More electronics.

[Jeffwatkins]

Just picked up the 'latest' 4X4 magazine. Interesting article re new Challenger.

Yep more electronic gizmos. Hope they don't make it into the Pajero except for the HDC.

BSW...Blind spot warning. How would that work. What does it do? Does it brake the vehicle, blow the horn, start beeping? People have different blind spots when sitting in a vehicle.

UMS...Ultrasonic misacceleration Mitigation System. Er what does that do? According to MM, while the vehicle is stationary or at speeds up to 10kph the UMS uses ultrasonic sensors to detect vehicle obstructions. It also regulates engine power when the driver firmly depresses the accelerator by mistake.

There is also a Multi around Monitor which displays a "birds eye view of the vehicle's perimeter."

Must not forget the Electronic parking brake.

Yes it does finally have one big plus. Hill Descent Control

[spot01]

Yet they STILL don't fit reverse park sensors to the NX Pajero GLX !!!!!!!!!

A $50k+ car & they still "penny pinch" on real safety items that can save kids lives!!!

[M@S@]

The blind sport warning system is a good safety feature. It just warns the driver (I think a light in the mirror) when there is a car in the blind spot. The blind spot at your sides that does not show from mirror.

The UMS system obviously just stops you from crashing in a wall, I don't know hopefully you can override that if you really have to crash in the wall. :/

Well most of these systems don't need more electronics. When all cars in the future will have something like the ultrasonic radar, and certain sensors and cameras at both sides, adding new features like this is just adding new programs in the car's computer.

Like the forward collision mitigation system, speed adaptive cruiser control, etc. all these can use the same electronics and sensors.

This video explains those features pretty well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTJetrJT32k

I am quite sure they will come in the next generation pajero too.

[Ent]

Crash avoidance might be fun on a closed in track? Maybe a lunch break is needed so the driver can switch off all these aids

[Dicko1]

Crash avoidance might be fun on a closed in track? Maybe a lunch break is needed so the driver can switch off all these aids

They are making it so the driver gets in the car, punches in his destination on the gps. Starts car, pulls mobile phone from pocket and communicates to his brain dead mates about what he had for breakfast and do they like the photo of it. His vehicle is automatically driving him to his office job, self parks then automatically opens the door for the braindead one to get out.

Yep gotta love the future...

[900canoes]

I think a bloke walking 10 metres in front with a red flag might be the way of the future.

[GHendo]

Unfortunately, the way of the future for car technology is more sophistication and electronic complication. Some of these things are handy and worthwhile – light that come on by themselves are handy in tunnels and windscreen wipers that come on when it rains – well, I can do without that. Reversing sensors, blind-spot cameras etc. etc. do make things a bit easier and if they stop working they’re not going to stop you in your tracks – you either get them fixed or you don’t. I also do like ABS and Stability Control – that adds to safety.

The exasperating part of all these ‘improvements’ however, is the unreliability of important things – particularly those to do with your engine and decide if it goes normally, reverts to ‘limp-home’ mode, or completely stops. We had an experience recently with my son’s ASX where the camshaft sensor developed a loose electrical connection and this just completely stopped him in his tracks. This actually led to a combination of assumptions and misdiagnosis by dealership staff as the ECU decided to throw out a couple of others errors which confused them completely. Luckily, I knew a well trained technician who was able to sort it all out – for the moment anyway !!

What is happening in the industry is that dealers are training staff about the new technology, however any of them that are any good get jobs elsewhere and most of the time the dealers are using staff who are still undergoing training or are not the brightest bulbs out of the box.

Regrettably, there is not much we can do about it.

Geoff

[cookie9]

As long as I can turn all that shit off I'm happy..

Next thing you know is when you turn the ignition key it asks you to confirm you "really want to start the car" bleh..

[Dicko1]

The electronics are only as good as their connections. We have had many people on the forum with tales of woe that were caused by loose or corroded terminals. I have little faith in electronics after my experience as a remote area technician. At some time it will break down and require heaps of testing and diagnostic equipment to get you going. Regional areas are nowhere nearly as well equipped as our city centres. Suitably trained staff are as rare as rocking horse shite as well. The location of many of the sensors and connectors is also a big area of concern. Gone are the days of whipping out a spanner or screwdriver and fixing your vehicle on the side of the road. Your best friend now is road side assist.

Trouble is , like most of the older blokes on this forum, I remember when vehicles were fairly easy to diagnose and to a great extent fix yourself. Now the electronics are so confusing for the average driver that dealers can quote a price of several thousand dollars and you really have no idea if he is ripping you of or not. Could be a simple fuse gone but he will show you a code that says replace auto box relays. The average bloke just has to suck it up and hope that the mechanic he has is honest. Few and far between, I,m afraid.
Some of the electronics we have are great but we are also going overboard in a game of one up manship over the next brand. In the end the consumer pays dearly for the unnecessary crap that is put on vehicles. Auto sensing wipers, auto headlights, mobile phone Bluetooth are examples of garbage electronics in my opinion.

