The world of car diagnostics has changed a lot over the last 50 years. Back in the '70s and earlier, a mechanic's most valuable diagnostic tools were usually their eyes and ears. You could figure out ...

In the Last diagnostics article, we outlined how to retrieve and decipher engine diagnostics for engines running OBD-I engine management computers. OBD or On Board Diagnostics is a subsystem of the ...

This article was updated in November 2025 with new information. You know you’ve earned your DIY stripes when you can stay calm the moment something goes wrong. And with cars, that moment usually ...

That little yellow check-engine light is sneaky. Most of the time, you forget it could be there. But when it detects an issue, it illuminates menacingly. For many, the initial reaction might be to ...

Before I figured out how to work on cars, onboard computer systems scared me. I’ve had no formal training, after all, so the idea of a car’s complex electricals and countless sensors made DIY work ...

Which OBDII scanners are best? Those annoying dashboard warning lights only tell you that something is wrong. They don’t tell you that the problem could be anything from a loose gas filler cap to a ...