Vehicle Diagnostics in Littlehampton, Rustington and the Surrounding West Sussex Area
The engine management system on a modern car is complex from a design perspective and in the understanding of how it works. If you own a relatively new vehicle or one that has been manufactured in more recent years, it will have an Engine Control Unit (ECU) fitted. The ECU is the brain of your car’s electrical subsystem, whereas vehicle diagnostics is a related service where mechanics plug specialist equipment into the ECU to manage parameters.
The ECU is best thought of as a component that monitors and manages these parameters then notifies you of issues through the dashboard warning lights.
Goldbarz Autoz, based in Climping near Arundel, is an engine management specialist for the surrounding Fontwell, Littlehampton, Rustington and West Sussex areas. If you suspect a performance issue or have seen a warning light appear on your dashboard, our mechanics urge you not to ignore it. Instead, come to our local garage where we have the latest equipment and facilities in place, or book in with us for vehicle diagnostics over the telephone.
We can also use our equipment to reset dashboard lights after car servicing and to help us identify the need for car repairs directly through the ECU.
What is the ECU?
Think of the ECU as a small computer that helps your engine and electrical subsystem to run at optimal levels by managing the actuators. It controls all parts of the engine, such as the wheel speeds, how well the car brakes, the ignition timing, the idling speed and even the air-to-fuel mix. From short trips to the shops to long journeys and race days, your ECU is quietly operating in the background to monitor the engine and environmental performance.
So where do vehicle diagnostics come into play?
As the engine runs, sensors relay information to the ECU. The ECU can receive data from multiple sensors and makes millions of calculations per second to compare performance with pre-installed mapping software. When the ECU identifies a fault, it will adjust within the set parameters to keep the engine and the coolant, exhaust and fuel injections systems running smoothly.
If the ECU can’t make the required adjustments, it triggers a warning light on your dashboard, and you should seek the services of a qualified mechanic.
Vehicle diagnostics is a process where specialist equipment retrieves stored fault codes and helps the mechanic to identify system faults quickly. This saves time on mechanical troubleshooting and leads our local garage to where the fault lies so that we can recommend a suitable repair method.
What Does a Diagnostic Check Cover?
Customers from Arundel and all Fontwell, Littlehampton, Rustington and West Sussex areas can trust us with their engine management needs implicitly. At Goldbarz Autoz, we understand the importance of vehicle diagnostics and have invested heavily into manufacturer-approved equipment. An engine management (or diagnostic) check is extremely detailed and allows us to look for stored fault codes across a range of different sensors and systems.
Our checks cover each of the following:
- Engine Performance and Coolant Temperature
- Emissions and the Exhaust System
- Electrical and Lighting Systems
- Ignition Timing and Idling Speeds
- Fuel Level Sensors and Transmission Control
- Safety Features such as Airbags, Brakes and Seat Belts
Put your engine management needs into our capable hands and leave our mechanics to identify issues with a view to a prompt and affordable repair.
Goldbarz Autoz also offers a full range of supporting garage services.