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What did you do in the garage today?

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It’s a problem when they fail and if there’s no replacement part. Knock on wood my cars have not needed new computers, but since I do participate in other forums at least in the past there were occasionally people complaining their computer needed to be replaced on relatively new cars at the time. It may not be problematic to most people, but systems do fail, not all or everyone, but some. Some manufacturers are better at keeping parts in stock past the popularity of a vehicle. Still, I suspect even those computers could be repaired, depends how skilled you are or how determined. PS I have everyone of my computers from way back too. Also fair list of what problems there might be above. Seems you answered your own question on how’s it going to be problematic. LoL.
 
It's far less problematic than typical mechanical issues unrelated to computers. It's way easier to solder on a new voltage regulator or relay than it is to fabricate a steering knuckle or wheel bearing. It's not only whole computer parts that will be unavailable in the future.
 
mr72 said:
It's far less problematic than typical mechanical issues unrelated to computers. It's way easier to solder on a new voltage regulator or relay than it is to fabricate a steering knuckle or wheel bearing. It's not only whole computer parts that will be unavailable in the future.
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No doubt. Didn’t imply there wouldn’t be other component issues. Not just electrical components, try finding front and rear window trim for a 1996 Ford Thunderbird just to mention one and oddly enough key components in the rear suspension.
 
I have happy buttocks!

Yeah, that's a little weird, but it's true! Just installed a Tappezzerialtalia seat cover on my Africa Twin. No longer will I be disciplined by the Honda seat sadist.

Its got a bit of style - in the Italian way - and the material is excellent. A more in depth review shortly.
20220906_192340.jpg
 
mr72 said:
The computer system in today's vehicles is far and away the most durable and reliable part of the vehicle. How is it going to be problematic? Wiring may become problematic, connectors, corrosion, electromechanical parts related to the electronics, such as relays and fuses, all may eventually need to be replaced. And replacing soldered-on components may be problematic if you don't have the skills to diagnose or replace them.

The only thing to be concerned about for electronics in modern vehicles, in my view, are:
- mechanical or electrical damage, such as during an accident or repair mistake, an electronic part becomes physically damaged or you short it out and it suffers electrical damage, and a replacement part is not available
- changes to available pump fuel necessitate modifications to the vehicle because it's an antique, and "mechanics" lack the skill or tools to properly modify the electronic systems to match
- corrosion, mechanical damage (like from a collision), or electrical damage (like, the voltage regulator goes out, smokes all of the electronics due to overvoltage), some other non-wear-related damage happens and replacement parts are not available

But try to rebuild a 50 year old carburetor, you may find the right replacement parts are not available and getting it working right can be very difficult.

I don't like how the turn signals, lights and horn on my Jeep are routed through the computer, but I can bypass that with simple wire splices if it somehow quits working. The computer that reads the "chip key" is iffy and has been since it was new, and that will be a whole lot harder to work around if it ever eventually fails completely, but anything is possible. It's a computer, it sends a signal over a known data bus (CANBUS), and the protocol is not impossible to determine, so a simulator can be built easily enough. A RaspberryPi and the right interface, a tiny enclosure, and a little bit of programming, Bob's your uncle.

My dad recently has been cleaning out their attic and other storage and he unearthed my mom's old Mac Quadra 605 from about 1991. Once he figured out how to connect everything, it fired right up and he played games on it. That's a 30+ year old computer, and it works fine. Your car has much more robust computer systems than this. I'm sure pretty soon he's going to find my old Commodore 128, Amiga 1000 and Amiga 500 from about 1985 thru 1989, and I'm sure they will also work as long as I can find a 3.5" floppy with Amiga OS 1.x on it.
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It’s very easy to see we are two different people when it comes to wrenching , I have no problem with old mechanical stuff . most is so simple and robust I’m able to adapt other parts or make parts work for it . When a computer fails and is no longer available adapting something else could become a rather daunting task . I took on a project a couple weeks ago just for the fun of it , a 1937 Allis Chamlers tractor , hasn't run since the 60s , we won’t here it putt this year simply because I don’t have some of the stuff it needs here but do in my shop at home . Also a 1953 ford tractor will be running and working correctly before I head south simply because I like seeing things that were built right the first time still doing what they are supposed to do . The last few years I worked for the big bucks was spent getting the bugs out of new equipment costing well over a hundred grand that was so poorly engineered it wouldn't do a days work without some kind of failure and most being electrical because it was way more complicated than need be . A major problem was everything being made separately then plugging together . That all worked just fine inside their factory when they built it but once it went outside in the real world the bugs took over . Replacing plugs with solid sealed wire is a slow process sometimes but it does solve problems . As for the failed sensors that are causing 25% of modern equipment failures these days with no parts available , that’s a little above my pay grade so I don’t mess with that crap .
 
I cried.

DSCN8023.JPG


Then I un-wadded my panties (my buttocks are just fine, thank you) and got to work.
This is the result of a big file cabinet and metal shelving that were on the left next to the gas cans being emptied and taken across town to use in the shop for important small stuff that gets misplaced over there. And small and medium boxes from here and there that congealed in the garage after selling the trailer and so on. The hard part is not how can I clean this up and make it look neat again, it's eliminating places for it to go, so now it's live with this (NOT!) or sell, scrap, donate or..... yeah. Every box and tub and tray and bag has to be gone through, as every one of them has something valuable and NLA that goes to something, lurking in otherwise useless crap that once amused me.
A daunting task, indeed.
 
LaserDave said:
I cried.

View attachment 329824

Then I un-wadded my panties (my buttocks are just fine, thank you) and got to work.
This is the result of a big file cabinet and metal shelving that were on the left next to the gas cans being emptied and taken across town to use in the shop for important small stuff that gets misplaced over there. And small and medium boxes from here and there that congealed in the garage after selling the trailer and so on. The hard part is not how can I clean this up and make it look neat again, it's eliminating places for it to go, so now it's live with this (NOT!) or sell, scrap, donate or..... yeah. Every box and tub and tray and bag has to be gone through, as every one of them has something valuable and NLA that goes to something, lurking in otherwise useless crap that once amused me.
A daunting task, indeed.
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🤐
At first thought someone broke in, then I kept reading🤯...
Kudos on the cross post humor...
(reference)
Not an attempt to Suck Up to a Mod. but that is well organized clutter...
Carry On Gentleman
 
Texas T said:
Dave, you're preaching to the choir son. :lol2:

We'll start doing garage sales at the end of October so hopefully by the end of the year we'll have put a sizable dent in all of this stuff.



View attachment 329826
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Man, alive, you're organized. My storage areas look like they've been hit by a hurricane ... <sigh>
 
I rummaged through 10 large tubs, 4 big boxes, a half-full 6x12' box trailer and a mostly full 6x24' trailer looking for a torch tip.

I did find LOTS of other stuff I can use in the next few days, but NO TORCH TIP.

Thoroughly sweat-soaked down my the toes of my socks, even my fingernails are sweating.

NO PIX.
 
LaserDave said:
Then you were ALLEGEDLY sweat-soaked down the toes of socks and fingernails, when you may actually have been sipping a martini on the veranda.
Not that there's anything wrong with that!
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Oh, don't I wish.

...and it would have been a Don Julio / Presidente / Cointreau (Chili's) Margarita...
 
I’ve got probably 15 victor tips at home most new in the box and I use a new one every ten years or so , I need to sell some . I’m sure I won’t last long enough to use all of them .
 
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