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Hi,

I've just had spark plugs changed, and I noticed on the bill I was charged $55 for the diagnostic scan, on top of an hrs work. Quite frankly I think being charged for a scan is ridiculous considering a) I have bought one of these scanners myself - they don't cost much, b) this is a tool necessary for the job, you don't pass on the cost of a screw driver to a customer just because it was used twice so why is this cost passed onto me?
Sounds like a scam.
Even if we assumed the scanner was expensive, it is a cost that would be paid off in a few jobs and does not need expensive resources for continued use.

What do you think?
Thanks in advance -Amber.

What car do you have ?

Pretty much all Japanese cars made before 2006 will have a non-global OBD2 port.

So all those cheap ones sold on trade me won't work, since no JDM cars were required to comply with the global OBD2 during that era.

So those scanners at the shops will be alot more expensive.

But yes, i don't think you should be charged for a scan when you didn't ask for it (especially only for spark plugs change!)

But i'll leave this to the experts in AA , it's just my 2 cents :)

If the vehicle was taken to the workshop with a problem then it is reasonable to expect the dealer to check for any fault codes or erase and codes that would have been stored due to the vehicle not running correctly.

But, if you instructed the workshop only to replace the spark plugs, for maintenance reasons, then it would seem a waste.

Although, if you have a V6 that requires intake manifold removal to get to the spark plugs then it is debatable - but I would argue that it is unnecessary as the ignition should be switched off at the time of intake manifold removal or any engine maintenance work for that matter.

The cheap aftermarket scanners are limited to what they can do and the agents use a factory computer that is expensive to buy and continually update the software.

In New Zealand it's standard practice to charge for a computer diagnostic fee - if the repair or service requires a computer scan.