The average cost of proper check engine light diagnosis

I'm a firm believer that if you have the time and ability to do it yourself, you will save money. That being said, time and money is what you'll lose if you don't have the ability. This can be especially true with your car.

Here's the scenario: your check engine light is on and the car isn't running well. On older cars, the first and most obvious thing to do is perform a good tune-up. That should include the spark plugs, the plug wires, and all the filters. If your car is old enough to have it, replace the cap and rotor too. Now that you've done all this, you discover that the car has all the same symptoms it had before. This is where people make the big mistake of talking to buddies or going to a parts store that will do a free computer scan. Too often you get conflicting information that can cost you a lot of time and money.

So here's what you do, contact a repair facility and get a proper diagnosis. Why? Simple. They pay a lot of money to have all the tools necessary to perform proper diagnosis. Also it creates a good reputation for that shop to be known for accurate diagnosing of vehicles. On average, you'll pay about $100.00 for diagnosis. Most electrical system parts will range in price from $125.00 to $500.0. You can see why guessing can be very costly. Now that you have the proper diagnosis, feel free to do it yourself if you are able.