Dear Tom and Ray:

My wife and I both have VWs. I am a do-it-yourselfer, and my car is a '93 VW Passat. The entire engine management system is the Bosch KE-Motronic (35 pin) with an ODB scanner port. Does anybody make a scanner for us weekend warriors? I have found a couple of sources for professional tools on the Internet, but I'm not prepared to spend $1,400-$3,600 for an all-in-one Bosch-type scanner. -Bob

Tom: Ah, yes, the old "Motronic" engine management system. VW opted for the Motronic because Peugeot and Renault had already claimed the Curly-tronic and the Larry-tronic.

Ray: Actually, there is no good, cheap scanner for this car that we know of, Bob. If you're going to invest in a scanner, I'd recommend getting one from Snap On or OTC that works for all cars -- and uses an adapter for your car. That way, a least you may be able to talk your neighbors into letting you scan their cars on the weekends and keep yourself busy that way.

Tom: But a real scanner is going to cost you $1,500 to $2,000, plus hundreds of bucks a year if you want to keep it up to date on the newest cars.

Ray: So I'd recommend instead that you simply take your car to a garage and have them scan it for you and print out the report. Then you can take the diagnostic report, go home, and do the repairs yourself. I know that's not nearly as much fun, but maybe, as a consolation prize, your wife will let you spend couple of hundred bucks and order those "build a jet aircraft engine out of kitchen utensils" plans that you've always wanted. Good luck, Bob.

It's NEVER cheaper in the long run to buy a new car. Want proof? Order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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