2d ago
inUnpopular opinion: I swore by feeling out engine problems until a sneaky misfire made me buy a scan tool (and I'm not going back).
On my 2015 Civic, a check engine light for a misfire stumped me. I tried listening for knocks and feeling for vibrations, but it was too random. A cheap scan tool pulled codes that pointed to cylinder 3, and it was a cracked ignition coil. That experience taught me that even the best ears can't hear computer data, so how do you balance hands-on checks with modern tools?