2008 Mercury mariner
 

Hi! Want to learn about diagnosing my vehicle so I know what I am talking about when talking to mechanic. Hope all are well!

Always a good place to start is your owner's manual.

Really, really excellent idea. I ask a question, people spend their time responding and I don't know the names or locations of what they are suggesting, then on utube or googling trying to figure it out, hard copies are so nice for this. I did come to the library yesterday and asked if they had them, but it is a small library, so no. It will be a wise investment thank u!

Hi Rebecca,
You don't have to know how to do the repair that is what you pay your mechanic for.
What may answer some of your concerns might be found if you google, Mercury owners manuals. The manual for your vehicle should be available for download there.
It is equally important to know what should be done and when as to know how to do it.
You will find loads of information pertaining to your particular vehicle like specifications for lubricants, servicing info and operating features you may not know are available. What you need to be careful of is, if you start telling your mechanic how and what to do in the repair and he/she does it and it is wrong , the outcome is your fault because they did as you told them. That is why you might want to have access to the correct info and the first place is your owners manual.