Professional Distributor - 42

Find out what
shop owners are
reading about in this
month's pages of

DIAGNOSTIC DISCOURSE

The right (diagnostic)
tool for the job

Code readers, scan tools, and crossover
products all have a place in the shop.

hese days, the scanner is less likely to be
a standalone tool in the repair shop; now
it is integrated into the front office and the
customer's invoice. Today's technician is asked
to provide much more than a clean bill of health
BY SCOTT "GONZO" WEAVER to the customer - he or she must also present
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR a well-documented repair order that shows and
After owning an automotive electrical tells all.
repair shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for
Reading the codes off a tool and describing the
more than three decades, ASE Master
results
to the customer is only a small part of a
Tech Scott "Gonzo" Weaver now writes
and teaches about the latest automo- repair transaction. As we have all heard more than
tive technology. As a storyteller, Weaver
once, "codes don't fix cars." But it's a good place to
has hundreds of published humorous
and anecdotal stories that can be start. The real issue is, just how important are those
found on his website, gonzostoolbox. codes, and can you get an accurate repair evaluation
com. He is the author of the book, just by reading a code number and the description
"Hey Look! I Found the Loose Nut."
Email Gonzo at gonzosae@aol.com. from a handheld code reader?
First, let's get our facts straight. A code reader
is not a scanner, and that teenage kid at the parts
store that leaps over the counter like a gazelle with
a code reader in his hand is normally not the most
highly-trained technician. By the time the customer reaches the shop, he or she will have that
little print-out with the code numbers on it, along
with a list of parts they have just purchased from
the same youngster at the parts store. All of this
is based on the fact that a certain part was mentioned in the description of the said code. This is
where the separation between code reading and code
evaluation begins.
Instead of dwelling on the characteristics of the
person reading and interpreting the code, let's take
a look at the differences between a code reader and
a scanner, and how both are important.

CODE READERS
A basic code reader typically only supports generic
trouble codes. Those are codes that have the first
numeric number as a "0." If a code is specific to one
manufacturer, the first digit will be something other
than "0" such as a "1" or "2," etc. A generic code is a
good place to start, and in most cases that's where
the capabilities of a lot of the low-end code readers
42 Professional Distributor I May 2019 I VehicleServicePros.com

end. Some may offer a short explanation as far as
the description of the code, but I've not seen many
that can offer real diagnostic information, other than
just a basic generic code name or a short version of
the code description.
Code readers are popping up everywhere. They
are very inexpensive, small and compact, and are
generally very reliable in performing the duties
they are programmed for. But, be aware they have
limitations.
While a code reader can help technicians
resesarch basic diagnostic issues, more challenging repairs will typically require a scanner with
additional features and aftermarket vehicle coverage.
The return on investment associated with a code
readers will largely depend on how many diagnostic
jobs a shop encounters regularly, and the amount
charged for the services. The cost to maintain and/or
update the tool as new procedures are developed is
also something to take into consideration. In general,
the cost of a code reader may come in anywhere
between $100 and $1,000, with most code readers
falling in the $300 to $400 range. Prospective buyers should consider variations on the tool as well,
as some are wireless, some are pc-based updatable,
and still other code readers work directly with your
smartphone.
So, why would a professional shop want to
invest in a more basic product to do the work of
the expensive scanner with all the bells and whistles
on it? That's easy - speed. Let's say it's an early
morning and the cars are starting to pile up at the
front door. How are you going to sort out which cars
should go to which mechanic, and which car needs
to be checked on the scanner for further diagnostics
(we're assuming they are not DOA or a repair issue
unrelated to code retrieval)? It's simple, check the
codes first. Send out your latest fry cook graduate
with the code reader and see what you find out. Call
it 'triage' for the repair shop.
I asked Autel's Michael Flink, commercial sales
manager and trainer for North America, about

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

Professional Distributor

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