Developer uses Claude and a $3 Arduino to fix a 1994 Jeep Cherokee

AI diagnoses a 32-year-old engine fault

A developer named Muhammad Zulali has used the Claude AI assistant, together with an Arduino microcontroller costing about $3, to diagnose and repair his 1994 Jeep Cherokee, according to TechRadar. The vehicle kept failing the California emissions test because it was producing too much nitrogen.

The Jeep's on-board computer dates from 1994 and has no OBD2 port, the standard socket used to read data from newer cars. That made it hard to connect modern diagnostic tools, so Zulali used the Arduino as a bridge between Claude and the vehicle's electronics.

How the reverse engineering worked

With the Arduino in place, Claude worked out how to pull live information from the car. As Zulali drove around, the system could analyse temperatures, voltages and fuel consumption.

That revealed a California-specific quirk in the programming: under certain conditions the code reduced fuel delivery, which in turn increased the amount of nitrogen the engine produced.

Writing a fix and passing the test

Claude and the Arduino did not stop at diagnosis. The combination wrote custom code and applied it to the Jeep, changing the fuel delivery settings that were causing the problem.

According to TechRadar, the work was enough for the vehicle to pass its emissions test, roughly a week after Claude first started on the task. Zulali said Claude handled most of the diagnostic work while Codex, another AI tool, took care of the memory work, and that he never needed a mechanic or a Chrysler dealer tool.

What it means for car owners

The case shows how AI assistants can now tackle hardware problems, not just software ones, by working with cheap off-the-shelf electronics. Zulali asked what else an AI agent could be plugged into, suggesting similar approaches could apply to other ageing devices.

There are limits, though. TechRadar notes that AI systems still make mistakes, and warns that meddling with a car's computer using AI could cause problems rather than solve them. Modifying emissions-related software may also raise legal questions in some places, so caution is advised.