Sellers reset check engine lights before every sale. Our OBD scanner catches what they cleared — and what's already coming back.
It's one of the oldest tricks in the used car playbook: plug in a $20 code reader, clear the fault codes, and let the car sit for a few drive cycles until the dashboard lights go dark. Now it looks clean. Now it looks like a great deal.
Our inspectors plug in professional-grade diagnostic scanners that don't just read active codes — they read pending codes, monitor readiness flags, and detect when a car's computer systems haven't completed their self-tests. That's the fingerprint of a recently cleared code. The check engine light may be off, but the system isn't ready. And we know why.
We've caught transmission fault codes that were cleared 48 hours before inspection. Catalytic converter failures masked by a fresh reset. ABS sensor faults hiding behind a clean dashboard. One client was hours away from signing on a car that had P0420 (catalytic converter efficiency below threshold) cleared three times in the past month. Repair cost: $1,800.
Don't let a clean dashboard fool you. Book an inspection. We plug in. We pull the truth.