You may not repair your own car any more (said the government)
(www.wired.com)
🧠 These people are stupid!
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You should try a big truck. $200 an hour labor rate. If it has a fault they call it a code. It is $200 per code . If the abs has a problem it will effect 2 others systems. That is $600 just to hook the computer to it and for them to tell you the truck has 3 codes. Then they print out the diagnostic recommendations. That's a step by step instructions book (usually 15 to 30 pages) which they will follow exactly until they find the problem. If the mechanic can't find the problem then the truck will have to go to the main shop. At this point you are $600 for 3 codes and probably about 4-5 hours into it. That is about $1500 and they haven't fixed a damn thing.
And yet with tech, many of those big truck still manage 500k to a million miles before significant mechanical issues. Software will autocorrect a wide variation before things have to be fixed or replaced
People love reliability, low maintenance costs and great mpg. Those didn’t just happen. Gas metering, multiple sparks per detonation, O2 sensor banks, atmospheric pressure, altitude, humidify, barometric prettier, temperature differentials, and literally hundreds of other variables are all calculated
Pick up a $30 Bluetooth OBD meter and plug it on and pull down what your vehicle is analyzing. Automotive Engineers aren’t at all similar today to what they were 20 years ago.
The "diagnostic suite" for freightliner will cost you $5000 to $10000. That contains the program that is loaded onto a laptop and cables to connect to the truck. This is not cost effective when you own one truck. The real problem with buying this set up is that you must be a licensed shop registered with freightliner to get updates to the program. Updates come out about once a month, so after a month your program is not up to date. It would still work but for how long. Something else to look at. Some codes will cause the engine to "derate". Most derates MUST be cleared by freightliner and ONLY freightliner. Great fuel mileage? I have been a truck driver for 38 years. When I started companies were trying to get 6 mpg, now companies are happy with 7 mpg. The exhaust "regeneration " system is the main reason for low mpg now and 70% of trucks awaiting shop are there for regeneration problems. And the shops are full, 2 week to 2 month wait to get a truck in the main shop. Not a supply chain issue. Just that many trucks that are broke. Been that way since 2008 when the EPA mandated regeneration systems.
Do not disagree with a single word.
I am not a semi driver. No CDL. Not a mechanic (shade tree certified). I am an Electrical Engineer and apparently good at what I do. I understand intricate things. It’s what I do
A single owner situation may not be ideal for this application. Most complexities are “fits most cases; but not all”. EV cars will be better in most cases for a lot of people; but not everyone, everywhere in every situation for awhile
Going from 6mpg to 7mpg is 17% increase. That’s very significant. Industry wide; it’s a game changer. More complicated, yes. For large corporations this is everything. For a smaller operation- more difficult to say. Too many variables.
Consider how your industry has changed in the last few decades. Cell phones, GPS, traffic routing, financials, load management and routing.
What worked when we were young; would get crushed in todays world
The improvement in engine electronics is good. I still think to many moving parts and to many sensors. My main problem is with the exhaust regeneration system and egr. I know owners that have deleted these systems and their mpg goes up to 9 mpg, and they run theirs trucks hard. They are not worried about fuel mileage. Back to the original post. Right to repair. When it comes to repairing engines, parts MUST be bought from a freightliner dealer or licensed retailer and to clear failure codes it must be hooked to a freightliner computer or it won't run. This is what I have seen over the years. Everytime an engine manufacturer comes up with something that improves mpg the EPA puts another restriction on the exhaust or fuel that lowers mpg. 17% improvement in 38 years is not a big improvement to me. These trucks should be getting 20 mpg.
Oh my Christ. What a *f world.