201 King Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 3ER
Open Mon–Sat 9am–6pm · Closed Sunday
Home › Services › Mechanical Repairs › Vehicle Diagnostics
Cars, vans & 4x4s · Petrol and diesel · Fenton workshop
Engine management light on? Car or van not driving the way it should? We plug in, read the fault codes and then check the live data, so we find what’s actually wrong rather than guessing at parts. You get a straight answer and a price before any work starts.
Cars, vans and 4x4s, petrol and diesel
Fault codes and live data checked
Diesel, DPF and EGR specialists
Fenton workshop, Monday to Saturday
Get your diagnostic check booked
Send us your reg and tell us which light is on or what it’s doing. We’ll come back with a straight answer and a price.
Since 2021
Trading in Stoke-on-Trent
2,500+
DPF cleans completed
Mon–Sat
9am–6pm
Fenton
201 King Street workshop
How it works
No guesswork and no surprises. This is what happens when you bring your vehicle in.
Which light is on, when it started, and anything the car or van is doing differently. Small details help us find the fault faster.
We connect to the engine and the other control units and pull the stored and pending fault codes.
Sensor readings, boost, fuel pressure, DPF soot load and temperatures, ideally on a road test. This is where the real fault shows up.
We tell you what’s wrong, what it needs and what it costs. Nothing gets done until you’ve agreed.
Common causes
These are the faults we find most often. A diagnostic check tells you which one it is.
Common on diesels doing short trips. The DPF can’t burn off its soot and the light comes on. We clean DPFs here every day.
Low power, a rough idle or black smoke. Carbon build-up stops the valve opening and closing properly. See our EGR valve cleaning.
Fuel economy drops and it smells rich. A failing sensor upsets the fuelling and emissions. More on lambda sensor faults.
Shaking, hesitating or a flashing light. Coils, plugs or glow plugs, or on a diesel an injector that isn’t spraying properly.
Limp mode and no power. A split hose, a sticking turbo actuator or a faulty boost sensor can all cause it.
A warning light but it drives fine. Airflow, NOx, pressure and temperature sensors. One bad reading can look like a much bigger fault.
Our approach
A fault code tells you which reading the engine computer didn’t like. It doesn’t tell you which part has failed. A lambda code can come from an air leak, a low-power code from a split boost hose, and a DPF code from a faulty pressure sensor rather than a blocked filter.
That’s why code readers and quick “free checks” often lead to the wrong part being fitted. We look at the live data, test the suspect part and check the wiring before we tell you what it needs.
A flashing engine light usually means a serious misfire. Driving on can damage the catalytic converter or DPF. Pull over when it’s safe and give us a call.
Diesel specialists
Most of what comes through our doors is diesel, so we know where these engines go wrong: DPFs, EGR valves, injectors, turbos, swirl flaps and AdBlue systems. We see a lot of vans too, from Transits and Sprinters to Vivaros and Transporters.
If the fault turns out to be emissions-related, we can usually fix it in-house, so you aren’t sent somewhere else once you know what’s wrong.
We clean DPFs in our Fenton workshop, so we can find the cause and fix it in one place.
Vehicles
We diagnose everyday cars, working vans and heavier 4x4s and pickups, petrol and diesel.
Family cars, small runarounds and diesels doing the school run. We’ll explain what’s wrong in plain English.
We know a van off the road means lost work. Transits, Sprinters, Vivaros, Relays and the rest. Tell us when you need it back and we’ll be upfront about whether we can hit that. Running several vans? See our fleet DPF cleaning too.
Heavier vehicles put more wear on brakes, clutches and engines. We regularly work on 4x4s and pickups.
Garage services
Diagnostics is often the first step. Once we know what’s wrong, we can carry out most repairs here: brakes, clutches, cambelts, wet belts, timing chains, alternators and engine work.
FAQs
Straight answers to what people ask us most about warning lights and diagnostics.
What does a diagnostic check involve?
We read the stored and pending fault codes from the engine and the other control units, then check the live data and test the parts the codes point to. You come away knowing what’s wrong and what it’ll take to fix.
Is the engine management light serious?
It can be anything from a loose sensor connection to a fault that will damage the engine if you keep driving. A steady amber light means get it checked soon. A flashing light usually means a misfire, so stop driving and call us.
Will the engine management light fail an MOT?
Yes, on most modern cars and vans. An engine management light that’s on, or doesn’t work, is a major defect at the MOT. We don’t do MOT tests ourselves, but we can find and fix the fault before yours.
Can the light go off on its own?
Sometimes. If the fault is intermittent, the light can go out after a few drives, but the fault code usually stays stored. It’s often the first warning of something that will come back, so it’s still worth checking.
What causes the engine management light to come on?
On diesels the common causes are the DPF, EGR valve, sensors, injectors and boost leaks. On petrols it’s often misfires, lambda sensors or airflow sensors. A diagnostic check tells you which.
Can diagnostics be wrong?
A fault code on its own can mislead, because it points to a reading, not a failed part. That’s why we check the live data and test before we recommend anything, rather than fitting parts until the light goes out.
How much is a diagnostic check?
Call or send us your reg and the symptoms and we’ll give you a price before we start. If it needs a repair, we’ll quote that separately and nothing gets done without your OK.
Do you diagnose vans and 4x4s?
Yes. Cars, vans and 4x4s, petrol and diesel. Vans are a big part of what we do.
Do you come out to the vehicle?
No. All diagnostic work is done at our workshop at 201 King Street, Fenton, where we have the equipment to test properly.
How long does it take?
It depends on the fault. Some show up in minutes, others need a road test or more testing. We’ll give you an idea of timing when you book.
Send us your reg and tell us what it’s doing. We’ll find the fault and give you a straight price before any work starts.
201 King Street, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 3ER · Open Mon–Sat 9am–6pm, closed Sunday · Visits by appointment