What do you think about the car scanner tool FIXD? | Car Doctor
Q: Have you ever heard of or tested the tool called the FIXD? With all of the car issues in my family, it seems helpful but also cheap at $19.99. What do you think?
A: I have never tested it. It appears to be a Bluetooth dongle that plugs into the computer connector (OBD2) under the dash of all cars manufactured since 1996. Once connected, you read the codes on a smartphone.
According to the FIXD website, it helps with repair strategies. There is also a subscription service that offers additional repair information. For $20 it is certainly worth a try.
I keep a similar tool, the BlueDriver, in my car just in case the check engine light comes on during a long road trip. The tool doesn’t fix your car, but it reads fault codes.
Clogged evaporator tube caused water leaks. Should carpet be replaced?
Q: I have a 2015 Toyota RAV4. I noticed the carpet on the driver's and passenger side was wet. I brought the car to the Toyota dealer and the diagnosis was a clogged evaporator drain tube. They cleared up the clog but also recommended that, due to possible mold, the carpeting be removed and replaced at a cost of $7,000. The dealer told me that car insurance often pays for this. Do you have any thoughts on this?
A: This seems a bit extreme. If the carpet was saturated for days and then left with all the windows up, then maybe mold could grow. With flooded cars, the carpet is removed, the padding is replaced, and the carpet shampooed and reinstalled.
Mold certainly is a serious issue, but if the carpet is dry and you don’t smell any mold or mildew, it sounds like a lot of expense for a “possible” mold issue.
I have unclogged dozens of evaporator drains and never replaced the carpet. I've wet-vacuumed the carpet and then sprayed disinfectant.
Can private repair shop be trusted with coolant change?
Q: I own a 2019 Toyota Camry SE (purchased new) with 102,000 miles on it. The service schedule indicates it’s due for a coolant change. The dealer wants $200 for this, while a local shop wants $100. The manual recommends “Toyota Super Long Life Coolant” (“or a similar high quality ethylene glycol based non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrate, and non-borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology”).
Some basic research indicates that the system should also be flushed with distilled water to remove all the existing coolant within the cooling system. Do dealers and non-dealers always flush with distilled water as part of a standard coolant change? Or do some just drain what’s in the radiator and fill it up with new coolant? Can I trust a non-dealer with using the recommended grade of coolant?
A: Toyota, according to the shop manual, only requires a drain and refill unless there are signs of contamination.
Regarding an independent shop doing the work, as long as they follow the steps of a coolant change, I see no reason not to have an independent shop do the work. I would either ask what kind of coolant (Zerex and Prestone both make equivalents) is being used, or better yet, you could buy the Toyota premixed factory coolant and have the private shop install it.
Acura's power steering keeps cutting out
Q: My 2010 Acura RDX has recently begun to lose its power steering. At first, the power steering would occasionally stop and revert to manual drive when I was making right or left turns. When I stepped off the brakes or stepped on the gas, the manual steering would ease up and revert back to power steering. My mechanic checked the power steering fluid and the belt. His test drive did not result in any manual steering, so he was unable to determine the cause. Now it’s a few weeks later and it has gotten progressively worse. Any suggestions or ideas?
A: There are only two possibilities: a faulty power steering pump or a faulty power steering gear. The technician is going to need to test pressures to see if the pump is bad, the pump pressure is good, or the steering gear is bad.
There is one odd thing, a possibility worth looking into: Does the battery light come on when you lose the power steering? If it does, on some Honda/Acura products I have seen, the lower pully (harmonic balancer) slips when it gets wet.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: What do you think about the car scanner tool FIXD? | Car Doctor
