T.G. Lambach

Diagnostic codes are needed to troubleshoot problems as cars get more
complex. Unfortunately auto manufacturers take the position that
diagnostic codes are proprietary and only their dealers may have access
to codes' meanings.

This leaves us car owners and all independent repair shops in the cold,
without ability to diagnose problems and grants, defacto, dealers a
monopoly on some repair work.

There's a bill in Congress, regardless of whatever else you may think of
Congress, to create an "open source" system for diagnostic codes. This
website has additional information, I urge you to support the bill with
an email to your legislator.

http://righttorepair.org/

Howard Clough

"T.G. Lambach" <tlambach@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:XuCdnXy8262c6jLeRVn-tg@comcast.com...
>
> Diagnostic codes are needed to troubleshoot problems as cars get more
> complex. Unfortunately auto manufacturers take the position that
> diagnostic codes are proprietary and only their dealers may have access to
> codes' meanings.
>
> This leaves us car owners and all independent repair shops in the cold,
> without ability to diagnose problems and grants, defacto, dealers a
> monopoly on some repair work.
>
> There's a bill in Congress, regardless of whatever else you may think of
> Congress, to create an "open source" system for diagnostic codes. This
> website has additional information, I urge you to support the bill with an
> email to your legislator.
>
> http://righttorepair.org/

Hi,
My independent mobile car mechanic in the UK (one man and a part time
helper) has access to most of the popular cars sold, we use him for the
wife's Ford Galaxy. He told me the diagnostic software is quite expensive
for any car and for the few Jag customers on his books is not worth paying
for, one popular model that I can't remember cost him around $1000. However,
this is for software used in the portable diagnostic test equipment that
gets plugged into the car's electrical system guiding the mechanic through
the test process and finally providing a legible read out of the fault. If
the car's diagnoses duplicates this process then we should assume the
company and other manufacturers with the same system would be looking for a
similar high value payback. Just a thought.

Howard J Clough
1999 XKR

pottsy

Hiya,

Well, what a difference across the pond! The independent we use here in
Sheffield UK has the diagnostic kit and codes for most cars but if anything
unknown crops up it just takes a 'phone call to the main dealer service
department and they're usually happy to help. Maybe they're only interested
in warranty/new car work and aren't bothered about the older stuff so
they're not losing business anyway 'cos they don't want it.
In fact, the Chrysler/Jeep dealer advertised for a 'Parts Fitter' as opposed
to a 'Mechanic', they just don't want to get involved with fixing cars (or
pay the wages) just the standard servicing stuff.

m