why not to buy a Ford

Mercedes is the most infant failure prone car brand in Arizona.

BMW is the second most infant failure prone.

I think this proliferation of uP's is due to the fact that new "engineers" don't know shit about analog control systems :-(

...Jim Thompson

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xt -

Didn't you say you live in Cinci? I see... you are either defending that devil worshiping company becuase you or some of your friends work there.

ha! Apparently I am not the only person that passes their time at stop lights thinking about this.

Oregon is trying valiantly to catch up... along with GPS tracking of your every move ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Yeah, it's the "a computer" which is the problem. Lots of computers aren't a problem: if the radio's CPU crashes, you get no radio, but the engine still runs. OTOH, the s/w on the engine-management CPU probably has a larger development team than HL2 but fewer lines of code than a Vista push-button widget, so that's not likely to suffer the same fate.

It's when they get obsessed with replacing all of the little computers with a Windows PC that the "WHY are you doing this!?" cluestick starts getting restless.

It reminds of the point when computer games all suddenly HAD to be in perspective 3D, no matter how little sense it made. An extreme case was Lemmings 3D. WHY? There was absolutely no reason that game to be in 3D. Aren't people immune to the "all the cool kids are doing it" thing by this point?

Is that because there might be a leftist weenie in the trunk?

message

their

failure

without a

on.

Ford or

i.e. urban myth.

Rial.

I'd argue that they don't know shit about digital control systems either.

Don't know about that. I recently rented a 2007 Chevy Cobalt. It had some annoyances like the fact that in order to turn the key in the ignition you had to keep twisting the steering wheel back and forth to find the sweet spot.

As far as the TV's, most use a Linux kernel. I know that's true of the Sony line.

In my case I simply plugged in my iPod and hit the Aux button. Didn't need anything but the volume knob.

I don't necessarily blame the paralysis on the unions. On the other hand the perfect example is GM.

Good friend of mine worked on the financial side of GM manufacturing and the stories he tells me about the newly minted MBA's are astounding.

No ABS brakes? No CAN bus? No controllers for side mirrors? No power seat controls? No airbag controller? No navigation system? No bus controlled lighting?

What do you drive, an '81 Camaro or maybe a Yugo?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

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nd on.

rd or

e quoted text -

There must be some saying about them that is the equiv. of "All hat - no cattle"

Probably not ;-)

...Jim Thompson

Digital engine control systems are marvels that have hugely improved the performance and reliability of auto drive trains. Now those same guys should be assigned to program the radios.

John

Rust.

Used car parts distribution is interesting...

Body parts ship west-to-east (no rust)

Engine components ship east-to-west (low operational hours before body rusts out ;-)

...Jim Thompson

When I designed LED flashlights, we sent them to Arizona for the glovebox test. If the designed worked after setting in the AZ sun for months,,,,,,,

Need I say more?

Steve

Yeah , its AWD, my bad. Just had the Equinox's first major winter test today. we were blessed with 6-8" of wet, heavy, powder on a ice base, made worse by salting. Went right out of the uphill driveway, no problems, with out plowing. AWD may suck in the mountains, but I tried the local downhill of icy death, plus Dead Man's curve off RT 224, and I may just start to like AWD in winter. Rangers and other light vehicles do not make it up my driveway without 300-400 pounds of sand in the back, under these conditions.

And yes, that is a backhanded slap on the Honda, I'd be fighting to stay awake 3 hours into the 8 hours to St Louis.

One gripe no matter what I drive, all heaters are still manual PWM.

Steve