Back to all

The Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) Guide to Vehicle Diagnosis

July 10, 2022

Modern Joliet vehicles have several computers on board that control all kinds of things like engine functions, transmission shifts, traction control, anti-lock brakes, stability control, emissions – and on some vehicles, even steering, braking and the throttle.

Think about that for a minute – things that used to be controlled by simple mechanical connections now have electronic controls that rely on computers, software and sensors. It's no wonder that when something goes wrong with their vehicle it can be pretty complicated for Joliet drivers to track down the source of the problem.

To help your service advisor at Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) figure out what's wrong, your vehicle is equipped with on-board diagnostics. The Check Engine light comes on to tell you there's a problem and the engine management computer stores a trouble code. Your friendly and knowledgeable Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) technician connects a scan tool to your vehicle's diagnostic port and retrieves the trouble codes as well as other important data.

Trouble codes are like clues for the technician to follow as he diagnoses what's wrong with your vehicle. In a way, it's like going to your Joliet doctor with a problem. She'll run some additional tests and gather the information she needs to make a diagnosis and form a treatment plan. How much a vehicle diagnosis costs at Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield) in Joliet depends on how much time it takes to sort out the symptoms and find the underlying problem.

Give us a call.

Tuffy Joliet (South Plainfield)
815-436-1829
2031 SR 59
Joliet, Illinois 60586

More articles from Tuffy Joliet

The ?Man-Made? Engine Oil (Synthetic Oil Change)

August 24, 2025

If you own a newer vehicle, your vehicles manufacturer may require that it use synthetic oil instead of conventional oil. Synthetic oils are more stable, dont break down as easily, and provide better engine protection than conventional oil. All those things can prolong the life of your engine an... More

The Little Valve that Could (PCV Valve Replacement)

August 17, 2025

It's easy to get letters like PVC and PCV mixed up. PVC is a plastic that's used in a lot of things, especially plumbing pipes. And PCV is a valve that helps your engine burn off excess fumes rather than having them pollute our atmosphere. PCV stands for positive crankcase ventilation. When y... More

Differential Essential (Differential Fluid Exchange)

August 10, 2025

What's the dif? To an automotive technician, it's the differential, a part of your vehicle that helps direct power from the engine to the wheels. The differential is a gearbox that enables the drive wheels to turn at different speeds (they do that when you turn). Inside the differential is a f... More