Tools, Tests, & Upgrades

General tools mainly improves the speed at which you can perform various actions, though it does contain one exceptional item: the Tablet. This is the perhaps the very first item you should get, as far as upgrades go.

I find the least useful item out of all the tools is Fast Manual Examination. I almost never use it; I almost never need to. Most defects you'll either find by looking or by using other tests. This one should probably be the last choice.

Fast Unbolting & Fast Assembly/Disassembly are helpful, but before getting these items I would definitely recommend looking into the Examine Tools category. These tools will be very helpful to you in enabling you to pinpoint many problems.

These tools should probably be first on your list after the Tablet. They will help you diagnose many different problems quickly and easily. The results do vary depending on the vehicle and the tool in question. The OBD Scanner is one that is of more limited usage than the others, as many vehicles are not equiped with this feature.

Check out the screenshots below for examples of the parts with which the various Examination Tools are able to diagnose trouble. Keep in mind that some of the results are vehicle dependent.

The Test Drive is quite helpful for diagnosing many problems, and it is the only actual test that you have at the start of the game. Simply click on one of the big bay doors for the garage and you'll get the option to leave the garage. Just select the Old Factory Test Track. Then the vehicle you wish to take for a spin. Keep in mind that if the engine is a major issue you may not be able to test drive the vehicle.

The Test Path is quite useful for finding some steering and suspension problems. It also tests many brake components. Keep in mind that examining brake parts under the hood before stripping the tires to take a look the other brake parts is probably faster than using the Test Path. Not to mention you'll be pulling some or all of those wheels anyways.

Keep in mind that the Test Path doesn't cost any upgrade points, but it does cost $5,000 and 2,500xp.

Repairing parts is actually a very advantageous ability. However, the law of averages seems to be completely askew with this system. Even at 90% you'll often be amazed at the poor results. You'll also be spam clicking like crazy if you have a lot of parts to repair. All in all, it is my last thing to upgrade.

Your best bet is to just use the Sell Junk option in your inventory to sell stuff that isn't any good. Then collect the old beaten up parts until you have 90% as your base repair chance. Just don't bet on that average. Then you can try to repair all the old stuff you've collected. This will give you a major leg up when it comes to buying cars at auction and rebuilding them, as you'll have a stack of spare parts in your inventory that you didn't pay a dime for.

Some parts cannot be repaired. It is also true that you'll have to repair parts several times to get them to 100%. And if you fail once on a part it will be damaged and you will not be able to try to repair that part again. Repairing any part to 100% makes it the same as a newly bought part and the client will be billed for it as though you purchased it in the case of work orders.

The Paint Shop allows you to repaint vehicles. Eventually you'll end up with repair orders that include a paint job. Do not take these jobs if you do not have the Paint Shop. It requires 5,000xp and $15,000, but does not require Upgrade Points.

Parking is useful, but expensive. The first upgrade requires that you have 9,000xp and $50,000, but it also gives you two of the four possible lots. The second purchase is also $50,000 and gives you the third lot. The third purchase is $100,000 and gives you the fourth lot.

You can't send client vehicles to parking, only ones you have purchased at auction. So as you can see, it's not cheap on any front to collect cars in Car Mechanic Simulator 2015. Without parking, you cannot buy cars at auction. This is one really weak point in the game.

You can choose to go to the parking lot and check it out or you can simply click on one of the cars in the lists and it will automatically be moved to the garage, if you have the space.

Item one, no doubt, should be that tablet. Trying to remember what parts to buy and running back and forth to the desk computer is a pain - not to mention an epic waste of time.

After that I would suggest unlocking the Path Test and the Compression Tester. Both of these are great as they can help diagnose parts that are either difficult or impossible to see without doing some disassembly to expose them. Try the Path Test first since it covers the most parts. Many of the ones it tells you about can be hidden from view. Follow that with the Compression Tester in order to get info on the Pistons without pulling the Oil Pan.
After that the Electronic Tester and the the OBD Scanner will come in handy.

I put repair tools last because it's quite wasteful to try and repair without level 5 in Repair Tools, and that takes a good while to achieve. Actually, the very last thing to unlock is Fast Manual Examination. I keep forgetting it is last, because in my last game I completely forgot to unlock it for a very long time. Honestly, I think that in 100+ jobs and rebuilds I only used it a few times.

To help you learn the diagnostics side of Car Mechanic Simulator 2015 as quickly and easily as possible, I have created a few short but comprehensive guides covering each problem category. For a complete listing of these guides, check here:

Diagnostics & Repairs - Car Mechanic Simulator 2015

If you are looking to learn about the early and mid-stages of the game, you may find these pages of interest:

Your Garage, Tools, Tests, & Upgrades, Jobs & Job Management

And if you are wonding what awaits beyond and where the real cash is hiding, check out this link:

Rebuilding Guide - Car Mechanic Simulator 2015