AutoZone is'nt allowed to pull codes anymore?

[rboyer]

I personally love the free services that Autozone gives you. Being that most vehicle sensors would be considered "pocket items" at my local u-pull-it yard I usually just get the stuff there when I need it anyway. Whenever I grab a used TFI or alternator or something from the junkyard there's an Autozone right down the street so I just head there and have them test it and if it's bad I run back to the junkyard before heading home. The ONLY time I have to put up with an Autozone employee trying to push a sale on me is when they try to sell me those stupid little packets of brake grease or dielectric grease. I HATE those little packets!

 

[lil red]

ya, presonally, i have the harbor freight scannre and have no complaints(its still in the plastic packaging, HAHA), but i am in love with the snap on modis, the best thing iv ever used,it tells you EVERYTHING about a vehicle, without a problem
if you can find a shop or dealership with one, ask if you can borrow it for a couple minets, cant hurt to ask, or if you have any friends/familey that works in a dealership or high end shop(its a $4000 scanner) ask if they can try it

it will tell you the problem, first time every time

 

[holyford86]

4k? for a modis? thats a deal... The one we just got at work was almost 9k. It was a useless purchase for them though in my opinion. All pretty much everyone does with it is pull codes anyway. the "brick" scanner that we traded for it did everything that we needed. apparently it makes the head mechanic feel special though, he takes it home and uses it on all of his shit and oddly enough no-one else is allowed to remove it from the building. /rant

 

[Hardwareman]

Yeah, thanks Skinner that would be cool if you could find out. I don't see why they stopped doing it or even renting it.

As far as them trying to push a part on me, I just straight up tell them I need to check the wiring or sensor first in the circuit before just spending money on a part that may not be bad. All the code reader does is tell you where to look for the problem.

I wish there was a reader out there that said "replace DPFE sensor", and then when you replaced it you were done. That'll be the day.....haha




Allen

 

[bobbywalter]

what motor is that on. i have a 98 contour with the 2.0 vetec motor that has a camshaft sensor code that i cant get running right. yes new sensor but the bitch is missing, dying, no power, it has the vct (variable camshaft timing) i had the code reader on it. forgot exactly what code it was but it was a camshaft sensor code. now it says "the timing is to retarded. with the camshaft sensor disconnected it idles great does not miss does not die. BUT NO POWER. it will do 70 but i could probably put my foot out and stop it.

it has 167000 miles on it but everyting is in "specs" about 140 psi in all four. plug are descent. this was a check engine light that i ignored for months then all of a sudden. bam no worky

i know this is not a ranger. knock on wood that is running like a champ. but if you have any ideas please throw them at me

sounds like its not variating the shafts, or it has jumped time on one shaft, or a shaftlobe/follower is wounded....that or the pack/timing in the ingnition isnt right.













possibly...or actually rather the biggest problem is it is the biggest pos ford ever rubberstamped for use here.


drive over it with your ranger, it will make you feel better.

 

[Will]

Hey Will,
I don't know whether you have had bad experiences(understandable) or are talking from your buttocks.

First of all, I wasn't talking about you and I speak from personal observation. I don't get scammed because I own factory service manuals for all of my vehicles and do my own troubleshooting. I do help a lot of people with their cars and many after they tried to fix it themselves.

Second of all, I look at a lot of people's cars after they get their codes scammed at one or another fastfood parts place and it's an extremely common occurance. Autozone is not a licensed auto repair shop but whatever the corporate policy is, you can sit outside one and watch employees plugging into people's cars with readers and test carts and selling them O2 sensors and batteries, starts and alternators. True, those people are trying to avoid the expense of a mechanic but intentional or not, there's bad business going on at many places.

I don't go to any of those places anymore because the employee turnover rate is so high I can't get a good relationship going with anyone there. I have a whole bunch of vehicles I take care of and everytime I go in there we have to start all over with some child on the keyboard typing things in and if it doesn't come up perfectly then he's like "The only engine that came in a 1988 Chevy crewcab is the 292" or whatever, because that's what his computer says. And they answer the phone with 12 customers in line and chat about is there any 3/8" chrome hose clamps in stock while the next guy in line wants to buy a $130 alternator he probably doesn't even need. I hear them giving bullshit advice all the time about changing wires and plugs to customers or saying they really need to do that 3,000 mile oil change. They may mean well, but they are wrong in many cases.

 

[skinner]

Sorry for the rude comment Will.
I'm having a REALLY rough time in life right now. Not that anyone can or does care or understand,
but understand I have the utmost respect for you.
I just have trouble expressing myself lately without being an ahole.
I understand your point
Take care

 

[skinner]

Ok back to the point.
I had to call my DM and DM in california.
Apparently it's considered a 'service' and must be charged for in California by a certified specialist to perform this seemingly brainless task(seriously, a 3 yr old could plug this in and push read). Couldnt get much out of them than that. I'm guessing it was shops that complained as they may have been losing business. So Autozone will no longer be performing this task in California. Testers are for permanent sell only.
Apparantly this only affects California.
Looks like you guys are out of luck. Sorry.

 

[Will]

No offense taken and I hope none perceived because I didn mean to offend your professional pride. This place isn't meant to add tension to a life but rather be a distraction.

 

[MAKG]

Ok back to the point.
I had to call my DM and DM in california.
Apparently it's considered a 'service' and must be charged for in California by a certified specialist to perform this seemingly brainless task(seriously, a 3 yr old could plug this in and push read). Couldnt get much out of them than that. I'm guessing it was shops that complained as they may have been losing business. So Autozone will no longer be performing this task in California. Testers are for permanent sell only.
Apparantly this only affects California.
Looks like you guys are out of luck. Sorry.

MUCH more likely is that BAR got a huge number of complaints from people who got lean codes read at Autozone, went out and bought four new oxygen sensors, and didn't fix the problem.

Will and Hardwareman are exceptions (and I don't have any OBD-II vehicles). But all of us have fielded questions along those lines over and over and over, and people almost always assume that a code implies a dead sensor. While this happens, it is NOT that frequent.

My last lean code (on the Exploder) was due to internally corroded battery cables (which, BTW, looked just fine visually).

Reading a code is something a 3rd grader can do. DIAGNOSING is not. People confuse the two.

 

[bobbywalter]

MUCH more likely is that BAR got a huge number of complaints from people who got lean codes read at Autozone, went out and bought four new oxygen sensors, and didn't fix the problem.

Will and Hardwareman are exceptions (and I don't have any OBD-II vehicles). But all of us have fielded questions along those lines over and over and over, and people almost always assume that a code implies a dead sensor. While this happens, it is NOT that frequent.

My last lean code (on the Exploder) was due to internally corroded battery cables (which, BTW, looked just fine visually).

Reading a code is something a 3rd grader can do. DIAGNOSING is not. People confuse the two.

definatly.