The Sterling Tire & Auto Guide to Vehicle Diagnosis
June 6, 2016
Modern Sterling Heights 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 Sterling Heights drivers to track down the source of the problem.
To help your service advisor at Sterling Tire & Auto 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 Sterling Tire & Auto 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 Sterling Heights 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 Sterling Tire & Auto in Sterling Heights depends on how much time it takes to sort out the symptoms and find the underlying problem.
Give us a call.
Sterling Tire & Auto
586-264-7775
34701 Van Dyke Rd
Sterling Heights, Michigan 48312
Need Service?
More articles from Sterling Tire & Auto

On Board Diagnostics for Your vehicle
May 17, 2026
Today we're going to talk about on-board diagnostics and the questions we hear from folks around Sterling Heights, Michigan, who need answers about diagnostic services. They want to know what diagnostics are, what's involved and what the benefits are. They really want to understand the value of d... More

Before You Buy a Used Vehicle (Car Inspection before Buying a Used Vehicle)
May 10, 2026
Before You Buy a Used Vehicle (Car Inspection before Buying a Used Vehicle) Perhaps this sounds familiar. Your vehicle seems like its been around forever, and youve decided its time to move on. But when you check the price of new vehicles, the sky-high price tags have you considering a nice, pre... More

Higher Mileage Service Intervals for Sterling Heights
May 3, 2026
Sterling Heights drivers have probably noticed that the government mandates a lot of equipment on cars: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the motoring public in the Sterling Heights area, but it does a... More
