Cars and computers have been integrated for longer than you might think. Most sensors in your car that manage things like air pressure and weight distribution started out as either hydraulic or barometric. In either case, they responded to pressure changes, not electrical signals.

These days, only the most important parts of a car are handled by actual mechanical components. Everything else is done by a computer. Part of the advantage to that is it means the car’s problems can be easily diagnosed. The downside? Well, it’s a computer.

Even if you are a tech wizard, car computers are uniquely difficult to operate. They are designed that way, as they cannot include any functionality that would cause you to damage the car. But as a direct result, you can also have problems figuring out what is wrong with them.

Common Problems with Car Computers

There are some problems that can only be fixed with a computer diagnostic. We are going to go over some of them to give you an idea of what the car’s computer is good for.

1. Miscalculated Miles
   Your car tracks mileage in two different ways: The first is with a mechanical tracker that is connected to your odometer. This is the method of mile tracking that people are usually familiar with. The other is the computer tracker. A diagnostic will tell you which is correct.
2. Ignition Issues
   The ignition is probably the most complicated part of the car. Before the computerization of cars, however, it was too cramped to fit any sensors in it to diagnose problems with it. Car computers have helped solve that problem, letting you use smaller sensors to figure out what is wrong.
3. Acceleration Issues
   This is another problem your computer solves by combining mechanical sensor data with computer sensor data. There are so many reasons that a car could be losing acceleration. A computer can spot them all as long as it is set up to read them.

   And then whatever it is not set up to read can at least be identified by the fact that it sits out of site of what the computer can detect.

Visit us to Get a Full Computer Diagnostic

Getting a computer diagnostic means both getting a diagnostic of your car’s computer, as well as with your car’s computer. The first uses your car’s computer to quickly ascertain problems that might not be immediately visible to the naked eye.

The second makes sure that the computer itself is working properly. This is important for modern cars, as so much of the car’s health and information is handled by the computer. Call 510-793-6067 and we can tell you how much a computer diagnostic costs, as well as when is a good time for you to come in for it.

The most important thing to remember is that the biggest safety features in your car—such as the brakes—are not controlled by your computer.

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