Just Another Blog
Sunday, December 22, 2002
 
Cars

I am so not a car guy. I don't particularly like driving, and I don't know much about how cars are built and work. I know that if I ever buy a new car I will be ripped off. I know that any time that I have work done on my car I get ripped off. I delay taking my car in to be looked at because I know I'm going to be ripped off. But now there is a new tool, that may help folks like me. The car chip from Davis Instruments hooks up to your car just like the diagnostic machines at the mechanic's garage. Plug it into your car, drive around, and plug it into your computer for a detailed and, supposedly, easy to read and interpret analysis of everything going on in your car. Very cool!

I'd like to see this tool included with the purchase of every new car. If you found something you didn't understand, or there was a problem hidden in the data that you couldn't quite make out, you could upload your data to the Car Guys' or to Davis Instrunments' or, what the heck, the auto maker's website for a nearly instant expert analysis. This is going to give consumers a great deal of leverage when taking a car in for repairs, buying a used car, selling a used car, and maybe even buying a new car.