Made for the workshop floor

ipacen is a free site for automotive professionals: mechanics, auto electricians and diagnostic specialists. It is an independent project run by Alin Oajdea, without investors and without a paywall.

What you find here

• An engine simulator (petrol and diesel, 19 faults) for learning to read live data, tests and scope traces.
• Repair cases written by members: complaint, codes, measurements, tests and the fix that worked.
• Help requests, where members post faults they are stuck on and colleagues answer.
• Fault code pages and workshop calculators.
• A directory of colleagues who help each other with questions, jobs, courier work and tools.

How repair cases are checked

Every case is read by the site admin before it is published. A case is published when the vehicle details are complete, the measurements support the root cause, and there are no number plates, VINs or customer names. Cases where the author re-tested the car are marked "Fix confirmed". The admin can ask for changes, reject a case, or take a published case down; the author always gets the reason.

How the fault code pages are written

The code pages describe the generic OBD-II meaning of each code in plain English, with typical symptoms, the usual causes and the order in which an experienced technician would check them. They are a starting point, not manufacturer data: meanings and test values can differ between makes, so always confirm with the service information for the car and with a measurement before replacing parts. Each code page links to real cases and help requests that mention the code.

Points and ranking

Members earn points only for contributions that help others: published cases (+50), a confirmed fix (+10), helpful votes from other members (+5), answers that solve a help request (+15) and comments. Points are calculated on the server, votes from very new accounts don't count, and nobody can buy points or a better position. Donations never add points. The directory is sorted by these points by default. See the details.

How ipacen is paid for

Donations from members, and a small number of affiliate ads for workshop tools. Ads are always labelled "Sponsored", never change cases, codes or rankings, and supporters who are signed in don't see them. More about ads.

Using ipacen content

You are welcome to link to any page and quote short parts with a link back. Search engines and AI assistants may index the public pages; a summary for them is at /llms.txt.

Contact

Questions, corrections or reports: alin.oajdea@gmail.com. Members can also use the "Report" links on profiles, comments, help requests and answers.