"It doesn’t matter how much you spend on a scanner."
I guess that depends on how badly you want to fix the car. Suppose you are able to diagnose and replace a faulty passenger airbag sensor on your Cadillac, or an Engine Control Module on your Durango, or a Rear Electronic Control module on your Windstar, or a window switch on your Buick, or a Throttle Position Sensor on your Jetta. You are able to install a new part but your car still isn’t fixed or will not run because your car requires some sort of relearn or initialization that is only available through the use of a scan tool. You’ll need more than a code reader. Even in a small independent garage not a day goes by that a scan tool isn’t used to diagnose and repair a car. Even a simple brake pad replacement on some cars requires scan tool function.
"but the bar in the auto-mechanic world is not set very high"
You got that right! You need a license to cut hair but anyone who feels like it can call himself a mechanic. How does that make any sense? I’m not able to walk into a hardware store and buy pipe and fittings to install my own gas fireplace buy any yo-yo can walk into AutoZone and buy brake pads and calipers. You would have to spend some time working in this industry to see some of the unbelievable things that people do, both “professionals” and the DIY crowd. Brake pads installed inside out, garden hose used as fuel line, some of the stuff you can’t make up. Half the people working on their own cars can’t fix a sandwich right much less a car. The ratio in shops isn’t that much better.
this discussion has been useful. how would you know if you’re scanner had the capability to ‘relearn’ or ‘initialize’ after a repair. is that called clearing the code? ive seen some really cost friendly ones that adapt with an iphone app and can give real time data on the fly and do the code troubleshooting. anyone have experience with these types?
I am not a mechanic, I cannot diagnose a car the way say Tester or db4690 can, however I enjoy working on cars and can save a lot of money fixing many things. Not everything is hard to do or diagnose. I have also wasted a lot of money on incompetent or dishonest pros before I found a good one who I now recommend highly to anyone who needs a mechanic.
Speaking as a professional, anything that can be described as “cost friendly” by a DIY’er can’t really be called a scan tool. A proper scan tool on a late-model car will give manufacturer specific real-time data (not generic OBD2 data), have bi-directional functions, and have the ability to program or relearn certain functions. By that, I mean you need to be able to use the tool to make the EGR valve open, run the EVAP emissions monitor, control the idle speed, honk the horn, turn on the wipers, program the VIN into the replacement body module, bleed the brakes, etc. Also, it will have the ability to graph and record data for review at home following a test drive. Anything less is still just a code reader.
I also understand that a DIY’er wouldn’t want or need all of these features. The reason that a pro would want and need a tool like this is that the more information and ability your scan tool offers the better and faster you will be at fixing the car. A test drive with a scan tool will lead you to the problem before you even open the hood if you know what you’re doing.
I agree with @oldtimer 11 above when he says: “however I enjoy working on cars and can save a lot of money fixing many things. Not everything is hard to do or diagnose.” If the challenge and satisfaction of fixing your own car is something you enjoy, go for it! But doing it for a living is a whole different story. I like playing golf, but if I was told I had to score under 100 and had to finish my round in 3 hours 45 min or less, it probably wouldn’t be as much fun.
I don’t see a situation developing any time soon where everybody in America starts to fix their own cars. Fixing cars is hard to do, for one thing. And physically demanding. It takes considerable knowledge and skill. And the learning curve, from going from not knowing how, to knowing a little bit, is very steep. And fixing your own car is often very time consuming.
We Americans, for the most part, are not lazy. And we’re reasonably intelligent. And we could learn how to do a lot of car fixing if we set our minds to it. But it’s not going to happen. Why? Because we’re already booked solid. There’s no time to fix cars. We’ve got kids to take to their soccer matches. We’ve got a job that takes our att’n 10 hours a day 6 days a week just to keep treading water.
No, despite whatever technology is available or becomes available, I don’t see a situation happening in America where everyone will start fixing their own cars.
Pro mechanics: If you are competent, your jobs are safe.
I wish I could say the same for everyone else with a job in America.
“Pro mechanics: If you are competent, your jobs are safe.”
Unfortunately, the incompetent mechanics are pretty safe in their jobs as well. Somehow much of middle America has come to the conclusion that auto repair isn’t particularly valuable. Since you can get codes read for free at AutoZone and look up what you need to fix it on the interweb, the competent local mechanic is often treated with less respect than he deserves.
There’s a local chain around here, used to be a muffler and radiator shop that now has branched out into complete auto service and every store now has a code reader. The store near me will refer customers to me if they run into a problem they can’t resolve. The conversation typically goes as follows:
“XYZ referred me to you. My car runs rough and has a misfire code. They replaced the spark plugs and wires, put in a new coil pack and a new fuel injector and the misfire is still there.”
“Well, I’m sure they did the best they can. We can figure your problem out, we have all the equipment, service info and experience needed to diagnose and repair your vehicle. Our initial charge for an engine performance diagnostic is $90 plus tax.”
“Wow, you guys are expensive. XYZ does diagnosis for free.”
“XYZ charged you $450 and your car still runs the same and we’re the expensive ones?”
Sure, the experienced well-tooled problem-solving automotive technician looks like the hero in the end, but it’s the “swaptronics engineer” that makes the money in this field.
I completely agree that a competent mechanic would usually save you money minus routine stuff (brake pads, ATF change, etc).
I had tire wear issues where the rear tire was wearing funny and missing rubber on parts. The 4 tires were matching and I had got the car as such from the dealer as a used CPO. Two shops just wanted to sell me struts. I checked the struts and with only 60K miles of gentle fwy driving was not convinced that my problem was the strut. Took it to a well reputed shop and the guy looked the car up and down and finally figured that even though the tires were matching the two that were wearing poorly were 2 years older than the other two. Put a pair of new tires on and things are still fine 45K miles later. I was happy to pay the extra shop fees which was nothing compared to 4 strut & alignment fees.
I just bought one about 4 months ago. My wife freaks out every time the light comes on. Then I have to take the car to auto zone so they can read the code. They almost never get the diagnostic correct so I always came home and looked up the code myself. They aren’t allowed to reset the light any more so I decided it was time to buy my own. Some things you want to know.
Some readers only read American cars. Some readers also have the ABS diagnostic. (not all do)
some only read OBD2. I bought the Actron CP9580. Auto zone wanted about 180.00 for the better one that they sell. I found a similar one on Amazon for about 120.00. I love it. It is very easy to use. Actron has a very good web site to help diagnose the code. word of advice. use the web. search the code and what others found. You might find your problem or find how other people with the same problem tried things that did not work. Hope this helps