Cars are getting too smart for my liking.

[obi_waynne]

I recently took my car into the garage for some work which require that the battery be disconnected. This results in resetting the computer to the factory setting. When you get the car back you realise all of the little things that it does.

Now when the car goes into neutral the revs rise and fall bouncing around an average and then settles. Apparently the computer will learn the exact amount of RPM that the engine idles at without stalling and will set this as the default option.

I also had to reset the clock and the date and lost my accumulated average MPG and average speed since the last reset - things which I use to compare the cars performance and a sudden drop in MPG usually indicates an imminent problem. Now I wish I had written all of the data down (GEEK ALERT!) Also the radio settings, presets and time also need resetting!

The electric windows also have a one touch up and down setting - but since reconnecting the battery I have to work out how to switch this on again. The car also feels a bit sluggish and does not seem to be the car I put into the garage but since it only had a new starter motor fitted this can only be down to the computer relearning the optimum settings. The steering and even the braking feel different, I know it is not just me and that this must also be down to the cars computer. It is kind of nice to think that the car gets used to its driver.

Doing some research on the Internet and speaking with other people I note that other drivers have complained similarly of problems with the car following the computer reset and have taken their cars back to the garage and complained only to be told that it will sort itself out in due course. Some owners of automatics report a really soggy gear change, again down to the computer needing to relearn the drivers habits and its engines own personality. I'm sure other people have had even weirder stuff happen to them following an ECU reset.

I don't know about you but we tend to take it for granted just how much technology affects our lives. Perhaps we should go back to cars with carbs and no ABS or Power Steering.

 

[HDi fun]

Yeah, they do learn. It's a kind of overlay on top of the generic factory settings. The windows need to learn the fully open/closed positions etc. Back ones take longer as they're generally used less frequently.

I'm inclined to agree with you, but I'll contradict myself immediately as I don't want ot rewind 20 years and drive with no ABS and PAS etc.

Those old days when you could fiddle with the engine timing and tuning using little more than a 13mm box spanner and a flat head screwdriver.

Nothing to bugger up or poison in the way of cats and lambda sensors.

 

[obi_waynne]

All those hours setting up the twin 40's! Some items are good as you say and save lives, others just seem a little unnecessary.

 

[HDi fun]

I was thinking of the rather sad old twin SU's on my Montego back in the dark ages. You know, those aluminium tit shaped things that pissed oil into the inlet manifold from the damper pistons and NEVER got in phase with each other unless you were approaching 6000rpm. Great sound tho.

No injection kit can compare to the raw snarl of carb fed motors. All you get is a kind of a feline hiss (yes, I did use an 'h').

Driving diesel now, and these things are far too complex. Performance is sorted, noise is sorted. Fuel economy: good as ever. Servicing costs: horrific.

Yet thou speaketh of none other than Twin Weber DCOE 40's.

My, weren't you privileged.

Rgds,