Free Diagnostics

The phone rings and the conversation starts with the familiar "how much do you charge for.....".  When the customer is asked why they believe they need a certain part, I usually hear they had the diagnostics done at a chain parts store.

So you ask, where am I going with this? When your check engine light comes on your car is telling you it has a problem. The code that is stored in the computer is just that, a code. The retrieval of that code with a scan tool is not diagnostics, it is just the starting point of the repair process. Let's take code P0302 , a misfire in cylinder #2 for example. The engine control module is detecting a misfire but why?  It may very well be as simple as a spark plug or ignition coil. It can also be caused by a faulty fuel injector or a mechanical problem. The code only tells the technician what the computer sees wrong, not how to fix it. I couldn't tell you how many vehicles have been thru our doors that the customer had spent hundreds or dollars on oxygen sensors at the big box store because that is what they were told the code said only to have us find a simple vacuum leak. Training, current repair information and experience are required to diagnose todays vehicles. Parts are expensive and at Youngtown Car Care we do not change parts and hope for the best. Avoid unnecessary repairs and parts replacement by paying a qualified repair shop to properly diagnose your vehicles problems. In the long run it will save you time and money.

    Till next time.....