intermittent car problems are the worst

We recently took a long roadtrip to visit our relatives. Before we left, I had noticed a strange clicking noise coming from the passenger side of our car. So I took it in to the mechanic, and they suggested that we replace the axle. That seemed to work - for a few days. Then the ticking noise returned. So I took the car back in, and when they checked it, the noise was gone. I was standing right there, and I couldn't hear it anymore, either. What a pain.

How can I expect the mechanic to diagnose the noise problem if the noise disappears? I'm sure you can guess what I heard coming from the underside of the vehicle the next day, can't you? Yep, the ticking returned promptly. Unfortunately, I wasn't in a position to take it back to the mechanic. So I waited another couple of days until my schedule permitted a visit back to his shop. Fast forward a few days, and I finally made it to his shop. I left the car running, and asked him to come out and have a listen. By the time he got to the parking lot, the ticking had almost completely subsided. What gives? He said that we could bring it back in a few days and he could try and lube a few things to see if that would help. Unfortunately, our vacation was coming too soon to leave the car in the shop, so we delayed taking it in until we got back.

Now we're back home, and the sound keeps coming and going. I don't know whether to bother taking the car in or not. Obviously, I can live with the noise - I was just worried that it may be a sign of some other problem. Since the car was able to drive about 2,000 miles with no problem, I may just live with the noise. That's what loud car stereos are for, right? Now if it was something more pressing, like a potential safety issue, or if the a/c compressor had crapped out on me (summertime humidity here is rough), you know I'd be the first in line at the automotive shop. But a little ticking here and there?

I guess I can live with it for now...