Driving

[JayCeeDee]

“I suspect that fears of over-regulated Health & Safety laws and litigation are the root causes.”

 

That, and the fact that more drivers then need to go to main dealers, or very well equipped independents, and the possibility to sell them equipment, or electronic mapping/analysing and the like, as a bonus profit.

[Bob Williams]

Electronic diagnostics were beginning to come into the Trade shortly before I retired due to ill health. First came the BMW’s and Merc’s (of course) and there was a healthy trade in “add on’s ” to remove the Servicing indicator dashboard lights. I recall arguing the toss with my boss about a 2-piece tower ‘plug in’ to carry out this procedure on several different BMW’s. It cost £60+ in around the early 90’s and we needed it to carry on servicing the Beamers from our regulars. Then some cowboy sold my boss a “Diagnostic Computer”, what a joke that was. It was the size of a 1950’s Arcade machine and about as much use. Eventually we older mech’s began to work more and more on the Classics that were the real money earners, until we developed a Name for that and the younger guys worked on the bread & butter stuff.

I could still tune a multi-carb engine with a left ear and a thin metal rod, if necessary!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

My neighbour back in the late 90’s/early 00’s was a Snap-On dealer. He reckoned he had his Summer Holiday each year on the back of the sales of Diagnostics Machines and the cartridges required for each time a new or updated model was introduced.

What annoys me is the amount you get charged if you want to update your inbuilt Sat-Nav. It’s one DVD and about an hour’s labour and they want about £350 for that. No wonder there’s a market for the DVD’s on EBay!!

[The Duke]

Today Bob, them computers are leased for a couple of grand a year. Well it’s actually the software that is leased, and you have to pay every year to get the update every 6months.

I know my local mechanic, nice enough guy, was saying, it’s a massive monopoly con, you have to have it, and they charge a fortune.

This company that leases the software, has relations with all the manufacturers, they get the information for each car, and bundle all the engineers softwares together.

The computer to turn your ser ice indicator off is about £30 now. I know. Ow my car you can do with out an extra device. In the settings you can either turn it off altogether, or reset the counter to 15k.

With an obd2 port adapter (£2 and up) and a free android, (there are many some free others paid, all sub £5) you can read all the cars sensors and see what’s what, on some cases to can write code to).

[Bob Williams]

JayCeeDee & Steve;

Your posts tell me that the PBGM (Poor Bloody Grease Monkey) is still being ripped off, which is of course passed on to the PBGM’s customer, who subsequently claims being ripped off as well! At least the customer can buy the kit you talk about Steve, and learn to use it. the only consolation as I see it, is that someday soon we may all move to electric cars, and those suppliers will be left with a pile of stuff they can’t move. Maybe…

I also recall the first Parts Ordering computer we got at the garage. It was a huge Tower case from Unipart, running something called (I think) Kerridge, with a 17″ CRT monitor that weighed about a tonne. The whole thing really upset my old boss, he couldn’t use the desk for his fish and chip lunch on the odd occasions when he was there. It did make ordering parts easier, but my warnings that Unipart were more expensive than the local company we had been using, fell on deaf ears, until I produced the first month’s figures calculating the difference in Trade Price between what we had been paying and what Unipart charged. It took 3 months to get them to take back the setup. I had to tell them in the end that it was all going for scrap by the weekend. They fetched it next day. Unfortunately for them, they forgot about the stock of batteries and exhausts for most common models, that they left behind. We gradually sold those off, I kept a record of it in case they remembered, but they never came back.  Which probably demonstrates their poor business and accounting practice.

