Site guide
What a Diagnostic Fee Covers
A diagnostic fee pays for time, tools, experience, and testing. It should produce information, not just a guess.
What It May Include
- Interviewing the customer about symptoms and recent changes.
- Scanning codes and reviewing freeze-frame or live data.
- Road testing, visual inspection, pressure checks, electrical tests, smoke testing, or system-specific checks.
- Writing findings and a repair recommendation.
What To Ask For
- Ask what diagnostic time is included.
- Ask whether the fee is applied to repairs.
- Ask what tests were performed and what results pointed to the recommendation.
- Ask whether more diagnostic time may be needed for intermittent problems.
Why It Matters
- Good diagnosis can prevent unnecessary parts replacement.
- The cheapest quote is not always cheaper if it skips testing.
- Paying for a clear test result is often better than guessing from a code.