Finding the fault,
not guessing at it
A fault code tells you which circuit is unhappy. It does not tell you which part has failed, and the difference between those two things is most of what people waste money on.
Describe the fault
60 seconds
A code is a starting point
Every part named in a fault code has a circuit attached to it, and the fault is as likely to be in the wiring as in the part.
A misfire code on cylinder three might be the coil, the plug, an injector, a wiring fault or compression. Replacing the coil because the code said cylinder three is a coin flip, and it is somebody else’s coin.
So we read live data while the engine runs, actuate components to see whether they respond, and compare readings against what the manufacturer says they should be. That is what separates diagnosis from parts-swapping.
If the diagnosis leads to a repair we carry out, the diagnostic time comes off the job. If it leads somewhere we cannot go mobile, you get the findings in writing and can take them anywhere.
What comes with the job
Full system scan
Every module, not just the engine.
All modulesLive data logging
Readings while the fault occurs, not at idle.
RecordedActuation tests
Components driven directly to see if they respond.
IncludedA written outcome
What we found and what we did not.
In writingDiagnostic credit
The time comes off the repair if we do it.
CreditedAn honest no
If it needs a workshop, we say so and say where.
No chargeHow the job actually runs
Describe it
When it happens matters more than what it sounds like.
Codes read
Stored, pending and permanent, across every module.
Live data
Readings taken while the fault is actually happening.
Component tested
Actuated and measured rather than assumed.
Findings written
What it is, what it needs, and what it will cost.
What does your car need?
Registration and postcode. We will tell you what the car is, which service it is due on its own mileage, what that costs and when a van can get to you.
From £189, about three hours on your driveway
Your vehicle
Petrol · 1800cc · first registered 2010
Its mileage
47,125 at its last MOT, worked out across 6 tests
Prices are what the job starts at for a car this size; anything the van finds is quoted before it is done. Vehicle and mileage information comes from the DVSA record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Asked about diagnostics
Can you not just read the code and tell me?
We can read it in two minutes, and we will tell you what it says. What we will not do is quote a repair off it, because the code names a circuit rather than a failed part.
What if you cannot find the fault?
Intermittent faults sometimes need the car monitored over a few days. We will say that rather than guessing, and we will not charge you for a diagnosis we did not reach.
Is the diagnostic charged separately?
It is quoted separately, and it comes off the bill if we carry out the repair. That way there is no incentive for us to find work that is not there.
Do you need the car running?
Ideally, yes, and ideally with the fault present. If it only happens cold, book an early slot and leave it overnight.
Diagnostics anywhere
Diagnostic work runs mobile across the whole patch. Most faults are identified on the drive in under an hour.
