How does Diagnostics work

The following is a small guide to What are Mobile Vehicle Diagnostic services 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 called 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. 

ECU Diagnostics does not need to break the bank!

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. Please note, simply clearing the warning light from your dashboard is not a permanent fix.

Why should you diagnose faults?

Fault diagnosis for cars & vans isn't as simple as pressing the clear button. Sometimes there isn't always a part that needs replacing and the module just needs clearing of existing faults,other times a defect is present. 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. Having a fault cleared from the diagnostic without rectifying the issue isn't advisable as warning lights can be triggered by many systems and your ABS system may not operate correctly.

Sometimes the system can just be reset however if the issue still exists the light will come back on.