Fault Finding and Diagnostics

Tunetech Diagnostics

We are proud of the capability we've built to diagnose and repair complicated technical faults and we often carry out work for other garages or get referrals from them. We enjoy this type of work and have, on occasion, identified and repaired faults that vehicle main dealers are unable to resolve.

Warning lights

The engine management light and other warning lights on your dashboard tell you when something is wrong. Generally, green lights are for information, amber lights require you to take action, and red lights need your immediate attention.

When an amber or red warning light comes on, it is not always clear exactly what the problem is, but getting an early diagnosis can help identify and resolve issues before more serious damage occurs.

Fault finding and diagnostics.

Our first step is to talk to you to get a complete understanding of the fault, whether it is permanent or intermittent, if it occurs under certain conditions such as when the vehicle is hot or cold, or if the vehicle is fully loaded etc. Next, we will usually connect diagnostics equipment to the car to read fault codes and gather more information about the fault. From here we rely on our experience and targeted testing, using our extensive range of diagnostics equipment and the comprehensive technical data available to us.

Sometimes the process can be straightforward if a fault code relates directly to a component failure or commonly occurring error. Occasionally it can be a more time-consuming problem or an intermittent fault that can be harder to identify if it doesn't present itself when investigating the fault.

At Tunetech we have the expertise and equipment to run diagnostics on all makes and models of vehicles. We use the latest diagnostic equipment to troubleshoot and identify the problem and we will take the time to talk to you about what we have found and what we believe is the best course of action to get the issue resolved.

Call us on 01442 288 882 to discuss your fault finding and diagnostics needs or book online today.

Diagnostics Check

Our standard diagnostics fee is £78.00 (inc. VAT).

The nature of diagnostics work means that we cannot guarantee what we will find when we start, but in our experience over 90% of faults are identified, and in some cases resolved, during the initial diagnostics assessment.

We will always contact you before carrying out further chargeable work, and we will take the time to talk to you about what we have found and what we believe is the best course of action to resolve the problem.

Vehicle electrical systems

There’s more computing power in most modern cars than there was on the Apollo 11 rocket that took Neil Armstrong to the moon in 1969. This has made cars safer and more efficient than ever but it has also made them more challenging to diagnose and repair.

A network of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) collects data from numerous sensors and runs many of the functions of your car, often with no interaction or awareness of the driver. A modern family saloon could have 30 different ECUs and a top-of-the-range Mercedes or Audi will have many more. The main ECU manages the engine, monitoring things like fluid levels, fuel injection, emissions and cooling. Other ECUs handle navigation, driver assistance, anti-lock braking, traction control, air bags and a host of other systems like bluetooth, mobile phone connection and personal music.

When an ECU detects a problem, it logs an error code and alerts the driver through warning lights on the dashboard. A fault with a component may trigger codes in a number of different control units that initially seem completely unrelated. At this point it is hard to know exactly what the problem is, but getting an early diagnosis can help identify and resolve issues before more serious damage occurs.

Leading the way in vehicle diagnostics

Bosch is the leading supplier of original automotive equipment and one of the world's largest independent service networks. They approached us over 15 years ago because of our expertise and advanced technical vehicle diagnostic capabilities and invited us to become members of the Bosch Car Service programme.

We have the expertise and equipment to run diagnostics on all makes and models of vehicles. We take pride in the fact that, in addition to standard vehicle diagnostics, we are both able and willing to take on some of the more interesting and complex diagnostics challenges that come our way from both individuals and commercial businesses in the area.

We invest thousands of pounds every year in the latest diagnostic and monitoring equipment to keep abreast of new developments in vehicle technology. We have diagnostic equipment from Bosch, Autel, Autologic and others, as well as manufacturer-specific diagnostic equipment for a wide range of makes including: BMW, Audi, VW, Citroen, Renault, Peugeot, Land Rover, Mercedes, Ford, Jaguar, Mazda and Isuzu.

Do I need to use a main dealer?

You don't have to go to a main dealer to diagnose vehicle faults. We can carry out diagnostic testing for all makes and models of car without affecting the manufacturer's warranty coverage. If we go on to repair the car, the work is done to the specifications of the manufacturer, so the vehicle remains fully under warranty.