Even Jamie Hyneman (Mythbusters) Dislikes Tech-Filled Cars

[YSSMAN]

From the man who brings you EPIC AWESOME on the hit show Mythbusters, Jamie Hyneman says that our tech-filled cars are a 'headache.'

Automobiles with obnoxious electronics.
There are all sorts of things that are being built into cars that are really bugging a lot of us. We all like new cars with technology that improves handling, speed, mileage, safety and comfort. Designers are working hard to deliver that kind of tech. But I don't like all the beeping and buzzing electronics that are being put into cars—and I know I'm not alone. When a car's electronic junk harasses me with beeps until I buckle up a seatbelt around a box I'm carrying on the passenger seat, then there's a problem. And why on earth can a car lock me in automati*cally? If I want to get out of my car quickly, darn it, I should be able to. We should have control over these things. If I want to be nagged by my car, I'll turn on a nag button.

Cars designed to make it tough to do maintenance.
One late-model sedan I worked on required the removal of a front wheel, plus a bunch of other stuff, just to replace the battery. These days, opening the hood of most cars is enough to give me a headache.

Batteries, filters, fuses and other parts that wear out or need to be serviced should be easily accessible. If the carmakers can install all those oh-so-convenient comfort controls, do they really need to make me do gymnastics to change the oil?

I could go on, but you get the point. We all know companies are in a race to find smarter, faster, slicker technology, but do they *really want to pursue that goal at the expense of consumers? Can't we all just be friends and play nice?

To my mind, engineering is a high art, and it brings tears to my eyes to see it so disrespected at times by the marketing and legal departments of corporations. Ideally, form is supposed to follow function, and designing and manufacturing consumer products should be a collaborative process. Com*panies, it's time to wake up and pay attention to your engineers—and to your customers.

You can read more about his 'Tech Headaches' HERE

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I love Jamie, hes always a bit quiet, but always makes a lot of sense. The simple fact is that a lot of our cars are getting way too complicated, and in the future, will be absolutely impossible to work on in your driveway. Even the long-standing "standard" in the industry for user-friendlyness, the Mazda MX-5, is getting a bit too complicated for some...

What to do?

Bring back the good ol' days. Keep things simple-ish. The MX-5 is still holding on, and I see no reason why others can't do the same...

 

[Keef]

Some of them are probably tired of fixing consumers' mishaps under warranty. They want to make you have the oil changed at the dealership so they don't get sued when you put the wrong filter on like a retard, but insist on blaming them for not telling you what kind of filter it takes. They're trying to keep stupidity at bay.

 

[Pupik]

Actually, labor times have been reduced overall for car repair: The caveat is that technicians have to spend hours in the classroom (or online training) learning the shortcuts! Automakers do this since they pay for warranty work, and the labor is the expensive part. Of course, diagnosis of a problem, especially an intermittent/electrical/computer issue can sometimes turn into a multi-day nightmare.

I agree that cars are really rolling computers and complexity now, but people demand options: If one car has Bluetooth and navigation capability, then they all do. Side airbags? Reduced tortional flexing? Power seats? Interior noise reduction? It all adds to the mass of the car.

Some things are getting stupid-proof, yet stupid on second thought: BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Lexus all are starting the "no dipstick" engines and tranaxles, long-life coolant, and huge engine covers...all are attempts to get you in their service drive.

You don't really want to know where the battery is on an Audi Q7, by the way.

Spoiler

Under the driver's seat!

¡Viva la Toyota van!

 

[Keef]

You don't really want to know where the battery is on an Audi Q7, by the way.

Please, do tell!

 

[Rockit]

ugh yes i think about this often.. however if you have one old car that you like and treat well and maintain yourself, and then one car that you don't have to touch and can beat the crap out of since you don't fix it,, well that's the best of both worlds isnt it??

dipstickless? probably cause the germans invented a sensor to check it for you, then reward you with a nice SES light when it's not to the sensors liking, then schedulle an oil change, work it into your plans,steal your identity, pay for the oil change, then break so it has to be replaced at the time of oil change for the price of a small african country.

Heh anyone ever hear of the chrsyler transmissions in the old caravans and town and country's? they always always broke at 100,000 miles. always.tell me what it means when a company formerly capable of making a perfectly reliable transmission suddenly has a bad apple that breaks ON TIME? sounds a bit fishy, specially since they ran that trans forever and a day despite it's problems, wonder how much chrysler made on that trans in labor and parts..

 

[JCE]

Jamie Hyneman is genius in more ways than one. He scored +5,000,000pts with me from that article.

 

[exigeracer]

One late-model sedan I worked on required the removal of a front wheel, plus a bunch of other stuff, just to replace the battery. These days, opening the hood of most cars is enough to give me a headache.

It was a Chrysler Intrepid fleet car in the episode where they tried to blow over a taxi with jet engines.

He also drives a totally rad matte black VW Bus/pickup.

 

[buickgnx88]

I agree totally. I love the simplicity of my '89 Wrangler, no computers, no safety features, no lame engine covers, no huge-ass dashboard, and no power-anything besides the steering. I could probably tear it down and rebuild it in my driveway if I wanted to. The only drawbacks are the slowly dying engine (AMC 258 I6) and the worst tranny put in a Jeep ever, the Peugeot BA-10 5-speed. But hey it has a softtop, 4WD, and a working heater so I'm set!

 

[YSSMAN]

My MKIII was the last generation of VW to still have a lot of that old-school "simplicity" to it. Even though its nothing close to its predecessors, or hell, even the Beetle, you can still climb under there and do a lot of work yourself... Which is nice. Fast forward a single generation, only minor changes to the parts in general, and I've got no idea what I'm doing!

