Did you know that you can use your cell phone as a tool for auto repair? "A tool!?" This word might make you wonder if some parts of your cell phone could loosen a bolt. Or you might picture a guy smashing something with your cell phone like a hammer. Well, I say "A tool", it's "a scan tool".

A scan tool is used for car diagnosis. When a yellow indicator light that says Check Engine or Service Engine Soon come on in the instrument panel, your car has a problem. A scan tool can connect to vehicle's computer and show the code and brief description where the problem lies. A scan tool doesn't show what exactly caused the light to come on. You need to get a mechanic to find out. A mechanic can get the idea of what possibly caused the problem from the codes and narrow down by examining manually. Some of this procedure are difficult, some of them are not. If you do some of this procedure yourself and that fixes the problem, you can save a lot of money.

So what do you need to do it yourself? You need a scan tool. As I told you, your cell phone can be used as a scan tool. How? You need a bluetooth device that connects to your vehicle's computer and software compatible with your cell phone. Now your cell phone has become an advanced scan tool. After you get a code, just one click, you'll get all information you need to fix a problem from the internet.

On the top of that, it can not only read and erase a code but also access dozens of sensors and watch them. It can show all these reading in a graph or dial. With some vehicle's information inputs, you can see fuel efficiency, measure a 1/4 miles time and so on.

These bluetooth adapters are relatively cheap while a scan tool with a large display costs thousands of dollars. A scan tool will be eventually out of date. But if you use your cell phone you update only software. Buying software is much less expensive than buying a new scan tool.

I'm writing about a cell phone but you can use your laptop as a scan tool, too. Probably there are more software available for Windows PC. And because PC is more sophisticated than a cell phone, It can show the reading from sensors of vehicle more quickly and responsively. Imagine you are standing in front of your car with a hood open, holding your laptop displaying many graphs and dials...very cool!!!

Anyway, bluetooth adapters don't cost very much. It's very important to know your car's condition all the time. It's a great invention!!!