Technology on modern cars

Author
Discussion

bearman68

4,642 posts

131 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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smile That's what I'd like it to be. Small electronics lab with lots of oscilloscopes and test gear, with a few soldering irons. Reality is this stuff still needs removing from the car, so it's spanners and lifting gear, with a few soldering irons at the back, and a daily struggle to keep it clean. (especially in the wet).
But you're right, we have seen the business double in size every year for 5 years now, though we started very humbly.

Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah

12,787 posts

99 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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I fear I must be getting old (I'm 'only' 39) as I really feel there's too much tech in our new car, a mainstream model, a 2015 Insignia Elite. Touch screen which controls stereo, phone, nav, binnacle LCD display with I guess 8 different displays, probably 15 buttons and toggles all over the steering wheel, warning/info bings and bongs and display messages for everything, plus loads more that I can't recall at this moment. It's all great, Sarah loves all the gadgets, but I honestly feel it's a hindrance having to work it all out whilst driving, instead of actually concentrating on the road.
It's the only car I've ever owned which I've had to read the instruction manual to fathom, and I actually relish when Sarah's passenger so I can ask her to change settings etc on the move!
Man, I felt like an old fart writing that.

bearman68

4,642 posts

131 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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And of course, the manufacturers are spending money on Bluetooth, rather than a duplex timing chain (for example).

V8 Fettler

7,019 posts

131 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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Series Land Rovers are probably the most sustainable mass produced motor vehicle.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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V8 Fettler said:
Series Land Rovers are probably the most sustainable mass produced motor vehicle.
possibly, although I would say that the Volvo amazon runs it close?

Yertis

18,016 posts

265 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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crankedup said:
V8 Fettler said:
Series Land Rovers are probably the most sustainable mass produced motor vehicle.
possibly, although I would say that the Volvo amazon runs it close?
Separate chassis Triumphs. If they'd been built with monocoques like everyone said they should have been there'd be hardly any of them left. TR4 especially sustainable, with its tractor engine.

bearman68

4,642 posts

131 months

Sunday 8th January 2017
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Pick something OBD2 compliant. For me, petrol wise multipoint fuel injected, with ABS, and with basic airbags. Something 4 star on the Encap test rating. Diesel, a common rail, with no DPF (obviously), the ABS air bag stuff.
The GM and Ford diesels that had the ECU on the diesel pump are / were a bit of a mare to repair when the ECU vibrates to bits as it eventually will.

iSore

4,011 posts

143 months

Tuesday 10th January 2017
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V8 Fettler said:
Series Land Rovers are probably the most sustainable mass produced motor vehicle.
No chance - W123 Mercedes because they were built properly in the first place, didn't piss oil out and break down every 5 mins.

Cars were pretty good 25 years ago - we'd be surprised how well a perfect low mileage 2.0i 1990 Carlton or E34 525i drives.

V8 Fettler

7,019 posts

131 months

Tuesday 10th January 2017
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iSore said:
V8 Fettler said:
Series Land Rovers are probably the most sustainable mass produced motor vehicle.
No chance - W123 Mercedes because they were built properly in the first place, didn't piss oil out and break down every 5 mins.

Cars were pretty good 25 years ago - we'd be surprised how well a perfect low mileage 2.0i 1990 Carlton or E34 525i drives.
Sustainable means easy to repair. Anything with a monocoque body typically requires skill to weld, a Landy chassis can be repaired with box section and angle. I doubt if any Merc engine is as simple to work on as a Series Landy 4 cylinder petrol engine. And then there's the issue of spares availability.

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Wednesday 11th January 2017
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bearman68 said:
Pick something OBD2 compliant. For me, petrol wise multipoint fuel injected, with ABS, and with basic airbags. Something 4 star on the Encap test rating. Diesel, a common rail, with no DPF (obviously), the ABS air bag stuff.
The GM and Ford diesels that had the ECU on the diesel pump are / were a bit of a mare to repair when the ECU vibrates to bits as it eventually will.
This ^ and swerve CAN-BUS too rolleyes

Lowtimer

4,286 posts

167 months

Thursday 12th January 2017
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TooMany2cvs said:
And, more recently, boot badges proudly proclaiming "ABS". Or "Fuel Injection". Or "Catalyst"...
... or indeed "Turbo".

