Car Mechanic Simulator Codes: Why You Probably Don't Need Them (and How to Use Them Anyway)

Let's be real for a second. If you've spent more than five minutes staring at a rusted-out Bolt Rolan engine in Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 or its predecessor, CMS 2018, you've felt the itch. You know the one. It’s that deep-seated desire to just skip the grind. You're tired of clicking on every single lug nut. You want the high-end dyno, the massive garage expansion, and enough credits to buy every junker at the auction without checking your bank balance.

Basically, you're looking for car mechanic simulator codes.

But here is the thing about modern gaming: the classic "cheat code" is a dying breed. We aren’t in the era of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas anymore where typing "HESOYAM" magically fixes your car and fills your pockets. In the world of Red Dot Games and PlayWay, things work a little differently. You aren't going to find a secret menu where you type "MONEY" to get a million credits. Instead, the "codes" are hidden in your profile names or buried deep within the game’s local configuration files.

The Profile Name Trick: The Closest Thing to Real Codes

If you are starting a fresh save and want to bypass the early-game struggle, there is a very specific way to do it. It’s a legacy feature that the developers left in for testers and people who just want to mess around with the sandbox elements without spending forty hours replacing brake pads on a minivan.

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When you create a new profile in Car Mechanic Simulator 2021, the name you choose acts as the trigger. If you name your profile cms2021promo, you’ll instantly jump to Level 36 and get a massive influx of cash. It’s a total game-changer. You bypass the tiny, cramped starter garage and move straight into the fully upgraded facility. You get the paint shop. You get the engine stand. You get the scrap yard access.

Wait. There’s a catch.

Using this code effectively disables your ability to earn Steam Achievements for that profile. It makes sense, right? You can't really brag about being a "Master Mechanic" if you cheated your way to the top in thirty seconds. For most people, that’s a fair trade. If you just want to build a 1,000-horsepower supercar, why wait?

There are a few other variations floating around. Some people swear by cms2021stage1 or cms2021stage2, which provide smaller boosts to level and cash. These are great if you want a head start but don't want to be totally overpowered from the jump. Honestly, though, if you're going to use car mechanic simulator codes, you might as well go big or go home.

Why Everyone Is Obsessed With the Config Files

Maybe you already have a save file. You've spent ten hours on a project car, and you're $5,000 short of the parts you need to finish it. You don't want to start a new profile. You just want more money now.

This is where the real "hacking" happens. It’s not a code you type in-game. It’s a text file on your hard drive.

If you navigate to your AppData folder—usually something like C:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\LocalLow\Red Dot Games\Car Mechanic Simulator 2021\Save—you’ll find your profile data. If you open these files with a simple text editor like Notepad, you’ll see lines of code that represent your player level and your current balance. Changing your money from 5,000 to 5,000,000 is as simple as typing the extra zeros and hitting "Save."

It feels dirty. I get it. But it works perfectly.

Just a word of caution: back up your save before you touch anything. If you accidentally delete a bracket or a comma in those files, the game won't be able to read the save. You’ll go from being a rich mechanic to having a corrupted file and no garage at all. That’s a bad day in the shop.

The Sandbox Mode Misconception

I see people searching for car mechanic simulator codes specifically for "Sandbox Mode." Here’s a bit of expert advice: you don't need them.

The game literally has a built-in "Sandbox" checkbox when you create a new save. In this mode, you have infinite money and every single upgrade unlocked from the start. You don't need a profile name trick. You don't need to edit your save files. You just click the box.

The downside? Again, no achievements. And more importantly, the "game" part of the simulator is basically gone. There’s no progression. There’s no "I finally earned enough for that V8 engine block" feeling. It’s purely a creative tool. If you want to see how high you can push a specific car’s torque on the dyno, Sandbox is your best friend. If you want the satisfaction of building a business, stay away from it.

Comparing the 2018 and 2021 Methods

If you're still playing Car Mechanic Simulator 2018, the logic is nearly identical, though the specific strings are different. In the older game, naming your profile cms2018promo or cms2018stage1 did the exact same thing. It’s funny how little has changed in the engine under the hood.

The community often debates which game is better for "modding" and using these shortcuts. Honestly, 2021 is much more stable. The way the game handles currency and XP is a bit more robust, and the save files are easier to navigate.

Does Using Codes Ruin the Game?

This is a hot topic on the Steam forums. Some purists think that using car mechanic simulator codes is the fastest way to get bored. And they kind of have a point.

The loop of the game is:

• Take a job.
• Diagnose the problem.
• Buy parts.
• Fix the car.
• Get paid.
• Repeat.

When you use a code to get infinite money, you skip the "take a job" and "get paid" parts. All you're left with is "buy parts" and "fix the car." For some, that’s the dream. For others, the lack of stakes makes the game feel hollow.

I’ve found that the best way to use these shortcuts is to have two profiles. One is my "Honest Mechanic" save where I struggle for every penny. The other is my "Code-Boosted" save where I experiment with crazy engine swaps and expensive DLC cars that I wouldn't be able to afford for months in the main game. It's the best of both worlds.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't go looking for "External Cheat Engines" or "Gold Generators" on sketchy websites. They don't exist. Any site that tells you to enter your Steam password or download an .exe file to get car mechanic simulator codes is trying to steal your account or give you a virus.

Everything you need is already in the game files or the profile creation screen.

Also, remember that these codes won't fix a broken engine for you. Even with ten million dollars in the bank, you still have to know how to put a piston in a cylinder. You still have to find that one tiny rubber bushing that’s causing the 98% condition rating to drop to 97%. The codes give you resources, but they don't give you skill.

Step-by-Step Action Plan

If you’re ready to boost your game right now, here is exactly what you should do:

1. Decide on your goal. Do you want to keep your current progress? If yes, look into the Save File Editing method. If you want a fresh start with everything unlocked, use the Profile Name method.
2. For a fresh start: Click "New Game." Enter cms2021promo as your profile name. Confirm that you don't care about achievements. Enjoy your Level 36 status and your mountain of cash.
3. For an existing save: Close the game. Go to your AppData/LocalLow/Red Dot Games folder. Find your Profile0.cms21 (or whatever number it is). Open it with Notepad. Find the "Money" and "Exp" variables. Change them. Save and exit.
4. Backup everything. Before you touch a single file, copy it to your desktop. If the game crashes on launch, just move the copy back.
5. Install Mods. If you really want to expand the game beyond what codes can do, check the Steam Workshop. Adding real-world car brands like BMW, Toyota, or Ford makes the game feel ten times more immersive than just having extra money.

Using these shortcuts is a great way to skip the repetitive "oil change" missions and get straight to the complex restoration projects that make the game famous. Just make sure you know what you’re giving up in terms of progression before you commit to the "cheat" life.

Once you have your money sorted, your next logical step is to dive into the Steam Workshop to download community-created car models, as the base game's fictional cars can get a bit stale once you've seen them a dozen times. Check out the "Configurator" tools as well, which allow you to adjust things like ride height and wheel offset far beyond what the standard in-game menus permit.