Do main dealers have better diagnostics?

[EML]

My 2014 Mk8 is going to limp mode so I took it to the local garage, who I've used for years. They also hire out Mk8 Transits. They said the problem was likely to be the mass air flow sensor, or the intercooler, but they couldn't tell which. They suggested I take it to the local main dealer because their diagnostic kit is better. Fair enough, so it's booked in for next week.

My wife took her Fiesta in this morning because the tyre air pressure sensors are playing up. They again said the same thing - their diagnostic kit can't tell if it's the sensors or the control unit, so she should take it to the main dealer to run the £100 diagnostics. If it's the sensors, the local garage can replace them at half the cost.

So what's going on? Do Ford only let main dealers have the better diagnostic kit? Or has the local garage just got cheap Chinese kit?

[Altransit]

My wife took her Fiesta in this morning because the tyre air pressure sensors are playing up.

Does the Fiesta actually have tyre pressure sensors, or does it get TP information from the ABS (like my Focus does)

[karl]

any garage can have ford ids

all they need is to pay a subscription every year and have the interface but just ford ids alone is expensive for a garage that isnt doing fords day in day out

many gargaes these days just have a snap on unit which is a great bit of kit to have