Diagnostics for the Modern Car

Orewa Car Services have the equipment (scope and scanner) to diagnose electronic equipment faults in your car.

Over the last few decades we have seen a shift from mechanically controlled to electronically controlled engines. The modern engine now has a series of sensors which send information back to a computer.

Unlike the cars of old, engine problems cannot be seen, felt or easily defined from symptoms. Finding problems can take hours which is why repairs are a two-step process, with two separate charges. One to diagnose and one to repair.

We are members of the YES! automotive diagnostic network.

The “check engine” or “service engine soon” light comes on to alert you that your vehicle’s onboard computer has detected a problem with the emissions system on your vehicle. This could indicate something simple like a loose gas cap or a more serious issue such as a misfiring engine. It may also be a sign that your car is getting poor fuel economy and emitting higher levels of pollutants.

A steady check engine light means you should get to a diagnostic technician soon – we recommend that you don’t leave it for more than a month or you risk damaging expensive components in your vehicle.

It is important to get “check engine” problems diagnosed correctly, as an incorrect diagnosis could end up costing you in unnecessary parts and labour. At Orewa Car Services diagnostics is our specialty. Using code scanners, we can quickly and correctly diagnose and repair the problem, getting you safely, and cost-effectively, back on the road.

We use five top brands of the most up-to-date scan tools available and two scopes to view current patterns. This ensures we can diagnose all types of cars and improves the quality and success of our diagnostic services. We are continually updating our technical information from New Zealand and overseas to ensure that our database of vehicles is the most recent, so that we are best informed to give you service you can trust.

In the event of an accident in your vehicle, air bags can make the difference between minor and serious injuries. Designed to inflate on impact, frontal air bags can protect the driver and front-seat passenger from head and neck injuries. Side air bags provide protection for the head and torso should your vehicle be hit from the side. It is important to get your air bags checked if the SRS airbag light is on, as your car’s supplementary restraint system may not be working correctly – you will also be unable to get your vehicle’s Warrant of Fitness if the light is on. We can diagnose and repair air bag systems.

Good brakes are a crucial part of the safety features on your vehicle. Anti-lock braking prevents the wheels from locking when you brake, allowing you to maintain steering control and improving the wheels’ traction on the road. If your ABS warning light is lit, you will be unable to get your vehicle’s Warrant of Fitness. We can diagnose and repair your anti-lock braking system and get you safely back on the road.

Diagnostics & Repair

Servicing faults is a two-part process with two separate costs.

1. Scan/Diagnose/Service
2. Repair

Diagnostic Cost

• Scan tool charge starting from $95.
• Scope tool charge starting from $95.
• Smoke test to check for vacuum leaks charge starting from $85.
• Plus, time taken to diagnose, if needed?

Repair Cost

• Parts.
• Labour.

Scanner Tool

A scanner tool is used to access fault codes from a vehicle’s computer. These codes tell us which sensors are registering a fault. This gives us an idea of what system the fault could be in.

Digital Scope

The scope is used to test system components for electronic faults. We do this by connecting a positive and negative probe to a component and picking up the electronic pulse. The pulse is then graphed on a laptop and compared to a normal pulse shape.

We can test 4 sensors at the same time with our state of the art 4 channel scope.