CES 2007: Check engine light? Analyze this!
by Chris Tutor on Jan 9th 2007 at 11:29AM 
How many times have we heard our dads say, "These new cars, you just can't work on 'em." He's right. Instead of blue smoke out the tailpipe and a chatter under the hood, modern cars have vague "check engine" lights and incomprehensible error codes. At CES we saw two devices that translate at least some of those ones and zeros.
Both the Actron AutoScanner Plus and the CarMD have the same goals. For those who have more money than time and prefer someone else poke around under the hood, these two competing devices give some knowledge of your car's problem before turning it over to a pro. No reason to get hosed $4,000 for a fouled plug anymore. DIYers can take those translated codes to the Internet where each company provides database solutions to your problem.
Follow the jump for details on each device.
CarMD is the leader in the field of handheld, consumer-level car diagnostics, but Actron brings a good game. The Actron's best trick is its ability to record real-time diagnostic information. Say your car sputters every Thursday after bowling night. The Actron device records all the info from your car's computer while you're driving. When you get home, dump it to your PC, send it to the Internet and, using their website, narrow down more closely your car's problem.
CarMD sells for $90 and has a toll free number with techs waiting for your car repair questions. It also features three LEDs. Green says ain't nuthin wrong with your car. Yellow says either a recent repair has been performed and the computer has yet to reset itself (useful for used car shoppers), or a code is pending. The red LED means there is an active code with a problem needing to be addressed.
Actron is asking $179 and seems to target small mechanic shops or DIYers.
Hopefully we can get our hands on some evaluation units soon and put the two devices through our own diagnostics.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ruggels 11:50AM (1/09/2007)
Well you can't change anything with them, but damn, for a 50% savings i would have considered one of these a year ago over the USB cable for my car :)... at least for CEL stuff.
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Phil L. 11:48AM (1/09/2007)
Sorry, I don't buy the "you can't work on new cars" excuse. I grew up with carburetors - but have been working with electronically fuel injected engines for years. I prefer to work on EFI engines!
The reality is that, in many ways, newer vehicles are *easier* to work on than the simpler cars of the past. Two factors at work:
- Yes, the check engine light is annoying. Get over it - get it scanned. Now you know what the processor thinks is going on - and you have a firm direction to continue debugging. In the old days, carburetor experience on one vehicle often didn't translate to another maker's engine. This is why Chevy guys struggled when under a Ford hood. There are still OEM-specific issues, but consistent electronic diagnostics has gone a long way toward simplifying the repair process. Yes, you need a scanner. Get over it - get the right tools for the job
- Internet car repair discussion forums are amazingly powerful. Someone out there has seen the problem you're working on - and probably wrote about it somewhere. I'm active in several forums; they've been a lifesaver when trying to quickly solve a problem the first time.
My only current frustration: Automakers who make it difficult to get up-to-date service information (Honda, BMW...).
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John P. 11:59AM (1/09/2007)
luckily, I have two brothers with these and they are EXCELLENT for the do-it-yourselfer.
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James O 1:24PM (1/09/2007)
Forgive me, but this is new? I've seen these things around (including the newer ones) for years, from $100 and up, depending on how much info they display and track.
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Vrykoul 1:15PM (1/09/2007)
I still like my ScanGauge over both of them. It's useful every day, and not just for checking engine codes.
http://www.scangauge.com/
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epp_b 1:18PM (1/09/2007)
These are very interesting. My dad was charged $60 by a local shop just to get an error code, so that CarMD would pay for itself after two uses!
Thanks for the great find, Autoblog!
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Brian Dreggors 2:05PM (1/09/2007)
Advance Auto Parts will scan your car for free. Pepboys probably does, too. And for all the naysayers, the good portion of modern cars (domestics, mainly) are easy to work on. I can change all the plugs, wires, and coil packs on a 4.0l Aurora V8 in about 40 minutes.
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HardwareGuy 5:49PM (1/09/2007)
My local Autozone decoded and cleared my CEL for free just last week. I would like to have one of these analyzers for convenience though.
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Jeff Scroggin 7:35PM (1/09/2007)
Autozone will pull codes on any car for free.
They can also clear a CEL for you before you need to go pass inspection. Not that I've ever done that.
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Brandon 12:51AM (1/12/2007)
The Autozone I went to the other day would not pull the codes for me nor clear the codes for me. They instead told me to pull the ECM fuse for a few minutes to clear the code. :-\
If any of you are feeling the plague of "Check Engine Soon" and have the pain of being currently unemployed, try going to a carwash/oilchange place that offers state inspections. Those guys used their OBD-II reader on my car for free.
