Would a dealer get uppity?
Discussion
LayZ said:
and all the threads where dealers have been involved on PH have done nothing to change my mind on that.
Then I feel sorry for you.You're reading all the charlie big potatoes b
ks from posters on here about how they've 'had one' over a dealer who was a complete as being real life stories.Buying cars is/should be fun.
Treat it as a battle and you'll get one.
Back to your OP. Plug your £20 reader into a hybrid and the car will need a main dealer reset. So, no, you can't plug it into one of my cars.
I can't say that I would take a code reader along to buy a car but then again I can only afford tat these days so at the bottom end of the market it's more about using your instinct when it comes to buying motors.
But if Anyone was buying a few grands worth of motor and decided to go for a certain car wouldn't it just be easier to pay out for an AA/RAC check or get someone in the trade to look over it and then give it a quick HPI for piece of mind.
I've got an old Vag com lead myself which I've used once to turn off the airbag light no problem but while at it I deleted my recurring ignition immobiliser code at the same time which is down to the key not reading once in awhile every 3 months or so.
I could see why a dealer would get upset if an untrained joe blogs walking off the street with a Ebay special code reader wanted to play about with the cars ECU on an expensive motor plus surely if the dealer was unscrupulous wouldn't he just delete the fault codes beforehand anyway making the use of a lead or code reader irrelevant.
But if Anyone was buying a few grands worth of motor and decided to go for a certain car wouldn't it just be easier to pay out for an AA/RAC check or get someone in the trade to look over it and then give it a quick HPI for piece of mind.
I've got an old Vag com lead myself which I've used once to turn off the airbag light no problem but while at it I deleted my recurring ignition immobiliser code at the same time which is down to the key not reading once in awhile every 3 months or so.
I could see why a dealer would get upset if an untrained joe blogs walking off the street with a Ebay special code reader wanted to play about with the cars ECU on an expensive motor plus surely if the dealer was unscrupulous wouldn't he just delete the fault codes beforehand anyway making the use of a lead or code reader irrelevant.
Edited by Vince70 on Saturday 4th January 00:00
I don't think most would care.
I've had 2 buyers ask to plug readers into cars I was selling - I was fine with that.
There are a LOT of faults that don't turn on a light on the dash.
I'm unsure how good the cheap readers are as I borrow a mates Snap On scanner if I'm buying something exotic - no one has ever refused to let me scan.
I've had 2 buyers ask to plug readers into cars I was selling - I was fine with that.
There are a LOT of faults that don't turn on a light on the dash.
I'm unsure how good the cheap readers are as I borrow a mates Snap On scanner if I'm buying something exotic - no one has ever refused to let me scan.
LayZ said:
Well yeah, and for good reason. I go to car dealers expecting they are trying to get one over on me and most punters and all the threads where dealers have been involved on PH have done nothing to change my mind on that.
Non car dealer here. If you in looking for a fight you'll get one, much as you would in a pub.
I've found advice both on and off the forums from dealers via PH to have been very useful. At the end of the day they do the job to make money yet I've been told when to not spend it, given advice about where to spend money and learned things about buying cars that have saved me time, money and hassle.
Buff Mchugelarge said:
Ari said:
Will it show up knackered suspension? A whining diff? An oil leak? A dripping sunroof? That the tracking is out? That a nasty smell has been covered up by the air freshener? That the air con has a leak and will need the entire dash pulling out to fix? That the car hasn't been serviced properly? That the spare tyre is punctured?
Get away from my car you!
Buff Mchugelarge said:
Ari said:
Will it show up knackered suspension? A whining diff? An oil leak? A dripping sunroof? That the tracking is out? That a nasty smell has been covered up by the air freshener? That the air con has a leak and will need the entire dash pulling out to fix? That the car hasn't been serviced properly? That the spare tyre is punctured?
Get away from my car you!I have the bmw ediabas system and as mentioned it will reveal a whole host of problems, none of which put the light on.
You can disconnect the MAF and it wont throw a light.
my e39 had:
Coolant sensor
cam sensor
int. rear park sensor
int. head restraint motor
int blower motor
None threw a light.
If you can scan the car beforehand - then good. But i can understand why dealers wont. Besides if they have the kit, they can clear(hide) the faults themselves.
But on the flip side, a further rescan after a drive would show up anything that is permanent and should be of concern.
You can disconnect the MAF and it wont throw a light.
my e39 had:
Coolant sensor
cam sensor
int. rear park sensor
int. head restraint motor
int blower motor
None threw a light.
If you can scan the car beforehand - then good. But i can understand why dealers wont. Besides if they have the kit, they can clear(hide) the faults themselves.
But on the flip side, a further rescan after a drive would show up anything that is permanent and should be of concern.
Well, would the dealer have to know? When I went to view a MINI at a back street Independent, (as in modern day Arthur Daly specialising in having a completely random selection of cheap cars, rather than a specialist in second hand Mini's), I was allowed to take the car on a test drive alone, which took me 30 mins. (because I wanted to get out of the 30 zone) If I'd had a oBD2 reader I would have had time, but I'm not sure it would have told me that the Passenger Seat did not recline correctly (daughter found that), that the front tyres were legal but st, that the Battery was too short (found that 3 weeks later when the earth lead fell off, and fixed with 15 mm of plastic sheet - the one has a shorter battery and a spacer under it and the cooper doesn't, but some retailers (Halfords for example) list the same battery. Neither would it tell me that within months I'd need to replace the rear exhaust box rubber mounts. And it wouldn't have told me that the wiring under the seats to the seat belt pre-tensioner was about to be dodgy, and just out of warranty, flick up the airbag warning light.
t, that the Battery was too short (found that 3 weeks later when the earth lead fell off, and fixed with 15 mm of plastic sheet - the one has a shorter battery and a spacer under it and the cooper doesn't, but some retailers (Halfords for example) list the same battery. Neither would it tell me that within months I'd need to replace the rear exhaust box rubber mounts. And it wouldn't have told me that the wiring under the seats to the seat belt pre-tensioner was about to be dodgy, and just out of warranty, flick up the airbag warning light.
JoshyS said:
Other than the slightest possibility of 'damage' being caused to the vehicle it is absolutely no different from checking the bodywork, interior condition or tyre tread depths. Do you get upset when customers check those when purchasing a car, or do you expect them to trust the 'workmanship of your technicians' on that front too?
Just a slight possibility? Oh go right ahead then!It's not like visually inspecting the car, it's is like turning up with a fisher price tool kit and taking the head off to inspect the cylinders. "It's only unscrewing a few bolts to have a look so there's only a slight possibility of 'damage'". Would you let anyone off the street do that? Completely the dealer's perogative if they tell you to do one IMO.
After all, until you buy the car it's not yours, it's theirs.
I'm not a dealer but I wouldn't let an unknown person plug in. Nothing to do with all the crap about being offended by questioning the quality of the car, just a plain old security concerns.
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