Laptop to change brake pads?

[Pete.]

Well then all of those bits are just luxuries, and technologically inline with many other luxuries we have today like phones,tablets, tv's even cookers, microwaves and printers with touch-screen control. arguing that they aren't necessary isn't going to wash though because any company who ignored the wants of the consumer wouldn't sell any vehicles and any manufacturer who didn't use computer technology to design the vehicles wouldn't be allowed to sell any.

Occasionally nowadays I get a strong whiff of oily engine or fuel-vapour laden exhaust fumes and it's never a modern car, it'll be an old Ford OHC or something of similar era. Any which way to look at it we're gobbling up resources and polluting our planet and only by clever use of technology to maintain production and consumption at ever-increasing rates is going to keep us on this fun-ride for as long as possible.

 

[colnerov]

Modern cars still produce pollution it's just that you can't see or smell it. Particulates the latest bogeyman is a result of direct injection in both diesel and petrol.

 

[Shox Dr]

Well then all of those bits are just luxuries, and technologically inline with many other luxuries we have today like phones,tablets, tv's even cookers, microwaves and printers with touch-screen control. arguing that they aren't necessary isn't going to wash though because any company who ignored the wants of the consumer wouldn't sell any vehicles and any manufacturer who didn't use computer technology to design the vehicles wouldn't be allowed to sell any.

Occasionally nowadays I get a strong whiff of oily engine or fuel-vapour laden exhaust fumes and it's never a modern car, it'll be an old Ford OHC or something of similar era. Any which way to look at it we're gobbling up resources and polluting our planet and only by clever use of technology to maintain production and consumption at ever-increasing rates is going to keep us on this fun-ride for as long as possible.

Problem with your last comments are, none of these will last more than 8-10yrs. Where is the eco in that. The 1950 truck i drive on a daily basis, has only ever had the pads, clutch, wiring, tyres, and a topend rebuild. Most cars have those and are still scrap after 8-10. Because they cant be repaired, and if they could be it would be more than the whole thing is worth.

 

[Robotstar5]

My sofa doesn't weigh nigh on 2 tonnes and isn't really capable of over 100mph - also, I don't need to be 'in control' of my sofa while watching tv.

Please keep buying the 2 tonne motorised sofas we build, it keeps me in a job

 

[Pete.]

Comparing all the crap in a new car to an appliance like a tv isn't really on.

My sofa doesn't weigh nigh on 2 tonnes and isn't really capable of over 100mph - also, I don't need to be 'in control' of my sofa while watching tv.

Balls to 'luxuries' like that in a car.

If you want tablet functionality while driving then you shouldn't be driving - catch a bus and remove yourself from my roads.

I wasn't comparing - I was likening luxuries in a car to another luxury. How you got to that conclusion I don't know. I didn't even say that you needed tablet-like functions just that it's what consumers expect nowadays.

 

[the snooper]

catch a bus and remove yourself from my roads.

If they are your roads can you repair them properly they are in a terrible condition

 

[colnerov]

Hi, I can remember Alan Sugar saying many years ago that sales of his computers were falling and he asked the board why. He was told they had found through market research that it was because they didn't have fans and thought they were less powerful. The engineers said that they didn't need fans and were not less powerful. So he told the designers to fit fans, if they want them they can have them after all they're paying for them. He did admit that he sided with the engineers at first until he remembered his sales mantra 'give the customer what they want'

Colin

 

[Pete.]

Problem with your last comments are, none of these will last more than 8-10yrs. Where is the eco in that. The 1950 truck i drive on a daily basis, has only ever had the pads, clutch, wiring, tyres, and a topend rebuild. Most cars have those and are still scrap after 8-10. Because they cant be repaired, and if they could be it would be more than the whole thing is worth.

You don't measure vehicles in years so much as miles, unless you're considering rust which in modern vehicles is a small fraction of the issue it was 20yrs back. Modern vehicles are expected to fly past 100k miles you can't say that for a Cortina, and a Datsun would be a brown stain on the road.

 

[Pete.]

Yeah like leaf springs, rigid axles and Girling drum brakes. That's the way forward...

 

[Shox Dr]

Yeah like leaf springs, rigid axles and Girling drum brakes. That's the way forward...

They certainly makes you look ahead and plan, for what ifs.

I wonder how long it will be, when someone tries to use the 'I thought The car braked for me' after hitting someone in town

 

[Pete.]

I have coils and disc brakes - fine, rigid axles...

But, y'know what? They don't fall apart from hitting a pothole. And because I don't have 'mega low profile tyres because racecar' my wheels don't shatter on speedramps either.