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M Emily P 2:06PM (1/12/2007)
There is another device I saw at CES that does car diagnostics with a twist called fixDAT from DATzoo. It's a Bluetooth dongle made for the OBDII port that communicates information to any Bluetooth enabled device. How cool is that! No cables! I can be within 30 feet of my car with my cell phone to get an error code and an English explanation of what/where the problem is. And then I can reset the codes to turn off the lights on the dash. That is something CarMD and AutoScanner don't do. Another really cool thing is the other software the company has in the works that use the same dongle. Performance tracking, trip tracking, fleet tracking.
Unfortunately, fixDAT is not on the market until Spring. But the price is comparable: the person at the booth said 100 to 150 bucks. For those of you who don't have an AutoZone nearby that will pull the codes for free, this is another cool gadget you can have. And it's tiny! FixDAT is going to be a matchbook, so you can just leave it in the car.
They assure me their press kit is on the way. But for now we have http://www.fixdat.com for information about this product. Be prepared for the website to be--well--lame. CarMD's site is much prettier, but they have been selling since 2005.
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Jim Johnson 5:39PM (1/30/2007)
After I read all the current comments, I realized that everyone of them missed the point. The Actron product is nothing more than a Code Reader which leaves the end user still looking for what caused the code. The trip to AutoZone, PepBoys or any other retailer reveals the codes again, but the end user is left with the same end results; "What caused the code?" Quite frankly, I am still not sure what FixDat's end product really is because there is almost no information available other than some open-ended claims. I noticed someone claimed that FixDat offered some sort of solution, as far as I know, they offer possible causes from the error code, not "Actual Solutions." The CarMD product does ALL of the above for under $90.00, and provides a solution for what caused the check engine light to illuminate, in fact, there solutions are derived from thousands of "Actual" technicians that have worked on that vehicle and provided the solution that solved that code scenario. And one last comment, someone above believes that you can clear the check engine light and head into a Emission inspection, "Not So!" An emission inspection requires that all but 1 or 2 of the diagnostic monitors be complete to Pass the inspection. Can't turn off the light without clearing all the codes. I'm also still a little puzzled to what value there is to turning "off" the check engine light if you haven't fixed what turned it "on."
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Ryan 4:17PM (2/02/2007)
The CarMD actually doesn't solve the check engine light? From what I read, it sounds no different than any other tool. It just has a website, that I can't access while i'm on the road. Just go to the local autoparts store, and ask them what they would reccommend. They have a huge selection, and know what they are talking about too.
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Ryan 9:57PM (2/04/2007)
sorry, that question mark in the previous message is supposed to be an exclamation point! it is supposed to read: "The CarMD actually doesn't solve the check engine light!"
I can't type...
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Sinclair 6:06AM (2/17/2007)
The Bluetooth OBD interface is already available at www.obdkey.com
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Ed L 9:41PM (2/26/2007)
I've had my "service engine soon" light on for the last 4 years.I own a 1996 Ford Taurus and the car runs fine with no problems.After having two different diagnostic tests done ($65 each) and being told I needed a new catalytic converter and replacing an oxygen sensor ($81 plus labor,the light came back on after driving 200 miles) I finally wised up and now just before going to the inspection station I have my mechanic clear the code and I pass inspection with no problem.---I think this is one of the biggest RIPOFFS affecting the auto consuming public today---- it's nothing but a cash cow for the auto repair industry. As long as the warning light in your car is not red and your car is running fine,I would ignore the problem,save your money and your time--------don't let these repair shops take you for a ride.
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Judith Incarnato 11:29PM (6/14/2007)
I had the same experience you did. But what if I go to Autozone and have the codes reset, how long do I have before the light comes back on? The mechanic reset my code today but said I needed to drive it for a couple of days before bringing it back to him to make sure the light doesn't come back on(??????) When I turned the ignition off and restarted it, the light came on. He's got me over a barrel because he wants me to do the work at a cost of more than $600.
smithlittle 12:17PM (7/10/2007)
are you a car technician? Besides the fact that you don't care polluting the environment, you seem to think that "As long as I can walk, I am healthy." And you apply the same 'wisdom' to the car, don't you? But when your car fails out of of the blue, don't be surprised. You deserve it.
Whether it is a ripoff or not depends on what repair shop you pick. The good ones educate you and don't rip you off. Because you go back to them.
BTW: How do you pick your doctor? (Oh I forgot, you are still able to walk, so you don't go to one.)
myad9446 1:18PM (7/13/2007)
Re replacing the O2 sensor, why can I get the one I need for $80 on the internet, and have to pay $210 for the EXACT SAME ONE supplied to my garage by his auto parts partner??? Seems to me a pretty clear case of price gouging. The exact same part by manufacturer and part # and most garages will refuse to put it in because it allegedly violates some warranty condition that I'm quite willing to waive in writing. Cash cow--you can say that again!