I have a store bought diagnostic machine that the guys who work in the shop and sold it to me said it really does work, which I tend to believe since them saying so could result in them losing money. Anyhow, I have a small emissions system leak, did the gas cap, reset the light, it cam back on. So, I am calling around to see who can fix it for the least amount of money. My local dealership said they would have to still run a diagnostics test running me $100 more dollars even though i can tell them what the problem is. They said their diagnostic will tell them precisely where the leak is, which sounds a little fishy to me, i don‘t think that machine would tell them that, wouldn‘t it be a visual or some other type of inspection other than the diagnostic machine. also, regardless of the diagnostics, how much should this run me so i know who is trying to steal from me and who is being more honest? This is not covered under my extended warrenty.
This is a generally easy question to answer. The leak could be anywhere in your exhaust system. From the exhaust headers on the front/side of the engine, all the way back to the muffler. Generally, though, these leaks tend to be around the O2 (oxygen) sensors. Most cars have 2. Some could have 1-3 of them. Go to an exhaust specialist and ask them if they could help you find the leak. Otherwise, if it is not the exhaust, it could be a vacuum leak in the engine bay. Most engines now have rubber hoses that are all over the engine that allow air to be pulled through various areas of the engine. If you can do it yourself, check all the hoses and see if you can find one that is detached. A good source of reference would be a Hanes auto manual which you can pick up from Auto Zone. Hope this helps! BB2
