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We Drove a Car While It Was Being Hacked
MilesAhead:
Now them^ were the good old days!
My 2002 Dodge Dakota with all the EFI crap, close to the same size engine (5.9L), and a probably half the weight only gets 12 MPG. Last time it had an issue I had to go and get the error codes read to find out what was up its ass. And that diagnosis was clear as mud...It appears it could be 1 of 4 different $80 parts.
-Stoic Joker (June 02, 2014, 02:59 PM)
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When I took my first diagnostic class on the way to becoming a mechanic the Chrysler Corp. line just went to the electronic ignition hybrid. No computer yet, just electronic pickup in the distributor, dual ballast resister, and electronic voltage regulator. I was working in a gas station during the day. The boss was playing with this car that would catch, but as soon as you dropped the key, it would die. Classic ballast resister behavior. But the boss had his trusty test light telling him he had current across the resister. My father was in Electronics and let me have one of his old multimeters. I brought it into work and checked the resistance at the ballast resister stage that engaged during the normal running of the engine(after you dropped the key when staring.) I think the spec was 5 Ohms.. something like that. It showed 1/2 Million Ohms. The boss was not happy. But the next time the SnapOn Guy came in he bought a multimeter. :Thmbsup:
What a half-assed system that was! Nearly everyone just swapped out components until the car started. The honest shops took out the unneeded ones and only charged for diagnosis and R&R of the necessary one. It was even worse when they adopted that "lean burn" computerized crap. It was a brilliant concept. Generate waste heat deliberately. Like start a small fire in your house to discourage the mosquitoes. Crazy man!! :)
Stoic Joker:
It was even worse when they adopted that "lean burn" computerized crap. It was a brilliant concept. Generate waste heat deliberately. Like start a small fire in your house to discourage the mosquitoes. Crazy man!!-MilesAhead (June 02, 2014, 05:29 PM)
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Oh yeah, I've been having big fun with that crap on my 2010 Harley FLTRX. The starter clutch is a bit edgy because the last owner would just let it grind until it fired (like an idiot). I dropped $500 on a vehicle interface kit so I can connect a laptop to it and club some sense into the damn thing.
It's EFI FFS, I shouldn't need to do any more than touch the starter and have it pop off instantly...regardless of what the temperature is (just like my carborated 1987 did..). But oh hell no...the startup enrichment is trying to light the 10's engine with a friggin butterfly fart.
...Damn'ed-est think though ... After I +++ed the startup mixture. All-of-a-suddenly - as if by magic - the engine began starting much easier. Kinda just like it was supposed to in the $%&#^@#^%$ first place. I've even add about 3mph to the top speed by adding a bit more fuel to the upper RPM range ... Seems they had made it a bit lean up there for safety...or some other idiotic notion.
Christ on a stick, if I wanted to play it that safe I'd be wearing a helmet and kneepads while hiding in a Volvo...(or get one of those lame-assed battery powered Prius' that don't even go fast enough to kill an insect that hits the windshield at "full" throttle)...not riding a freaking motorcycle -- God damn cretins piss me off.
MilesAhead:
God damn cretins piss me off.
-Stoic Joker (June 02, 2014, 06:15 PM)
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Just so I have it clear... would you recommend this product to your friends? :)
Sometimes I wonder how many people driving around could even start their cars in the first place if not for the computer? Used to be you needed at least a bit of feel, unless the car was finely tuned. Now you can't even start the damn things with your foot on the accelerator. So we are all in Park with parking break set, foot on the brake, in a car that's not running. Next thing is Denver Boot before you can engage the starter.
Then these morons text while driving. Apparently they can dual thumb messages expertly. :)
MilesAhead:
Like last night the radio stopped working. pull over, twist three wires together behind the radio, tape it up, and rock out.
-SeraphimLabs (June 02, 2014, 12:20 PM)
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I just remembered my father bought this old Toyota pickup truck. I forget the year and model but it was a little 4 cylinder rear wheel drive. The brake would go to the floor. It needed a master cylinder. I was a mechanic at that time. I had rebuilt calipers and wheel cylinders but never a master cylinder. At work we just ordered rebuilts from the parts house. My dad asked me to rebuild it. I suggested he not be so cheap and just buy the rebuilt. But we decided to give it a try. About $3.50 worth of O-rings, some brake fluid and fine emery paper was all it took. That was a fun little truck. I think he paid $150 for it. Nowadays everything that used to be "used" is a "classic." Picking something up for a song and fixing it is like a lost art. :(
Stoic Joker:
After dealing with the rust-N-dust and ichor of most blown wheel cylinders the master cylinder rebuild must have been a welcomed change. I did a ton of that stuff on motorcycles that people had left sitting for too long. Only thing I go to a shop for is an automotive automatic transmission. I never have figured them damn things. Sure I know how they work...but put it back together and have it work ...(for me)... Not likely.
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