‘This is going to be rich’: Engine started making a strange noise. So the Gen Z mechanic pulled out his phone

“There’s an app for that.” We say that about almost everything these days. But is there an app to identify and diagnose all those strange sounds our car engines sometimes make? According to a recent social media post, there is. And it sent us rushing to the app store to find it for ourselves.

In the post, the engine makes a worrisome “chk chck chck” noise, and the Gen Z mechanic simply pulls out his phone, presses a button, et voila! he has his answer. “For real, what app is that?” The creator then asks. “I need to know, and if there is no app,” he says, “the first person to come out with an app like this is going to be rich.”

Engine sound diagnosis app: Hype or hope?

As it turns out, there are several such apps. But as we learned, some work better than others, and some have simply not been tested enough to determine how effective they are.

One popular option is AutoSonic, an Android app that analyzes engine sounds to identify possible faults. Users record engine noises, and the app provides feedback on potential issues. Despite its innovative approach, AutoSonic has received mixed reviews, holding a low rating of 2.3 stars from 19 votes.

There’s also Sound Analyzer, developed by Škoda. The app records engine sounds and compares them against a database of known problems, claiming up to 90% accuracy after testing by 245 dealers in 14 countries. While promising, the app’s limited availability and user feedback mean drivers should approach it with cautious optimism.

There’s also Carviz, offering an AI-driven tool to detect internal engine damage through sound recordings. While its technology is intriguing, the app lacks widespread user reviews, making it difficult to fully assess its effectiveness.

And finally, V2M ONE is a hardware-based solution that listens to car sounds to diagnose issues, boasting a 92% detection accuracy. Unlike smartphone apps, V2M ONE requires additional investment but may provide more precise results.

So, what’s the verdict? From the sounds of things, apps to identify and diagnose engine trouble seem to be on the horizon, but so far, they don’t seem quite as effective as an old-school mechanic’s experienced ears. As one comment noted, after just listening to the sound in the video, “That’s valve tick bro if u can’t hear that by ear you are no mechanic I listen to that on repeat in my [sleep].”