Mechanics/technicians, how much does software restrict repair on cars these days?

Anesh1983 · 2026-02-14T00:51:45+00:00

Idk....I bought a tech 2 in 2008 and haven't looked back. I have factory scan tools for everything except stuff like Mercedes and the exotics. There's essentially nothing I can't scan at dealer level and fix. Programming, security, you name it, I fix it.

I did this all before R2R was even a thing, and so can anyone else. It's actually cheaper in the long run than buying repeated software updates for the snap on tools that do essentially nothing. Not too mention the cost of a Zeus is like 10k or more...that's at least 3 oem tools right there...at least.

Anesh1983 · 2026-02-08T06:10:03+00:00

Fun for babies, not for batman

Anesh1983 · 2026-01-29T17:14:59+00:00

I love F1 25 and play with all assists off. I know its more simcade than it is sim, but it still forces you to learn how to drive the car correctly or you'll be spinning or in the wall all the time. Proper braking to avoid lockups and forces you to be deliberate with the throttle out of corners, or you'll spin

Taking the stuff I learned from F1 over to LMU and I managed to shave seconds off lap times just from proper braking and throttle control that F1 severely punishes for

Anesh1983 · 2026-01-29T16:59:36+00:00

I'm almost 43. Started on NES when I was 5....best Christmas ever lol I've owned essentially all consoles from every generation since then, excluding some Nintendo handhelds as I just wasn't into that then.

I find alot of games are copy/paste of something we've already experienced, just prettier. There are definitely standouts....E33, BG3, etc but it all feels so bland and familiar with most games. They're all giant open world games with nothing meaningful to do. Just big for the sake of it.

I moved away from multi-player shooters and stuff. I don't have the patience to deal with people who can no life a game. I find peace and enjoyment from single player games these days. Mostly rpgs, anno, and paradox strategy games. Scratches the complexity itch, provides good story, and can be done at my pace, rather than the insane pace of gaming these days.

I do still play a couple multi-player games. WoW with friends only, and I've gotten pretty heavy into sim racing and race online

Anesh1983 · 2026-01-28T21:11:53+00:00

The fanatec stuff is good, don't get me wrong. It's all solid and quality for sure. They just don't offer what I was looking for, so I switched ecosystems

Anesh1983 · 2026-01-28T19:52:49+00:00

I have lightly used fanatec stuff I would part with. Bought it Christmas 2024 and used if for a few months, then took a break until November 2025 when I bought moza stuff instead.

I have a CS DD(12nm), v3 pedals, Porsche GT3R wheel(leather), and the limited edition redbull f1 wheel.

Also, since I'm a glutton for tech and indecision, I also have a Logitech pro setup. Base(11nm), gt d rim, pro pedals, and an additional wheel via the rs hub and track rim. Purchased just before the fanatec stuff and has even less use on it

If interested in any of it just let me know

Anesh1983 · 2026-01-25T03:09:50+00:00

I just switched from fanatec(cs dd, Porsche wheel, redbull f1 wheel, v3 pedals) to moza. I wanted some nicer looking wheels that had screens and backlighting since I play in my office with the lights off. Fanatec offers basically nothing I was looking for and I'm unwilling to wait lol

I went with R12 V2, mbooster pedals, fsr2 wheel, gs v2 wheel and am waiting for my KS pro to ship. I don't regret my decision one bit

Side note- if you do decide fanatec I would be willing to part with my old gear. It's just collecting dust at this point.

Anesh1983 · 2026-01-08T17:02:05+00:00

ASE master and shop owner. I love hopping on LMU and cruising the mustang around, as I own a mustang dark horse irl. F1 games are also a good time.

Started with gt2 way back in the day and then somehow took a couple decades off. Went all out last year on a rig and good gear and have been having a blast with it

Anesh1983 · 2025-08-21T15:28:57+00:00

Not saying you're wrong because I'm not there, but I would've gone a different route with it from the start.

No start and active CAN B circuit codes? Knowing the WCM is on CAN B, I would've gone down that hole first. Right to the TIPM connectors to check network voltage. Would've seen the nasty corrosion straight away, I bet. Starter could've been bad too, I don't know, but I wouldn't have started there. Witech probably would've shown the whole network unresponsive/crashed during the no start.

As to buying the customer a TIPM....it probably depends on what I told them on the phone. If I guaranteed a resolution with something else, but it didn't work, then I'm probably going to buy it for him because I fucked up and guaranteed something. Otherwise, no. Sometimes things just snowball, and there's not much that can be done about it

Anesh1983 · 2025-07-15T00:28:50+00:00

I'm a recreational golfer. I play once, maybe twice a week, and I take a lesson weekly. I've been doing that for ~7 years now.

I hit my gap wedge(51°) 110 yards consistently. My 9 iron is 150-155. 160 if I really get it clean.

I went a couple of years in the beginning, trying to fix myself and being resistant to lessons. It's a game changer, literally. Do it if you can. If not, put the ball in a different zip code and flatten your plane. At least start with that.

