If your motor lets you down in a remote area?

The oldies were a lot easier to diagnose though :-) More then likely you could fix it and be on the way.

These days it could be a mi-rid of things with electronics - basically you need to plug it in to a computer

So with the oldies you may be able to drive it out at least :-)

Probably worried that you can be put out of action by a $2 transistor on a circuit board somewhere being fried by a voltage spike of some sort. Mentally it seems more reassuring to rely on big chunky mechanical cogs, chains or levers which seem more substantial.
Still, I suspect you are right

dont matter really, a broken crank in any motor is going to bring you to a halt regardless of electronics- i just happen to know this................TIC

G/Day Axle

Just wondering what sort of Makeshift Repairs people have done to get them selves Home or to a Workshop ect, it's amazing how you can adapt things to get mobile again, I don't mean Major Engine Failures, just things that can stop you in your tracks, and a bit of Ingenuity has got them going again, be it just limping as long as they are moving.

Cheers

The unfortunate thing is that the electronics control just about everything, and if they have a brain fade, what happens then.

Would the grenade have the same reputation if it wasn't electronically controlled?

Dave

Fore sure if you have a major mechanical problem with the engine that it can be a huge drama no mater what old or new technology.

Most issues are caused by fuel contamination, blocked filters, or overheating due to water pump, hoses or radiator. Now the old technology will take more abuse when it comes to these thing. Particularly fuel contamination, the new CDI Diesel engines will not.

When it comes to electrical problems the old technology are by far easier to patch up and get going. Example my HJ80 Diesel began flashing all of the warning lights intermittently I asked (on this Forum) if anyone had experiences this problem, within 1/2 hr I had several reply's all saying Plug on back of alternator is dirty, plug on back of alternator needs cleaning ect. . I cleaned the plug problem fixed.

Now you have a modern technology vehicle and experience the engine warning light coming on, ask the same question on the forum and I bet you get a hundred different possible caused.

I will stick with the old thank you

Wayne B

I believe modern technology is better. But it could be improved so easily.

When you take your car in to be serviced they plug in a hand held device which tells them any fault codes that have gone off.

Why can't this be integrated into the gps / computer display in the car. So when it does break down in the middle of no where it can say "fuel pressure sensor error" etc.


It has the potential to be an asset not a hindrance.

Want to change the starter motor on this sucker, out in the bush.

Modern user friendly work engine.

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I really think these days elctronics are very reliable, and we better get used to it so stop whinging, we're all gunna have tehm in the next 10 to 20!

I have never had to diagnose a problem on one of the modern CRD or computor controlled petrol engines but the ATV's we sell and service have a neat little rider information display, otherwise known as a speedo. One of its functions that can be accessed by anyone who can count is its ability to display "blink codes"
By a simple matter of turning the ignition on/off on/off on three times and counting how many times a "check engine" icon blinks the system will self diagnose and tell you which sensor or sensors are playing up. Now this on vehicles that use a Bosch or Vistion system (the latter also fitted to Ford so I am told) and costing as relatively little as $12,000. Surely a sophisticated $100,000 or more 4WD can do something similar??? At least you could check simple things like connections to the suspect sensor which seem to cause most of the dramas encountered with these vehicles.
So does anyone know if this is true for modern vehicles?????

Cheers Pop

Having worked as a mechanic in a country Ford Dealership for 14Yrs I have seen ECU diagnostics go from using a shorting link & counting flashes on a LED to having to plug in a Ford specific diagnostic computer. Fords thinking is to make it as dificult as posible to diagnose faults for a customer or other repairers, so the vehicle is returned to a dealer for diagnosis & repair. Had an intermittent fault with a Ford car in that it would just stop, by the time the customer coasted over to the side of the road it could be re started, very frustrating as every time the car came in the computer said there was no problem!!!!!!! After mutch chasing around it turned out to be the relay feeding power to the ECU, not a common relay $80. I am curious so cut relay apart to find the contacts were badly blackened. Generaly found computer diagnostics dont always what a fault realy is so a lot of time is spent looking for faults & labour charges are not cheap these days. A nother prob these days can be faulty crimp conections in wiring looms & conectors a real pain to find. Because of the extensive use of electronics these days in vehicles so the cost to repair will be high. Cheers Daryl

Back when I was a kid just after the war, I saw several really innovative repairs to the vehicles of that time. I have seen big end bearings replaced with shells made from an aluminium saucepan, a head gasket replaced with jam, and a failed fuel pump bypassed with a gravity fuel feed from a kero tin.

Fencing wire was used for all sorts of minor repairs.

Tin plate cut from 5 pound jam tins was regularly used to rejoin broken exhaust pipes and repair leaks in mufflers (all bound with fencing wire).

In my experience, vehicles then were far more able to be repaired on the road side than modern vehicles, but then they had to be, because they were so more likely to break down.

We may love to hate current electronically controlled vehickles, but they are far less likely to let uis down than the pre-electronic vehicles in my experience at least.

I don't think there is any great difference in reliability, just in 'fixability'. I agree if something major happens, then you are stuck, but some of the older vehicles are a little easier to work on.

I like that you can assume 500k service life with the old (80's/90's) tech, and injector pumps/injectors etc are affordable to replace. I also like that I can work on them confidently and without pushing past my knowledge/comfort zone. There should be a few clunkers around for a while as plenty of 60 series are still getting around at nearly 30 years old!

Cheers,
Dave

Boy talk about Luddites!

Most Injection sender faults will not stop the car. it will go into Limp Home Mode and still go. You know something is wrong but it will do as advertised. How many carbys will go with a blocked main jet?

How many of you have EVER had a breakdown caused by an ECU failing? I will bet very few or none. How often has your radio stopped working if not wet. I bet very few. same tech.

I carry a spare ECU anyway but have never had a problem with electronics on a car . And my Rangie is 18 years old with Lucas electrics. I fitted a 20+ year old injection set to an old Range Rover and she started first time and never missed a beat.

Most problems in electrics are caused by mechanical devices, alternators, and relays. that is the first place I look and even old non electronic cars have these.

And with diesels the most common problem is still the old filter. Why diesel owners do not always carry a couple of spares is beyond me.

To me the most important spare items on any car are fuel pump, starter motor and alternator and belts and filters.
Regard sPhilip A.