Car repair codes (Check Engine Light) get attention of Congress

dfw.com ^ | 080102 | TOM WEBB

[1Old Pro]

I think BIG AUTO including European makers are playing games here.

[discostu]

They're only covered under warranty IF you get the full bumper to bumper. And he's right, they do cost $1000 to replace new. Homey don't do the used parts game, been there, done that, replaced the same part half a dozen times, no mas.

[Jim Scott]

I have owned many cars with EEC systems that I drove for many years and well over 100,000 miles and I have never, ever had a 'computer' related failure.

Generally, EEC processors do not fail and certainly not when near-new. Sensors will sometimes fail, not the processor. That's why used auto EEC processors are cheap to buy (about $200.)- they are rarely needed. If you have a processor that fails and you wish to pay $1,000. for a replacement, be my guest.

Salesmen are notorious blowhards who will say anything for a sale or just to smooze you. If you choose to believe them, that's your option.

[palmer]

When I saw the title my "check congress now" light started flashing.

[discostu]

I have. The only part of the computer that broke was the part that turns on the check engine light. One of the few times my mechanic resorted to the code book, when he decyphered the code it was "diagnostic computer malfunctioning". Even the battery trick wouldn't turn the damn thing off. His advice, just don't take it out of town. Since we drove the car to him that meant the EFI part was fine and we never had any difficulty, and the cost to replace the computer was about $1000 which given the value of the car (about $3000 at that time, them Charades didn't hold value, but if you were religious on your oil changes they kept up) just didn't make sense. That car drove for 5 year with that damn light on, until it finally got totalled in an accident, else the light would still be on right now.

When it comes to electronics your milage may vary. Out here in the dusty desert with the plastic rotting sun electronics don't have the life expectancy they have elsewhere. But we never rust out the bottom of the car, so it's a fair trade.