The service engine light on my 2006 Nissain recently came on. We took it to our trusted mechanic and he was puzzled as to why it came on (the code was for a transmission problem that is very rare, especially on a car with less than 30,000 miles). He reset it, and told us that if it comes back, to take it to the dealership as it may be covered by the warranty. It came back so we went to the nissain dealership. It was $120 to check out the problem. They told us that nothing was wrong, and reprogrammed the service engine light. I repeatedly asked WHY the light came on. The dealership thought I should be happy that nothing was wrong with the car. To me, having a light randomnly pop off that requires a $120 fix is a complete and utter scam. If it‘s scheduled maintanence, then they should explain that.instead of simply charging me money and telling me I should be happy. Are these lights scams?
Service engine lights are rather sensitive. Sometimes a minor bump on a component can set it off even if nothing is wrong. You shouldn't pay $120 to get someone to check out the light, and instead by an engine error code readout device for $40-50 and then talk to your reliable repair shop. Never take your car to the dealer for any maintenance/repairs unless you need a new transmission or engine and it's under warranty.
2 possibility can happen, 1 is you got a faulty sensor or sensor acting up. When your trusted mechanic fixed it trouble return. Then dealership mechanic need to reprogram to correct problem, so is the sensor only. They charge you $120 for this job, and told you should be happy, this is the reason why. Your warranty is over, if not the $120 will be waived anyway, a transmission job will cost few thousands without warranty cover.