 

[exigeracer]

Hmmm even mkIIIs are a big plate of dirty spaghetti under the hood. The electrics of VWs I've seen can make repair frustrating and confusing. The wiring is fine and well sorted, but when you need to repair something and alter something, it gets confusing and risky very quick.

 

[Thirdeye]

I'm glad my Integra is extremely easy to work on... very simple under the hood, know where everything is and how it works, most everything's easily accessible... etc... I've never owned a car newer than a 1998 and I enjoy it that way.

 

[kingcars]

I love working on my dad's Chevelle...we can do an engine swap in just a couple of hours, if that. Even my Thunderbird is nowhere near as bad as newer cars...

Good post, good read.

 

[V1P3R]

I've been saying Luxury cars (tech cars) are a waste for years. Just another thing to break and it also makes the car heavier. Do we really need them? No... Does the consumer know how to use them? No...

Oh, since we're on the subject two things.

1. WTF was keeping the brakes dry a problem on cars??? The new BMW has this stupid tech where the wipers talk to the brakes to wipe them off so we stop? WTF have I been doing all this time?

2. Acura's satellite controlled climate system, WTF... are you that tarded to turn a nob? It has blue for cold and red for hot...

As for the later part of his article, here's an EPIC FAIL... My parents were one of the dumb people that decided to buy a 85 Olds Cutlass Serra. The engine was mounted perpendicularly so that it was impossible to reach the back 3 spark plugs.

 

[Famine]

Some of them are probably tired of fixing consumers' mishaps under warranty. They want to make you have the oil changed at the dealership so they don't get sued when you put the wrong filter on like a retard, but insist on blaming them for not telling you what kind of filter it takes. They're trying to keep stupidity at bay.

Or put transmission oil in the engine (Subaru Impreza owner - fail).

Or take the oil filler cap (Part 710) off and rev the engine to get the oil out (SRT-4 owner - fail).

Or replace the oil filler cap (Part 710) with a sock (M3 owner - fail).

 

[Mark T]

I've never been good at car maintenance so I usually hand it over to my brother (he's a mechanic for Ford). Somethings you want to do yourself. For example, on my MK4 Golf to change the main beam headlight bulb VW would be required to remove the front bumper, remove light and then put the bulb in. Labour was in excess of £70 at most VW garages. Something like changing a bulb should be very simple. In the end I struggled for about an hour, working in a tiny space, removing clips & cases just to get to a bulb. I scratched my hand to pieces but eventually did it.

I have to agree, with the brilliant design teams they have they should make everyday maintenance items easily accessible and easy to replace.

 

[Duke]

Some things are getting stupid-proof, yet stupid on second thought: BMW, Audi, Mercedes, and Lexus all are starting the "no dipstick" engines and tranaxles, long-life coolant, and huge engine covers...all are attempts to get you in their service drive.

I'm waiting to see a car where under the hood is a blank cover that says "No User Serviceable Parts Inside".

 

[TheCracker]

I'm waiting to see a car where under the hood is a blank cover that says "No User Serviceable Parts Inside".

Maserati are getting close. Couldn't find any pix of it on the net but the new Gran Turismo's engine bay is even worse. This is the QPorte.

 

[Jim Prower]

Now I'm seriously considering not buying a new car. I may just drive old Novas the rest of my life.

 

[YSSMAN]

The fact that the idiots at GM placed the windshield washer fluid over the battery on some of the W-Body cars years ago makes you wonder... What the hell were they thinking?

Sure, space is "tight" in some engine bays and they want to keep it looking nice, but no one needs to place form over function. There can be a perfect balance too!

Can anyone possibly make sense of the IS-F engine?

At least the Germans do it right-ish...

 

[Pupik]

Can anyone possibly make sense of the IS-F engine?

I'm going to let you in on a secret: All those hoses are actually butter dispensers, to get the engine installed under the hood. What a far cry from my old Corolla, in which you could install a TV tray to the left of the engine block and still have room to work under the hood.

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised that Audi is the about the only luxury manufacturer left that doesn't clad their engine bays with plastic covers. However, the newer cars are getting slightly more covers with each passing model year, I've noticed. But don't think for a minute that the engine in an RS6 or S8 has much "breathing room" to spare: The bumper covers, and sometimes even the entire bumper, has to come off most Audis to do many repairs and services.

 

[buickgnx88]

Ahhh good 'ol simple engines...those were the days

And here's an example of extra space!

 

[YSSMAN]

Oooh electric fans, what a cheater! We still had the engine-driven fan on our Camaro, but I think we're gonna go electric...

*sigh*

At least with that, even relatively non-mechanically-inclined YSSMAN can figure out how to work on the engine.

 

[niky]

Or replace the oil filler cap (Part 710) with a sock (M3 owner - fail).

I still can't believe this one... but it's one of the more memorable ones on the internet... besides the guy who downshifted into 2nd from 6th and left K20 kibbles all over the road.

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I used to do all my own car work, till I got sick of it... I'm pretty glad my current ride is still semi-sensible, soi I can actually pop open the hood in an emergency and diagnose any problems... or at least understand what my mechanic tells me.

Oh well... if you want to DIY, you can always buy your own OBDII scanner...

 

[Casio]

I think I've opened my bonnet about 3 times in the almost 3 years I've had my car. And all of those were to put water in the washer thingy, which was done quickly, easily and trouble free. To conclude my car is brilliantly designed for me to do maintenance on.