The Neighbourhood Mechanic: Computer complications
Are cars too complicated? After all it's just a car. Well quite frankly in light of where technology is today, cars are complicated, but with that complication they have become more reliable, more economical to run and environmentally friendlier.
The basics of a vehicle have never changed. Driveline, lighting, heating, air-conditioning, steering etc. The difference being these systems are no longer operated manually or mechanically, they are now operated electronically. Operating systems electronically require the use of a computer or electronic control module. Using an ECM gives the engineer the ability to offer much more than just operate the system required. The information generated allows more built in functions, an example is your braking system. The continued effort to improve braking in poor traction conditions led to the development of the anti-lock brake. This system uses sensors in each wheel to detect if the wheel has locked. A locked wheel will trigger the computer to instantaneously release the brake. Avoiding lock up, it allows the driver to steer out of trouble. The information these sensors produce is also used in several other systems that enhance the driving experience. Yaw control and the skid control function both rely on this information. In fact using this wave information produced by the wheel sensors we can even tell you if the tire needs air. All these system grew out of the need to create a reliable anti-lock brake. More complicated? Yes. Safer? Also yes.
Q. I took my car in for a drivability issue the other day. The shop's estimate exceeds the value of my car. Why are cars too complicated and expensive to fix?
A. A lot of the complication we deal with was actually mandated by the government. In an effort to meet ever tightening emissions standards, more demanding safety standards and more reliability manufacturers had to use computerized systems to operate today's cars. With computers comes complexity. Best suggestion here is to seek a second opinion as to the extent of the required repairs.
The basics of a vehicle have never changed. Driveline, lighting, heating, air-conditioning, steering etc. The difference being these systems are no longer operated manually or mechanically, they are now operated electronically. Operating systems electronically require the use of a computer or electronic control module. Using an ECM gives the engineer the ability to offer much more than just operate the system required. The information generated allows more built in functions, an example is your braking system. The continued effort to improve braking in poor traction conditions led to the development of the anti-lock brake. This system uses sensors in each wheel to detect if the wheel has locked. A locked wheel will trigger the computer to instantaneously release the brake. Avoiding lock up, it allows the driver to steer out of trouble. The information these sensors produce is also used in several other systems that enhance the driving experience. Yaw control and the skid control function both rely on this information. In fact using this wave information produced by the wheel sensors we can even tell you if the tire needs air. All these system grew out of the need to create a reliable anti-lock brake. More complicated? Yes. Safer? Also yes.
Q. I took my car in for a drivability issue the other day. The shop's estimate exceeds the value of my car. Why are cars too complicated and expensive to fix?
A. A lot of the complication we deal with was actually mandated by the government. In an effort to meet ever tightening emissions standards, more demanding safety standards and more reliability manufacturers had to use computerized systems to operate today's cars. With computers comes complexity. Best suggestion here is to seek a second opinion as to the extent of the required repairs.
