41–50 of 59 posts
But seriously, why do modern engineers try to reinvent the wheel for everything?? this x1000. 80% of everything done since '01 has been the result of crap makework bullshit jobs.
Creating an end product that is elegant with intelligently integrated subsystems is not something we care about so it doesn't get done.
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> 30 years, all that complexity, and we gained 1mpg. We also got far lower tailpipe emissions, less expensive manufacturing processes, far better rust prevention, and far better passenger and pedestrian safety features. Not to mention a more comfortable ride, almost zero water intrusion, lower cabin noise and vibration, less wind and tire noise, and longer lasting consumables such as plugs, oil, tires, and filters.
It’s absolutely insane to me what a government success story auto safety regulations have been. They’re incredibly safer and yet the cost hasn’t gone crazy.
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yeah, but we're talking about cars. Do we want to make cars disposable? Should people throw away their car every 12 years when parts are no longer made or the battery dies?
Apparently the average car is about 12 years old hone it's scrapped; so we basically are already there. If by making everything more reliable but hard to repair, they'd reliably go 12 years before exploding, I think it'd be a net win, as long as we had adequate recycling options available.
The massively lower repairability of modern cars, especially from sensors and airbags is going to significantly lower this lifetime IMO.
Anyways, I think the reason software follows this path is cost - rather than pay an engineer for optimization you have them work on new fancy features, and just expect the user to buy a faster machine. As computers get faster/cheaper this applies more and more.
Optimizing for cost, weight & performance often comes at the cost of repairability. Buyers compare cars on measurable statistics so they'll buy the one that is cheaper, faster etc. Watch a Sandy Munro video and see the design details that get a lot of praise. The gigacasting is a nice example: great for performance and manufacturing, but bad for repair. Or, the car not having a separate floorpan and mounting the seat…
I guess I kind of agree with the thesis, although in turn auto technician is gradually becoming an increasingly skilled job and pay is (probably not quickly enough) generally increasing as well. Of course, this is frustrating to consumers as dealer repair costs become astronomical. In some ways the market is working as intended as especially used cars from manufacturers with perceived easier repair and maintenance (H…
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> 30 years, all that complexity, and we gained 1mpg. We also got far lower tailpipe emissions, less expensive manufacturing processes, far better rust prevention, and far better passenger and pedestrian safety features. Not to mention a more comfortable ride, almost zero water intrusion, lower cabin noise and vibration, less wind and tire noise, and longer lasting consumables such as plugs, oil, tires, and filters.
But is it worth the price? I concluded I'd rather build a vehicle that's simpler and better than the one I could buy. And it's costing me about 20% as much to do so. And it'll burn a hell of a lot less fuel.
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But is it worth the price? I concluded I'd rather build a vehicle that's simpler and better than the one I could buy. And it's costing me about 20% as much to do so. And it'll burn a hell of a lot less fuel.
Simpler? Sure. Better? I spent years in garages modifying and building street legal vehicles. On very few metrics were they better than what you could buy, then or now. If better means quicker, sure, you could do that. But it won't be safer, cheaper, more reliable, more efficient, lower polluting, or more comfortable than what you could buy from Ford or Toyota or Subaru or Tesla.
One thing I'm super excited to play with on this build is an exhaust brake. The transmission controller I plan to use will accept shift and TC lockup requests via CAN, so I'm planning on using a microcontroller to act as my "engine brake ECU" which will request downshifts, TC lockup, and increased line pressure when the brake is engaged. It'll also handle low speed shutoff. When the brake is disengaged it'll actuate the TV cable (using an extra cruise actuator and some power circuitry to run it) proportionately to boost. I'm not against computers in automotive projects in principle, I just don't much like ones I can't control.
Can't get an exhaust brake in a Grenadier, btw.
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So I'm not looking up the numbers for this but to devils advocate... Acceleration is way up since then, gasoline cars included. Crash tests are better. Collision avoidance and rear views make us safer as well. Reliability probably peaked already though.
Reliability peaked 2016. I would imagine if it stripped all the electronics you would find wonderfully tuned mechanical parts. I am not a mechanic but modular systems are great. Transmission and engine. That's all I want in computers to be involved in.
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This emphasis on leasing must be a short term fixation. Once companies move onto more mature generations of vehicles, the upgrade cycle will lengthen pushing more people toward ownership.
Leasing is mostly just a financing model for people who like to have new cars. It hasn't been economically sound for individuals maybe ever. The shortest I've owned a new car was 5 years and that's because it was a dog from Dodge. Exception may be some European cars which have a reputation for very expensive dealer maintenance after the warranty period.
IME it's 100% of the time better to buy whatever tools you need and do the necessary research to DIY than to take a car to a mechanic. And certainly never a dealership.
EDIT: Almost forgot. When I checked the pressure in the AC system after getting it home before working on it, it was super high. What I suspect they did (because I told them I wasn't going to pay their usurious rate) was just cram a bunch of refrigerant into the system from their recovery tank in the hopes it would blow seals and screw me over. So, yeah, avoid MB of Boston in particular.