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If your car develops a fault, particularly an intermittent one, then it can be very hard to find out what is wrong with it in order to fix it. Most cars are built with a type of on board computer that can be linked up to a diagnostic machine that will check the system for faults. This will then create a diagnostic report listing any fault codes it has found. The fault codes will refer to a problem with a specific part or function of the vehicle. With this information, you can then make a decision as to what you want to do with the vehicle. If it is quite old, you may feel that it is not worth repairing and better to cut your losses.

Many garages will charge £30-£50 for a diagnostic, but do not always be tempted to go to a main dealer. Some smaller garages will have this equipment and will often charge you half of main dealer prices.

Faults found in cars during a diagnostic can even sometimes be fixed by essentially carrying out a reset, but if the fault itself remains then the car will eventually list it as an error code again.