CarMD

[clyde]

http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/appletell-reviews-carmd-for-mac-os-x/

http://admintell.napco.com/ee/images/uploads/appletell/carmdsummary.png

The CarMD came at what I guess you could call a fortunate time for me as my check engine light happened to be on. And certainly enough, the product did realize this and presented me with a page confirming it. The page above is known as the summary page, and it will give you a nice overview of what the device found to be the state of your car. As you can see, it tells you whether you would pass an emissions test, the approximate cost of the repair, and the error code it encountered, as well as report any recalls that may have taken plan with your car. While this page is nice, it doesn’t really help you with where to go next. That’s where the cure page comes in handy.
CarMD Cure

http://admintell.napco.com/ee/images/uploads/appletell/carmdcure.png

The cure page contains details on how to go about fixing you car and what the cost may be. As you can see, my car’s issue wasn’t a very cheap one in terms of approximate labor costs. That said, when I did eventually take my car to the auto mechanic, the “Most Likely Fix” was in fact the issue with my car, according to the mechanic. Furthermore, they were right on with the cost of the fix, as well (the mechanic charged me around $300 for the work).

[Plaz]

Cool.

[bren]

As you can see, having this product could easily provide a nice opportunity to cut diagnostic charges from auto mechanics.Yeah right, we all know how receptive mechanics are to being told what the problem is.

Too bad this won't work on something like,oh I don't know...an 89 Corvette for instance.

[equ]

+1 on both counts... How is it different from a glorified code reader? Ok, a little more convenient than reading code and doing a search on it, but unlikely to solve the really hard 'stumper' stuff.

[Terri Kennedy]

How is it different from a glorified code reader?
Looks like the value they're adding is the web side of things, where they offer current pricing estimates for the repair.

[equ]

I guess it could be of use to someone
1. who has a garage
2. some technical abilities
3. some tools.
I have none of those.

[clyde]

Looks like the value they're adding is the web side of things, where they offer current pricing estimates for the repair.

I guess it could be of use to someone
1. who has a garage
2. some technical abilities
3. some tools.
I have none of those.
I think you mean:

1. Has an OBD-II car
2. has a computer
3. has at least a high 2 digit IQ

I think you qualify.

You plug it into the OBD-II port (and it tells you where you can find it in your car). It records the code(s). You plug into the computer and launch the app. It tells you what the code is, what it means, and what the likely fix(es) is. To that, it adds an estimate for parts and labor, so that you don't go to a mechanic and get charged $500 for a loose gas cap that throws a check engine light.

I think it's designed specifically for the type of person you're describing. :dunno: