[doublecurious]

Hi. I'm new to this forum but have already found it very, very helpful with the limited amount of time I've spent on it.

Here's the deal, I do not want to completely be at the mercy of mechanics at whatever garage I have to go to (if I'm not near or unable to get to the one that I usually go to). I don't want to be taken advantage of because it appears that I don't know anything.

So, I do know some basics and am willing and able to learn. The question is Where and how do I start? I do know SOME basics, but it seems by the volume of communication on this board that there is SO much to learn it is a little overwhelming.

So, how can I get started? How can I get an idea of what is going on with my vehicle before I take it in to the garage.

I'me tired of having to pay money for them to run the diagnostics- $89.00 a pop!!

I've heard a lot about the different "codes". How do I start to find out the codes and what they mean on my 99 Windstar SEL with 94,000 miles on it?

So, please forgive me if this has been addressed before in another thread. I haven't figured out how to use the "search" yet. Any hints on that would be great also.

Thank you in advance for anything that anyone can contribute to increasing my knowledge.