What a diagnostic actually costs in Chattanooga

The Basic OBD-II Scan is $39. That's engine codes only: the numbers the computer stored and their definitions. No report, no other modules, no walkthrough. If all you want is to know what the number on the dash means, that is the cheapest honest answer I can give you.

The Full-System Scan + Digital Report is $59. I connect the professional XTOOL D7BT scanner on site, scan every module your vehicle's network contains — engine, transmission, ABS, airbag, body control, instrument cluster, HVAC, TPMS — and the scanner writes its own PDF report, which I email to you as the machine wrote it.

The $59 is the one most people book, because a single-module code pull usually leaves you holding a number with no next step.

Free if nothing found means exactly that: if the scan turns up no fault codes at all, you pay nothing. It's the one guarantee I publish, and I keep it.

$59 is scanned and reported — the scan, plus the scanner's own PDF, emailed as-is. That is the whole job, and the scope is confirmed by text before I come out.

Turning those codes into something you can act on is a separate, optional step: the Code Interpretation & Next Steps add-on, $40, on the same visit. That's where I go through the codes your scan found, say which ones actually matter, and tell you the next step I'd take.

The $39 Basic OBD-II Scan works the same way — codes and definitions, no report — and it doesn't include the $40 add-on either. If you want the walkthrough, book the full-system scan and add it.

If the scan shows a fault but not its cause — a module that won't talk, a wiring problem, a parasitic drain, an intermittent electrical gremlin — that's Pinpoint / Electrical Diagnosis, quoted after the scan at from $75/hr. It isn't bookable online: I quote it once I know what the fault looks like, and you hear the number before any work continues.

Feature coding — changing how your vehicle behaves through the modules it already has — is $59 on supported Ford, Jeep, RAM, Dodge, Chrysler and Nissan vehicles. Ford is coded with FORScan, RAM and Jeep with AlfaOBD, Nissan with Carista and an OBDLink MX+.

Tire size recalibration is $45. Air suspension calibration is $59. Start/stop disable plus a full-system scan is $89.

Key Programming is quote-first: the catalog says $59 and up, and the real number depends on your year, model and key type. I confirm it before you commit to anything, and I tell you if it isn't possible on your vehicle.

Every one of those depends on what your modules expose. Compatibility varies by year, make and model — I verify yours before booking, and I tell you before you spend a dollar if it isn't supported.

The bundle is the only place on this list where you pay less than the pieces: Jump Start + Battery Deep Dive + Full-System Scan is $89, and those three jobs bought separately come to $128. That's not a marketing discount, it's arithmetic — $128 of work for $89, save $39. It's the right call for a car that won't start, because it solves the immediate problem and tells you what else the vehicle is reporting.

Battery Deep Dive is $30 — load test, cold-cranking amps against the rated number, alternator ripple and starter draw, with the readings written down. It's the upgrade to the basic test that comes with a jump start, and it's not a parasitic-drain hunt (that's Pinpoint work).

Pre-Purchase Electronic Inspection is $99 for a used gas vehicle. The Hybrid / Electric Pre-Purchase Inspection is $199: the hybrid pack, high-voltage insulation, electric drive and the safety systems get read live before your money leaves.

I'm not going to quote you a competitor's price. I don't know what any particular shop in town charges this week, and inventing a number to make mine look better would be exactly the kind of thing that makes a price page worthless.

What I can describe is the shape of it: a shop or dealership diagnostic usually means you drop the car off, you wait, and sometimes you leave it overnight — and there is normally a diagnostic fee on the bill whether or not it turns into a repair.

What you avoid with me is the drop-off. I come to your driveway or your parking lot in Chattanooga, the vehicle stays with you, and the visit happens in one sitting. If the car won't start, you also avoid paying to tow it somewhere.

What I won't tell you is that a scan replaces a mechanic. It doesn't. I read what the computers say and I tell you what that means. I don't replace parts, and I don't do engine, transmission or brake work — if your problem is mechanical, a scan will point at it and you'll need a shop for the fix.

No travel fee within 10 miles of Chattanooga. Beyond 10 miles, a travel fee applies at $2 per round-trip mile, quoted up front before booking. Areas over 30 miles away are outside our coverage.

Cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours before your appointment and there's no charge. With less than 24 hours' notice, a $35 cancellation fee applies. Same-day no-shows are charged the same fee. We'll confirm your vehicle and service before the appointment.

Payment is due at the appointment: cash, card, Venmo, Zelle or Cash App. I don't take payment up front and there's no deposit.