03 / Diagnostics & Electrical

Check Engine Light,
Read Properly

A code is a clue, not a diagnosis. We come to you with a professional scan tool, read live data, and tell you what's actually wrong — $99, credited back in full if we do the repair.

Book an Appointment Call (773) 397-0433
— Why Free Code Reads Cost You Money

P0420 doesn't
mean buy a
catalytic converter.

The free scan at a parts store reads a stored code and stops there. P0420 — "catalyst efficiency below threshold" — comes back as a $1,400 catalytic converter recommendation. But that code fires just as readily for a lazy rear oxygen sensor, a small exhaust leak upstream of it, or an engine running rich for an entirely separate reason.

A real diagnosis means live data: fuel trims, sensor voltages, misfire counters, and freeze-frame from the moment the fault set. It means knowing that a $90 sensor and a $1,400 converter throw the same code, and testing which one it actually is before anyone spends money.

That's what the $99 buys — an hour with a bidirectional scan tool and a multimeter, and a written answer in plain English. And if you have us carry out the repair, the $99 comes straight off the bill. The diagnostic exists to be right, not to be a revenue line.

$99
Diagnostic, credited back
45m
Typical scan time
Live
Data, not just codes
12mo
Labour · 6mo on parts
— What Happens

Evidence, then a verdict.

01
Symptom Interview
What it does, when it started, whether it's cold or hot, and what changed just before. Five minutes here saves an hour of guessing.
02
Full System Scan
Every module read, not just the engine — transmission, ABS, body and airbag. Stored, pending and history codes, plus freeze-frame data.
03
Live Data Analysis
Fuel trims, sensor voltages, misfire counters and load values watched while the engine runs. This is where a code becomes a cause.
04
Targeted Testing
Multimeter, smoke machine or bidirectional commands to confirm the suspect part before condemning it. We test, then we conclude.
05
Written Answer
What's wrong, how urgent it is, what the fix costs, and what happens if you leave it. Emailed to you, yours to take anywhere.
— What's In The Van

Dealer-grade tools, mobile.

Scan Tools
Autel MaxiSys Ultra
Bidirectional control, module coding and manufacturer-level access — the same class of tool a dealership uses, not a $40 code reader.
Batteries
Interstate · ACDelco
Fitted with a 3-year free-replacement warranty. AGM for stop-start vehicles, and registered to the BMS on cars that require it.
Electrical Testing
Fluke meters & clamps
Parasitic draw tests, voltage drop tests and circuit tracing done with instruments that read accurately at low current.
Charging Parts
Denso · Bosch · Remy
OE-supplier alternators and starters, load-tested after fitting rather than assumed good because the engine started once.
— Pricing

Diagnostics & Electrical, priced upfront.

Two figures on every job: the full price with parts, and the labour-only price if you supply the parts yourself. Both are starting prices — the labour figure covers the time a typical job takes, so if your vehicle makes it run longer it rises to match. Confirmed exactly before any work begins.

Check Engine Light DiagnosticPopular

Full scan, live data, and a written cause. Fee credited back if we do the repair.

45m on site
$99no parts needed
Book
Battery Test & ReplacementPopular

New battery with a 3-year warranty, terminals cleaned, charging system verified.

40m on site
$199from
$70from
Book
Alternator Replacement

New or remanufactured alternator, belt inspected, output tested under load.

2h 30m on site
$429from
$210from
Book
Starter Replacement

For the no-crank, single-click morning. Replaced and tested on site.

2h 30m on site
$389from
$200from
Book
Electrical Fault Diagnostic

Parasitic draws, dead circuits, and wiring faults traced with a proper meter.

1h on site
$129no parts needed
Book
A/C Recharge & Leak Check

R-134a evacuate and recharge with UV dye leak detection.

1h on site
$179from
$120from
Book

Both columns are starting prices. Parts cost what your vehicle needs and awkward jobs take longer, so full-size trucks, vans, European models and performance parts usually land above these figures on both counts. We price your exact vehicle and get your approval before we begin. Prefer to source the parts yourself? That is fine — you pay the labour column only, and our labour warranty still applies.

Book Now
— FAQ

Common questions.

Yes, in full, against any repair we carry out from that diagnosis — whether that's the same visit or a follow-up booking once the part arrives. If you'd rather take our written report elsewhere, that's fine too: the report is yours either way and it names the actual fault, not a vague direction.
Usually distinguishable in a couple of minutes. A slow, laboured crank or dash lights that dim heavily points at the battery or its connections. A single loud click with strong dash lights points at the starter or its solenoid. Complete silence with everything else working often means a neutral safety switch or an ignition circuit fault. We test rather than guess, and we carry batteries and most common starters on the van.
Yes, and it needs doing correctly. Vehicles with intelligent charging require the new battery to be registered to the battery management system, otherwise the car keeps charging it as if it were the old one and kills it early. We register it as part of the fit — a step that gets skipped surprisingly often.
Say so when you book. We check freeze-frame data and history codes from when the fault last occurred, which often narrows it down even when the car behaves perfectly for us. Where it doesn't, we'll set a data logger up or tell you honestly that catching it needs the car to misbehave — rather than replacing parts on a hunch and billing you for the education.
No. Clearing a code without fixing the cause just deletes the evidence and the light returns within a drive cycle or two. We clear codes only after the repair, then verify readiness monitors have run and set — which matters if you have an emissions test coming up.
Yes — the labour-only figure sits beside every price on this page, so an alternator becomes $210 and a starter $200. Just make sure it is the right part for your exact vehicle; if it is not, the visit is still billable. Our labour carries the usual 12-month warranty, while the 6-month parts warranty applies only to parts we supply.
Yes — the scan tool reads every module on the vehicle, not just the engine. ABS sensors, wheel speed faults and transmission solenoid codes are routine. Airbag faults we diagnose and will replace clock springs and connectors, but deployed-module and pyrotechnic work belongs in a shop with the right handling procedures.
— Light on the dash?

Find out what it actually is

$99, credited back against the repair. Live data, plain English.

Book an Appointment Call (773) 397-0433