Back to all

The Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak Guide to Vehicle Diagnosis

March 28, 2016

Modern Royal Oak vehicles have several computers on board that control all kinds of things like engine functions, transmission shifts, traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control, emissions – and on some vehicles, even steering, braking and the throttle.

Think about that for a minute – things that used to be controlled by simple mechanical connections now have electronic controls that rely on computers, software and sensors. It's no wonder that when something goes wrong with their vehicle it can be pretty complicated for Royal Oak drivers to track down the source of the problem.

To help your service advisor at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak figure out what's wrong, your vehicle is equipped with on-board diagnostics. The Check Engine light comes on to tell you there's a problem and the engine management computer stores a trouble code. Your friendly and knowledgeable Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak technician connects a scan tool to your vehicle's diagnostic port and retrieves the trouble codes as well as other important data.

Trouble codes are like clues for the technician to follow as he diagnoses what's wrong with your vehicle. In a way, it's like going to your Royal Oak doctor with a problem. She'll run some additional tests and gather the information she needs to make a diagnosis and form a treatment plan. How much a vehicle diagnosis costs at Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak in Royal Oak depends on how much time it takes to sort out the symptoms and find the underlying problem.

Give us a call.

Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak
248-585-0980
3110 Rochester Rd
Royal Oak, Michigan 48073
http://www.toptechautorepairroyaloak.com

Need Service?

More articles from Top Tech Auto Repair Royal Oak

You Are the Fluid Detective! (Leaking Fluids)

March 22, 2026

When you see some liquid sitting underneath your vehicle, your mind starts churning. Is that normal? Is that something serious, or did I just spill my drink? Heres a quick list of what those fluids look, smell and feel like, as well as what they might be. No, we dont recommend you taste them to ... More

A Most Important Part (Serpentine Belt Replacement)

March 15, 2026

Your vehicles engine is an engineering work of wonder with many complex parts working in harmony to get you down the road. One of those simple but important components is called a serpentine belt. It is driven by a pulley on the engine and transfers that power to many of your engines most importa... More

Battery Replacement for Your vehicle

March 8, 2026

Modern vehicles in and around Royal Oak run on 12 volt electrical systems. 12 volts is enough to get the job done for Royal Oak drivers without having so much power that there is danger of electrocution. But today's vehicles have more electrical components and do-dads than ever before. This real... More