this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2025
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It could be something as simple as your gas cap not properly sealing anymore.
You can buy bluetooth OBD II readers on Amazon for like $20 that can scan the check engine codes and tell you exactly what the problem is.
I have one, it's been great.
That said, "exactly what the problem is" isn't always the same as telling you the solution. I had a "misfire on cyl #3" error or something like that, which can be a number of things. Replacing all the coils and plugs myself was probably still cheaper than taking it to the shop though!
Last time I saw a misfire code, part of the piston had decided to form its own country on the cylinder wall. God damn rebels. Engine got rebuilt thohgh, because boredom. Luckily not my car.
Anyway you're right that it can be any number of things.
And if you're up to spending a little more, you can buy OBD readers that are manufacturer specific which will give you details on what is setting off a code. VWAG cars are hell, but if you have VCDS/Rosstech (or ODIS if you can get your hands on it) simple plug and scan will majority of the time give you the exact cause with an event history of the code and not just a vauge "Bank 1 lean" etc, and even if you don't want to do the repairs, if you know what is broken, ordering the parts and giving to a shop ends up being much cheaper and quicker then the cost of them doing the diagnosis and repairs
But does it actually help?
I just brought my car in for an airbag light and inspection. They read the codes and stopped without charging me anything. They handed me the manufacturer printout of possibilities and future steps, and recommended I goto the dealer for a related recall. Of course the recall wasn’t enough so now I’m out thousands.
I know this is just one example but reading the codes myself would have made no difference. As far as I can remember out of all the problems with all the cars over the years, reading the codes would never have made the difference. I’m tempted because it’s cheap and knowledge is power, but realistically I don’t see it helping
Maybe this is directly related to how much work you can do on your own vehicle, when guided by a problem code, but I’ve never had a scenario where this was even close
I got one of those myself, and I always end up with the same problem I used to have with older versions of Windows that BSOD'd frequently: The error code is always something different so I still need outside help to figure out wtf is actually wrong. I'm pretty sure I don't just have a super old webcam plugged into my car.
Nah, I just paid off my credit card debt. I know how life works. It's definitely my transmission.
Hey, stop proposing solutions at us. We need to wallow in our self-induced learned helplessness!
(I have like four code readers. I can reliably tell you where at least two of them are right now.)
Technology Connections just released a video a few days ago with a partial focus on these and tracking down issues yourself.
Yeah, that video about catalytic converters was excellent.