Ford motor company

[Jeff-Groves]

What they are doing is taking away the ability of the average person to service their vehicle. Thus getting more of your money!
Now what they can't stop is the ABOVE normal owner!
I can change nearly every computer setting in my vehicles with special software. Yes it cost me more then a few bucks but the over all savings are worth it to me.
Another nice thing I can do is change out the computers with a junk yard one and reprogram that for a quick change if need be.
I remember reading a book years ago where positronic brains were installed in vehicles and how they were hacked or changed. Probably Asaac Asimov.
Having been in the business of working on cars and trucks? I saw that coming!

[Commander Wallace]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

There is currently a bru-ha-ha involving John Deere, Right To Repair, and farmers.
This gets complicated really fast. If you leased a tractor over a 15 year purchase agreement, do you own it? As an "owner", are you bound to service agreements if they are listed in the fine print or can you wrench on it in the barn?

This all boils down to contract law and capitalism.
Neither subject can be considered click-bait-y but it does become important when vehicles become high dollar assets.

I read this as well. Right now, you almost have to be a computer engineer to do work on your car. I know a few guys who use a laptop tied into the vehicles onboard computer so they ( can talk to each other ) They adjust the fuel and spark curves and other things. Motorcycles are becoming just as bad with the advent of fuel injection on them.

Tearing an engine down isn't all that hard although, you still need a qualified machine shop to do cylinder boring and cutting and or polishing a crankshaft. I took a few years of mechanics when I was in high school so this isn't a big deal. You also need basic skills with a caliper to measure to set tolerances for bearings and such. As Jeff said, if you have knowledge like that in programming, you can do a lot of the work yourself.

There is no doubt however that car manufacturers want you to bring your cars back to them so they can charge over inflated service prices. You can save tons of money if like Rockstar, Platapus and others have said in that you can perform basic service including brakes, struts, alternators, etc....

[Skybird]

Epson ET-series printers. Have an ink pad, that in principle could be easily replaced once it soaked itself full (the printer does not print anymore then). Software command to be activated in the in the menu like when you fill up the ink tank, resetting counters to zero, and you are done. But not with Epson (and others). They made the ink pad much less easily accessible (without need), and the resetter needs a code you either buy online from second hand sources (unneeded), or you have the whole thing being sent in to Epson so that they can charge you a second time. Its planned obsolence of an especially impertinent kind. At the same time their propaganda keeps telling law makers there is no planned obsolence.

I have such a printer, new, and I love it, it works great (ET-2750). I did not now that ink pad thing. If I would have known,I would have wnated but probably would have gotten it anyway, with Linux, your options for printers are limited. The ink tank design is fantastic. But their greed kills the good impresson they could have left with the ET-series.

No surprise this is, I know I know. They keep on telling you how sustainability-oriented they are. They are liars.


This omnipresent, always "on" lying and cheating, it makes me sick and angry. Its one of th ereaosns why I have turned out to become that grumpy cat that nI became. I cannot stand it when people tell me lies right to my face while all the time smiling.

[Jeff-Groves]

The program I have can diagnose problems as I drive when I have my Notebook plugged in.
If I had a Notebook with Blue tooth? I have a Bluetooth adapter that I could install so no hard wire would be needed!

I am not the average vehicle owner though.
Not many would spend what I have to take control of my vehicles!
I can change shift points, Fuel curves, Timing curves, and MUCH MORE!
I can even change the errors in speedometer readings for different tire sizes!

If I wish? I can even stop any warnings from popping up by disabling detection!
It's CRAZY what your vehicle is recording now days!

I also learned how to remove On Star tracking. Even if you have no contract for On Star? The vehicle can be tracked!
On my 2000 Cadillac Escalade? It was simply unplug the wires behind the glove box.
Now they SAY that old of Caddy is ANALOG so don't work with On Star. Not trusting THAT statement!
Mine are Ghosts!

[Skybird]

You should build your own Maximilian, rob a bank and be stinking rich.

[Jeff-Groves]

I am a Hacker from WAY back.
But I am not now nor ever have been a THIEF!
What I own now? I earned it honestly. By working for it.

[AVGWarhawk]

Shortage of new vehicles. Bronco by Ford are very popular for some reason. As far as repairing ones vehicle, what happens in the garage stays in the garage.

I would hope all are going over the contract before signing. Many don't.