[isodnhionio]

In my experience, people hate when cars just flash a "check engine" light. It is impossible to tell the difference between "probably OK but get it looked at", "might leave you stranded", and "might literally explode".

Cars show error codes every few months or years and there's nothing the average driver can do to fix them. Computers show errors on a daily basis and most of them are trivially fixable.

[PreInternet01]

The parent post says "different error lights" and that might be indicative of experience with European cars. In, say, an Audi, there are 3 or 4 different subsystem lights, with yellow indicating a "get it looked at" issue and red a "stop now" problem. And "might literally explode" usually results in an engine shutdown.

> Computers show errors on a daily basis and most of them are trivially fixable

As they say, "citation required". How do I fix my Windows Update 0x80070422 error? (And yeah, I know, don't use Windows -- but I have plenty of *ix examples as well...)

[Beldin]

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

(Not just snarky - this does fix a large percentage of errors regular users encounter)

[skissane]

> In my experience, people hate when cars just flash a "check engine" light. It is impossible to tell the difference between "probably OK but get it looked at", "might leave you stranded", and "might literally explode".

This is why I bought one of those OBD reader things so I can have more of an idea of what is actually going on. Not that I really understand anything that it says, I’m pretty clueless when it comes to car stuff, but it sure makes me feel better

The only time I ever got a check engine warning, the problem was obvious from the physical symptoms: cylinder misfiring. Well, I didn’t know what that was when it started happening, but now I do. Drove it to the mechanic and they replaced the spark plugs

[JohnFen]

I despise that check engine light for exactly that reason. It would be much more helpful if the car also displayed the error code that made the light turn on. Then I'd know how urgent the issue is and whether I need to take it to the shop.

But then, I'm a dev, not a normal person.

[Beldin]

The light tells you that already: take it to the shop.

The annoying part for folks used to having control (eg power users) is that someone else decided that that was enough info for drivers. If you want the power-user car UI, you'll need to get out of the driver's seat and put on your mechanic hat. (Like sibling comment who purchased an ODBC reader.)

[JohnFen]

> The light tells you that already: take it to the shop.

No, it doesn't. The light comes on for routine maintenance that doesn't require a shop, and it comes on for things that might require a shop, but not urgently as well as things that are urgent.

I did get an ODBC reader just for this reason. But I shouldn't have had to. The car should just give me the code(s) itself.

> The annoying part for folks used to having control (eg power users) is that someone else decided that that was enough info for drivers.

I'm not annoyed at not having control. I'm annoyed that whoever decided that a single light gave enough information was incorrect.

[zlg_codes]

And that's a flaw in the design of modern vehicles. The vague error messages give mechanics lots of leeway on screwing over people, much like computer repair shops will charge exorbitantly to the person who doesn't understand computers.

Transparent error messages are more useful, and gatekeeping drivers with a connector and a list of codes should be considered unethical. Too many industries are trying to sell you something, but not let you make it yours or let you understand it. Before long, the value proposition will fall.

[josephcsible]

> The light tells you that already: take it to the shop.

That's not enough information. At a minimum, there should be a way to distinguish between "you should make an appointment with a mechanic at your earliest convenience" and "pull over right now and call a tow truck, or you'll have to completely replace your engine and transmission".

[zlg_codes]

Now imagine if every driver had the OBD2 connector and the owner's manual explained how to use it...