Keep your (and indy repair shops) rights to diagnostic codes

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- T.G. Lambach
  
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posted
18 years ago

Mon, Dec 26, 2005 4:52 AM

Diagnostic codes are needed to troubleshoot problems as cars get more complex. Unfortunately auto manufacturers take the position that diagnostic codes are proprietary and only their dealers may have access to codes' meanings.

This leaves us car owners and all independent repair shops in the cold, without ability to diagnose problems and grants, defacto, dealers a monopoly on some repair work.

There's a bill in Congress, regardless of whatever else you may think of Congress, to create an "open source" system for diagnostic codes. This website has additional information, I urge you to support the bill with an email to your legislator.

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- Howard Clough
  
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posted
18 years ago

Tue, Dec 27, 2005 6:28 PM

Hi, My independent mobile car mechanic in the UK (one man and a part time helper) has access to most of the popular cars sold, we use him for the wife's Ford Galaxy. He told me the diagnostic software is quite expensive for any car and for the few Jag customers on his books is not worth paying for, one popular model that I can't remember cost him around $1000. However, this is for software used in the portable diagnostic test equipment that gets plugged into the car's electrical system guiding the mechanic through the test process and finally providing a legible read out of the fault. If the car's diagnoses duplicates this process then we should assume the company and other manufacturers with the same system would be looking for a similar high value payback. Just a thought.

Howard J Clough

1999 XKR

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- pottsy
  
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posted
18 years ago

Wed, Dec 28, 2005 9:59 AM

Hiya,

Well, what a difference across the pond! The independent we use here in Sheffield UK has the diagnostic kit and codes for most cars but if anything unknown crops up it just takes a 'phone call to the main dealer service department and they're usually happy to help. Maybe they're only interested in warranty/new car work and aren't bothered about the older stuff so they're not losing business anyway 'cos they don't want it. In fact, the Chrysler/Jeep dealer advertised for a 'Parts Fitter' as opposed to a 'Mechanic', they just don't want to get involved with fixing cars (or pay the wages) just the standard servicing stuff.

m