Originally Posted by
Roody
I used to take my last car to a major auto parts store when the Check Engine light came on. The counter guy would come out and hook up a little monitor and tell me what the computer said was wrong with the car. Then I would buy the needed parts and my favorite backyard mechanic would replace them for me. There was no charge for the diagnostic service, which took about two minutes. (Although the mechanic always wanted a 12 pack to do the actual repair.)
Is this no longer done?
For my 2001 Volvo, my more mechanically adept son bought the USB adaptor that plugs into the car and communicates with your laptop, and he runs diagnostics all the time and reinstalled some faulty parts. However nothing critical to safety.