Get an obd-II scanner so you can read the codes on your vehicle(s)
Whenever our vehicles have thrown codes I end up hooking up the scanner, saying oh crap this is gonna cost me and I've yet to get away with a bill in only the 100's.
Amazon has many obd-II scanners -- from 7 bucks!
CLICK ME for obd-II scanners at Amazon A friend has the BAFX scanner which sends the data to any Android smartphone via Bluetooth.
It costs 14 bucks and works great according to him. It lets you clear trouble codes, turn of the "check engine" light -- all with just a little poking & stroking your Android's screen as you sit comfortably in a car seat. Also, it doesn't just give you a numerical fault code, it tells you in English what the code means.
BAFX link at Amazon I see this is the number one scanner in Amazon sales -- great reviews too. I have one on my Chrismas list.
Anyway, for 7 bucks (wired version) to 14 bucks (wireless Android Bluetooth version, buying one of these scanners isn't hard to justify even if you can do only minor repairs yourself. Heck, even if you do NOT do your own repairs, having such a scanner could keep you from getting ripped off.
John
