Service overview
Vehicle inspection and fault diagnosis to find the cause before any repair or parts.
Inspection and diagnostics find out what your car actually needs before money is spent on parts or repairs. An inspection checks the condition of the main systems, and a diagnosis traces a specific symptom to its cause.
It suits unexplained warning lights, intermittent faults, checks after an accident, and buying a used car.
- Full vehicle condition check
- Fault-code reading and road test
- Findings and repair priorities explained
On this page
When to book an inspection or diagnosis
- A warning light is on and you don't know what it means
- A symptom comes and goes, and you can't reproduce it on demand
- Several problems appear at once
- The car has been in an accident, even a minor one
- You're about to buy a used car and want to know its condition
- You're preparing for a long trip
- You've been quoted a large repair and want the fault confirmed first
Inspection or diagnostics: what's the difference?
Inspection
An inspection is a structured check of the car's condition across its main systems: engine bay, fluids and leaks, brakes, tyres, suspension and steering, lights and electrical items, body and underbody. It tells you what is in good order and what is wearing or damaged.
Diagnostics
Diagnostics traces a specific symptom to its cause. It starts from what you've noticed and works step by step until the faulty part or circuit is confirmed.
What a diagnosis can involve
- Talking through the symptom: what happens, when, and under what conditions
- Reading stored fault codes and live data from the car's computer
- Visual and physical checks of the system involved
- A road test to reproduce the problem
A fault code is a starting point, not a verdict. It points to the system or circuit that reported a problem, and the technician then confirms the actual cause. A computer scan alone doesn't find every fault, especially mechanical ones.
What you get afterwards
You're told what was found, what it means, and which repairs are needed now and which can wait. From there the work can move to mechanical repair, electrical and air conditioning or periodic maintenance, depending on the result.
Not sure where a symptom fits? Our guide on how to tell which service your car needs matches common symptoms to the right service.