A fault code tells you which circuit reported a problem. It does not tell you which part has failed. The difference between those two things is what a diagnostic bill is actually for.
Free code reads are common and they are genuinely useful as a starting point. What they cannot do is tell you the cause.
Take a code naming an oxygen sensor. That code means the engine control module saw readings outside the expected range on that circuit. The sensor may have failed. Or there is an exhaust leak upstream drawing in air. Or a vacuum leak. Or a fuel delivery problem the sensor is faithfully reporting. Or a wiring or connector fault. Replacing the sensor named in the code fixes it some of the time, and the rest of the time you have bought a part and still have the fault.
Diagnosis is the work of eliminating those possibilities by testing. That takes time, which is why it is charged for — and why it usually costs less overall than replacing parts in sequence until the light goes out.
We quote after we have looked at the vehicle, because an honest number needs the actual fault rather than a description of it. What moves the price on this kind of work:
You get the number before the work starts, and nothing extra happens without you approving it first.
European, Asian, Australian and American vehicles — passenger cars, 4WDs, utes, vans and light commercials, for private owners and fleets.
If your vehicle needs something we are not equipped for, we will tell you rather than have a go at it. That is not a common outcome, but it is the honest answer when it happens.
Workmanship and parts are covered. The specific period depends on the job and on the part supplier's own warranty, so the terms that apply to your repair are set out on your invoice — ask us to walk you through them before you approve the work if you would like it clear up front.
This sits alongside your rights under Australian Consumer Law, which apply regardless of what any warranty document says.
A steady check-engine light can have many causes and should be diagnosed promptly. Check your owner's manual, and stop driving if the vehicle is overheating, losing oil pressure, running roughly, losing power or showing other warning lights. A flashing check-engine light indicates a misfire that can damage the catalytic converter — stop driving and call us.
A code read tells you which circuit reported a problem. Diagnosis is the testing that establishes the actual cause, and it is what stops you paying for parts that were not the fault. It generally works out cheaper than replacing components in sequence.
It shows what a circuit is doing moment to moment rather than as an average, which is how brief signal dropouts, electrical noise and communication faults get found. Those are exactly the faults a scan tool reports as normal.
We can give you general guidance and tell you whether something sounds urgent, but not a diagnosis — that needs the vehicle and the testing. If you are describing overheating, oil pressure, sudden power loss or a flashing engine light, the answer is stop driving it.
Yes, and tell us the pattern in as much detail as you can — hot or cold, wet or dry, at what speed, how long after starting. Reproducing an intermittent fault is most of the work, and your observations are the best head start we can get.
Areas we service: Malaga · Morley · Ballajura · Wangara · Bayswater · Midland · Guildford · Ellenbrook · Bassendean · Perth and the wider Perth metropolitan area.
Tell us what the vehicle is doing and we will diagnose it properly. You get the price before the work starts.