It might seem as if it’s overkill to run a diagnostic check prior to making repairs on your vehicle, but we here at University Auto Repair rely on the critical information a diagnostic test provides to save you money. Yes. You read that correctly. A diagnostic check tests all vehicle systems to ensure they’re operating properly and if something isn’t as it should be, the test returns an error code that we decipher. This tells us exactly what is wrong with your vehicle quickly and accurately.
Less Manual Diagnostic Time
We can isolate issues by hand, but it will take us longer than it would your vehicle’s onboard computer to determine the cause of a problem in many cases. For example, if your car, truck or SUV has an electrical problem, the onboard computer can pinpoint the exact origin of that problem in minutes, whereas we would need to take apart the electrical system by hand to isolate the issue. The diagnostic test saves you labor costs, as it will tell us quickly where the electrical problem is.
Not Always Necessary
This doesn’t mean we need to run a diagnostic test for all repairs. If you bring your vehicle in because the oil is leaking, we have a good idea of where the leak is coming from without a diagnostic test. That said, we might still recommend a diagnostic test to ensure the leak hasn’t damaged other crucial systems. If you have a slow oil leak and are constantly driving with low oil, you are overheating your vehicle’s engine without realizing it. The loss of lubrication can fry crucial engine parts.
Engine Diagnostics
Part of the beauty of modern automobile manufacturing is diagnostics. Your vehicle is equipped with an onboard computer that monitors all systems constantly. This means when you start your vehicle, the computer runs a quick test to ensure you can drive safely. If something is wrong, the computer will alert of the issue. The computer also monitors your vehicle while in operation just in case something goes awry. You are warned by a dashboard light, and you should always heed the alerts.
We use the engine diagnostics to our and your advantage. If an engine light comes on, we can tap into your onboard computer to find out why. These onboard computers really do make our job easier. So, when you ask us if you really need a diagnostic check before a repair we will say yes, but only if it’s absolutely necessary. The information returned from these tests helps us help you.
We are University Auto Repair and we are located in Flagstaff, AZ. Call us to schedule a diagnostic test.
