Autoblog

Phil L. @ Jan 9th 2007 11:48AM

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...).