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My car is about 10 years old now so it is all paid off but things go wrong from time to time. Each time a light comes on or a noise is made my heart jumps into my throat. I start to think about all the major things that could be going wrong and all the money it will cost to fix it. Obviously fixing it won't be as expensive as getting a new one. I know that in my head but I can never convince the frugal me to feel that way about it.
This check engine light could be anything from a simple, cheap fix to a major problem that will make me want to cry. The only way to find out what's wrong is to take it in. Since this is the first big problem since we moved to St. Louis I don't have a trusted somebody to take it to - shoot I should have done this research before there was a problem. I spent a couple hours looking at reviews online and calling around to get prices on just the diagnostic test. The cheapest I found was $95!!!
Seriously?!?!!?
$95 just to hook it up to their machine and tell me what the problem is. That cost won't cover any of the actual repair. In the back of my head I seem to remember a commercial talking about free diagnostic for check engine lights - it took a minute to remember it was AAMCO. I found one of those nearby and will take my chances there just to see what the problem is before deciding to go to a independent shop.
That sucks! My check engine light is on, too. It does this every now and then. It runs fine, sounds fine, all my levels are good, and I just got a new battery. It went off after the new battery install, but is on again. An honest, reasonably priced mechanic is hard to find. Good luck on your search. I'm not going to worry about mine unless my temp and pressure gauges go up. My oil is changed every 3000 miles, and has 51 thousand miles on it. It's 6 years old. I think they install check engine lights to scare you into taking it in.
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