Seeing your vehicle's check-engine light come on can throw a wrench in your travel plans. It can also feel a little scary: Does it mean your ride is headed for the scrapyard? Or is there a simple fix?

The world of car diagnostics has changed a lot over the last 50 years. Back in the '70s and earlier, a mechanic's most valuable diagnostic tools were usually their eyes and ears. You could figure out ...

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Modern cars are technological marvels, and understanding what’s happening under the hood has never been ...

In the Last diagnostics article, we outlined how to retrieve and decipher engine diagnostics for engines running OBD-I engine management computers. OBD or On Board Diagnostics is a subsystem of the ...

Code readers are diagnostic tools that every car owner should consider owning. Having one of these is as important as carrying a spare tire or a fire extinguisher in the trunk. Back in the day, before ...

Have you ever looked under your car's steering wheel at all the wires, fuses, and plugs? If so, you might find an odd plug called an OBD-II port. That's the same port any technician uses during a smog ...

️ Editor's note: This product category requires new testing about once a year. We'll update this article with the most recent information when it's available. Modern cars are technological marvels, ...