Right to Repair

[WritersPanic]

There's a movement of a sort that suggests people have a "right" to repair the things they buy if they break. As near as I can tell this started with automotive repair shops. As emissions controls and vehicle systems moved from analog to digital, a whole new dimension of control was born. Because digital automotive controllers are patented, proprietary devices often unique to particular vehicle models and trim levels.

What this means is that if your ECM unit fails and has to be replaced with a new one, it must be performed at a dealership. Because only the dealership service centers have the software and interfaces necessary to program a blank ECM. There is also a matter of diagnostic software. Cars can often tell you exactly what's wrong. But only so much of that is available in the after market.

It has become a way for larger businesses to shut smaller ones out. Even if the local market is swamped with people who need car repairs. On the automotive side I thought it had relaxed a bit since most of the shops around here are still in operation. However, I needed an ECM replacement 3 years ago and my trusted local shop had to tow the car to the dealership after the repair, to have it programmed. I think it was $200 for something that's no more complicated than copying a thumb drive.

ifixit

gizmodo

protocol


However, there's a darker side. They want to apply this same demand to medical equipment.

intermed

wired

[twiceburned]

John Deer has the same problem. farmers cant repair their equipment. only a factory rep can. I bought a New Holland

[SpaceMan]

I dont see it starting with cars

i seen it start with apple


youre local shop could have completely done the job themselves ...they just didnt have the proper tools and software but they could have if they paid for it...its very expensive to keep high end tools updated and the manufacturers also charge subscription fees for access to their software (which makes sense since they spent so much to develop it)

[SpaceMan]

i had a kwp2000 plus once...super cheap tool for ecm programming

[WritersPanic]

i had a kwp2000 plus once...super cheap tool for ecm programming

I knew a guy in the early 90s who used to modify the EEPROM on his Nissan fuel injection system. He did this with a DOS program and the data was basically a huge list of tables that accounted for every degree of fuel/air ratio as well as temperature and atmospheric pressure. It was a fixed cheat sheet for the limit of overall mixture for the demand being placed on the engine. So they were just emulating an analog fuel injection system (though not the distributor kind).

I'm impressed with modern engine controllers. People don't remember there was a time when not only did your engine smoke a little, but you had to let it warm up of it might stall as you pull out into traffic. These days you start and go.

[mallyboppa]

[SpaceMan]

[SpaceMan]

[SpaceMan]

mostly about planned obsolescence but touches on right to repair

[WritersPanic]

mostly about planned obsolescence but touches on right to repair

I have a stack of old laptops 2 feet high!

[SpaceMan]

[Osquirrell]

The writers of Star Trek come to mind.

[Amerijuanican]

These guys are masters of Tung Fu

[Amerijuanican]

"It's a common head code, anyone can catch it."