A customer brought his car in and said that the dome light was turning on and off while he was driving. Right as he was about to leave he came back and said, "