How does Diagnostics work

The following is a small guide to What are Diagnostics and how they work

ECU - Control Module

All modern day vehicles are basically computer operated to an extent, They all contain ECU's (electronic control units) Often call control Modules or to me "The vehicle brains" 

Every now and then faults occur and the brain stores that fault. either because a part may require changing or a hiccup has occurred and it needs to be cleared/reset. 

Take this to a main dealer and you could be paying as much as £220 an hour just to plug the vehicle in. 

Clearing the ECU fault memory

Diagnostic machines plug directly into the vehicle's modules and a list of any faults stored are displayed on the screen. At this point we can clear the codes on the module turning off any warning lights on your dashboard ideally you would then take the report to your garage of choice. 

Why should you clear faults?

Sometimes there isn't always a part that needs replacing and the module just needs clearing of existing faults. If a part has a defect the fault will come back. This is where you can take the report to the garage and save on their labour time to diagnose the issues. A fault in the system can affect the smooth running of a vehicle for example:

An ABS fault. Could render the ABS system inoperative potentially affecting the braking of the vehicle.