In fairness, you don't see much of that wheel shattering on the road. I once owned a Berkeley and they were prone to losing whole wheels.

You have to marvel at the irony of people using the wonders of modern technologyto connect to a modern free worldwide communication network in order to complain about - the wonders of modern tecnology

"How we gonna get these new pads in then? Shall we plug a lead into that computer you already own and tell the car to make it easy for us?"
"Nah - stuff that modern crap! I want to spend an hour crawling about on a dirty floor with a flashlight tearing my knucles to the bone trying to turn that rust star wheel back ten turns with a bent screwdriver through a 10mm hole"

 

[Shox Dr]

In fairness, you don't see much of that wheel shattering on the road. I once owned a Berkeley and they were prone to losing whole wheels.

You have to marvel at the irony of people using the wonders of modern technologyto connect to a modern free worldwide communication network in order to complain about - the wonders of modern tecnology

"How we gonna get these new pads in then? Shall we plug a lead into that computer you already own and tell the car to make it easy for us?"
"Nah - stuff that modern crap! I want to spend an hour crawling about on a dirty floor with a flashlight tearing my knucles to the bone trying to turn that rust star wheel back ten turns with a bent screwdriver through a 10mm hole"

Well thats the difference between a luddite and a neo luddite. I'm the latter camp (betty) see what I did there I reused a joke, instead of inventing one, just to be in with the crowd

 

[Pete.]

I'm sure I didn't mis-understand you wrongly stating that I was comparing car controls to luxury items.

 

[Pete.]

Because I was talking in the context of things necessary to control the car, in response to Wookie's laughable comment:

for example lets get rid of good old fashioned buttons in favour of a touch screen which means you now have to look at damn thing to operate it meaning your not looking where your driving instead of just having a button which you can remember where it is and use without taking your eyes off the road, what an improvement

..when clearly the touchscreen contains nothing that is NECESSARY to the act of driving. I was saying that the touchscreen in the car was a luxury addition the same as it is on luxury items in the home. You pulled me up for making a comparison I didn't actually make.

 

[Pete.]

That's very true, but it's what customers want, another point I've made. It does however line up with my earler comment about designing modern stuff - applances included, to be as economically made as possible. Compare a modern washing machine to one made 20 yrs ago. No more acres of circuitry, miles of wiring and mechanical timers, one small processor and some electronic solenoids with a tiny display. There's nothing in them and less inside means less resources to make and less parts to wear out. I'm not sayig it's all good or all better but it is mostly all necessary if we're going to give everyone who wants the stuff they want without running out of planet to draw it from.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, A lot of these gimmicks come from the days of the company car market and the one up man ship that followed. When you can have this and that because you're not paying for it the company is. Also partly from the late 60s early 70s before that when the Japanese were offering standard features that were options on British cars, like heaters, and fripperies like a radio.

Colin

 

[mechman]

You don't measure vehicles in years so much as miles, unless you're considering rust which in modern vehicles is a small fraction of the issue it was 20yrs back. Modern vehicles are expected to fly past 100k miles you can't say that for a Cortina, and a Datsun would be a brown stain on the road.

My last Cortina bit the dust at 156.000 miles, the body got a bit lighter every day, but the engine was transplanted into a Sierra god knows how long it lasted after that.

 

[wookie]

..when clearly the touchscreen contains nothing that is NECESSARY to the act of driving. I was saying that the touchscreen in the car was a luxury addition the same as it is on luxury items in the home. You pulled me up for making a comparison I didn't actually make.

I don't understand why my comment about touchscreens in cars is laughable ? I never said it was NECESSARY to the act of driving, I was referring to items such as radios that used to have proper buttons but now are a built in touchscreen distraction, sure you don't need to adjust the radio to drive a car but it is nice if you can adjust the radio without taking your eyes off the road.

The only controls necessary for driving are 3 pedals, a steering wheel, a handbrake, a gear lever and indicators IMHO.

If the manufactures want to invent something useful for cars try fog lamps that can't be used when it isn't properly foggy.

 

[keithski122]

I've got a fairly new car(2009) and the most complex thing is the electric power steering and the electric windows, new cars are available without all the high tech stuff but the man in the street wants all that.He doesn't care how reliable it is as he'll take it to a garage when it goes wrong and get it sorted.
It is possible to had high tech stuff and be reliable, just buy japanese not european.

 

[Robotstar5]

The only controls necessary for driving are 3 pedals, a steering wheel, a handbrake, a gear lever and indicators IMHO.

I thought indicators were optional?....