What Year(s) did electronics just go over the top?

[Robert Osborn]

Hello all,
Subject line says it all. When do you as mechanics, shadetree or professional, feel like these vehicles just got to darn complex electrically for our own good?

I just can’t see some of these vehicles making it too 20+ years without impossible to diagnose MILs and electrical issues galore. Even my own ride a 2008 F250 XL with a 5.4 which only has A/C, Tilt and Cruise for options seems to be over sensorized.

I remember my 78 Buick Regal, My 88 Sunbird and my 93 S-10. I could work on those without too much issue. The 98 Malibu and everything that has come afterwards….not sooo much.

Tends to make me think everything started going downhill after OBDII from a shadetree perspective. But, what are everyone elses thoughts?

Topic

[zero]

Modern cars aren’t designed to last 20 years or more. Outside of electronics, more parts, or rather their assemblies are becoming items that aren’t repaired rather replaced as an assembly. I think there might be a handful of shops in North America that rebuild CVTs, other than that you’re ordering form the manufacturer. Electrical components fall into the same category to some extent. Confirm signal, power and/or ground and repair or replace components as necessary.

Cruise on modern cars is way better than it was on older cars. Driving my 95 regal and cruise kicked on hard. Driving my 08 Dodge and you can barely feel it go up a hill. Once you get into the modern cars with adaptive cruise control and e-nannies like ‘collision mitigation’, ‘lane keep assist’ and brake hold, that’s starting to get a little ridiculous.

[Bluesnut]

I remember sitting around at lunch one time with some other guys from the shop back in the mid 80s. One of them mentioned that he had read that cars in the future were going to have as many as 20 “computers” in them. We were a bit amazed at the time thinking WITH are they going to be doing with them all?

So much for that. My 1996 model Ford has almost 30 in it and that’s just the ones I know of.

I think some of the modern technology is a bit over the top. Cute while it’s working; not so cute when the problems arise. I can see the day when a car will be destined for the boneyard when a proprietary, can’t get from nobody windshield wiper module fails. The car won’t start because the wiper module is on the fritz so go buy a new car……

[Hubert Littau]

When I found out that loose cargo in the vehicle can trip the knock sensor raising all manor of satanic symptomry I had heard enough. That’s why I still have my 88 Isuzu Impulse and 91 Integra. Both will last forever if taken care of. I do not ask my car to sense my mood and know when to volunteer to jerk me off. The Honda makes me just as happy today as when it was new.

[Author]

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