Mind you I look forward to the day when all vehicles are fitted with an automatic mobile phone signal killer. We would see less deaths on the road and maybe better drivers. I,m not against electronic gadgetry...just don't like the gimmicky stuff.

[M@S@]

I believe electronics in cars are unreliable simply because they are the newest part of the technology that is still very much evolving.

If we look history, in the early times of automobile, it was also mechanical things that were unreliable.

Most considered a horse to be much better, well it was much more reliable than a car.

But the long development has improved the technology and today's car is very reliable considering how complex it is.

Same development will happen to electronics. They will be more standardized, more reliable, cheaper . . .

[stumagoo]

my worry is that in 10 years time what happens - its bad enough now trying to get companies to supply electronics for cars that are 10-15 years old but when current cars reach that age it will be disastrous. I make this point of view from my trade perspective - Panel beater. Example 2014 captiva had a side impact. needed 2 new doors and minor repair to the sill. also needs 2 new airbags, 2 new seatbelts, to new seatbelt pretensioners, new hood lining, new passenger seat bolster cushion, new passenger seat cover, and new airbag ecu module. (apparently you can not remove the airbag deployed code and they have to be replaced). all these items are vehicle specific and while major panels like doors are easy to get second hand replacements, seatbelts airbags and controller modules will not be in the future. Imagine writing a car off because you had a smashed door that is a bolt on replament.

[Ent]

Electronics is an issue on replacement and cost. Some decision taken by manufacturers are designed obsolesce and impact on resale value, and life of vehicle. Recent examples that I have experienced or seen first hand with my friends.

1. Ford X6 Turbo - sound system has body computer built into it so any upgrade means leaving existing unit in place and working around it. Lot of sound systems are upgraded around the five to ten year mark due to lack of features, quality, or reliability.

2. Honda Accord, windscreen replaced for chip and only the factory windscreen at twice the price could be guaranteed to work with the rain sensing wipers. After market windscreens give mixed results.

3. Honda Accord, kids playing knocked off the interior mirror. Cost? $3000. You have to be kidding but it was auto dimming, etc.

4. Remote car keys with some makes having user replaceable battery and other needing new key.

When looking at the PC Challenger I did check out 1 and 4 of the above and would have not brought had they been designed in.

As a friend found with his Honda Prelude it was minor things with no spare parts that forced him to sell. He loved the vehicle and was going to be his keeper but haunting wreckers for replacements bits that had a reasonable chance of been near failure due to age/wear dampened his enthusiasm.

I do wonder if the base models actually have a longer life expectancy compared to higher spec models. Ie, no sun roof, etc.

[greig]

I do wonder if the base models actually have a longer life expectancy compared to higher spec models. Ie, no sun roof, etc.

In some cases I'd say yes....but only if the failure was specific to the dearer model. But certainly less chance.

True story, knew of a person who had/still has an ex formula 1 car...Ferrari....came with 2 ecu's ( 1 spare )....and both weren't 100%. This person is a millionaire but still couldn't get them fixed properly....original expert couldn't be tracked down and the present F1 team had no knowledge of the "old" system.

So what hope has an ordinary bloke got with a 10 or 15 yr old "modern " car ?

[stumagoo]

I look at my 300z and see that a lot of stuff in it is NA from the dealers now, its not a popular car and there is enough electronic gizmo's (variable cam timing, etc 4ws, electronic speed controlled power steering etc) to know I am looking for modern alternatives to some of these or the ability to remove altogether. I am keeping my Gen 2 paj for this reason it has no real electronics to fail other than dash and ecu. I really wonder what all these great wall owners are going to do in another 5 years when the rest of the car is as bad as the rust is now. I like the electronic gizmo's and I like having a modern reliable car for my wife to drive (and not watch for anything to go wrong) but I also can never see the point in spending wads of cash on cars - I tend to get something in the 10-15k range for my wife and get bunkies for me to keep running. That said she now has a 02 VX dunnydore and that has well and truely done itself beyond proud, it has outlasted our expected usage with not much more than a radiator failure and I believe the right CV is on its way out. not sure if I want to get a newer car for her I can not see any of the new cars lasting as well as this one has ~250 000kms on the clock and I expect if we look after it it could go another 100k easy

[Shopping Trolley]

Moral of the story, Get an NP Pajero 3.2 All the bells and whistles you need and proven reliability.