Modern automotive technology has given us a wonderful tool: the diagnostic test. Automobile diagnostics are a quick and easy way to get directly to the problem with your automobile. This is advantageous for you because it saves you money on your auto repair bill. The sooner we diagnose the problem the sooner we can fix it. This reduces our labor costs. Let’s talk more about vehicle diagnostics below and what makes them so special.
The Main Computer Chip
There is a main computer chip in your automobile that is called the engine control unit. It is also referred to as the engine control module. This chip does many things. First, it controls some of your automobile’s operations, such as firing the spark plugs in the correct order and balancing out the air and fuel in the combustion chamber. Second, it communicates with sensors in each system to make sure that everything is running safely and efficiently. If something goes wrong and it can fix the problem, it will.
The System Sensors
The system sensors communicate with the engine control unit to let it know that everything is okay or that there is a problem. They are running all the time when your automobile is running. They monitor their systems and report errors to the engine control unit if errors occur. For example, if your anti-lock brake system malfunctions, the sensor in the ABS system will report an error code to the engine control unit. If the unit cannot resolve the problem itself, it will alert you of the trouble on the dashboard.
The Warning Lights
This brings us to the dashboard warning lights. You have likely noticed that when you first turn on your automobile, all of the lights on the dashboard light up. This is because the system sensors are checking the systems to make sure everything is okay. The engine control unit turns off each light when it gets the a-okay from the system sensor. If there is a problem, the light will stay on. In the case of the anti-lock brake system problem discussed above, the engine control unit will turn on the ABS light.
If you bring your automobile to our shop because you have an illuminated dashboard warning light, such as the check engine light, we will run a diagnostic test to download the data that was sent by the system sensors to the engine control unit. This data contains the exact error codes of each error. These codes point us directly to the problem without a need for further diagnosis. This is why diagnostics for your automobile is such a great tool.