First generation of gadgets - still working?
Discussion
In the 90s, it seems I watched the birth of the electronic age of cars, where seats could be adjusted by buttons and motors rather than levers, wing mirrors could be positioned by pushing a pad on the dash, ABS started to become standard and people could lock their cars by blipping a remote control.
I also remember lots of people saying, "that's all very clever, but will it still be working in 10 years?"
Now that time has passed, how has the early technology coped?
And also, can that give us any indication at what today's almost entirely "fly-by-wire" cars will be like after another 10 years?
I also remember lots of people saying, "that's all very clever, but will it still be working in 10 years?"
Now that time has passed, how has the early technology coped?
And also, can that give us any indication at what today's almost entirely "fly-by-wire" cars will be like after another 10 years?
durbster said:
In the 90s, it seems I watched the birth of the electronic age of cars, where seats could be adjusted by buttons and motors rather than levers, wing mirrors could be positioned by pushing a pad on the dash, ABS started to become standard and people could lock their cars by blipping a remote control.
I also remember lots of people saying, "that's all very clever, but will it still be working in 10 years?"
Now that time has passed, how has the early technology coped?
And also, can that give us any indication at what today's almost entirely "fly-by-wire" cars will be like after another 10 years?
Many of those things are not 1990's though.I also remember lots of people saying, "that's all very clever, but will it still be working in 10 years?"
Now that time has passed, how has the early technology coped?
And also, can that give us any indication at what today's almost entirely "fly-by-wire" cars will be like after another 10 years?
300bhp/ton said:
durbster said:
In the 90s, it seems I watched the birth of the electronic age of cars, where seats could be adjusted by buttons and motors rather than levers, wing mirrors could be positioned by pushing a pad on the dash, ABS started to become standard and people could lock their cars by blipping a remote control.
Many of those things are not 1990's though.2. That's not the point.
2002 Volvo - ABS not working.
It's either a sensor, or possilby more likely the ABS ECU which ends up with dry joints and fails.
A scan is £60, and might give me some answers, or may just lie, and tell me it's the sensor - when it's the dry joints. Can get the box repaired for £50 to eliminate this. Decisions, decisions...
It's either a sensor, or possilby more likely the ABS ECU which ends up with dry joints and fails.
A scan is £60, and might give me some answers, or may just lie, and tell me it's the sensor - when it's the dry joints. Can get the box repaired for £50 to eliminate this. Decisions, decisions...
When I sold my 99 C43 last year all the electrics still worked fine bar a dicky sensor for the climate control - the a/c still worked, you just had to adjust manually.
Had a crank sensor, brake light switch and MAF fail on me plus a coil pack or two - but these are effectively service items.
Shame it fizzed every time it rained but that's a different story.....
Had a crank sensor, brake light switch and MAF fail on me plus a coil pack or two - but these are effectively service items.
Shame it fizzed every time it rained but that's a different story.....
durbster said:
1. Yes they are. My '95 car had electronic wing mirror adjust, my uncle's Merc had electronic seat adjust, and I learned to drive in an ABS car in 1997.
2. That's not the point.
I think what he's saying is that most of those things are not 90s but in fact 80s! Plenty of 80s cars with electric/memory seats, electric mirrors, ABS etc2. That's not the point.
A lot of gadgets have stopped working simply by being outphased. I'm thinking of the BMW Traffic Master system seen in late 90's and early 00's 7 Series. This system apparently used ANPR camera information, which was monitored by the Traffic Master central hub and then sent to your car's system, and could warn you of traffic jams etc etc. I think this system was supposed to be a big thing and BMW were an early adopter. For whatever reason, the system never took off and is now defunct on the cars to which it is fitted.
Then you have defunct sat nav systems. IIRC, some of the late 90's BMW's were fitted with a system that took discs and you had to load the map onto the system before it would plot your route. Volvo had an even more exotic system, where you would use the car telephone to ring the navigation service who would then send the navigation details to the car. This system was available on early S60s and is completely defunct now, as far as I know. Car phones too, another piece of outdated technology!
My Volvo S60 is 10 years old now with a fly by wire throttle. When I bought it the electronic throttle module failed and was replaced. Bit of a faff on really. Everything else works perfectly.
Then you have defunct sat nav systems. IIRC, some of the late 90's BMW's were fitted with a system that took discs and you had to load the map onto the system before it would plot your route. Volvo had an even more exotic system, where you would use the car telephone to ring the navigation service who would then send the navigation details to the car. This system was available on early S60s and is completely defunct now, as far as I know. Car phones too, another piece of outdated technology!
My Volvo S60 is 10 years old now with a fly by wire throttle. When I bought it the electronic throttle module failed and was replaced. Bit of a faff on really. Everything else works perfectly.
ikarl said:
1989 mk1 MR2
electric mirrors, windows, pop-up lights and aerial - all still work exactly how they left the factory!!
I don't think many people expected these to still work on most cars 10 years down the line! electric mirrors, windows, pop-up lights and aerial - all still work exactly how they left the factory!!
Both the pop-up lights and the (somewhat primitive) cruise control both still work fine on my 88 Starion... If only 80's bodywork could withstand the passage of time as well as Japanese electrics!
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