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Diagnostic Manual
SEVENSTEPSDIAGNOSTIC APPROACH
4
The Seven Step Diagnostic Approach ensures
that exact root cause of the complaint can be
identified & proper repair action can be taken
against the cause. This approach eliminates the
replacement of known-good components or
systems in vehicle & narrowed down to the faulty
or deteriorated components.
“Do it Right First Time” diagnosis of vehicle in
workshops have immense importance as it is
directly linked to customer satisfaction.
Here we are explaining the diagnostic
process by using Seven Step Diagnostic
Approach:
Step 1 -
Verify the Concern or Complaint
Step 2 -
Replicating the Concern
Step 3 -
Analyzing the Symptoms
Step 4 -
Diagnosing the Concern
Step 5 -
Making the Repair
Step 6 -
Verifying the Repair
Step 7 -
Perception Management (Complaint
Specific)
Step 1 - Verify the Concern or Complaint
Before starting the work on vehicle, the Service
Advisor needs to understand and verify the exact
concern of the customer with the help of the
following questions and record the same in
Customer’s Voice column.
1. Since when the check engine lamp/Malfunction
Indication lamp (MIL is ‘ON’?
(e.g. Lamp ‘ON’ intermittently/Lamp ‘ON’
always)
2. Since when the complaint has started?
(e.g. Just Started/last week/last month/
others(specify))
3. Any specific situation, after which the complaint
started?
(e.g. Car wash/Long trip/ after rain etc.)
4. When does the complaint normally occur?
(e.g. in bad road/always/in a gradient/in traffic
jams/Others (Specify))
5. Has customer visited any un-authorized garage
for any reason? If yes then what was the
reason?
(e.g. Breakdown/Servicing/Fog light fitting/
Others(Specify))
6. How is the driving pattern or use of the vehi-
cle?
(e.g. Distance covered per day Less than 10
kms/between 10 to 50 Kms/More than 50 kms/
Others (Specify))
7. Is there any external fitment on vehicle?
TML recommends this diagnostic approach to be
followed religiously while trouble shooting the
reported vehicle. This approach combines most
of the best practices used over the years in real-
world of problem solving.
It is important that all automotive service techni-
cians should follow the Seven Step Diagnostic
Approach for trouble-shooting the customer
complaints.
CUSTOMER CONCERN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
FIG.1. A funnel is one way to visualize the
diagnostic process.