# Car MD **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027 "2011-09-18T19:40:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jaytunmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee59a6/32.png) [@jaytunmore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jaytunmore)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/1 "2011-09-18T19:40:58Z")
I am thinking about purchasing the Car MD to diagnose potential problems with my car. Is this a good investment? Please tell me everything you know about this product. You can find more info at [CarMD.com](http://CarMD.com) Thanks, Jay ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/2 "2011-09-18T19:49:21Z")
Down on the right hand side of the page is a search box. Use it to search for CarMD & you’ll find more than one discussion. I hope you’re not going on one of their infomercials. IMHO they should be shut down for false advertising. On the whole, however, once you peel off all of the B.S. it may be worth what they charge. But if you just want an inexpensive code reader/scantool you can do better for less IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/3 "2011-09-18T20:36:21Z")
As cig said, and I will add that in most places, you can get the same service from Autozone or other car parts stores for free. ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/4 "2011-09-18T22:52:25Z")
I’ve heard good things about Dashawk. Don’t have one, but they’re popular with Speed 3 and CX-7 owners. [http://www.dashhawk.com/support.html](http://www.dashhawk.com/support.html) ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/5 "2011-09-19T14:32:48Z")
How many problems do you have with your car that you think purchasing one of these devices is worth the price? How many problems would you have to have before the device pays for itself? Personally, if I was having frequent enough problems that I needed such a device, I would probably be shopping for a new car. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 6:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/6 "2011-09-19T18:49:51Z")
I have to agree with Whitey on this one. Any diagnostic tool, including a code reader, is useless unless you have the basic knowledge to understand what it’s telling you and do the further diagnostic work based on the direction it points you. It’s rarely as simple as “change part A and your car will be well again”. The money would be better left in the bank unless you actually plan on learning about cars and doing the work yourself. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-md/68027/7 "2011-09-19T19:08:25Z")
Is this the same CarMD that started out as a kiosk that you would drive your car up to, plug in the port and it gave you a reading? Now looks like they just sell a cheap code reader at twice the going price plus shipping.