SAM is looking for a few good OBD II ports
For those of us who like to service our own cars, being able to retrieve the OBD-II codes is important. There are various readers on the market, with some more capable than others. Of course, once the codes are retrieved, you need to know how to interpret them. The common misconception is that the on-board diagnostics will tell you exactly what's wrong. The truth is, codes may be set that call out a particular component or system which are symptoms, not causes. To really get to the root of the problem, you need to interpret the information coming from your vehicle's computer. That requires years of experience and knowledge of of how everything interacts.Or, you could just go see SAM. SAM stands for Smart Auto Management, and it's like a mechanic and an ATM rolled into one. The kiosk systems are going in at assorted chain-service shops and independent facilities. You drive your ailing car in, pay the $15 fee, plug into SAM and get a printout that is written in English even your ten-year-old will understand. Some of us will soldier on with our code readers and mental Rosetta Stones, but for folks looking for a quick answer to the "is this going to be expensive" question, SAM may be your man.
[Source: engadget]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rob 5:04PM (2/11/2007)
OBD-II has been a great excuse for mechanics to overcharge and parts outlets to sell the wrong part. Autozone's free OBD-II readings can be a great thing for those who know how to interpret, but listen to the workers and you could potentially blow hundreds on the wrong parts (especially O2 sensors).
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SleighBoy 5:53PM (2/11/2007)
Error codes are only 50% of it, the real value of a scan tool is reading live sensor data. And mechanical ability comes in when you learn how to read that. Any FSM will guide you to diagnosis based on sensor outputs. But you need to be able to drive and run the car for an extended period watching live data to really track down bad sensors and such.
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Fuzzmanmatt 11:09PM (2/11/2007)
I work at one of these places that offers free OBD readouts. People come in thinking that that code is the be-all and end-all for their problem. I have a hard time getting many of them to understand it's just a starting point, the system has detected something wrong in that circuit and it's up to you to figure out what it is. Most of the basics I've seen and worked on enough times to tell what the problem is, but most guys behind the counter just want to sell the part, not fix the problem.
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mike 7:58AM (2/12/2007)
Yeah, that damn check engine light is like a free-for-all for the garages!! It can be anything, and you are at the mercy of the garage. I've been using VAG-COM for my Jetta for a few years now, and I'd say that I've more than payed it off. Even just for changing a glow plug, it costs me 90 bucks for VW to run a diagnostic that takes all but 15 seconds! Granted, I need to figure out what the code means, but that's quite easy to do with all the on-line sources.
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mavkato 9:10AM (2/12/2007)
where can one get a free obd scan?
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Wunderbird 10:48AM (2/12/2007)
#5,
Try http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/index.php.
It is not always complete. But it give you possible causes and solutions based on code.
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Tom 10:53AM (2/12/2007)
You can get a free scan at an autozone store. A lot of the chain auto parts stores do free scans.
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amp 12:24PM (2/13/2007)
I always felt that being able to decrypt the true meaning of an OBDII code as a rite of passage.
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