If your vehicle is throwing a check engine light, but you don't have a diagnostic scanner handy, here are three tricks to try before seeing a mechanic.

Here are our pro tips for diagnosing a check engine light. Head to your local auto parts store and rent an OBD2 scanner to see what’s what. The staff will also help you read the code.

If you're a personal user, knowing how to read and interpret OBD codes is a trick that's well worth having up your sleeve for those times when the Check Engine light in your car suddenly comes on ...

The first step is to read the check engine light code provided by the car’s computer system. This is the information that’s been logged by the sensors in your engine. It can be read with OBD ...

Does a check-engine light really mean something is wrong with your engine? An OBD2 scanner can tell you. What you should do if your idiot light comes on.