I Hate New Cars!!

I have been saying this for a while (not on here). As great as technology is, it makes things harder! I wouldn't say they have ruined the modern car...they have just made things more expensive to fix :).

ETA for Tracy... You can get the computerized keys made at a regular key place too... The dealership will NEVER let you know about that one!!!

Well, DUH!

I do know how to deal with the modern computerized vehicles, but do I like them? NO! It forces ME to buy REALLY EXPENSIVE tools just to diagnose and repair!!!

And changing the battery will NOT do anything to the ECM [electronic control module].

Just make sure you disconnect the negative FIRST [and be sure NOT to let it touch other metal objects]. And when reinstalling, be sure to connect the negative LAST!

I think in the CRV, they have a remote ground... Which makes life a little easier, but it's still the same concept.

I don't like the fact that if you lose your keys it costs $500 to get a new one made. effing computer chipped keys!

My FIL got out of tinkering with cars because they got too computerized to be fun for him anymore. He now works with wood and carving tools.

As much as I would like power windows, I'm glad I don't have them yet. The kids never remember to close them on the other cars before the car is off. My peeve with my current car is the sensors that go bad and how everything is connected so if I need to replace some sensor thing, I need to buy a whole new whatever because the sensor is not supplied by itself.

So does hubby. He can fix just about anything except the Prius. And it burns his butt to have to have an authorized mechanic to change the oil.

Actually, my car takes a little time for the computer to reset itself after the batteries been disconnected too. Runs a little weird for an hour or so, especially the idle setting is all over the place.

:)

Yep, when I needed a car we bought a '98 Cherokee off of Craigslist specifically so that DH could fix pretty much whatever he needed to. If we had gone with a newer model year not only would it have cost waaaay more than we paid, but we would have had to pay someone to do all of the (many, many) repairs.

My husbands truck- yes the old one that is "easy to fix" died at Home depot one day. SO pulled up in new(er) Volvo to jump the truck he lifts the hood and said " did you know you dont have a battery?" Seriously the battery is in the back by the spare tire now THAT make perfect sense?

My first car stalled randomly and we brought it to a handful of mechanics who could not tell us why it did that. Eventually I had my cousin, who was in an auto mechanic school take it to class with him. It took the whole class and the instructor checking every inch of the car to discover that the stalling was caused by - yep a computer chip! Apparently it had a computer chip that controlled the timing of the fuel bursts and it was going bad. It was not visibly bad on the outside, it took some diagnostic equipment to tell!

About the mom whose husband is mad he can't change the oil on his Prius - my husband is a mechanic. Every shop that services hybrid vehicles (no matter the make) must install a defibrulator on site and send any mechanic who will be working on them to get certified. They are CRAZY dangerous. It's way too easy to electrocute yourself if you don't know what you're doing.

As for Mechanic Mama and the car keys - yes, you can have them cut someplace else, but they may or may not work. If they don't work, they very well could disable your vehicle for a half-hour as a security measure. Just FYI - might not want to try your new key in the parking lot of the place you had it made...