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Run: Palos Verdes Style- June/July 2004 Believe it or not, today’s cars are talking back to us! by Dave Carney Over the years, most of us have had special relationships with our cars—we’ve named them, we’ve talked to them and today, they are talking back! Indeed, automotive technology continues to evolve and never ceases to amaze us. It all began back in ’86, when automobile manufacturers started putting computers on cars. The first systems, called On Board Diagnostics 1 or OBD1, were tied to a few sensors and they performed basic monitoring functions. In ’94, manufacturers replaced the OBD1 system with OBD2, a second generation of on board computers, which was more comprehensive and allowed better diagnostic capability. Today, all makes and models of automobiles have the OBD2 system and a common port, which allows any repair facility to access the onboard computer. (Automobile dealers are no longer allowed to lock out independent repair shops by disallowing them access to the car’s computer). Here’s how it works---your car talks to you by displaying a “Check Engine” message. At the mere sight of this message many drivers panic and fear the worst. Let me put your fears to rest, a “Check Engine” message simply means that your car needs to be serviced and that you need to schedule a visit to a state-licensed repair shop. To eliminate confusion a word of caution is necessary here, because when a temperature gauge or red light comes on indicating that your car is over heating, you need to STOP driving it immediately before you do expensive damage to the engine. When the “Check Engine” message is displayed, your car is saying that it needs to tell you something, but that something is a “secret” because it is in code. Your car will only reveal its “secret” to a “therapist,” namely a certified repair technician. When you take your car in for its “therapy” session, the technician will ask you some routine questions before performing plugging a scanner into the port, which on most cars is located under the dashboard near the steering wheel, to access your car’s onboard computer. Yes, you will be charged for the diagnostic service, because it takes time, expensive equipment and a trained technician to perform this service. The average onboard computer emits 15 primary codes. Once the primary code is established indicating which system has a problem, secondary tests, referred to as a “diagnostic tree” are performed to pinpoint the actual problem. When the malfunctioning sensor or part is found; the technician can give you a detailed repair estimate. It’s just that simple, because today’s talking cars have taken the guesswork out of automotive repair. Questions? Please feel free to call Hillside Automotive, 310/373-7676. Our Service Managers and ASE-certified technicians are on duty Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the shop is closed on Sundays. Happy, safe motoring! Dave Carney |
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