For some stoopid reason Goolag isn't playing nice and won't let me post a reply here at Bayou Resistance Man, so I will just make it a blog post of my own. Watch the whole video Peter has embedded, it's only 21 minutes long, but it is kinda scary. This caught my eye so I screenshot it:
It refers to why people are buying 100,000 mile reliable used cars and trucks instead of new technology loaded vehicles. I noticed a phenomenon years ago, when car ads on TV were all about the pretty colors, the interiors, sound system, on-board navigation, pre-crash braking, lane departure, etc. but NOTHING about performance, handling, cargo capabilities, or even fuel efficiency. In my opinion it was all about the toys. I remember one car ad for a Google enabled car where the occupants said "feed the dog" and a wi-fi enabled food dispenser at home fed the dog. Who the actual fuck needs that? I mean really! And when that system fails your car is pretty much dead, because they control more than just the entertainment. I for one, being an old school car guy, was not and is not interested in this nonsense. Below is my comment that failed to publish:
This goes back farther than you think. I have a 2007 Toyota Tundra with 186,496 miles on it that I do most of the work on myself, that is until recently. My ABS went out, killing ABS, 4WD, TSC, and VSC. The only way for me to fix it is to start replacing ALL the components one at a time until the lights go out. One component, the main ABS pump module contains all the sensors as well as the pump and costs a few grand by itself. This is because Toyota has a proprietary software called "Tech Stream" that connects with a proprietary OBDII cable which they WILL NOT make available to the public, and is a must to properly diagnose the ABS. This software is not only for diagnosis, but also turns features on an off. So, a week and a half ago, I paid Lynch Toyota of Manchester $199.88 (including tax and an $8.95 environmental surcharge) to diagnose my ABS system. They reported a bad left front wheel sensor and/or wiring harness. The wheel sensor is $315 and the harness is $120 and the whole job to replace is $784. Oh yeah, they do not roll the diagnostic charge into the repair like a lot of shops used to. It is always a standalone charge. FUCKERS! At home I put a V.O.M. on the circuit myself and it is indeed open, but I can't believe it is both the sensor AND the little wiring harness. Because I DIY replaced that wheel bearing over 8 months ago, I am leery of tackling the repair myself. If it was any other wheel I would. My appointment is Thursday the 24th and I will speak to the service manager to make sure they use good troubleshooting skills and only replace the actual component that has failed if that is the case.
My wife currently drives a 2017 Toyota Rav-4 that has so much crap on it I kinda hate driving it. I turn off all the ridiculous nannies every time I start it, and override the radar controlled cruise control to operate in standard speed mode*. She needed a windshield replacement a couple of years ago. All the windshield companies say they'll do on site replacement. Not for these newer vehicles they don't. They have to go indoors at the glass shop because all the windshield mounted sensors have to be re-calibrated.
My Tundra has had a couple of my special "modifications"; I long ago eliminated the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System), and a couple of years ago, also eliminated the air injection system for cold startups. That pumps air into the exhaust to burn off excess fuel in the first 30 seconds of a cold start. After that it is never used again, or used on hot re-starts. My system failed numerous times with individual component replacement, and according to Toyota the only real fix is complete system replacement at the tune of $4000-$5000. Instead, I bought a $395 off road AIP elimination kit from Hewitt Technologies and problem permanently solved. I pass state emission inspections with flying colors every 2 years and they have no clue I have that unit installed.
I have already planned out my Tundra replacement. I hope to get a few more years out of it. After that, I head down south to find and buy Grandpa's low mileage old school pickup truck. Cheap to insure, cheap property taxes, easy to repair, and NO STATE EMISSION INSPECTIONS!! I will drive it into the ground and have it rust out from under me and then go get another.
*On Toyota's, if you press and hold the Cruise Control power button for 3 seconds, it shuts off the radar and goes into standard cruise control mode. You will need to do this EVERY time you power cruise control on.
Last hurricane the power was out at my house for about 25 hours. I sat in my 2010 Equinox with the AC on and charged tablets and phones, listening to the radio, for hours.
ReplyDeleteThe neighbor tried to sit in their 2023 'Nox and do the same thing and discovered that it won't idle longer than 15 minutes before it shuts off!
Before I started tinkering with my 2012 Caprice I was getting fed up with its return to default state with the dash display. Even though it's a conventional cruise control, it defaults to OFF when I shut off the car. Only car I've ever had that does that.
I had a dealer loaner Camry when the Caprice was in a Toyota body shop and that intrusive thing has me swearing off Toyota. The Toyota I remembered was uncomplicated and serviceable. No longer.
@Angus McThag: The last 4 wheel vehicle I had that had a mechanical On/Off switch for cruise control was my 1994 S-10 Blazer. My wife's old 2005 4Runner had the button that resets to off like my Tundra does now. My 2008 Goldwing actually has a mechanical button for cruise control that stays "ON" until I turn it off.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as auto makers realized they could make more money on service, we lost.
ReplyDelete@Phuc Dims: Don't forget subscription based features and options. Don't want to pay? Say goodbye to your heated/air conditioned seats. Or maybe auto parallel park. In car Wi-Fi. Or all the little Goolag connected conveniences. Gotcha by the short hairs, they do.
Delete" ...the occupants said "feed the dog" and a wi-fi enabled food dispenser at home fed the dog. ... And when that system fails your car is pretty much dead,"
ReplyDeleteWithout food, your dog may end up dead too!
Use your God given brain to remember to do things. Be a responsible pet owner and feed your animals in a timely and regular manner.
DeleteFeeding your dog in person means more to them than an automated feeder anyway.
I am not anti-tech by any means, but I am anti-tech to the point where people can't function without it. If I leave my phone on the kitchen counter, I don't care nor do I suffer withdrawal (unlike my young niece). I'll just check for messages when I get home, kinda like the good old days of the home answering machine.