odb2 reader

thegreatiam

My engine management light has come on for my '01 skoda fabia, so I am looking into what can be done.

Is it worth investing in a diagnostic reader from ebay (can be got for around €30 ish)

If i go to the garage with the code will this save me any expenses, or will they still need to run the diagnostic them selves (I was quoted €50 for this service). Are there any codes which I could self repair (would have to be very basic stuff).

In the long term is messing with my engine management a sensible thing, or am opening a can of worms?

I have minimal car maintenance experience

Syllabus

thegreatiam wrote: »

My engine management light has come on for my '01 skoda fabia, so I am looking into what can be done.

Is it worth investing in a diagnostic reader from ebay (can be got for around €30 ish)

If i go to the garage with the code will this save me any expenses, or will they still need to run the diagnostic them selves (I was quoted €50 for this service). Are there any codes which I could self repair (would have to be very basic stuff).

In the long term is messing with my engine management a sensible thing, or am opening a can of worms?

I have minimal car maintenance experience

prob gonna be a misfire or O2 sensor fault code. a 30 quid reader sould be able to tell u this but fixing it urself will mean some guess work/trail and error and as such possible unnecessary costs.

a lot of places wont charge u to diagnose if u get the repair work done with them

thegreatiam

Syllabus wrote: »

prob gonna be a misfire or O2 sensor fault code. a 30 quid reader sould be able to tell u this but fixing it urself will mean some guess work/trail and error and as such possible unnecessary costs.

a lot of places wont charge u to diagnose if u get the repair work done with them

Yes i guessed this, but if it is simple flick of a switch to fix, then they will still likely charge €50.

I think long term the investment right now is worth it, but pay this once to get it diagnosed professionally. will take a few weeks to get the reader from ebay and engine could explode by then

shooter88

There are to many possibilities to the cause of light so would be better getting it done sooner rather than later..ring around and see how much they want for plug it in some do it free..it would be worth getting one for future reference if your keeping the car some code reader especially cheap ones only do certain cars

Syllabus

thegreatiam wrote: »

Yes i guessed this, but if it is simple flick of a switch to fix, then they will still likely charge €50.

I think long term the investment right now is worth it, but pay this once to get it diagnosed professionally. will take a few weeks to get the reader from ebay and engine could explode by then

'a simple flick of a switch' from a qualified person is not worth €50 to you

i suspect 'a simple flick of a switch' for a qualified person will translate into a difficult and time consuming task for you

ironclaw

Syllabus wrote: »

'a simple flick of a switch' from a qualified person is not worth €50 to you

i suspect 'a simple flick of a switch' for a qualified person will translate into a difficult and time consuming task for you

This is very true. Depending in the car one fault code could literally cover about 10 different sensors in the one area e.g. The turbo, crankshaft etc. Hence why an experience mechanic could narrow it down based on the make, model and mileage for example. Reducing trial and error. On the flipside, the error code might be completely wrong and masking something else, which again an experience mechanic may be able to spot.

As with all car problems your best off doing your homework and going to reputable mechanic, unless your willing to take a risk and try some DIY.

thegreatiam

Syllabus wrote: »

'a simple flick of a switch' from a qualified person is not worth €50 to you

i suspect 'a simple flick of a switch' for a qualified person will translate into a difficult and time consuming task for you

The nature of this problem is that it takes a professional to determine the issue.

But running a diagnostic does not require a professional. Only interpreting the data does.

Its the same as the old joke.
The mechanic spends an hour staring at the engine before taking a tac hammer and gently tapping the engine block. "That'll be 500 euro". He says to the cars owner. "What! You only tapped it. I want an itemised bill"
The bill reads:
Tac hammer €5
Knowing where to tap €495

The difference is we live in an age where the information is readily available to the consumer. I can buy the tool to determine the problem before going to the mechanic. There by saving my cash and time. It is up to me to decide if I want to try to risk fixing it my self.

Whether that is possible is another story

My real concern is if I go supplied with the code and fault will I still be charged for the diagnostic. Or will they use my code and do the work.

cletus

I read codes for my father, he took then=m to his mechanic, who also read the codes (turned out to be the same) and did the necessary work.

Your mechanic will probably rad the codes anyway even if you bring them to him, but if you are getting him to do the subsequent work, he probably wont charge specifically for the scan, just include it as part of overall labour