As for the Satnav John, I bought a Garmin Muvi almost 3 years ago and paid for ‘Free Upgrades Forever’. I was a bit cynical about that ‘Forever’ bit, but so far I must have had at least 5 upgrades to all Western Europe Maps. I downloaded and installed Garmin Express to this desktop and they give me an Alert whenever there are Upgrades. I plug the Garmin into the PC and it upgrades and updates it. Sometimes there are Freebies, and/or Offers. It cost me a bit at first purchase, but not anywhere close to £350, and no DVD involved, it’s a direct online download. Snap-On tools were always a rip off, the mark up on them was big according to a guy who used to have a concession. I liked Mac tools, same quality but did not have the same high polish, worked just as well and a lot less expensive. Sealey were always good too. When I finished, I had about £3k worth of roll cabs and tools, collected over many years. Had to sell, so sold to my nephew for his stepsons. Made a big loss, but at least it gave them a start and they are all good lads, although I wish I still had them for my son and grandson, who is studying and working to be an electrical engineer.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Robin Long]

For me, the issue is not so much GPS updates I’ll use my phone, but my next car will almost certainly have Nav built into it, I’m lucky in that it will be mobility so updates will be included.  I am, though, curious to see how second-hand prices will be affected by out of date firmware/nav software.  No doubt for some this will involve the services of eBay and no doubt there already is some dodgy people producing bug filled software.

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

[PlaneMan]

No idea about other makes but the sat nav updates on my mum’s Captur is a easy as anything, download the software for Windows, format a flash drive, run the update, flash the update from USB on the Sat nav unit. Not too far away from a Android update in how it looks /works. Just a lot slower.

[JayCeeDee]

Bob Williams wrote:

JAs for the Satnav John, I bought a Garmin Muvi almost 3 years ago and paid for ‘Free Upgrades Forever’. I was a bit cynical about that ‘Forever’ bit, but so far I must have had at least 5 upgrades to all Western Europe Maps. I downloaded and installed Garmin Express to this desktop and they give me an Alert whenever there are Upgrades. I plug the Garmin into the PC and it upgrades and updates it. Sometimes there are Freebies, and/or Offers. It cost me a bit at first purchase, but not anywhere close to £350, and no DVD involved, it’s a direct online download.

BS – I already had a TomTom, which I used in the Vito van – when we bought it new, I couldn’t persuade SWMBO a built-in system was worth it!! – and I got 2 years worth of updates with that. When I got the car, it had one built-in, ( so I passed the TomTom on to her ) it’s that built-in one that costs so much to update. It quite regularly shows me driving through fields, as we have had a good few road schemes finished recently. :yes:

[Bob Williams]

I would be careful about Satnav updates in Motability cars, Robin. Take a look at this:

https://tinyurl.com/zbon9cm

-and scroll down to “satelite navigation”. If you are taking lease of a car with a satnav fitted as standard, make sure to ask the dealer about updates and what the policy is on paying for them. I know others who have had issues with specific models buit-in, having to pay to go to a dealer for an update and finding themselves getting lost or the satnav just dying halfway through a journey. Google “Built in Satnav problems” and find Fords, Vauxhalls, VW’s and Mazdas all with problems.  :wacko:  :negative:  :whistle:

As I already have updates for life on my Garmin, I am paying quite a bit less for a Tucson without satnav, so that I can leave a bit of room for a boot liner, overmats and seat covers. I spotted a pair of those in Argos  https://tinyurl.com/js3ljn6  -they will match the ‘Fiery Red’ paintwork. They are £33.99 but I have seen the same ones in a local Nissan Navarra, with similar size seats, they fit well and look good.

It’s a “Tucson 1.7 CRDi 141 ps Blue Drive SE DCT.”    – Why do these names get longer every year? – This model has everything else I need.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Robin Long]

Thanks, Bob, The 2 models under consideration are the Zafira and C4 Grand Picasso. If as I suspect she chooses to stick with the Zafira I’m getting it as standard (with on star too:( ). My understanding is if it’s supplied as standard it’s their problem else it’s mine.  I’m not looking forward to on-star the oldest’s friend has a car with on star and quote “I can’t wait until our car has wifi too”. Dependant on data charges will depend on whether she gets it or not!”

