Re:I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS
by jethro_tell on Wednesday March 23, 2016 @04:31PM
(#11347960)
Right but a service interval now is about the same as an engine life from an older car.
Re:I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS
by harshreality on Wednesday March 23, 2016 @04:44PM
(#11348063)
> Pretty much all they can do when they see a blinking light is take the car to a mechanic.
Why? Don't they have OBD-2 readers?
Re:I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS
by CamperBob2 on Wednesday March 23, 2016 @05:51PM
(#11348564)
OBD2 doesn't tell you much, in a lot of cases. It might identify a loose gas cap or a broken plug wire, but for everything else that can wrong on a modern car you need the manufacturer's proprietary scan tool and a subscription to their online service documents. These cost thousands of dollars, needless to say.
Re:I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS
by zo1 on Wednesday March 23, 2016 @06:13PM
(#11348690)
Not that, but certain "luxury-brand" cars specifically don't want you fiddling with anything, and to simply bring it in for a service.
E.g. The weirdest part of it (after driving an old car for the longest time) was they explicitly tell you not to have gas-station attendants check your oil for you. If you're leaking/losing oil, the lights will at some point come on and prompt you to take the car in for service.
Re:I switched to Android after 7 years of iOS
by jonknee on Wednesday March 23, 2016 @06:18PM
(#11348722)
> E.g. The weirdest part of it (after driving an old car for the longest time) was they explicitly tell you not to have gas-station attendants check your oil for you. If you're leaking/losing oil, the lights will at some point come on and prompt you to take the car in for service.
Why is that weird? It's a pressurized system with plenty of sensors, you are certainly better off following the data than a gas station attendant (which itself is an old fashioned concept in most places).
While I agree with this, I understand where Swizec's comment is coming from. I have a few business acquaintances who have been automotive engineers for 30-40 years now. They have an excellent idea of how their cars work. And yet, they rue that earlier, they could open any broken car and get it to run. Now, there's not much they can do to fix their own cars. Pretty much all they can do when they see a blinking light is take the car to a mechanic. The older generation has learnt that they can't fix their cars. The newer generation, unsurprisingly, doesn't even want to make the effort. The older generation could fill up their oil, change their filters, etc. Now, most people just get their mysterious machine serviced every few months. "I don't want to maintain my car" seems like a natural consequence of how cars work now.