Reading a fault code takes thirty seconds. Working out what actually caused it is the job. We do the second part, because a code tells you where the van noticed a problem, not what is wrong with it. It is what a lot of owners come to Dave for, often after another garage has given up.
Most diagnostic jobs start with one of these.
Told it is the head gasket, the van is not worth fixing, or that nothing is wrong when you know it is. Get a second opinion before you spend big or scrap it.
Solid or flashing. Flashing means stop driving. Solid means get it read before it becomes something worse.
On a diesel Transporter this is the van telling you it has logged an engine fault, not that your glow plugs have failed.
Power suddenly cut and the van will not rev past a certain point. Usually turbo, boost or fuelling related.
Sensors, wiring and connectors. Common on vans that have had a hard life or sat unused.
Injectors, glow plugs, air leaks and EGR problems all present this way. The code narrows it, the testing confirms it.
The hardest kind. Stored codes and freeze frame data help us catch what happens when the fault is not showing.
We pull the codes and freeze frame data, then test the actual circuit or component. Throwing parts at a code is how people spend hundreds and still have the light on.
You get told what the fault is, what it will cost and what happens if you leave it. If it is something you can sort yourself, we will say that too.
Because we break Transporters, sensors, switches and looms are often on the shelf, so a diagnosis frequently turns into a same-day repair.
In owners’ own words. Every review is on our Google listing.
“I had taken my T5 to a local garage who diagnosed it as a head gasket issue and told me to get rid of the van asap. … He said it’s more than likely a water pump issue. … He’s not given up when most garages wouldn’t even have taken it on.”
“If Dave can’t find the issues with your van, then there ain’t an issue with your van. Great service, top man.”
“Dave is a very honest guy and goes into detail telling you the faults and how (cheaply) he can fix them.”
Always. You get the fault, the fix and the cost before anything is done. Our reviews are full of people we told not to spend money, which is rather the point.
Very often, yes. A lot of the vans we diagnose have already been to another garage, sometimes with a big bill quoted or the van written off. Tell us what it is doing and what has been tried, and we will be straight with you about whether we can help.
It means the engine management has logged a fault. It is not usually a roadside emergency, but it will not clear itself and it can turn into limp mode. Worth getting read soon.
We can, but we will not pretend that is a repair. If the fault is still there the light comes back, and on an MOT an illuminated engine light is a fail.
