Posted on 09/16/2009 1:48:21 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The federal “cash for clunkers” program succeeded in bringing customers back to new car lots after a long absence, but most people are still driving the car they had. Increasingly they are driving to their local mechanics to make sure those cars last even longer.
That is good news for the independent automotive repair industry because car owners are now willing to spend their money on repair work rather than take on new car payments, and they are saving on those repairs at independent shops.
But while consumers appear content to keep their older cars on the road, they are increasingly discovering that their car’s computerized systems may be conspiring to force them to turn to more expensive dealer repair shops even when those cars are out of warranty.
Most consumers experience this when they see a ‘check engine’ light or another warning that suddenly appears on their dashboard. When they bring it into independent (non-dealer) shops like ours, they simply want the underlying problem fixed so that pesky light goes off.
Sometimes, however, we can’t shut off that light even when we can make the underlying repair.
Since the advent of congressionally mandated computers in vehicles more than 15 years ago (for emissions), cars have evolved into complex machines that are no longer just mechanical. Computers now monitor and control most systems in the car from brakes to tire pressure and all the electronics and engine fluids. That has forced automotive repair shops to invest in expensive computer databases and scanners that allow us to read complex codes to diagnose problems.
Yet, despite the investment of thousands of dollars in diagnostic equipment, computers and training by independent service garages, car manufacturers continue to hold back on some of the information that your mechanic needs in order to properly repair your car and reset your codes and warning lights.
It is a long-running battle that most consumers are unaware of as their local mechanics quietly struggle to locate those codes against a determined auto industry unwilling to part with them.
Massachusetts is now poised to solve this problem and car-driving consumers should pay attention this fall when the Massachusetts Legislature takes up landmark legislation that would force manufacturers to respect the right of consumers to access their own repair information.
The legislation, known as Right to Repair, is seen by car manufacturers as a threat to the lucrative service business in their dealerships and they are massing their lobbyists on Beacon Hill in an effort to defeat it.
But as Massachusetts residents struggle with their own economic downturn and recently enacted tax hikes, Right to Repair promises a consumer victory that gives them the right to take their car to the mechanic of their choice without having to worry about additional repair bills when their car is towed to a dealer repair shop against their wishes.
Most legislation on Beacon Hill is controversial and ultimately difficult to decipher, but Right to Repair is straightforward: You own your car and you should have the right to choose where it gets repaired and not be forced back to dealer mechanics.
House Bill 228 and Senate Bill 124 are controversial only because car manufacturers don’t want car owners to have unfettered access to their own repair information and are fighting it vigorously. That alone should flash a warning light for legislators and consumers that might read: Check Manufacturer’s Motives Now.
Glenn Wilder owns and operates Wilder Brothers American Car Care Center in Scituate.
It was less complicated than a present-day lawn tractor.
car list?
Don’t know who’s sponsoring this, although it’s from Mass and obviously has Dem support. Regardless, I’m all for it. Dealer repair shops are hideously expensive. I avoid them like the plague and resent ever having to go to one vs. independent repair shops.
As the son and brother of independent mechanics, I’ve seen this coming over the past thirty years. When I was a kid hanging out at my dad’s shop, he didn’t need any super-fancy computerized equipment to fix the cars of the ‘60s; probably the most sophisticated thing he had in the shop was an oscilloscope, and typically he didn’t need anything fancier than a timing light, a good ear, and fifty years of experience with motors.
Now, even a small three-person operation like that (owned by my brother after my dad’s death) has a couple hundred thousand dollars of very sophisticated electronic diagnostic equipment, and on the newest cars, even that’s not enough. And yes, the manufacturers do hold back on service information and make some of it only available to their dealers’ service departments.
}:-)4
Oh well, it's due for its 160k mile checkup anyway.
Not immediately, but it usually will shut itself off when the system has decided it is in working order again. That can take a few days of driving. What the car mfgs want a small fortune for is the technology to shut it off on the spot.
My BMW’s do not even have a dip stick to check the oil. I am dependent on the computer telling me when the oil is too low.
Black duct tape - to cover the light...
How to turn off the “check engine light” is explained in my owners manual, it’s a simple procedure. (Toyota)
If the cause of the light coming on has been solved you can usually turn off the light by disconnecting the battery cables for a bit then putting them back on. That will reset the light.
Alternately you can unplug the fuse that controls the dashboard lights if you know which one it is.
ping
What year Toyota
Battery disconnection can also make the vehicle run rough for a few days. That’s why private mechanics would like to simply be able to extinguish the idiot light.
Didn't know that but it makes sense. Thanks!
Strange. I was able to shut mine off on my 2002 Honda Accord simply by using an OBD Reader that I borrowed from Advance Auto Parts.
Just ensure you have your radio security code if it needs one. Also, you not only need to unhook the cables, but actually touch the ends of the positive and negative cables together (away from the battery). That will drain any residiual power from the 'puter.
Then re-connect everything.
‘05 Corolla
Some newer security coded radios don’t require an explicit punch-in code. They read and remember the car’s VIN number when installed at the factory, and thereafter will refuse to work in a vehicle with a different VIN number.
Some of the self-servicing issues are related to very recent vehicles. Yours might be too old.
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