I recently acquired a new commuter-car. It is a nothing-special
Kia. I got it on the cheap because it had a few issues, but none that really
scared me. The most recent (and hopefully final) preexisting issue I decided
deal with was a lit Check-Engine light. The little car ran fine, so again, I
had no great phobias about tearing into it to get it resolved.
The scanner produced a pretty elaborate string of codes
associated with the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve. The series of codes was
unusual in that it showed faults for both windings on the device and both
directions of operation. A fairly rigorous diagnostic routine followed which
led me to the fact the actual valve is damaged (electrically) and needed to be
replaced. A trip to the salvage yard secured the part I needed and I installed
it this AM. The car cooperated and it runs correctly, but I realized as I was turning
wrenches that this may only lead me to another fault as the diagnostic codes
can only tell you what isn’t happening, not why it isn’t happening. So in
effect, on cars of this era I was repairing you either throw parts at them
until all the codes go away or you use your hard-earned experience and
reasoning ability to hit it right the first time.
This put me into reminiscing mode. Like several of my
generation I cut my teeth on big V-8’s, 4-barrel carburetors and dual exhaust.
Several came and went in my early motoring years; coupes, sedans, pickup trucks
and yes, even station wagons- an automotive comfort-food that chased me into
the new millennium. In the beginning, life was simple; if your idle speed was off
(high/low) you likely had one of two things happening – the timing shifted (worn
points likely) or you had a vacuum leak. Today you are dealing with a computer
that adjusts these settings on the fly and utilizes input from any number of
sensors to do so. Any of these sensors can make the car misbehave, and if they
aren’t what’s going bad the actual computer or wiring that connects all these
devices is.
Cars today are more efficient, more powerful, more drivable
and more user-friendly that the old ones – except when they aren’t and then
they really aren’t. But more to the point, all of my old hotrods had a
disposition. Each had personality, weather and conditions they liked and those
they didn’t. I recall this as each car alternately endeared itself to me or angered
me, depending on circumstance. It was a relationship. New cars, not so much.
You stick the key in and go – or not. When you buy, you shop features, much
like buying a kitchen appliance – “do you need a frother with that?” Don’t get
me wrong-I am at the point in life where dependable is important and many of
these new cars have proven very fun to drive; they can be fast, handle well and
rake down 40 MPG.
Ultimately, cars reflect our culture. No manufacturer
intentionally goes to market with a vehicle that they don’t believe the public
wants, and so I conclude that we are where we are at today due to a composite
of the public’s perceived needs and various regulatory demands. The result? Incredible
efficiencies and design technologies, but the loss of many of the organic
aspects of the art of automotive sciences. I am ambivalent as I see everything
is squeaky clean, but I carry a gut feeling that the baby may have been thrown
out with the bathwater.
I am interested in what some thoughts are on this topic.
I grew up with all the new gadgets and I still find myself leaning to the older vacuum systems. The moment I have to take my car to a dealership because it requires a computer diagnostic above and beyond the standard generic readers, my frustration levels go sky high. It is comforting to be able to diagnose a problem using normal tools and your knowledge of how things work.
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