What Do Car Diagnostics Show?

If a warning light has appeared on your dashboard, or you’ve got a problem with your car but don’t know what’s wrong, it’s time to put it through a car diagnostics test. This guide will show you what is looked at by a car diagnostics technician to help get to the bottom of what’s not working.

A car diagnostic technician can detect problems with the following:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Exhaust system
• Brakes
• Battery charging system
• Air bag system
• Camshaft and crankshaft sensors
• Lambda and emissions monitoring
• Performance issues with the fuel injectors, air intake, coolant, ignition coils and throttle

The mechanic will likely ask you some questions to try and get a feel for which tests are worth performing. From there, they will set to work with the diagnostics equipment to figure out what could be the problem.

The cars of today have a lot of electrical components to improve their performance and automate some of the driving processes. Faults tend to fall into two camps: mechanical and electrical. Mechanics use code-reading tools to determine which engine or component parameters are out of range. However, the codes are only the first step in the diagnostics process. They don’t reveal the exact cause of the problem. Instead, the technician will use their experience and expertise to fully diagnose the underlying problem.

Sometimes, issues can be elusive. It’s not unheard of for motorists to experience problems out on the road for the car to then perform perfectly when it’s in the garage. However, with a trusty car diagnostics garage by your side, you should be able to get to the bottom of all your car issues.

Need a local Peterborough garage?

At Vital Vehicle Care we have 20 years’ experience with performing car diagnostics. Approved by Trust My Garage, we are a trusted, local Mechanic in the Peterborough area. Contact us today to get a free quote. We perform diagnostics for cars and vans from a wide range of brands.