Customer got a spiffy new 530i M Power BMW, with all the attendant bells and whistles: ran like a striped-ass ape, thought I’m sure If I drove one now, it’d be slow and crude!
All of a sudden, it developed an idle issue, exactly like a vacuum leak: ran well, above 1500 rpm, pull like a freight train…die at idle.
Spent hours looking for broken vacuum hoses…found none. Checked the intake gasket/intake boots for leaks, with propane…no joy. I finally caved and told the guy to come get it and take it to the stealer. As was my norm, I always checked lights, and found the left rear turn bulb out.
I replaced it…and it idled.
NO!
Took out the bulb: it died. Put it back in: idled perfectly.
It was kinda then that I realized my time at being a mechanic might be coming to an end!
I had a new car salesman tell me that nobody recommends you keep these cars beyond the warranty. Of course consider the source he wants you to buy a new car but there is some validity to it, one of the major electronic gizmos goes south and it could cost you the depreciation on a new car for a year or months of car payments on a new car. New cars seem to lose about half their value by the end of the warranty period. That may be a function of simple depreciation or the fact that there’s no warranty? Its an expense to have a new car under warranty, is it worth it? Wish I had the answer but being a car guy, I like new cars
I bought an Audi Q7 aa a retirement present for my self and to tow a caravan. $A106000 3 years later traded in on a Land cruiser after a rebuild of the engine due to high pressure pump disintegrated putting swarf through the entire fuel system ( after a fight with them they fixed it …… they wanted $A24000…… I paid them zero after threatening them with legal action ….the car had done 62000 miles…… 2000 over the warranty) the trade in price $A33000 …. New series 200 $A90000 done 100000 miles no issues still worth $A 75000 …… now that’s a good story
In my mind the computers should be aiding in maintenance rather than making it harder. The computer detects a sensor problem for example and turns on the check engine light. You then go to your screen and it tells you what sensor has gone bad. Then the screen will bring up the maintenance manual to tell you how to change the sensor. If you choose not to do that then it should tell you how many hours the dealer will charge to change the sensor.
Even though it was the poster child as the disposable car my Vega came with a nice 110 page do-it-yourself manual in the same pouch as the Owners Manual. It was my introduction to working on cars until I graduated to the big manual. Why can’t the new cars do the same type thing only better with the computer and screen unless it is all just a big scam now to hold you hostage to the dealer ?
And that, my friend, is a point in time to make one’s way to the bar, consider a life change and contemplate the infinitive!!!
I remember the very first E-type I purchased having just graduated from flight school. The salesman asked if I had any automobile repair experience? With a “Yes” he sold me my first OTS. Later he let me know if my answer had been “No” then he would not have sold me the car!!! He knew of the journey ahead!!!
Purchase a 1971 S3 E-type 2+2. Another lesson learned: Never by first year production, especially Jaguar. First year you’re the Beta Tester!!!
Many Jaguars later I can say, even with all the experiences along the way, I don’t regret any cars owned, only the ones I’ve sold!!! Now if I could only figure out why my '99 XJR engine won’t RUN!!!
I had a 1984 Camaro, A POS model if it matters, that featured a continuously illuminated check engine light. The code said it was something to do with the car’s bastard fuel delivery system. The dealer could never make the light stay off, factory reps were stumped. It never seemed to affect performance or mileage. I lived with it by removing that bulb…
Ideally that is what does happen. And it often is that easy. But not always. The computer may see an error at a sensor, but that does not mean the sensor is faulty. It may mean the sensor is reading something that it does not like. Then the question is why is something occurring at that sensor that should not be happening.
Tom
The problem is that some diagnostics are proprietary. So you can see and change some things, but others are dealer only. Sooner or later, you’ll need to tweak those other things. The electronics itself is generally bulletproof, but board level repairs are tough if they ever become necessary.
You will not pass Pennsylvania emission inspection if you remove the check engine bulb on a car that requires emission inspection.
Matter of fact, if your car gets a check engine light and you decide to clear it with your OBD2 tool the day before your car goes in, the tech should catch it and it will not pass.
Tom
In Colorado, the emissions tests were idle-only, and nobody gave a crap about the lights. The OBD of the time… really ALDL… used “blinky codes,” and the systems were so notoriously unreliable and inaccurate, if it passed the idle test, off you went.
In an OBDII environment, missing lights would indeed be an issue.
No, I did not miss it, that is why I stated for a car that requires emission testing. Not all cars are required, base on various factors including age and mileage. Not all repairs need to be made depending on cost. And not all Pennsylvania counties require testing.
Tom