#engine
13 posts in Car Diagnostics blog about "engine" — OBD-II diagnostics, DTC codes, repair. ← All posts
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Engine keeps running after you switch off: what causes run-on
An engine that shudders on for a few seconds after the key is out was a common fault decades ago. On a modern car it means something quite different.
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The oil filter: the wrong place to save money
A cheap filter saves a few coins and, in the bad case, costs an engine. What is inside and why the valves matter more than the can.
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Spark plugs: when to change them and why "still working" is not an argument
A plug does not fail abruptly — it degrades, and the coil degrades with it. Types, intervals, and why a dearer plug is not always better.
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The air filter: cheap, and it affects everything
A blocked filter does not merely "reduce power a little" — it changes the data the module calculates the mixture from. The real effects and the performance filter myth.
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Coolant: why colours must not be mixed and what to do if they were
Coolant colour guarantees nothing — the additive package is what matters. The types, the consequences of mixing, and how it shows up in diagnostics.
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The engine uses oil: where normal ends and a fault begins
Manufacturers allow oil consumption, and that is not an excuse. Where the line is, how to tell burning from leaking, and what diagnostics shows.
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Oil change intervals: why the schedule and reality disagree
The schedule was not written for your route. What "severe conditions" means, why it applies to most drivers, and how to work out an honest interval.
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Nothing but short trips: why that is the hardest regime for an engine
Two miles to work looks harmless, yet it is the hardest possible duty cycle. What accumulates in the engine and what to do about it.
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Vibration at idle and a thump when pulling away: worn engine mounts
An engine mount is a cheap part whose wear gets blamed on the engine and gearbox. The symptoms, two checks without a ramp, and why hydraulic mounts fail quietly.
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Timing belt or chain: what actually matters when buying and servicing
A "lifetime" chain is marketing, not a fact. Real service life, the signs of stretch, the cost of getting it wrong, and what diagnostics shows.
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Engine oil pressure via OBD-II: codes P0521, P0524, why it's "shut down now" and how to diagnose
What OBD-II shows when oil pressure drops: P0520-P0524, difference between "high" and "low", when you can't drive another meter, worn pump, clogged filter or worn bearings.
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Timing chain vs belt: DTC codes that warn of stretch before catastrophe
How OBD-II sees a stretched timing chain or worn belt: codes P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, symptoms, and why the AI agent can warn 3000 miles before the break.
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Oil Leaking Under the Engine: 10 Leak Points and How to Pinpoint
Found an oil stain under the car: how to identify in 20 minutes which gasket or seal is leaking, and how much repair costs.