By Jim Grey
Complying with new federal emission standards has reduced the amount of pollutants that individual automobiles emit into the air.

To make cars cleaner and conform to those standards, automotive manufacturers use more and more sophisticated, on-board computer systems. The rapid rate of technological improvements has outpaced the number of properly trained technicians who can understand and repair these sophisticated computers.

Technicians must invest tremendous amounts of money and time to acquire a working knowledge of these systems and to properly use the equipment needed to test automotive computers properly.

One tool is a scanner that plugs into the car’s computer and retrieves a read out containing fault codes and data. This tells the technician how well the computer system is controlling the engine and if there are problems.

All too often, untrained technicians will next proceed to test the system that deals with the fault code, spending a significant amount of labor and time, and replacing expensive parts.

Yet, the problem remains.

Unfortunately, many customers, unskilled in the automotive repair process, will accept the bill, believing the problem is fixed. Reputable repair shops, of course, will not attempt to charge the customer for solving the problem but may charge for the extra work, justifying it as needed to diagnose the problem.

To the truly experienced technician, the answer is simple.

Just because there is a fault code (you know when one has occurred when your “check engine” light comes on), doesn’t mean the mechanic should start the diagnosis with a scanner, just because it is easy to use, and if the mechanic guesses at the solution, he will be right 40% of the time.

Diagnostics is an art; a basic test must be done first before a computer diagnosis can be done because fault codes can be set to occur when any basic engine system fails - not just the on-board (EMISSIONS?) computer. A proper analysis begins with the engine and its related systems.

Automotive manufacturers have developed actuary charts to predict when a part or system will fail. Federal government regulations require that all new cars have an emission warranty for 10 years, so manufacturers build them to last a decade because they don’t want to pay repeated repair costs.

Now consider that most engines are warranted for 3 years.

Common sense - and the economics of the automobile business - say that, on average, the engine will fail before the emissions system.

Car manufactures are not in business to lose money.

So the next time you “check engine” light comes on, when you take the car in to the repair facility, ask the service writer to have the diagnoses begin with the engine first.