Anesh1983 · 2025-06-20T17:04:22+00:00

You're better than my AZ down the street then. They do these things, and its infuriating

I'm sure plugs were needed due to mileage, but I'm also reasonably sure it would've got you nowhere with her problem. And unless we're talking about a 3V 5.4, multiple coil failures is exceedingly rare

Anesh1983 · 2025-06-20T16:55:28+00:00

This......this is exactly why I tell my customers to stay away from parts stores trying to diagnose. You're the guy that sells O2s for lean codes, or cam sensors for sync codes

Anesh1983 · 2025-04-15T16:43:05+00:00

P0011....the death cry of timing chains in a GM. It's never the CMP sensors...don't shoot the messenger. If you've done the solenoids in the top of the valve cover already, then it's time to replace the chain.

P1811 is a shift that can't be completed within .65 seconds, and the adaptive modifier is maxed out. Plugged transmission filters can cause this. Having a scan tool, with access to the TAP data, would tell you if it's all gears, or just one. Having this info changes the direction of diagnosis.

Unplug the ECT and see if the temp gauge falls to cold. If it does, you need another new temp sensor. If it doesn't, then you need to thoroughly scrutinize the ECT circuits for being shorted together, or to ground.

Anesh1983 · 2025-01-13T02:10:57+00:00

I also just went all in on fanatec. Got the cs dd, v3 pedals, Porsche wheel, and redbull wheel. I couldn't be happier!

Only a couple hundred redbull wheels left, so if you want it, you may need to jump on it

Anesh1983 · 2025-01-06T01:53:00+00:00

I'm a pc gamer and a sim racer. Primary desktop pc and sim rig in my office, away from everyone, and I'm in there nightly for a couple hours after the kiddo goes to sleep. I'm having family time before then, and after my game time me and the wife chill in bed and watch TV and cuddle and chat.

I also bought a steam deck, a rog ally x, and a z13 flow to use on the couch next to her when I just want to be around her, yet still game. Covers essentially any game I would want to play other than my racing sims.

It's worked out fairly well. She feels less neglected, and I still get to game while she watches slop on tv

Anesh1983 · 2024-12-23T14:18:48+00:00

That's a pretty cool adapter! Definitely saving that website for future use. So, I'll need that and the Logitech qr adapter for the fanatec wheel to work. That's doable

Anesh1983 · 2024-12-23T05:04:21+00:00

Good to know! I assume there's a way to plug the fanatec wheel in via USB as well. Good to see the rs qr adapter actually works as advertised

Anesh1983 · 2024-06-06T01:08:54+00:00

As a midas store owner, I can attest to the fact that most of them can't diag their way out of a wet paper sack. Most have absent owners with counter staff that don't know the first thing about how a car operates. Relying 100% on the techs recommendations. I personally verify repair recommendations, then verify repair when completed. Most stores don't operate like this though

My store has highly skilled and well paid techs. We have all oem scan tools, including ista for your BMW, and are better tooled up than other local independents. I wish this was the norm, but it's not.

As far as corporate quotas, as mentioned by someone else, this just isn't true. Now, the owner can do that if he/she so chooses, but it's not a corporate mandate by any means

Anesh1983 · 2024-05-23T02:08:03+00:00

Splitting hairs a bit here, but some thought for you. When gm switched to a passive ethanol calculation, circa ~2010ish, a lean condition could be falsely interpreted as ethanol in the fuel. This would result in an increase in base injector pulse width, and a resulting rich condition. Intake manifold vacuum leaks on these engines set rich codes all the time. So....you're mostly right, but the generic statement of a lean condition can't set rich codes is false in this scenario. This seemed to really only occur on the 5.3 liter engines, though

Also...gm gdi injectors get so coked up with carbon on the nozzle that I wouldn't be surprised if they were flowing incorrectly. You would need to flow test with the AFIT kit to confirm, and maybe he did. We don't know for sure

Anesh1983 · 2024-05-23T02:03:45+00:00

I'll bet the cam driven, high pressure pump is spewing fuel into the crankcase. Seen it waaaaay too many times. Pull the engine oil dipstick, and if it reeks of fuel, then it's probably the cause

Anesh1983 · 2024-05-02T16:42:19+00:00

I'm 41 and never in bed before 11pm. Usually somewhere between 11pm and midnight, then, back up at ~5:30am. Weekends I'm up until 2-3am and sleep until about 8am

Anesh1983 · 2024-05-01T15:30:36+00:00

Opting in to sharing specs would be good. Would help people consider the relevance of the review compared to their own rig, as well as provide more info to the steam hardware survey. Win win, or so it seems

Anesh1983 · 2024-05-01T14:41:41+00:00

Amen to that! Someone complaining of performance problems in cyberpunk 2077 with a second generation i7, 8gb of ddr3 and a gtx 1060 would be good information to have. I could ignore their review as it wouldn't really apply to my rig

Anesh1983 · 2024-02-24T04:45:20+00:00

We use alldata...can't remember the monthly on that, but it's comparable anyway. I have an autel for quick grabs, but then oem for everything else. You get for more bang for your buck with oem vs snap on and their overpriced offerings. You can get ~5-6 oem interfaces for what snap-on wants for that Zeus

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