I agree with what you are saying.There's a lot of benefit to running features through 'computers'. Not only for the usability but safety and durability as well. An example, Kia/Hyundai have recalled a shit ton of vehicles because their seat motors will catch on fire if the button sticks. I don't know how Kias are engineered, but ostensibly it is 'simple' - battery, fuse, button, motor. The motor never exceeds the fuse rating, whether it is moving or not so no protection there. You can't see or feel the motors buried under the seat, so you don't know if something is wrong. Over time the motor either fails or in a few cases has apparently started the car on fire. Not ideal.
But if you drive the motors through a software controlled module with current monitoring, you can not only use a simple timeout (motor should never be active for more than n seconds to move the seat between limits), but you can also use current monitoring to know exactly when the seat stops moving, and in each case shut off power. Motors last longer, module can tell you if something seems wrong (e.g. motor never runs more than n seconds in either direction before stopping, seat may be jammed), and all kinds of other things. I would argue that if you're going to have something beyond a manual seat track, running the motors through a controller just makes good sense.
That logic is applied all over the place in modern cars. Does it make them more complex? Sure. Does it make them better? If applied sensibly, also sure. If German, all bets are off. If British, it won't work in the first place. If Italian, they'll only get it if the Germans donate it.
If you take into account the time I spent under the hood, I would take today's cars from the standpoint of reliability/cost optimization.That's definitely the argument. If something fails, which is generally less frequent, it will cost more. Over time does it even out?
I worked in a service station as a kid in the 60's. Those Rambler sixes had a 7 main bearing crank and as long as you changed the oil regularly, they would last forever.In '64, a Rambler American with a 196cuin engine got 38-40 miles to the gallon. New cars of the same size get maybe a third less. How can you burn MORE fuel and get LESS pollution?
My wife drives a Tundra with the turbocharged V6. It's long term reliability is not an issue to me because I told her when she got it that I do no care how much she likes it. It is getting dumped before warranty goes out.
In all of my years in the industry, I do not recall even one engine failure related to too many or early oil changes.I worked in a service station as a kid in the 60's. Those Rambler sixes had a 7 main bearing crank and as long as you changed the oil regularly, they would last forever.
To the OP's point, most folks think I'm stupid/wasteful/whatever when I tell them I change oil on a new vehicle as soon as I get it home and again at 500 and 1,000 miles. Also install a magnetic drain plug. Overkill to be sure but I've never had any oil related issues going back to my first car in 1968.
Me either. Even when we had cardboard oil cans and would just re-use the chrome self-tapping spout across all grades of oils.In all of my years in the industry, I do not recall even one engine failure related to too many or early oil changes.
I still have 2 of them although I can't recall the last time I used one. The cool move was to hold on to the spout and hit the can against the inside of a trash can. That automatically dumped the can into the trash.Me either. Even when we had cardboard oil cans and would just re-use the chrome self-tapping spout across all grades of oils.
Like I already mentioned. Dump them before warranty has expired.A fellow I know was just quoted $4800 to replace the water pump on a Ford small SUV.
I've been an accountant for 45 years.......all this time I've been in the wrong line of work.A fellow I know was just quoted $4800 to replace the water pump on a Ford small SUV.
Duratec v6 with the water pump inside the engine. When it fails, it usually mixes coolant with the oil so there's a class action lawsuit on that bad design.A fellow I know was just quoted $4800 to replace the water pump on a Ford small SUV.
Unfortunately the guys who do the work and spent the time and money on the education to perform the work will be lucky to see 2% of that $4,800.I've been an accountant for 45 years.......all this time I've been in the wrong line of work.![]()
Or drive cars that are ten to twenty years old and hang onto them forever. I hope not to ever buy another car. Hopefully what I have will outlast me.Like I already mentioned. Dump them before warranty has expired.
Or do like I do and just drive old pickups instead of rolling iPads and fix them myself.
I think thats what I meant by driving old pickups.Or drive cars that are ten to twenty years old and hang onto them forever. I hope not to ever buy another car. Hopefully what I have will outlast me.
Caterpilar Diesels had water pump that was gear driven, so it could dump coolant into the engine oil also. I don't think I ever saw it happen, but I always suspected that it could.Duratec v6 with the water pump inside the engine. When it fails, it usually mixes coolant with the oil so there's a class action lawsuit on that bad design.