MANUFACTURERS LOOKING TO MAKE DIY CAR REPAIR ILLEGAL?

"Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast." (twostrokesmoke) 04/24/2015 at 02:06 • Filed to: None

0

24

I’m not sure how this story slipped under my radar, but here you go.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Cherry_man1 > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 02:09

0

It was on the FP of Jalopnik how did you miss it?

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Cherry_man1 04/24/2015 at 02:14

0

I rarely visit the FP.

TheHondaBro > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 02:16

0

It’s just ECU tuning.

Wheelerguy > TheHondaBro 04/24/2015 at 02:20

0

Well, if there’s anything, these makers think the ECU is the car itself, and that the car is software.

Cherry_man1 > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 02:38

0

Ah gotcha

jkm7680 > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 07:32

0

That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. You aren’t “borrowing a car for an extended period of time.” You own the fucking car, the title is in your name.

I’ll re flash my ecu if I want to, they can eat a bag of dicks if they want to try and stop me.

EL_ULY > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 08:19

1

i support this. Too many cars (besides our Lotus customers) come in with botched repairs that end up costing the customer soooo much for us to fix.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > EL_ULY 04/24/2015 at 08:43

0

But where do you draw the line? For every excellent mechanic there’s a terrible back street mechanic ripping people off. I know for a fact me and some of my family do better work than a lot of independent shops and even some dealers. Plus we literally couldn’t afford to own cars if we sent them to a mechanic to have work done, we do everything except stuff that requires specialised tools (timing belt changes on newer cars for example).

EL_ULY > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 04/24/2015 at 09:00

1

well sir, most of these cars are from independent shops that specialize in those cars. But with more precise OEM mechanicals and an aftermarket that can’t produce the equivalent parts for a proper repair, it is a recipe for disaster. I do not think the actual job is what is difficult here. It’s all just nuts and bolts and most people can get around using special tools. I know I have a bunch of times on a bunch of cars. What is difficult for these shops is to do the proper diag and usually get in deeper that they were supposed to. Perfect example, a shop had both CEL on a Rapide that was taken to them (yes, each bank on the V12 works separately). Despite them being a English car specialist, the got as far as dropping the powertrain and going way beyond what they needed to do to repair that specific error code. They didn’t know that the actual repair needed was just a simple spacer on both engine speed sensors.

How could they avoid this? There are 2 options. First, BRING IN TO US! Second, independent shops CAN purchase OEM computers and diagnosis software just like the dealerships. They can get licenses to use them any time......... but it is not cheap. At the end, they will charge you accordingly and the repairs, even if using OEM parts, will not have the same warranty as the dealer.

I say, for basic maintenance, body, trim, and minor electrical, get the tools out and order a pizza. For anything else, bring it to the dealer or at the absolute minimum, an independent shop that has the OEM diag and software computers that are up to date.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 09:01

0

From what I understood it’s not the repairs they are trying to shut down. Stuff like oil and brake. It’s tuning the ECU that they are trying to stop

EL_ULY > TheHondaBro 04/24/2015 at 09:02

0

nope

EL_ULY > jkm7680 04/24/2015 at 09:03

0

we have software that can override all aftermarket changes to any ecu >:] muaah ha haa

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > EL_ULY 04/24/2015 at 09:33

0

When I refer to independent shops I more mean the smaller privately owned ones that do general repairs and servicing for cash strapped people. But I can imagine expensive cars like that Rapide need a hell of a lot more specific knowledge than the sort of stuff I work on. My Renault is like a big meccano set.

For run of the mill every day car not a huge amount of jobs are beyond a solid DIY mechanic with some experience. My grandad taught me and he’s been working on stuff for a long long time.

Strangely we once had an engine fault that threw some codes, but the dealer supposedly still couldn’t diagnose it after being paid £30 to read the codes without a £100 fee to start digging into the car. They also refused to tell us what the codes were. I ended up fixing it myself, it was a solenoid that controls the variable valve timing.

I wonder how far they want the ban to go, will it just be software modification, or literally anything controlled electronically like replacing your own drive by wire throttle etc.

Racescort666 > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 09:38

1

Meanwhile, in Minnesota.

EL_ULY > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 04/24/2015 at 09:45

0

I doubt it will go down to run of the mill maintenance shops that at the most will do jobs like motor mounts, cv axles, engine seals, cooling systems, suspension, and basic electrical. The more network based items on the other hand will probably get regulated some time in the future. I sure hope so because there are some hacky practices and components in the after market and do more damage than good. I feel more than anything they are targeting those aftermarket systems used for those components.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > EL_ULY 04/24/2015 at 10:03

0

So youre saying this performance chip won’t actually add 15hp?

It’s 100% street legal!

EL_ULY > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 04/24/2015 at 10:55

1

We took one off a E55 AMG because it caused a check engine light. It just some little resistor but what made me lol more is that the wire they used was telephone wire! Lol sooo awesome :]

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 04/24/2015 at 12:40

0

That doesn’t make it any better.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > EL_ULY 04/24/2015 at 12:41

0

Sounds to me then like you would have an interest in not supporting it.

EL_ULY > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 12:50

0

more $$$ for us either way. I just don’t want the customers to suffer twice for getting their car fixed.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 12:56

0

If it keeps the guys in Brodozers from rolling coal I’m ok with it

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > EL_ULY 04/24/2015 at 13:51

0

I think it’s safe to say that when you start messing with your engine, unless you have a lot of experience, then you are always aware of the possibility of screwing things up. It’s part of the mindset. The other part is that if all goes as planned, it will be glorious!

EL_ULY > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 04/24/2015 at 14:02

0

well just this week a shop (very successful shop) got in a 2010 C70 (now that it’s out of warranty) with a complaint of a noise in the rear. This shop installed rear brake cradles, rear shocks, discs, pads, and expensive rear calipers (electric). Noise is still there. Car comes in with us, and we diag it quickly. We did a common procedure for these with the rear sway bar and the noise is gone. No parts just 2hr. check out.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > EL_ULY 04/25/2015 at 05:39

0

Haha it reminds me of those fuel shark things that were literally just a circuit to run an LED connected to a 12V plug.