Cautionary Tale for After Market Air Filter

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Most decent blue tooth/wifi/laptop connected readers (that can cost under $30) also give you an explanation of the code in standard English via an app. Some apps are more refined than others. I use one that also gives me real time performance charts and gauges as I go down the road. All for $40. Definitely gives you a place to start and has lots of options. If it is not enough, by all means pay someone with a professional scanner to diagnose, or spend the big bucks on a high end scanner/software.

That's still a toy. A serious tool will let you control devices on the CAN bus as well as reading their status.

For example, an Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve has four wires. Two to command it to a state and two to read the state. If the technician (they're not mechanics any more) suspects the EGR is sticking, he can command it to go to 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, full open states and see whether it follows in each case. You can't do that with "Torque PRO."

If you have an occasional miss, a serious tool can watch temperature and timing, and detect, for example, where a misfire due to a bad plug wire physically moved the engine enough to trigger the anti-knock sensor. The Powertrain Control Module (PCM, sometimes called the Engine Control Module-ECM), saw the knock-sensor and retarded the timing, which naturally caused the temperature to rise. It never set a P06xx misfire code which would have identified the problem. The tech I was working with saw the knock sensor message and the timing retard message and identified the problem. All I could see from the dash was the transient temperature rise after each event and I could feel the misfire. You can't do this with Torque PRO either.

Another missing feature is the ability to read Body (B) and Chassis (C) codes as well as Powertrain (P) codes. This has saved me a lot of work at least once, identifying the exact spot of the leak in a GMC Level-Ride (air-lift) system.

By the way, I'm not an auto tech. I do all my own work, but the examples above were done in cooperation with a local shop that has a policy of reading codes/doing diagnosis for free. I've tried to pay them but they won't accept it. Even the 10-minute ride to diagnose the bad plug wire.

Larry

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

That's still a toy.
...
You can't do that with "Torque PRO."
...
By the way, I'm not an auto tech. I do all my own work, but the examples above were done in cooperation with a local shop that has a policy of reading codes/doing diagnosis for free. I've tried to pay them but they won't accept it. Even the 10-minute ride to diagnose the bad plug wire.

Larry

Sorry this toy isn't a manly enough tool for you Larry.

My point was that you don't need to spend a ton of money, or rely on a shop to read/reset codes for mechanical failures that you might be able to fix yourself, and save time and money.

It's a useful tool in my cheap tool box.

My $40 toy saved me several hundred dollars by identifying a bad glow plug I could replace myself. Even told me which one. And I could reset the code in the comfort of my own barn.

Can it diagnose complicated problems? Can I always understand what it is telling me? Of course not. That's when I take it down to the diesel performance shop and let them figure it out.

Glad you found a shop so willing to help you out.

[Philkaty]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Sorry this toy isn't a manly enough tool for you Larry.

My point was that you don't need to spend a ton of money, or rely on a shop to read/reset codes for mechanical failures that you might be able to fix yourself, and save time and money.

It's a useful tool in my cheap tool box.

My $40 toy saved me several hundred dollars by identifying a bad glow plug I could replace myself. Even told me which one. And I could reset the code in the comfort of my own barn.

Can it diagnose complicated problems? Can I always understand what it is telling me? Of course not. That's when I take it down to the diesel performance shop and let them figure it out.

Glad you found a shop so willing to help you out.

I have a scanner that has also saved me money. yes some of the sensors are in the motor it self and a shop would have to do it. Most things can be done by us, so Larry don't knock it.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Philkaty

I have a scanner that has also saved me money. yes some of the sensors are in the motor it self and a shop would have to do it. Most things can be done by us, so Larry don't knock it.

I have a couple of regular scanners--used one on Monday. I also keep a Wi-Fi one in the car. I sometimes connect my indash Android unit to it and use TorquePro.

I have WiFi units in both vehicles for roadside emergencies. A made a close friend, Fred, at the resort where the 2007 Cherokee is sited with one. It just happened to be in the car, before I made a regular practice of keeping it there. Suddenly Fred's truck wouldn't start. It would crank and but not start, and MIL was on. Bystanders had all kinds of wild ideas (e.g., "Timing chain's broke" because of the engine sound--actually that sound came because the ECM wasn't opening the fuel injectors because of the sensed failure, hence engine not even trying. Those of us with carburetor backgrounds are easily fooled.) The resort is pretty rural and Fred was looking at a huge tow bill and fearful of a huge repair bill.

I remembered the WiFi device was in the car, connected it to the OBD II port and to my phone and found a crystal-clear code indicating failed cam angle sensor. A quick internet search found where it was located on the engine and that a replacement was available in the next town (10 miles away) for $35. The truck was fixed in an hour or so. I found out two weeks later that two of the onlookers had bought OBD II sensors like mine as a result.

Moral: I'm not knocking NM Wildcat's tool. I have a couple like it, standalone and Wi-Fi, and rely on them. I was really responding to his inference (in his original post) that the tool he was using was as capable as a professional tool.

Larry

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Moral: I'm not knocking NM Wildcat's tool. I have a couple like it, standalone and Wi-Fi, and rely on them. I was really responding to his inference (in his original post) that the tool he was using was as capable as a professional tool.

Larry

Larry, sorry you inferred that I thought my scan tool was as capable as a professional one. I was trying to infer that they can do more than just give you a code when connected to a decent software package. I guess we both inferred meaning in each other's posts that wasn't there. Have a good day.

[Philkaty]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

I have a couple of regular scanners--used one on Monday. I also keep a Wi-Fi one in the car. I sometimes connect my indash Android unit to it and use TorquePro.

I have WiFi units in both vehicles for roadside emergencies. A made a close friend, Fred, at the resort where the 2007 Cherokee is sited with one. It just happened to be in the car, before I made a regular practice of keeping it there. Suddenly Fred's truck wouldn't start. It would crank and but not start, and MIL was on. Bystanders had all kinds of wild ideas (e.g., "Timing chain's broke" because of the engine sound--actually that sound came because the ECM wasn't opening the fuel injectors because of the sensed failure, hence engine not even trying. Those of us with carburetor backgrounds are easily fooled.) The resort is pretty rural and Fred was looking at a huge tow bill and fearful of a huge repair bill.

I remembered the WiFi device was in the car, connected it to the OBD II port and to my phone and found a crystal-clear code indicating failed cam angle sensor. A quick internet search found where it was located on the engine and that a replacement was available in the next town (10 miles away) for $35. The truck was fixed in an hour or so. I found out two weeks later that two of the onlookers had bought OBD II sensors like mine as a result.

Moral: I'm not knocking NM Wildcat's tool. I have a couple like it, standalone and Wi-Fi, and rely on them. I was really responding to his inference (in his original post) that the tool he was using was as capable as a professional tool.

Larry

ok no problem. I know with cars now suck for the DIY'er most of the time. We can just change the oil in them, LOL...