Wow, bad idea..."Car MD"

[01rangerxl]

Woke up and turned on the TV and a Car MD infomercial was on.

Basically, it's a very dumbed down OBDII scanner you can plug into your computer to get a "quote" for the repair. A guesstimate based on the codes pulled.

It's clearly targeted towards idiots based on the people in the infomercial. And it can definitely be wrong. An OBDII code usually tells you part of the problem, it's a starting point for a diagnosis. Had I used Car MD to diagnose my truck's check engine light, I would have replaced a charcoal canister instead of hooking up the vacuum line that came loose, a free five minute repair.

What a bad idea, especially for $160.

 

[07Wolfie]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl

What a bad idea, especially for $160.


You know what the really good idea was? Inventing a Car MD to sell to fools. I always kick myself for not thinking of these kinds of things first... let me give you an example: Imagine the money that's been made selling fake chrome stick-on vents alone! If I'd only anticipated how large the market was for shiny plastic pieces that turn Camrys into four-holer Buicks, I'd be a rich man today. Makes me think that sometimes the genius isn't in the product, it's in the selling.

 

[fdcg27]

I can't think of a quicker way to get thrown out of any decent shop.

 

[Jeepster_nut]

I can go to Auto Zone and get my codes read for free. No thanks

 

[bdcardinal]

Just had a customer come in that has had some shop pull codes for free. So far he has bought a fuel pump assy, fuel rail pressure sensor, and a EGR valve for his 2004 Freestar. None of those parts have fixed his check engine light. He refuses to take up my offer of having one of our techs pull the codes and follow the proper diag for a discounted labor rate. He would rather spend over a grand in parts to not fix his problem than pay $80 to be told exactly what his problem is.

 

[eljefino]

The best part of that infomercial is where they go used car shopping and the "green light" cars were sure buys.

Nevermind as part of the used car storage and auction process they might sit for months developing dead batteries and reset I/M monitors. Or that a collision, rust, or bad ball joint, brake or other hard part goes undetected by the device holder.

I did, once, sell a used saturn to a guy who did an OBD (one!) scan.

 

[Spyder7]

My favorite sucker fad is still the "pet rocks" of the late 70s, early 80s. Proof people will pay money for anything if its dressed up and marketed properly.

-Spyder

 

[HM12460]

I've seen that infomercial (?) also. What a joke.

 

[mechtech2]

Nothing wrong with a code scanner, esp if it tells you what the codes refer to.
But the Car MD is a bad way to do i, for a lot of money.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Nothing wrong with a code scanner, esp if it tells you what the codes refer to.
But the Car MD is a bad way to do i, for a lot of money.


Agreed. I have an Actron OBDII scanner, a Scangauge, and a Ford-specific OBDI scanner. They are great tools for finding out what part is associated with a problem, but you can't just eliminate old fashioned diagnosis.

I feel bad for the mechanics who are going to encounter people who own this product.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The best part of that infomercial is where they go used car shopping and the "green light" cars were sure buys.

Nevermind as part of the used car storage and auction process they might sit for months developing dead batteries and reset I/M monitors. Or that a collision, rust, or bad ball joint, brake or other hard part goes undetected by the device holder.



I've seen a similar ad, in a magazine. It has a quote from a "satisfied customer".... "I have an 8-hour drive to get to my college; I plug in the Car MD and the green light tells me I'm good to go!"

I can't help but wonder what that customer is going to do when his dry-rotted tires blow out on the highway four hours from his destination. The MD didn't warn of anything like that!