The Great Dash Light Diagnostics Con

NVRAM

yup cheap ODB reader from eBay/amazon and torque will be of great assistance when trying to diagsnose codes.

colino

The price of very competent code readers has plummeted in recent years and you can get very good ones that cover all the cars ecus and show and record live data for a fraction of dealership tools. Unfortunately these units do not come with an upgrade for the user, so they are still none the wiser, but certainly better informed, with a mass of data they don't know how to interpret.

droopsnoot

You have to bear in mind that the diagnostic systems used at main dealers will have (probably) been supplied by their franchise at a cost of (probably) tens of thousands of pounds. So the accountants (probably) get involved and figure out that each time it's used, that counts towards x% of the purchase (or more likely these days, rental) cost, and add in the technician time, electricity, provision for repair costs, insurance, and it soon adds up. It may even be that the units are charged on a "cost per use" basis.


I'm not saying don't get yourself a code reader - far from it. I read that some main dealers charge to read codes even when a vehicle is under warranty, and will refund the cost if the fault is proved to be something covered under warranty. So to even find out whether your fault is something they'll fix for free might cost money. So anything the motorist can do to know more about their vehicle is a good thing, just don't assume that the dealer is making £39 out of every £40 they charge for a diagnosis.

samsung_laptop

Retrogamer wrote: »

I got an OBD2 bluetooth adapator and an app called Torque for my Android phone & tablet. I think both together cost me about £12.

It can read codes, clear codes and give live data for a lot of the engine sensors.

Would you have a link to what type of OBD2 bluetooth adapator you have.

movilogo

Don't see the point. First of all generic scanners won't work with many manufacturers. Even if you discover the reason, what do you do after that?

If you take your car to garage/dealer, they wouldn't listen to your own diagnostics and will charge you for their own analysis anyway.

Retrogamer

samsung_laptop wrote: »

Would you have a link to what type of OBD2 bluetooth adapator you have.

Search on ebay for item number 321424055302.
There may be newer / smaller ones now but this one has been problem free for over a year now.

thescouselander

movilogo wrote: »

Don't see the point. First of all generic scanners won't work with many manufacturers. Even if you discover the reason, what do you do after that?

If you take your car to garage/dealer, they wouldn't listen to your own diagnostics and will charge you for their own analysis anyway.

It's nowhere as difficult as you make out. The generic scanners work fine with most cars and as long as you know how an engine works (as most diy mechanics do) it's not difficult to work out the problem from the clues provided by the codes.

I remember a time when garages would have a go at a diagnosis at no charge. It's only since code readers came in that these exorbitant charges appeared. Worse than that if you have a fault that hasn't thrown up a code a lot of places won't even bother to find the problem. A lot of garages are just after the easy money IMO.

jrtfan

I have an X-reg (2000) Toyota Corolla. The check engine light came on recently and, as it turned out, for the same reason as the OP's. Warning light cleared when the garage scanned for the code. And yes, the light does come back on again in due course (at least, my light has). Still sailed through the MoT though, exhaust emissions all OK.

I'm really not sure how many mpg I get from it day-to-day and yes, it's been "pinking" (or making the sound of pinking, in any case) for the last 4 years. My garage had it in but no error codes were showing. They told me that Toyota (perhaps this applies to other manufacturers, as well) don't necessarily release all of the codes for general commercial use, so advised me to take it to a Toyota main dealer to be checked out. The main dealer had it for a full day - and couldn't find a thing wrong with it. It's been pinking away quite happily ever since.

I spoke to the AA on the day the check engine light first appeared (after checking that the fuel cap was on securely) and their advice was - if there was no appreciable loss of power immediately before the light came on, then just continue to drive as normal. In an old car such as mine and as yours, OP, apparently they would expect this light to come on frequently. It was a relief to know at the time because I was half-way through a drive from Kent to Lancashire, not a good point in the journey to break down! Your scanner sounds like a very good idea to me, if I'd had one like it on the day then it could have helped to spare me some anxious moments!

colino

I would have a very good look at the sparkplugs and see if it is running too lean. Not a huge problem running it round the houses, but if it is a very lean mixture it can overheat quickly on a fast motorway run.