My shop's new $8k diagnostic computer just gave me a false positive on a 6.7 Powerstroke, wasted a whole afternoon

3 comments

3 Comments

What did it flag as the problem? Those new systems are supposed to be smarter than the old stuff... makes you wonder if the software needs an update or if it's just guessing sometimes.

terryr462mo ago

That new Snap-on Zeus system at my buddy's shop did the same thing last month. It kept pointing to the high pressure fuel pump on a Duramax, but it was just a bad sensor wire. These computers are just fancy code readers, they don't replace knowing how to actually trace a problem. You still need the old school skills to check their work.

the_thomas21d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah I read something similar in a tech forum the other day. @skyler_white95 it's not really about software updates, it's the way these systems process data. They're programmed to look for the most common failure points first and sometimes skip over the simple stuff like a chafed wire or a loose ground. I've seen guys swap fuel pumps, injectors, and even ECUs based on what the scanner says, only to find out later it was a corroded connector. The machines are great for a starting point but they can't see the car the way a mechanic can with a multimeter and a wiring diagram. You gotta treat them like a helpful assistant, not the boss telling you what to fix.