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Launching in Surrey

Car diagnostic quotes

When a warning light comes on or the car starts doing something new, a diagnostic job asks a garage to find the cause before anything is repaired. Choose the warning light or symptom from the list, or ‘Other diagnostic’, and describe what the car is doing.
Post your diagnostic job

Post the job free with your registration and postcode. Garages on Matchanic can see it and choose whether to quote, and you only go ahead if you accept one. Matchanic is new and launching in Surrey, so there may be few or no garages on Matchanic near the car yet.

When a warning light comes on

  • Check the handbook. It says what each light on your car means and whether you should stop driving.
  • As a general rule, a red warning light is more urgent than an amber one. If the handbook says to stop, stop when it’s safe.

Signs your car may need this

  • The engine management light (the engine-shaped symbol) is on.
  • Another warning light: ABS, airbag, glow plug, DPF, oil pressure, traction control or tyre pressure.
  • A new noise, vibration or smell.
  • A leak under the car.
  • Loss of power, or the car going into a reduced-power mode.
  • The car won’t start, or cuts out.
  • Smoke from the exhaust, or the temperature gauge higher than normal.

Jobs you can ask garages to quote for

The jobs you can choose for this when you post. Pick the one that fits, or the closest, and add the detail under ‘Anything else’.

  • Engine management light
  • Other diagnostic
  • Full diagnostic scan
  • Fault code reset
  • ABS warning light
  • Airbag warning light
  • Glow plug warning light
  • DPF warning light
  • Battery or charging warning light
  • Oil pressure warning light
  • Traction control or ESP light
  • Tyre pressure (TPMS) warning light
  • Non-starting diagnosis
  • Noise diagnosis
  • Vibration diagnosis
  • Electrical fault diagnosis
  • Overheating diagnosis
  • Loss of power diagnosis
  • Smoke from exhaust diagnosis
  • Leak diagnosis
  • Pre-sale inspection

What affects the price

Each garage sets its own price. These are the things that usually make the difference.

  • What you’re asking for. Reading stored fault codes is usually quicker than tracing a fault that leaves no code.
  • Whether the fault is there all the time. One that comes and goes can take longer to find.
  • The car’s make and model, and the diagnostic equipment it needs.
  • Whether you want the fault found, or found and fixed. A repair is usually priced once the cause is known.
  • Whether the car can be driven to the garage.

What to tell the garage

For a warning light, a garage usually reads the fault codes the car’s computer has stored. For a noise, leak or smell, describe it under ‘Anything else’.

Say when it happens (from cold, at speed, when turning or braking), how long it has been going on, and anything that changed just before, such as recent work on the car. If a code reader or another garage has already given you a fault code, include it.

Questions about diagnostics

  • Is a diagnostic just plugging in a code reader?

    Often that’s where it starts. A fault code says where the car’s computer saw a problem, not always what caused it, so a garage may need to test parts or wiring to find the cause. Some faults, such as a knock or a leak, leave no code at all.

  • Should I clear the warning light myself?

    Clearing the codes doesn’t fix the fault, and if the fault is still there the light is likely to come back. The stored codes help a garage find the cause, so leave them until it has looked. ‘Fault code reset’ is on the list for when the fault has been fixed.

  • Does a diagnostic quote include the repair?

    Only if the quote says so. A diagnostic is for finding the fault. Once the garage knows the cause, agree what the repair involves and its price before it’s done, or post the repair as a job of its own.

  • Can a garage look at the car where it is?

    You can post ‘Home visit diagnostic’ as a mobile mechanic callout. Garages choose whether to quote to come out, and some faults need workshop equipment to find.

Related jobs

Start with your registration

Posting a job is free, and you don’t have to accept a quote.

Post your diagnostic job

Matchanic is launching in Surrey. How Matchanic works · Matchanic in Surrey