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OT: It may soon be illegal to work on YOUR OWN automobile

Section22Sooner

Sooner starter
Dec 8, 2002
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WASHINGTON, DC – Automakers say altering your car’s electronic control units could lead to equipment failure and security issues. They want to make it illegal for you to work on your own car. Specifically, the electrical and computer components of your vehicle.

The Auto Alliance, an association that represents 12 of the largest car manufactures, says the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, makes tinkering with your car a copyright violation–and now it’s lobbying congress to enforce the idea.

The electronic frontier foundation is fighting the effort.

http://fox2now.com/2015/04/23/automakers-want-to-make-it-illegal-for-you-to-work-on-your-own-car/
 
WASHINGTON, DC – Automakers say altering your car’s electronic control units could lead to equipment failure and security issues. They want to make it illegal for you to work on your own car. Specifically, the electrical and computer components of your vehicle.

The Auto Alliance, an association that represents 12 of the largest car manufactures, says the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, makes tinkering with your car a copyright violation–and now it’s lobbying congress to enforce the idea.

The electronic frontier foundation is fighting the effort.

http://fox2now.com/2015/04/23/automakers-want-to-make-it-illegal-for-you-to-work-on-your-own-car/


Well, they don't need to pass a law for me to stay out of the tool box with these new cars. I can't even find the battery on my wife's 2005 Cadillac. I stopped working on my cars when they went to full injection vs. the carburetor.

I get your point though............

Now just pass a law where I don't have to work on plumbing, esp toilets............
 
Oh man, I get it, and you're right.
He is, and forgive the expression, anal about his toilets.
The book on him is, if there isn't those paper covers to put on the seat, he 'hovers' when he does his business. (even at his own abode)

That's right folks, you heard it here.
No covers...he hovers...:)


I wouldn't say he doesn't have a cover.................

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Nowhere does the article offer any proof or indication that working on your car" would be illegal. The issue deals with altering the computer related safety features controlled by the car's CPU.The article just wants it so people can't work on the code/software. I.E. - change the tune in the ECU. They aren't trying to stop you from changing your oil, suspension, hard parts, etc.

.. conspiracy theories and anti-government/anti-corporate propaganda. So it is easy to see why the article made its way to this site.
 
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Well, you're right, and it wouldn't have been any fun to jump ugly on the article without the conspiracy notion implied.
IE, it's just a matter of time and those tasks you mention would also be verboten to do on your own car.

Hey, it's dead here. Ergo, we'll take any mole hill and literally make a mountain of it.
It's what we do with a certain alacrity.:rolleyes:
 
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If you actually read the letters sent out by Auto Alliance, or GM, you will find they are talking about hacking/disabling the on-board proprietary telematic systems such as on star.

I still don't like it, but the issue is a far cry from "making it illegal to work on your car".
 
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GSX, I hope you are correct. Because I will miss seeing all the shitty looking, smoke blowing, parts-dangling POS custom jobs going down the highway every day.
 
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against the law or not.....no way am I tinkering with my car's electronics. That is just asking for trouble...considering I have no clue on that stuff. Now....oil changes, tranny fluid exchanges, brakes, filters, plugs, etc....I do that and will continue to.
 
Yeah, I had no idea about all the gizmos you can impose on your electronics.
They even have this interface I can buy for the Titan, where you can dial up whatever you want. Max power or economy and everything in between.
I'm not going to get it though because as sure as I do, I know I'll be looking at an insipid 'check engine' light for the duration. I have enough issues with the damn hypersensitive low tire light.
Oh, that thing is maddening. It comes on when a tire is TWO pounds low, then I have to take it to Robertsons to get the light to go off. (thankfully for only a five dollar gratuity)
I like all the technology in newer vehicles, but man, with every one of those features is another thing that can eff up.
 
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against the law or not.....no way am I tinkering with my car's electronics. That is just asking for trouble...considering I have no clue on that stuff. Now....oil changes, tranny fluid exchanges, brakes, filters, plugs, etc....I do that and will continue to.

In these days of forced LGBT awareness, does the expression tranny fluid exchanges take on a whole new meaning? I am not sure if you want to publically promote that or not?
 
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It comes on when a tire is TWO pounds low, then I have to take it to Robertsons to get the light to go off. (thankfully for only a five dollar gratuity)

Old man Robertson may be a shyster, but he ain't dumb. Hook up the 'puter, disable the transponder reset button on 200 vehicles (including your Titan). 200 x 3 times per year x $5.00 comes to about $1.2 million, or something like that.
 
Perhaps the Congress ought to pass a law requiring the auto makers to make a vehicle whose electrical system and gadgets actually don't require being repaired. Here is what the automakers really want. They want to prevent 2nd parties manufactures from being able to design, produce and sell after-market electronics for their vehicles. They are afraid that someone else will be able to design a computer for my diesel pickup that will give me better mileage under my driving conditions

On my Ford F-250 Superduty Diesel the automatic tire pressure sensing system goes berserk every so often. Don't know how many times I have stopped along the road to check the tire pressure manually to only discover there isn't an issue. When these dumb things don't work the only way to fix them is to take the tires off and replace the units. They don't tell you which wheel has a leak.

Also, every damn time I get low on the stupid diesel exhaust fluid I get a warning giving me 750 miles to fill the tank up. Ten miles later I have only 500 miles to go. Just make these gadgets function in a logical manner. When my diesel exhaust system kicks in during city driving I get a warning to drive to clean the system. Then later I get a damn wrench showing up on my instrument panel. I called my Ford dealer asking for a question as to what it meant in regards to the exhaust cleaning process. They had no clue, but they were willing to charge me $100 to put my vehicle on their test system. I figured it out myself.

If you buy Ford brand for fuel filters/oil filters they will charge you double what you can buy a better filter at almost any auto parts store. It is a huge racket for the automakers. Most people have no clue about their vehicles ... even the easy things to do to keep your vehicle up.

I am an old farm/ranch boy and I grew up with a father that was a mechanic, welder, carpenter, electrician, plumber on and on. Early on I learned how to do my own repairs. However, the day has passed when I even attempt to do anything more than change my own fuel/oil filters etc. I would never attempt to do even the simplest repairs on today's modern vehicles. But, I do know people who are capable of doing it. This is just another power grab.
 
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