Most of us cringe in fear when the check engine light in the dashboard of a modern 4x4 is tripped on. Your mind begins to spin in frustration wondering what could have triggered it, how bad it really ...

We've all been there—that pesky check engine light pops up on your dashboard. Instantly, thoughts of expensive mechanic bills, weeks of it being repaired in the garage, and inconveniences galore flash ...

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Since the mandate of the OBD-II port in 1996, auto mechanics have accessed vital information about your ...

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 ...

Seeing your vehicle's check-engine light come on can throw a wrench in your travel plans. It can also feel a little scary: Does it mean your ride is headed for the scrapyard? Or is there a simple fix?

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 ...

Antuan started out in the automotive industry the old-fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. He now has nearly 20 years of expertise and experience behind ...

In 1976, Chrysler ushered in the computer engine management system era with their Electronic Lean Burn 400 4-bbl. This early computerized spark-advance control system was developed to make the engine ...

When I got my first performance vehicle (a 2000 Subaru Forester STI) the first thing I bought for it was an OBD-II code reader so I could monitor the sensor levels and pull codes in the event anything ...

In the past, car diagnostic tools were prohibitively expensive. Prior to 1996, an independent technician could expect to pay thousands of dollars for a tool that was compatible with only a single ...

In 1976, Chrysler ushered in the computer engine management system era with their Electronic Lean Burn 400 4-bbl. This early computerized spark-advance control system was developed to make the engine ...