Mobile car diagnostics in St Albans. Know what's wrong before a garage quotes you.
- Every module read: engine, gearbox, ABS, airbags and body electrics, with live data.
- A written verdict and a fair repair price you can take to any garage.
- £70 in St Albans, at your home or work. I reply the same day.
I reply the same day.
What you get in St Albans
I'm Kieran, and Kiers Garage is just me. I'm based in Hemel Hempstead, and St Albans is in my further-out area, so it's £70. I come to the car with a dealer-level scanner and proper testers. 15+ years in car sales, and I buy, fix and sell cars myself.
What the visit covers
- Every module read, gearbox and ABS included, with live data.
- A battery test, because low voltage leaves misleading codes behind.
- A written verdict: which codes matter, which are knock-on effects, and a fair repair price.
- About 30 to 45 minutes, wherever the car is parked.
Prices in St Albans
One price for the call-out and the full scan. You know the cost before I set off.
St Albans
£70
Call-out, every module read and your verdict in writing.
St Albans is in my further-out area. Hemel and about 10 miles round is £60.
Used car check
from£95
Buying a used car? I meet you at the seller's: full module scan, MOT history, paperwork, a look round and underneath, a battery test, and a straight "buy it" or "walk away" before you hand over any money.
Not sure which price applies to your street? Put your area in the booking form and I'll tell you when I reply.
Is it the clutch? What a scan showed on a BMW
Revs climbing while the car doesn't pick up speed is the classic sign of a slipping clutch. A recent job was a 2016 BMW 118i doing exactly that in third and fourth.
The scan backed it up. The engine module had logged clutch slip codes at both of its thresholds, and it had cut back the boost as a consequence. There were also gateway and alarm codes from a low-voltage event, and an exhaust camshaft sensor code that came and went.
So the written report said: clutch kit and dual mass flywheel, check the rear main seal and the gearbox input seal while it's apart, then clear the codes and road test. The gateway and alarm codes weren't the problem. The clutch was.
A second opinion. If a garage has already quoted you for a big job, a scan and a written verdict is a cheap way to check the codes and live data point the same way before you agree to it.
Faults I come across
The ones where reading the right module saves the most money.
Clutch slip
Revs rise but the speed doesn't. Many modern engine modules log it as a fault code.
Gearbox warning or limp mode
The car holds one gear and won't rev. Reading the gearbox module shows why it's protecting itself.
Knock-on codes
One fault can set off codes elsewhere. On the BMW, the boost was cut back because of the clutch fault.
Codes from a low-voltage event
A weak battery or a jump start can leave codes in the gateway, alarm and other modules. Worth knowing before anyone replaces parts for them.
What a scan can and can't tell you
Codes, symptoms and a road test make the call together.
Can tell you
- Clutch slip logged by the engine module, on cars that record it
- Gearbox codes behind limp mode
- Which codes are the main fault and which are knock-on effects
- Codes left by a low-voltage event
Can't tell you
- Measure how much clutch is left
- Replace a road test after the repair
- See wear that no sensor measures
How booking works
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Send me the details
Use the booking form on my diagnostics page: the reg, what it's doing and that you're in St Albans. If a garage has quoted you, say what for.
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I reply the same day
With a time, and a reminder of the price.
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I come to the car
At home or at work. Someone needs to be there with the keys.
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You get it in writing
Which codes matter, what they mean and a fair repair price.
Common questions
Still wondering? Ask in the booking form and I'll answer when I reply.
Why is it £70 in St Albans?
St Albans is in my further-out area, with Watford, Chesham and Amersham. It's the same full scan and written verdict as in Hemel.
Do you read automatic gearbox faults?
I read every module the car has, gearbox included, and tell you what the codes mean.
A garage has quoted me for a big repair. Can you check it first?
Yes. Tell me what they've quoted in the booking form. I'll read the car and tell you in writing whether the codes and live data point the same way.
Parking's tight where I live. Is that a problem?
Usually not. I need to get to the driver's door, as the port is normally under the dash. For battery or leak tests I'll need the bonnet up.
Will my car end up on YouTube?
Only if you say yes. I sometimes ask to film the scan for my channel, and your plate and your face stay out of it.
Near St Albans
I also cover Redbourn and Harpenden. Not sure which price applies? Put your area in the booking form and I'll confirm it when I reply.
Car not driving right? Send me the reg and what it's doing before you pay for a guess.
Book a diagnostic