There's nothing more annoying than seeing that bright engine light pop-up on the dashboard out of the blue. “What do I do?” “Should I stop and check it out?” “Maybe it's nothing.” “Will I damage the car if I keep driving?”
For the past month or two, I've lived with the bright light adorning my dash. It's not that I'm too worried – but I have been hoping it would just go away. Sometime. Soon.
But it hasn't.
I figured it was some minor issue related to my gas cap. Apparently the seal can wear on older model Auras (I have a Saturn) – causing the check engine light to appear (thinking there is a gas leak).
So when my father-in-law was in town last week – he told us he had something for us.
“It's for your car. You just plug this in, download the app and it will tell you what's wrong with your car.”
“Perfect! I have a check engine light on now!”
The FIXD app and how to use it
I was looking forward to seeing if the device really worked or it was just another gimmick. In the past, I've just bothered my neighborhood car parts store to diagnosis my car error codes.
The FIXD device comes in a neat little package. Very “Apple-like” in its presentation. It's just a plug that you hook into your OBD-II port of your vehicle.
When you've taken your device out of the package, you'll see the small instructional card that will easily guide you through the install process. It's really simple.
Here are the steps:
- First things first. You need to grab the FIXD app for it from Google Play OR the Apple Store.
- Once you have the app on your phone, and you've signed up for an account (don't worry, it's free), go ahead and insert the device into your OBD-II port in your car. According to the FIXD website, in the vast majority of cars, this will be located on the driver-side, under the dash, just above the pedals (this is where mine was located:)
- Then, turn on your car.
- Enable Bluetooth on your phone (if you haven't already).
- Now, open the FIXD app to diagnose your car. If it is working, you'll see the FIXD logo turning, as it diagnoses your vehicle. For me, it finally turned up an error screen that told me the reason behind my check engine light:
Since I had a long-standing error, it was refreshing to finally get some closure about it and what could be causing it. The app also provides more information about the error and will even point you to the nearest mechanic OR refer you to the parts you'll need to repair it if you START REPAIR.
This will be extremely helpful when I go to my repair shop to let them know about my issue, if I decide to fix it soon. The only thing I wish that it might tell you is how urgent the repair is. “Should I get it fixed first thing tomorrow OR can it wait?”
But this is a great device / app. Super helpful to have on-hand and you can add / check another vehicle too – and it will store the records. It even has a device that tracks the wear of your tires!
I haven't thoroughly checked out all the capabilities of the app because I was so excited to tell our readers about the tool.
But, if you have an error or check engine light on OR just want to keep tabs on your car, this is a handy device to have in the glove compartment. You can leave the device in your car as long as you are using your vehicle regularly.
According to their FAQ page:
FIXD will work with any gasoline-powered vehicle (including hybrids) sold in the United States during or after 1996. FIXD will not work on electric vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, or large trucks.
I'm interested if you have this device too and if it has helped you out as well?
Purchase a FIXD device at Amazon ($60)
TTG does make a commission on any sales you may purchase as a result of clicking on our links – at no cost to you. We have not been paid by FIXD to write this post.
FIXD Diagnostic Device
59.99 Pros
- Easy to install
- Handy device
- Plugs into most cars after 1996
- Stores car records of errors / etc
- Can save you time / money
Cons
- No "urgency" meter for errors
- Somewhat expensive
6 Comments
Do I need to disconnect the device from my car when not using the a?
Hi Sharon – Yes, I would take it out of your car after you’ve been given a diagnostic code.
I purchased a $15 Bluetooth ODBII dongle, and then I use the Torque (plus, but there’s a full featured free version) on my Android phone. My issue with FIXD has to do with a video I saw (that felt like it was an ad for it, hence my issue being with FIXD). It was a guy acting amazed that it could turn the light off without disconnecting the battery. My issue with that is the guy claimed to be a mechanic, yet he thought you needed to disconnect the battery to clear the light. This is false and no mechanic would think that except maybe 20 years ago.
All of that being said, I enjoy the review, and if I didn’t have my other dongle, perhaps this would be one I’d consider. I ended up getting mine after being fed up of paying the dealership $100 every 3 or 4 months just to clear the code.
Thanks for your note. I have not heard about the dongle – but am sure are others out there that are similar. Sure beats the headache of having to get the dealer to reset! (If a problem you can fix)
Neato Toledo! I love that there’s a device for this. Mr. Picky Pincher and I currently use a code reader, but it’s not always easy to use or the most accurate. I do wonder how much more accurate FIXD is compared to a traditional code reader. Still sounds like a good option, particularly if you aren’t well-versed in vehicles like me.
Yeah, I’ve never used a traditional reader for my car – so this was a gas! It had so much information w/ the code – but (like you) I have little car repair knowledge. At the least, it gives me something to talk with the mechanic about / and I don’t feel so ill-equipped.