Is that "check engine" light burning brightly on your instrument panel? Do you ignore it, thinking it must be something minor, like you forgot to tighten the gas cap a few fill-ups ago and you don't want to go to the dealer and pay to have them turn it off? Do you worry about whether it means there's something seriously amiss in the engine, and expensive parts are grinding themselves into dust? Do you immediately stop driving the car and call a tow truck? Or do you wonder why there's no way for you to know what the heck the darn light means? Most of you probably ask the latter question, and usually the only way you can find out what's wrong is to take the car to the dealer or a repair shop, where you may be charged $50 to $100 just for a diagnostic test. Then you're left to wonder if you're being told the truth about whether the check engine light means a no-cost fix, something covered by the car's emissions warranty or a $1,000 valve repair. Until recently, that was the only option, but there's emerging technology that may give drivers some much needed information at an affordable price. A Connecticut company, Environmental Systems Products, has started putting a kiosk-style diagnostic bay at gas stations that allows a driver to pull up, plug into the car's on-board diagnostic port and get a plain English explanation of what the check engine light is trying to tell you. Cost is just $15, which is far below what many mechanics would charge for the same information. All cars dating from 1996 have the on-board diagnostic port (OBD II), which is usually located below the steering wheel. The port was mandated by government regulations to monitor the health of the car's emissions system, but as cars have added computer controls for almost everything the OBD II port gives a mechanic access to information across a broad range of systems. The problem for consumers is that each manufacturer has a proprietary set of codes and they charge mechanics for access to up-to-date translations of what those codes mean. And until recently the machines needed just to read those codes cost thousands of dollars -- and often one machine might not be programmed to interact with all cars. In addition to the rollout of Environmental Systems Products' SAM units -- an acronym for Smart Automotive Management -- some companies are offering small, hand-held code readers that everyday people can operate. Priced from about $90 to more than $300, these units can identify the problems codes and tell you what's wrong. Most require online updates for which there may be a fee. While that's not cheap, consider the average cost at a repair shop to clear a trouble code and turn off the check engine light -- not even fixing the problem -- is abut $85. If you own an older vehicle, it would only take two or three illuminations of the "check engine" light to make the purchase of a code reader affordable. An added benefit is that you can then go to your mechanic knowing exactly what's wrong, which could save hundreds of dollars.  | | This week | | | |
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