CarMD claims to eliminate some of the guesswork. It resembles the store version of the tool: It plugs into your 1996 or newer car's interface, a USB adapter plugs into your Mac or PC, and a program gets you all kinds of information.
Install the program, register, and find out what's wrong with your car. Voilà! Right?
Doctor, doctor: Our 2002 Silverado with 175,000 miles failed inspection in spectacular fashion this year, and I've been arranging and rearranging Sturgis Kids' tuitions, Christmas, and other bills trying to get the repairs done.
But now my procrastination comes in handy; I used it as my test patient for CarMD.
Simple to use: The program worked easily. The instruction booklet gives you clues as to where the interface may be on your car. I found mine easily, and just a couple of seconds after I plugged it in under the dashboard, it beeped, telling me it had what it needed.
Installing the software from the CD was simple and in a couple of minutes I had an 11-page report outlining the problems with my truck. (I did say "failed in a spectacular fashion.")
At inspection time, my mechanic told me about four codes and said I needed these items replaced: The catalytic converter, spark plugs and wires, the thermostat, and an ABS sensor.
The CarMD report gave me four codes, and they roughly matched what I knew.
Different solutions: But come diagnosis time, things diverged.
CarMD claims to offer diagnoses based on technician feedback, and it offered these repairs: Replace the fuel injectors and intake manifold gasket. (This was based on only the first code; CarMD didn't offer repairs for the thermostat and ABS problems.)
I know the intake manifold gasket is a weak link on the GM 4.3-liter V6. I know this because mine has already been replaced.
So it sounds as if CarMD was a failure?
