Nov 22, 2024
A silver Chevrolet truck

Diagnostic testing plays an important role in figuring out what’s wrong with your car when the check engine light comes on. It’s also something you can get at your Chevy dealer regularly to check on your vehicle and make sure it’s working in great condition. Let’s take a look at exactly what this kind of testing is so you can see just how useful it can be when it’s part of your vehicle’s regular maintenance.


How Does Diagnostic Testing Work?

Modern cars have a lot of different computer chips and sensors in them: more than most people realize. This makes it so that various components in your vehicle are connected like they’re all part of a computer system. Dealers have specialized equipment and software that can connect to the computerized parts of your car and scan them for signs of problems. The software can read any codes associated with an illuminated check engine light, too.

Technicians with the right expertise then take a look at what the diagnostic software is telling them. This lets them see what areas of your vehicle are having problems. From there, the technicians can start manually checking the faulty systems and looking for problems that need to be addressed. Diagnostic tests save technicians a lot of time, as they stop technicians from needing to manually check every system in your vehicle.


What Do Diagnostic Tests Check For?

Diagnostic tests search for issues with many of your car’s systems. This includes problems with the individual opponents of your engine, problems with your braking system’s responsiveness, issues with your exhaust system, and issues with your transmission. Diagnostic tests can also give technicians information about your car’s airflow and coolant.


How Often Should You Visit the Chevy Dealer for a Diagnostic Test?

It’s important to visit the dealer for a diagnostic test when your check engine light comes on. The testing helps the technicians narrow down the reasons the light may have illuminated.

However, it’s a good idea to make diagnostic tests part of your regular maintenance routine. Adding a diagnostic test to your annual service each year can help you catch minor problems with your car that may not have been discovered otherwise.


Why Are Diagnostic Tests So Helpful?

Diagnostic tests don’t just help technicians narrow down problems when your check engine light comes on. When done regularly, they can also help technicians catch minor issues and repair them before they become more serious, as well as more time-consuming and costly to fix. Plus, fixing minor problems before they have a chance to get worse helps prevent vehicle performance issues that could inconvenience you.

Looking for somewhere to get a diagnostic test for your car? Come get one at Randy Bowen Chevrolet GMC in Chandler, OK today.

Image via Chevrolet