The later Technology in vehicles, just leave older bangers for dead!!.

Submitted: Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 19:25
ThreadID: 96851 Views:3279 Replies:11 FollowUps:10
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Never thought i would think this way, But after been chauffered to work in the big smoke every day, roaring up and down a freeway for a hour and a half each way everyday in a Hilux D4D 3.0L ute, and looking at what most tradies are driving, I used to think the less technollgy the more reliable, as time goes on a modern mechanic with a new vechicle is just as switched on as a old timer with a older vehicle, actually its getting harder to get a problem diagnosed with a older vehicle because the ones comming thru don't know what there looking at, reverse scenario..lol.

And don't think there not going to last, this one has done 150,000ks in three years and not a single problem,


Cheers Axle.
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Reply By: Wilko (Parkes NSW) - Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 19:42

Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 19:42
Hi Axle,

I think the same way, but I'd rather be driving an old diesel then a new diesel if I was doing a lot of river crossing. You start dunking all that electronics in muck and it wont last very long.

Cheers Wilko
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Follow Up By: Axle - Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 20:39

Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 20:39
G/Day Wilko, ..I Know but they are sealing things up a lot more, Look at the position of a crank angle sensor on most petrol engines compared to the old distributor, they are all down low around the harmonic balancer, and get a drenching everytime it rains, but not many fail due to excessive moisture. just using that as a example, alternators slung low on a v engine are a problem in water but i think its a prob they will get around, same goes for dust and also the way components are mounted........Near convinced myself to buy a new Ford Ranger......LOL.


Cheers Axle
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Reply By: Member - Jack - Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 20:40

Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 20:40
Having just wasted a week with a European diesel sedan having diagnostsics as to why it loses power and then having the dealer say they cannot trace it, you can stick your modern electronics. I have it back, and just hope it does not lose power when I have a B Double bearing down on me.

As I told the boy genius and his service manager today, the Space Shuttle computers conducted close to two million diagnostics with a minute to lift off. His stuff cannot conduct 15 or 20 basic diagnostics within an hour. Computers in modern dumb down mechanics. They are now called 'service technicians'.

I got the car back and paid $40 for the privilege, so I went home and hugged my 1991 naturally aspirated, almost 400,000km Toyota Landcruiser.

Nope .. stick your computerised capsules. Mine goes everywhere every time I ask it. What more do you need?

Jack
The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

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Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 20:43

Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 20:43
Oooops .. typo ...

'Computers in modern dumb down mechanics' should read
Computers in modern cars dumbs down mechanics.

Apologies

Jack
The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

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Follow Up By: Graham & Lynne - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 10:24

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 10:24
Jack
The airflow meter will cause your problem and not throw a trouble code get them to replace it.
Graham
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Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 21:50

Friday, Jul 13, 2012 at 21:50
The old Perkins in our OKA has ONE wire that makes it go or stop.
I know where that wire is :-)

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome.
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Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 10:53

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 10:53
P & M,

That must be the same wire my 40 series 2H motor has... :-) - even then you can still toggle the engine regulator manually ...

P.S. thanks for the look at the OKA in Birdsville CP a few months ago. Liked the rig.
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Reply By: Member - Bucky - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 06:19

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 06:19
Axle

New 4X4 are brilliant,
YES !
Smooth, quiet, powerfill
Yes ....BUT

Do not get dirty fuel in them.....Big $$$$$$$$$ to fix

Young fella next door got caught, $7,500 for the repair bill, and he could not prove where the dirty fuel came from. And even if he could, the Oil mobs do not care.


I have a 2001 4.2 TD Patrol, and it's a bit thirsty, but cant kill it, and I do not ant to kill it.

At $7,500 for repairs, my old thirsty Patrol, was heaps cheaper to run around for 1 year than his reasonably new 4X4 Hilux

Go the old vehicles, they just keep chuggin along

Cheers
Bucky



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Follow Up By: Grumblebum and the Dragon - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 09:25

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 09:25
I'II take my 2000 model landcruiser out into the Gibson Desert with confidence. Some of the newer stuff a spec of dirt or a bum load of fuel and no diagnostic within cooee and you are in trouble. $10,000 to get you out before paying for the big repair bills. No thanks

John
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Follow Up By: River Swaggie - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 14:31

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 14:31
Mr Bucky

I'm certainly there with ya mate...The new 4x4's are great when there running right..But anything to do with the common rail etc etc etc...your looking at BIG bucks...
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Follow Up By: madfisher - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 19:54

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 19:54
We have had two work d4ds cost $9000 ea thru water in the fuel ouch.
But BP guarentee their fuel if you keep your receipt.
Cheers Pete
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 21:06

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 21:06
With all the accessories and 4wd gear we spend on 4wds - $500 for a Water Watch is a small price but may seem reluctant to spend the money.
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 21:07

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 21:07
With all the accessories and 4wd gear we spend on 4wds - $500 for a Water Watch is a small price but may seem reluctant to spend the money.
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Follow Up By: Member - Bucky - Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 at 06:13

Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 at 06:13
Funny thing is that the young fella next door is reasonably well versed in 4X4's,,he does everything right, including a "Water Watch system", and all things technical as well.

he still got caught .....

