Engine Diagnosis and Repair
Most cars built after the mid-1980s have a check engine light or malfunction indicator lamp (MIL). The MIL is a great way to know if there is a problem in your vehicle’s engine. The minute your check engine light comes on, you know it’s time to take your vehicle to your local auto repair shop.
The check engine light is not the only way for you to believe something is wrong with your engine. It is a great tool, but regular engine diagnosis is also crucial for finding and repairing any underlying issues with your engine.
Residents of the Cache Valley should contact Ethan’s Honest Auto for your engine diagnosis and repair needs. We will never recommend services not needed for the optimal performance of your engine. This can be a problem for other auto service shops. If you want your vehicle to run as efficiently as possible, you need to use our services. We are a locally owned and operated business that prides ourselves on our honest maintenance and repairs.
What is engine diagnosis and repair?
Engine diagnosis is a type of assessment that auto repair shops can give to your engine. There are diagnostic tests for a variety of vehicle symptoms. Problems with the transmission, exhaust, brakes, fuel injector and more can all be found using diagnostic tests.
Modern engine diagnosis is very straight-forward. Vehicles from the last thirty years or so have an onboard computer. The vehicle’s computer can be hooked up to an electrical diagnostic device. The computer sends the proper information as a code to the diagnostic device, which is then read by the repairman.
The computerized diagnostics will tell the professionals at Ethan’s Honest Auto exactly what is going wrong in your engine. Some common complaints are:
- Problems with ignition timing
- A buildup in the engine
- Problems with the ignition coil
- Engine RPMs
- Air temperature
- Coolant temperature
- Crankshaft position
- Camshaft position
- Throttle opening
- Fuel injector issues
How do I know if I need my engine looked at?
Knowing when to bring your vehicle in for engine diagnostics and repairs can be a little tricky. There are some obvious situations, though. If your check engine light comes on, you need to bring in your vehicle. Tests can confirm what is going on and tell you any repairs that are needed.
Additionally, if you engine sputters or fails completely, you clearly need engine diagnostic and repair services. Yet, there are a few grey areas. If you notice the following issues, you may have an engine problem, which will require engine diagnostic tests and repairs by Ethan’s Honest Auto.
- Leaks.
- Burning smell, smoke, or steam when the vehicle is running.
- Low oil or coolant.
- Black smoke coming from the exhaust.
- An inconsistent idle.
- A slow start
- Knocking, banging, or other noises coming from the engine.
Why is engine diagnosis and repair important?
Engine diagnostic tests help to guide a technician’s investigation into what is wrong with your vehicle. After receiving the issue’s code, the technician will run further tests to confirm the problem and the level of damage. Although they are just a first step, engine diagnostic tests are an important way to make a technician’s investigations into your engine troubles more efficient.
Repairing your engine promptly is very important. Your engine runs your vehicle. If problems, even small ones, are not repaired they can cause the engine to fail. It is much easier—and less expensive—to fix a single issue than to replace the entire engine.
Do yourself a favor, contact Ethan’s Honest Auto if you notice any signs of engine trouble. We are the best in the business at diagnosing and repairing all of your engine issues. Schedule an engine diagnostic and repair visit today. Even if there is nothing wrong with your engine, you will receive a complete vehicle check during your visit. We will get to the bottom of any vehicle problems you are experiencing; it’s guaranteed!
Services provided by Ethan’s include:
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Oil Changes
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A/C Service
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Brakes
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Tire Rotation
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Windshield Wipers/Washer Fluid
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Wheel Bearings
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Differential Services
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Coolant Flushes
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Struts
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Transmission Services
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Tune Ups
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Shocks
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Brake and power steering services
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Timing Belts
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Tie Rods
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Rack and pinion
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U-Joints
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Ball Joints
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4-Wheel Drive
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FAQs About Engine Diagnosis
As we mentioned above, diagnosis is just the first step. If our engine diagnosis shows an issue, you will be contacted by a technician. We will discuss the problem and recommend repairs.
Engine diagnostic tests are great because they can help a mechanic pinpoint a vehicle’s problem immediately. However, the diagnosis does not repair anything. It just gives us the information we need to get started.
You will be able to find DIY engine diagnostic tools. However, this is a type of maintenance best left to the professionals. The diagnostic tools available for home purchase are much less powerful than professional models. They may not include all of the information you need to accurately diagnose the problem.
Additionally, engine diagnosis is only the first part of the process. After diagnosis comes to repair. If you want to have exact information about the state of your vehicle, then a DIY diagnostic tool may be useful. But, unless you can do all of the repairs it may indicate, owning the tool does not do you much good. You will still need to bring the vehicle in for repair, which will necessitate the mechanic running their own engine diagnosis to confirm your analysis. Essentially, your money is best spent on other vehicle maintenance tools.
Engine diagnosis can only monitor the systems of your vehicle that are governed by the internal computer. In modern vehicles, this is most of the systems, though. Your engine, exhaust, brakes, and cooling systems are all monitored by your vehicle’s computer. A problem with any of these systems will cause the check engine light to come on. They can all be diagnosed by an engine diagnostic test as well.
An engine diagnostic test is a process that tells a mechanic why your check engine light is on. They use a tool that interfacing with your vehicle’s computer to determine the problem. The interfacing tool downloads the information from the computer.
Typically, the computer will provide a code number for specific problems. Once the diagnostic tool has the information downloaded, it is just a matter of matching the code to a specific problem.
One of the best ways to know that you need diagnostics run on your engine is if the check engine light comes on. Check engine lights can be scary, but they are a great tool. They can turn on for a minor or a major problem. That is why it is important to bring your vehicle into Ethan’s Honest Automotive immediately. There is no way to know the exact problem by the light alone.
Your check engine light comes one when the vehicle’s internal computer determines that something is wrong. These issues could be a bad gas cap, a misfiring engine, or anything in between. A mechanic has a diagnostic tool that will allow the computer to give a code for the problem it has detected.