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Nope, CarMD Won’t Void Your Warranty

May 11th, 2012 Ivy from CarMD

By: Mike Allen, The Saturday Mechanic

Q: I bought a CarMD device a year or so ago. I’ve used it on a couple of my cars, and last week my CHECK ENGINE light came on. I hooked up the CarMD, and got the trouble code off the computer in the car. CarMD’s website was very helpful. I took the printed-out diagnosis with me to the dealership for the repair. When the service writer saw the printout, he immediately informed me that any repairs to my car from that point on would no longer be covered by the warranty, as I had used an “unauthorized device,” and had potentially damaged my car’s computer system. I still have almost two years of the warranty in effect—what should I do?

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The CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™— reading between the lines

March 29th, 2012 Ivy from CarMD

by: Mike Allen, the Saturday Mechanic

Just released, the second annual CarMD® Vehicle Health Index™ draws its data from hundreds of thousands of real life repair scenarios to share trends and analytics about the most common “check engine”- related car problems, repairs and associated costs.  This is the second Vehicle Health Index I’ve helped CarMD to edit and assemble, so I’ve spent a fair amount of time poring over the results and the conclusions we’ve drawn to it. It’s fascinating reading, and often defies conventional wisdom about the state of the car repair industry. Here are some thoughts about what the Index doesn’t necessarily say, but which can certainly be gleaned from it, and how we can all make better automotive decisions with the aid of the CarMD Index.

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It’s Easy Driving Green

March 16th, 2012 Ivy from CarMD

Written By: Kristin Brocoff

It takes a little more than luck to save at the pump; CarMD shares tips to drive green this St. Patrick’s Day and year round.

With gas prices going up and up, it seems like you need to be a lucky lottery winner to keep up with the rising costs. For everyone who hasn’t collected on lotto winnings, CarMD has put together some tips to help keep your car (and your wallet) a little greener this St. Patrick’s Day and year round.

-  Avoid unnecessary driving by planning your trips wisely, making efficient routes and stops, and even bringing a cooler so you can keep lunchmeat, milk and other perishables fresh a little longer.

-  Consider carpooling to work, school or even happy hour.  It will save you on gas, wear and tear, and even provide a sensible designated driver should you choose to imbibe.

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Dashboard Warning Lights Have You Confused?

March 6th, 2012 Ivy from CarMD

Written By: Richard Amador

Every year that a new car comes into production it seems that the designing engineers have one mission – to make the complex even more complex! That’s what it seems like to me whenever I see the lights on my car’s dashboard light up.  Maybe this is why your vehicle’s service manual dedicates 100 pages or more to help diagnose the problem.

There is no denying that these lights can be intimidating and even at times frightening when they suddenly light up while driving. This post was created to briefly explain the meaning behind those pesky dashboard lights and hopefully give you some comfort knowing what to expect.

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5 Ways to Get Better Gas Mileage This Spring

February 22nd, 2012 Ivy from CarMD

By: Mike Allen,  Saturday Mechanic

Winter is tough on cars and drivers. Take a little time now that the days are longer and do a few simple things to improve your fuel economy and make the grind of commuting (or road tripping) easier on your car and yourself.

1)  Shed weight

Go through your car and remove everything you don’t need. That includes stuff like the sandbags you put in the trunk for traction, the ice skates, the air conditioner or tire chains you stored in the trunk for the winter, that box full of stuff that’s been in the trunk so long you can’t remember what’s in it. Ditto for everything in the back seat and under it, that extra gallon of washer fluid and the chainsaw. Leave only the spare tire, jack and lug wrench and maybe the jumper cables. Removing 100 lbs should improve your fuel economy by about 2%.

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Top Eight Car Care Questions Asked and Answered

January 26th, 2012 Ivy from CarMD

By: Mike Allen, The Saturday Mechanic

In my more than two decades of answering car care and repair questions, I’ve had readers who push me to my limits to expand my automotive knowledgebase. I’ve also received questions that seem so simple it makes you wonder if the writer knows which end of the car is the trunk (tricky with older VWs and Porsches). But the following are probably the eight most common questions I’ve received over the years.

Q1.    Are there any emissions control devices on my car that I can remove or disable to improve the economy and performance of my car?

A: No. Okay, back in the early days (‘60s and ‘70s) of emissions devices, you might have been able to improve drivability by unhooking an emissions-control vacuum line or taking the belt off of the air injection pump. Not anymore. The emissions system is completely integrated with the engine management system.  If you try to tinker with it you’ll just make the CHECK ENGINE light come on, likely reduce your fuel economy and increase emissions, and make it impossible to pass an annual DMV inspection.

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