Makes me wonder just how good those things really are.

Cheers
Bucky
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Reply By: Bigfish - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 07:09

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 07:09
Have a 1997 troopy as own vehicle. Absoliutely goes anywhere, has never broken down and I can work on it myself. Simple, no fuss motoring.
The Nissan 3.0litre 4wds we have (several dozen of em), with all their electronics are a pain. Sensors coming on at any time...have to take it to a "service technician" immediately.

Joke...you can stick ya modern electronicy garbage. (mind you the car manufacturers are rubbing their hands together with glee at the extra income they make by putting another bloody sensor on something).

Its alright if you have the money to pay thousands to have some over compliocated piece of electronic gadget go caput (apparently they dont like moisture or water, but many connections are not totally sealed!!

I don,t mind technology, but not where it is over used to a point of stupidity.
AnswerID: 490893

Reply By: mikehzz - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 07:29

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 07:29
As far as cars go, the good old days weren't that good if you ask me. I'll take the new ones any day. Still, I remember fixing an old Mitsubishi with a pair of tin snips and the lid off a can of dog food. It saved me a few hundred dollars when that was a weeks wages.
AnswerID: 490896

Reply By: PJR (NSW) - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 07:58

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 07:58
I was watching a current affairs program earlier this week. Not sure of the correct name. They were showing off what a dashboard user computer in a new car in the states can do. Limit speed for the teenanger, log where they drive, blue tooth and all that good stuff as well as control the car itself. And alcohol/drug detection. I don't think that they were going down the track of driverless cars. Just the niceties for the driver and occupants.

After the purchaser sat in the car for ages getting a run through of how to drive the computer, he said something lik this to the interviewer "I just want to drive to the shops and back and haven't the faintest idea how to start it".

Maybe a bit of journalistic license in there but it shows how stupid and downright confusing some manufacturers are like. Bad luck if you wanted a burst of speed for anything like getting out of the way of a runaway truck or to overtake. You have to remember which icon that was under. Not for me thanks.

And why do we all have to pay for the things that we not only don't want but will never use. I am not a fan of traction control. I prefer my way. Why then do I have to pay for it. And don't run off about how good traction control is. I do not want it. Nor blue tooth. I will NOT talk on the phone when mobile. So why do I have to pay for the stuff. Not for me thanks.

Motor tuning and monitoring and others - No worries. But not a total IBM mainframe full of crap.

Like the bloke above; "I just want to drive to the shops and back "
AnswerID: 490898

Reply By: landseka - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 10:16

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 10:16
Then start on external rear vision mirrors....imagine the pain when knocking one off on a tree and paying $3-4ooo to replace it when the current crop fitted to cars get onto 4x4s. They are full of electronics from the common elecric adjustments to rear view cameras, blind spot alarms and so on.

Cheers Neil
AnswerID: 490912

Reply By: SDG - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 17:26

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 17:26
A few years ago, my brother who was an owner driver in some you beaute all fangled up Kenworth, suddenly had his engine come to a complete stop, leaving him on the side of the road. Eight hours later, after a mechanic came out he was back on the road. A ten dollar part stopped him. (Not to mention labour).
My brother got his trade as a diesel mechanic before he started driving them. He commented that if it was not for the computer/electrical stuff, he would have been able to jury rig it enough to get to the next town.
AnswerID: 490945

Reply By: Ron N - Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 21:48

Saturday, Jul 14, 2012 at 21:48
I have to admit that I'm a great believer in the old KISS principle. If you put 3 or 4 ECU's in a vehicle, plus 20 or 30 sensors, then you're making a vehicle a lot more potentially unreliable - particularly as it ages.

The problem is also that many modern vehicles electronics are not protected enough or durable enough, and any repairs usually require a laptop and manufacturers technical programs.

Finally, the most infuriating part of electronics is that they often fail when hot, and work again when cold - or they fail intermittently.
When an intermittent electronic failure occurs, it's often not logged. This type of electronic fault is a nightmare to pin down.

I'd rather be 800kms out beyond the black stump with an old HJ75 than the current Sahara. At least you can fix the oldies with the bare minimum of tools and resources.
AnswerID: 490967

Reply By: Member - Serendipity(WA) - Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 at 13:05

Sunday, Jul 15, 2012 at 13:05
Hi Axle

I think most people end up comfortable with what they know and the knowledge base they have developed.

I do agree there are some amazing improvements in newer engines but along with that there are some disadvantages as well.

I like the better fuel economy, the more power, the comfortable ride, the low pollution emissions.

I don't like the excessive electronics some cars have now. I would rather the manufacturers kept electronics to a minimum and still gave most control to the driver. I feel dumbing down the driver control of a vehicle is sure way to create poorer quality drivers. ABS and traction control remove from the driver responsibility of managing a car. Try stopping in a hurry on a gravel road with ABS.

It will be interesting in the next years as the older cars become too uneconomical to maintain and most cars are the new breed. What then?

A great percentage of drivers out there could not fix their car out remote no mater whether it was old style or new electronics - just not enough base knowledge in the new generation.

If we keep voting with our pockets and only buying suitable cars manufacturers will have to comply or go broke.

My 2c worth

Cheers

Serendipity




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