It might be great if instead of more devices like this (OBDII readers already exist), we force car manufacturers to publish their proprietary error codes so off-the-shelf software can diagnose issues.
Case in point: I have an OBDII reader for my VW. Recently the check engine light came on, and I was under the assumption that I’d be able to read the error code. Nope! Turns out my best bet was VCDS–which costs about $500 and only works because those guys have been reverse engineering the VW systems for 20 years.
The overall result was I bit the bullet and took it to the dealer. Turns out it was an exhaust issue under a recall warranty and it didn’t cost me a dime to fix. This time.
If it was something as dumb as “air filter needs to be changed”, it’d cost me $80 to read the error code at a dealer.
