Warning light on the dash? We read the codes and then test to find the real cause, rather than swapping parts and hoping.
You pay for the time it takes to find the fault, and you know that figure first.
Diagnostics is charged on time, because that is honestly what it is: someone methodically working through a system until the fault is proven. We will tell you what an initial diagnostic session costs before you book, and if it turns into a longer job than that, we ring you rather than quietly running the clock on.
Once we know what is wrong, the repair is priced separately and you decide whether to go ahead. Nobody fits a part here on a guess. A fault code tells us which circuit or system is unhappy, not which component to replace, and the difference between those two things is the difference between a repair and an expensive experiment.
A fault code is a starting point, not a diagnosis.
When a warning light comes on, the vehicle stores a code describing what it noticed. That code might say the oxygen sensor readings are out of range, but the cause could be the sensor itself, a wiring fault, an air leak upstream or a fuelling problem elsewhere. Replacing whatever the code names is how people end up paying twice, so we do not work that way.
We start with what you have noticed, because a symptom that only appears cold, or only on a long run, narrows things down faster than any scanner. Then we pull the stored codes and watch live data while the engine is running, which shows what the sensors are actually reporting rather than what they reported once last Tuesday. From there it is physical testing to prove the fault.
You get told what has failed, why it failed and what putting it right involves, in language that makes sense. Intermittent faults are honest work: if something only misbehaves once a fortnight, we will say so rather than pretending a single visit can guarantee it is gone. Sometimes the useful answer is what we have ruled out.
When it happens, how it feels and whether a light is on tells us a lot.
Stored and live fault codes pulled from the vehicle's systems.
Live data and physical testing to prove which component has actually failed.
You get the cause and the cost, and the repair only starts once you agree.
It is worth reading sooner rather than later. Some faults are harmless in the short term, others quietly damage expensive components like a particulate filter or catalytic converter while the vehicle still feels normal. Reading the code tells us which sort you have.
Not reliably, no. The code has to be pulled from the vehicle, and on its own it names a symptom rather than a cause. Bring it in and you will get a proper answer instead of a guess.
Diagnostic time is charged as its own job, because finding the fault is the skilled part. Ring us and we will explain what the initial session costs and what it covers before you book.
Tell us exactly when it happens, because that is genuinely useful information. Intermittent faults sometimes need a second look, and we would rather be straight with you about that than promise a one-visit fix we cannot guarantee.
Clearing a light without fixing the cause just means it comes back, usually within a few drive cycles. We clear codes once the fault is repaired, so the light staying off is the proof.