Service 06

Vehicle
diagnostics.

A warning light tells you something is wrong but not what. A diagnostic read pulls the stored fault codes off the car so you know what you are dealing with before you commit to a repair.

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Step by step

How a read works

01 / Read

Pull the codes

A scan tool is plugged into the car's diagnostic port and reads the fault codes stored by the engine management and the other control modules.

02 / Interpret

Work out what it means

A code points at a circuit or a reading that is out of range, not always at the part that has failed. We go through what it does and does not tell you.

03 / Advise

Decide what happens next

Some faults are worth acting on immediately, some can wait for a service, and some need a workshop. You get a straight answer on which is which.

Call us when

When a read is useful

A warning light you cannot identify. Engine management, ABS, traction control or a symbol you have never seen before.

A pressure warning that will not clear. If the tyre pressure light stays on after every tyre has been set correctly, the fault is in the monitoring system rather than the tyres.

The car runs, but not right. Hesitation, a rough idle, worse fuel consumption, or a gearbox behaving oddly.

A light that has been on for a while. Particularly worth reading before a long journey, so you are not finding out about it on the motorway.

Before you book

What this is and is not

This is an on-site read, not a workshop strip-down. It identifies and explains stored faults. Some repairs will still need a garage with a ramp and time on the car.

Clearing a code does not fix the fault. The light can be reset, but if the underlying problem is still there it will come back on within a few journeys.

A flashing engine light is more serious than a steady one. It generally means an active misfire that can damage the catalytic converter. Stop somewhere safe and call rather than carrying on.

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