blackmercedes,

I totally agree with you. That's why I'm trying to tackle stuff myself and save some ($500 or more) money, though it takes some time. I didn't know how to change plugs, but I learned it now in 2 days. I don't think all oter maintenance items are related to the CEL other than plugs, Air filter (maybe). So I'll just order air filter and Air mass meter and put them on in 2 min.
with some of the saved money, I could invest in OBD II reader for future use. I also ordered a repair manual CD from Ebay, for future use as well.

YJ