Computer Diagnoses Car

Recently we bought a 2001 Dodge Durango. We bought it to pull our camp trailer which we also recently acquired. Last weekend while backing the trailer in to a parking spot the engine light on the Durango came on. The owner's manual said that it was not an urgent matter and that the worst affect was a possible decrease in gas mileage.

We decided to go camping again this week and so I called service department at the local Dodge dealer to see what they recommended. They told me to bring it in just to see what triggered the engine light going on but that I could still take it camping this weekend.

Yesterday afternoon I stopped by the Dodge service department at Doug Smith Dodge in American Fork where I live. While I sat there, the technician grabbed a little computer about the size of an egg carton and plugged it in to a connector under the dashboard. After pushing a few buttons to tell the computer the model and year of the Durango it began collecting information about my car.

One of the things it found was the reason for the engine light coming on. It was reportedly a "medium leak" in one of the pressurized systems. The technician said it could be caused by a loose gas cap and that the worst affect could be slightly decreased gas mileage. He turned the engine light off and told me not to worry about it unless the light came on again.

Maybe I'm inexperienced when it comes to car care and repair but I was totally impressed with the technology that diagnosed and "fixed" my car. Wow.

I recommend Doug Smith's service department to anyone!