Mechanicking- now and then

Northwind

Car running badly. Way down on power, hesitant off the line. Soooooo...

Now:
Recharge laptop
Find diagnostic cable
Wait for software to provide codes
There's millions of them. Clear codes.
Go for a drive.
Plug back in.
Get codes
Google codes.
Something wrong with MAF sensor
Open bonnet
MAF sensor isn't plugged in
Plug it in
Clear codes again
Car is fixed

Then:
What did I last **** with?
Oh yeah, I changed the air filter. I'll have a look and see if there's anything wrong
Heh, I didn't plug everything back in
Car is fixed

thekickingmule

Can anyone get a diagnostic cable and software, or is it only mechanicky people that can get it? Would save me a lot of trouble, time and money!

supersonic

Then: hit it with a hammer.

Now: hit it with a hammer.

rgliniany

ive seen a fair few on dealextreme of all places.

Northwind

thekickingmule wrote:

Can anyone get a diagnostic cable and software, or is it only mechanicky people that can get it? Would save me a lot of trouble, time and money!

Depends on the car... Mine is a cheapo ebay thing for Fords, just an OBD to USB adaptor with some custom software. But you can get fairly universal readers I think.

VWsurfbum

rgliniany wrote:

ive seen a fair few on dealextreme of all places.

and on QVC!!!!

jndb72

Just been quoted 2K :shock: to replace a faulty DTS\DSC module on the BMW.......My car is not fixed....and at that price never will be

ol\'gregg

I bought a basic handheld fault reader for £15 on ebay that does all VAG cars it shows you the codes and you can erase them. I know a few people on the new beetle forum i'm on that have bought the cables and software for a laptop on ebay and it then means you can do alot more with the VAG-COM software and i'm sure you can get them for other makes.

YeehaaMcgee

I pretty much gave up on most home mechanicing after having a seriously hard time just getting AT the damned glowplugs on my old Peugeot. Change the glowplugs, I thought, it'll only take 15 minutes, I thought.
Two days later and some half-arsed customised tools and bleeding knuckles and arms later I decided that I'd let the garage do it from now on.

Northwind

Sounds like a proper job, glowplug swapping hasn't gone properly wrong til you snap one in half.

Gazlar

ol\'gregg wrote:

VAG.

f to the n to the a to the dubble r

deveng

Just because you have a code reader, doesn't mean you can do diagnostics!

That was not directed at the OP, just a general point. Spent 4 or so years in garages and often there is a lot more to it than "plug it in an it will tell me what to do".

ol\'gregg

deveng wrote:

Just because you have a code reader, doesn't mean you can do diagnostics!

That was not directed at the OP, just a general point. Spent 4 or so years in garages and often there is a lot more to it than "plug it in an it will tell me what to do".

That's a fair point i'm in the middle of doing a car operations and mechanics course and have always worked on my own cars. I got mine so it would help point me in the right direction so i could fault find and learn how to work on my own car to save hefty garage costs

VWsurfbum

i come from an era before fault code readers, and even when they did first start apearing it was always the last resort, nowadays it seems its the first thing they do?

thekickingmule

deveng wrote:

Just because you have a code reader, doesn't mean you can do diagnostics!

That was not directed at the OP, just a general point. Spent 4 or so years in garages and often there is a lot more to it than "plug it in an it will tell me what to do".

Screw you! With the code reader I've just bought, I'll be able to build my car into the sweetest running vehicle on the road! 4 years in garages is nothing. I've done 4 years paying garages to fix my car, now I'll be just as clever as them!

VW- sadly most cars have more computer than engine in them. It's tempting to buy an old banger, just so I can repair most things!

Northwind

deveng wrote:

Just because you have a code reader, doesn't mean you can do diagnostics!

True dat. My old Focus was returning a helpful message that basically said "Engine stopped, dunno why" so ended up needing the ford whisperer to do his magic. Well, actually to say "It's always the bloody crank sensor on these"

rgliniany

VWsurfbum wrote:

i come from an era before fault code readers, and even when they did first start apearing it was always the last resort, nowadays it seems its the first thing they do?

i agree.... sent my Merc into the garage when i was over there...said it kicked out the faulty code in 30 mins for my gearbox fault.... and instead of taking it off as that was the issue..... they let it bang on for an extra 2 hours just so they could charge me the "mechanic's" time... only paid for the 30 minutes in the end.... and they dropped it back on a low loader for free after i spoke to the dealership manager/owner....