V8 FOU

2,970 posts

146 months

Saturday 14th January 2017
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One of the many reasons I like restomod is that you can pick and choose modern technology, such as fuel injection, managed ignition etc, but still retain that "analogue" feeling. Best of both worlds.

I suppose us older geezers still like to fettle and get our hands dirty once in a while, but retain some semblance of reliability.

a8hex

5,829 posts

222 months

Saturday 14th January 2017
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iSore said:
No chance - W123 Mercedes because they were built properly in the first place, didn't piss oil out and break down every 5 mins.
since we're supposed to be talking about modern cars, I see that LadyB8's modern Mercedes (W212) has adopted the old Jaguar rust proofing technique of pissing oil all over the bottom of the car to protect the metal laugh. Maybe that's why it doesn't seem to be rusting like her previous one(W210).
W123s might have been built properly but their descendants aren't in my experience.

iSore

4,011 posts

143 months

Saturday 14th January 2017
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V8 Fettler said:
Sustainable means easy to repair. Anything with a monocoque body typically requires skill to weld, a Landy chassis can be repaired with box section and angle. I doubt if any Merc engine is as simple to work on as a Series Landy 4 cylinder petrol engine. And then there's the issue of spares availability.
An OM617 diesel or M115 petrol will outlast anything Solihull ever threw together. Daimler Benz - like BMW and Porsche - still supply most parts to keep the old stuff going. Land Rover don't - it's down to specialists remanufacturing stuff with varying degrees of success.


V8 Fettler

7,019 posts

131 months

Monday 16th January 2017
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You're confusing longevity of one particular component with the overall sustainability of the vehicle. What dates were the Merc engines manufactured? It's still possible to rebuild an early Series 1 Land Rover (late 1940s).

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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crankedup said:
The mention of perfectly good cars written off due to electronic faults that cannot be fixed is of concern. Family member purchased a four year old car from dealer. Its been off road for six months whilst the electronic fault is fixed. Meanwhile dealer is suppling a loan car.
Not much to be concerned about in that particular scenario.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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Pothole said:
crankedup said:
The mention of perfectly good cars written off due to electronic faults that cannot be fixed is of concern. Family member purchased a four year old car from dealer. Its been off road for six months whilst the electronic fault is fixed. Meanwhile dealer is suppling a loan car.
Not much to be concerned about in that particular scenario.
Indeed, they got thier car back from repair and immeadiately p/x for another car.

Perseverant

439 posts

110 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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{ suppose that at 62 I am genuinely heading for the "old fart" category. I do worry about the environmental costs of some new cars that end up as junk after not many years and some electrical/computer fault makes them uneconomic to repair. People tend to forget that a large bit of the energy involved in a car's life is simply in making it. I'm on my second MX5 (yes, it's an old person cliché) and can weld faster than it can rust. It has some electronic stuff that I don't understand, but not too much and it's easy to service. I also have a 190e Mercedes with Bosch fuel injection - cutting edge stuff in its day. It too is easy to fix and well made to start with - the OHC is driven by a duplex roller chain and I doubt it will wear out! I'd be in favour of things like autonomous brakes perhaps but I can't see the point of fancy sound systems, phones, automatic windscreen wipers, automatic parking and so on. Drivers ought to know a bit about their cars and concentrate on driving whilst looking carefully through the windscreen. Bah! Mutter, mutter grumble! ( maybe none of this will matter now that Donald has the nucileer codes!)

iSore

4,011 posts

143 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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V8 Fettler said:
You're confusing longevity of one particular component with the overall sustainability of the vehicle. What dates were the Merc engines manufactured? It's still possible to rebuild an early Series 1 Land Rover (late 1940s).
No I'm not. The W123 (and no, I don't own one, nor an I a fanboi) arrived over 40 years ago. They are tough, fixable with massive parts supply. And unlike a Land Rover, are pleasant to drive and very useable even now. I'm guessing that's why there are still thousands of them in far flung parts of the world where the Land Cruiser took over from the Landie.


Oh, and Mercedes will sell you parts for cars they made before WWII.

cymtriks

4,560 posts

244 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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bearman68 said:
And of course, the manufacturers are spending money on Bluetooth, rather than a duplex timing chain (for example).
Peanuts.
Extra gadgets and minor mechanical bits add virtually nothing to the cost to build a car.
Even swapping a small engine for a big one adds way less than you'd think.

The most expensive thing, in mass production, is actually to provide options!