I understand why dealers and other shops in general have started charging diognostic fees in MOST cases like has been mentioned in this thread but not all...like when my elderly father's CEL came on in a PT Cruiser that my step mother drives. I was out of town and unable to check it and he didn't call me to ask about it.
He drives it into the local Chrysler dealership and they check it and tell him it's the computer (ECM) and it needs to be replaced...$98 diagnostic fee !!
$800 dollars to replace the computer !! It's a 2001 PT Cruiser. He then calls me...thank god... about the price of the computer and is already out $98.
The reason I say "out the $98" is because all you have to do to get the code in a PT Cruiser is turn the key to the on position 3 times and the code displays right there on the dash. No mechanic has to spend any real time to do anything other than that and then look the code up...yep I think that falls into the BS category. I wish he would have called me first so I could have saved him the $98...turn the key three times to the on position and then just look the code up on the internet and it tells you the same thing.
Luckily he did let me take care of the computer for him $150 and guaranteed for life....DONE. It's been one year and they have had ZERO issues and ZERO CEL's.
I ordered the ECM from this place and they shipped it to me quickly and it was plug and play. Looks like they had a price increase since then but it's still not $800.
http://www.allcomputerresources.com/...FQI8gwodIH0fKw