 

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

[Bob Williams]

Given those choices Robin, think I would prefer the Grand Picasso, but I am aware that pressure from the Distaff side can be a big factor. :scratch:  🙁

The Zafira is, after all, an old design dressed up with lots of bells and whistles. I have travelled in last year’s model of Grand Picasso and was impressed, not enough to sway me from the Tucson, but a very nice motor. I set out to road test a lot of models and was least impressed with the Zafira. Take the missus for road tests in both cars and I believe she might prefer the Citroen.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Richard]

Isn’t the Zafira the one with the non optional GM barbecue? I’m not sure whether I would be comfortable in that.

How and for what does one use the in-car Wifi? I have it in the new car but cannot work out how, or why it would be used. Is it for playing back music, I know it has a USB port and an AUX device socket for that purpose but as I do not have any music on any devices they are likely to remain idle.

It also has a Satnav which does know where the car is, but I have not yet used it to navigate: perhaps one day.  I have sorted out the trip and MPG functions, aren’t handbooks lovely?.

I know that an old Nokia phone can be recognised by the Bluetooth. I am not sure I want to mess about with the Bluetooth headset I normally use and have to sort things out each time I get in and out of the car.

Perhaps it is time for a new handset, or maybe a new me, perhaps more likely a new me.

[The Duke]

Newer cars have wifi to create a wifi hotspot so you can all connect to its g4. It would be good if you could connect a USB hdd to it. Last summer I cobbled together my own trave wifi hub with a hdd conected full of films, for our trip to Spain. It would be nice if the car was capable of it. Also  our wifi hub, using a hootoo passport, also meant the kids gold play multiply Minecraft.

 

I think it was earlier in this thread people was moving about transport,  public transport and road works. My YouTube feed just surfaces the video, time-lapse,  below of the Dutch building a tunnel under a motorway in a weekend.

Linky

[Richard]

The Duke wrote:

Newer cars have wifi to create a wifi hotspot so you can all connect to its g4. It would be good if you could connect a USB hdd to it. Last summer I cobbled together my own trave wifi hub with a hdd conected full of films, for our trip to Spain. It would be nice if the car was capable of it. Also our wifi hub, using a hootoo passport, also meant the kids gold play multiply Minecraft. I think it was earlier in this thread people was moving about transport, public transport and road works. My YouTube feed just surfaces the video, time-lapse, below of the Dutch building a tunnel under a motorway in a weekend. Linky

Impressive, we cannot lay a drain pipe in a week.

Since my interest had been pushed to action I looked up the WiFi car thing. Apparently it allow for updating the Satnav maps with congestion data, it relies on connection to a data source such as a router or a phone. Maybe I should try it one day most like with the home router(s).

[The Duke]

I forgot about it being able to join your home router for update, aka the tesla does this, otherwise it uses 3g. I forget about this as my car lives a 100m up the hill  from my  house.

The Joy’s of living on the side of a mini mountain.

[Richard]

The Duke wrote:

I forgot about it being able to join your home router for update, aka the tesla does this, otherwise it uses 3g. I forget about this as my car lives a 100m up the hill from my house. The Joy’s of living on the side of a mini mountain.

To many walls and a metal cage, it could see the home networks but could not connect, the main router is one end of the house the garage is at the other. Second point is upstairs and slightly closer but no cigar.

Better luck next time I guess. Still the attempt got me moving for a few moments and did show that it knows about WiFi networks even if it could not connect. Maybe I can set something temporary to cover the garage one day.

[Robin Long]

I’ve owned Zafiras since 2009 not got a real problem with them, the fires belong to the Zafira B, ironically I never owned one of them! On-Star is Vx’s all singing/dancing bells and whistles outfit, I think they’re pushing it with the motorbility crowd to try and generate a quick entry into the 2nd hand market with it.

TBH I like the look of the C4 and we had a C3 courtesy car late last year, I though it’s touchscreen was rather slow and I don’t like that the heating controls are embedded within it. Will have to get a C$ on demo and see if its any better.

Cheers Knight,

RIP Spike09 Your Missed
If I'm not here, I'm there.

Finally joined Twitter! longr79

[Author]

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