CutthroatSlam
Senior Member
I didn’t say technology is less reliable. I implied new technology is less reliable. Often with new technologies there are bugs and it usually takes time to fix them. Until then it creates potential reliability problems.
I’m also not anti-technology. What I am opposed to is the over computerization of cars and almost all of it is now connected. So if there is a problem in one area it can affect the whole car. Older cars computers were generally separated. One controlled this, one controlled that and if one went bad it usually didn’t affect other parts of the car. My friend is a mechanic and owns his own shop. He tells me that half of his repairs are now computer software related. Several years ago he had to buy a $20,000 computer diagnostics machine so he can troubleshoot and fix software issues. On the cheap end they run about $5,000 for a hand held one. You can get cheaper but most just tells you what the error code is and can’t fix most software problems. So for most of us who like to go off-road want simple because you have a much higher chance to fix your problem out in the field where you can at least get it into town. I wish auto manufacturers would build them like military vehicles. The computers are sealed in a waterproof metal box. If there is a problem you unscrew it, unplug it and put the new one in and you’re good to go. It’s a 5 min job, at least with the humvees. This way you can carry a spare. Then you can send the old one to the shop and see if it can be fixed. This is the way new cars should be.
Friend bought a new Ram 1500 for his Montana home and a Ford F-350 diesel for his home and boat towing in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. I was launching his river jet boat on upper Holter Lake on the Missouri River near Helena and was like where F is the parking brake on this Ram. Well the parking brake is electrical. It worked nicely, but I thought “great, just another thing to break.”