Is the Dealers Engine Diagnostics Test Worth the Money??

Has anybody had this done, is it better than just checking codes yourself?

 

what do you mean? Them pulling the codes?

I read the codes myself few weeks ago. Then went to a dealer and they pulled the codes themselves for free. Same codes came up.

 

FAQs and stickys are you friend.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=104931

The above link shows you how to pull the codes yourself and also how to diagnose it yourself. All you need is a tiny flat-head screw driver.

 

honestly its a 50/50 type thing. because just because you have a code doesn't mean that part is bad. it can be related to other items and in that case you pay 50 some odd dollars for them to diagnosis the car and pull the code. but they tell you what exactly is wrong.

for instance, say you have a lean mixture, and a front o2 sensor. which i've seen in many cars to be a vaccumm leak. with a properly diagnosis it would like be 10-15 in parts for the broken vaccumm lines. instead of a replacement of a 02 sensor which is about 110-150 in parts and it wouldn't fix the problem.

honestly more then 60% of the time a fault shows up and it is indeed that sensor or something related to that air.

check the faults yourself before going to the dealership.

 

Check it yourself. Avoid the dealer at all costs.

 

Let's get some clear-headed minds in here on this: I'm under the inpression that the Consult software does a whole lot more than just pulling codes. Anyone out there with 1st hand experience with Nissan who can tell us exactly what Consult does and how exactly it can pinpoint the cause of the problem (where, I assume, codes only tell you what is being measured out of spec, but not what's causing it to be out of spec).

 

I have already pulled the codes my self. I was under the impression that the dealers test was more invloved.

 

well the dealers codes are not really more invovled from ym Ford experience but liek staed before the part is not always bad... sometimes they will cross check with recalls and fix the problem for free ... if ur dealer is trust worthy...

 

if you have a head on your shoulders, you can perform the same series of diagnostics they do. just buy an fsm

 

dealers will rip u a new ahole, theres enough info on the stickies to let u do stuff urself... especially when it comes to pulling codes...

 

a consult 2 does a little more then just pull codes. but nothing too fancy. some of the more high end scan tools can do like-wise. check long term, short term fuel trims, look and see which cylinder is currently misfiring.

say you have a random misfire fault on 3 and 2. common sense is to check coilpacks and plugs, possible injectors. but also misfires would be related to lean conditions from a vaccum leak. which can be checked out by fuel trims. and if you look at to see if its currently misfiring or not it would make it simple rather then throw things at it.

but honestly save your money and do what you can. if you cant fix it go to them