DOES YOUR CAR SOUND LIKE A ‘RAGING RIVER’?
Have you ever had a hard time explaining a car noise or feel silly that your sound effects just can’t duplicate it for your technician? We’ve had clients report noises that sound like a sewing machine, laundry machine, etc. I have to admit, I can’t make realistic noises if my life depended on it. In general, I’ve noticed that guys tend to make pretty good sound effects. My husband and boys duplicate sounds like sirens, horns, explosions and engine revs to a tee. Yet as good as the guys are at these sound effects, they are so terrible at imitating women’s voices! I swear my voice doesn’t sound anything like what my husband makes it out to be!
If you lack the sound effects talent, you’re not alone. Honda has a technical service bulletin (these are manufacturers’ bulletins that help technicians service your vehicle) on noise descriptions. When Honda technicians call into Tech Line (Honda’s own telephone help line for their technicians), they want to ensure that both the technician and the Tech Line Specialist are on the same page in terms of what the noise sounds like. For example, I might describe a noise as chatter and you might call it light tapping. To minimize confusion, Honda’s bulletin lists common noise names with a description of what it sounds like. Here are a few:
- Chirping – A cricket calling
- Clinking – Empty bottles hitting each other
- Creaking – Swinging open a rusty-hinged gate
- Drumming – Nervous fingers tapping on a desk
- Growling – A guard dog ready to attack
- Pinging – Marbles rolling around in a can
- Rattling – Shaking a box of loose candy
- Slapping – Hitting the water with the flat side on an oar
- Whining – A distant siren
- Whistling – A tea kettle at full boil
Not everyone would describe these noises the same way but it’s a good attempt at putting words to noises…though when my children whine, it’s not so much of a distant siren!
* This blog post was previously published on the Yummy Mummy Club website *