"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The check-engine light suddenly appearing on your dashboard is enough to dampen any drive. For 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 ...

Most of us cringe in fear when the check engine light in the dashboard of a modern 4x4 is tripped on. Your mind begins to spin in frustration wondering what could have triggered it, how bad it really ...

OBD-II diagnostic device BlueDriver interprets engine error codes to suggest what might need fixing, and lets you know if your car is ready for a smog check. Wayne ...

If you've ever gone to a mechanic for a check engine light problem on your car, then chances are you've heard the technician say something about an OBD scanner. It's a handheld phone-like device that ...

A journalist's experience with a check engine light and an outrageous $250 diagnostic fee reveals how a simple, affordable tool can save you from questionable auto shop practices and hundreds of ...

When I got my first performance vehicle (a 2000 Subaru Forester STI) the first thing I bought for it was an OBD-II code reader so I could monitor the sensor levels and pull codes in the event anything ...

This article was updated in August 2025 with new products and information. That little yellow check-engine light is sneaky. Most of the time, you forget it could be there. But when it detects an issue ...