Northwind

Pulling the codes first does make sense tbh, it can lead you straight to a fault and it takes very little time. But what was pretty obvious with my Focus was that if the codes didn't tell them what was wrong, they were pretty stumped.

(first mechanic insisted it was definately the cam sensor. Northwind quietly pointed out it didn't have one)

Gazlar

thekickingmule wrote:

deveng wrote:

Just because you have a code reader, doesn't mean you can do diagnostics!

That was not directed at the OP, just a general point. Spent 4 or so years in garages and often there is a lot more to it than "plug it in an it will tell me what to do".

Screw you! With the code reader I've just bought, I'll be able to build my car into the sweetest running vehicle on the road! !

Err don't you have a fiat?

thekickingmule

How very dare you sir! I managed to get rid of that a couple of years ago.

I now have a Vauxhall. To be fair, the last 2 years have made me realise that Vauxhall and Fiat have a lot in common...

Gazlar

That's ok then. I had a punto years back that had a fault light on. I plugged in a diagnostic cable and plugged it into the laptop and it just came up with "fault = its a fiat, d1ckhead" before shorting out and blowing the laptop up

VWsurfbum

Northwind wrote:

Pulling the codes first does make sense tbh, it can lead you straight to a fault and it takes very little time. But what was pretty obvious with my Focus was that if the codes didn't tell them what was wrong, they were pretty stumped.

yes i agree, but a lot of the thinking has gone away from fixing cars, no listening first, looking etc? (depends on the problem obviously!)

Northwind wrote:

(first mechanic insisted it was definitely the cam sensor. Northwind quietly pointed out it didn't have one)

LOL Love it!

veronese68

warning lights are a pain in the aris. I had an old Honda with the ABS light on. A sensor was more than the value of the car. Insulating tape over the lamp looked silly so I pulled the fuse and warning bulb and reverted to the non ABS option.
You can't beat a good mechanic, I've worked in the motor trade all my adult life and there are only a few people I really trust to make a diagnosis. with or without a fault reader. I saw one bloke narrow down poor running to a tight exhaust valve on number 3 cylinder, just by listening to the engine using a screwdriver as a stethoscope.

YeehaaMcgee

Veronese68 wrote:

I saw one bloke narrow down poor running to a tight exhaust valve on number 3 cylinder, just
by listening to the engine using a screwdriver as a stethoscope.

I know a lot of good mechanics who do things like that, but they've shared the "secret" with me.
They diagnose it through all manner of normal means, and then put on a silly show to confuse people

veronese68

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

I saw one bloke narrow down poor running to a tight exhaust valve on number 3 cylinder, just
by listening to the engine using a screwdriver as a stethoscope.

I know a lot of good mechanics who do things like that, but they've shared the "secret" with me.
They diagnose it through all manner of normal means, and then put on a silly show to confuse people

Oh yes, done it myself. The way you suck air in through your teeth is the bit that convinces them.
This bloke was incredible, ran a race team for years. I'd picked my Mum's car up from being serviced at a main dealer and it didn't feel right. He listened to it, held a screwdriver to the rocker cover and listened above each valve. Diagnosed it and told me to take it back and tell them what was wrong. I told them, they said oh no it could be anything, blah blah blah. So I asked the guy to make a note of what it was. Picked it up the next day and asked, the receptionist went to check and came back gobsmacked. Spot on.

stubs

Sometimes code readers are brilliant. My Astra started ticking over at 2,500 rpm, borrowed a mates code reader and it said oxygen sensor fault. Took me longer to buy a 2nd hand one off ebay than it did to fit it.

Sometimes code readers are crap. My girls Toyota loses power she has to call out AA, AA bloke plugs in reader and apparently everything is faulty even the brakes, air con and interior lights. My mate takes all day to find out there is water in the fuel.

YeehaaMcgee

stubs wrote:

Sometimes code readers are brilliant. My Astra started ticking over at 2,500 rpm, borrowed a mates code reader and it said oxygen sensor fault. Took me longer to buy a 2nd hand one off ebay than it did to fit it.

Sometimes code readers are crap. My girls Toyota loses power she has to call out AA, AA bloke plugs in reader and apparently everything is faulty even the brakes, air con and interior lights. My mate takes all day to find out there is water in the fuel.

That's because it's just a tool, not a replacement for good mechanicing.