Illegal to work on your own car?

I'm a Master Mechanic and paper or no I work on my own vehicles. I don't care. Have wrenches will travel.

Hannibal wrote:
If Ford would have offered the Focus in a Hybrid, I would have bought a union built Hybrid Focus in a heartbeat over the Prius. I can't help but wonder if it has to do with their licensing agreement. The Prius IS union made but, it's JAW and not UAW. To me, preferable to non-union Mexican made. I believe the Escape is union made in Kansas City?

I think you're right about where the Escape was made (it's no longer available as a hybrid). The Fusion hybrid IIRC uses essentially the same drivetrain as the Escape, and if Ford scaled it back a little for the Focus they might have had some serious competition for the Prius. Maybe that was part of the licensing agreement for the hybrid technology, no direct competition for the Prius... Really my only complaint about the Prius is that driving one is about as exciting as stirring a bucket of paint.

rjstractor wrote:

Hannibal wrote:
There is a lot of misinformation being spread around on the internet about the Prius and other hybrids. The traction battery in a Prius weighs right at 100 lbs, is about the size of two car batteries, and can be changed out with hand tools. I'm not at all concerned about the traction battery in my Prius. The automatic transmission in a conventional car is likely to cost far more to rebuild and at less mileage.

I agree, most of the disinformation about hybrids is spread by those who don't know much about them. I got pretty familiar with the Escape hybrid my son is driving and once you figure out how the systems work there's no magic to it. Personally I'm not a big Prius fan but it has nothing to do with its hybrid system.

I 99% agree. Most of the disinformation about hybrids is spread by those who don't know much about them. Or about how earth operates either. Smart species don't purposely soil inside their den.

I am a Prius fan, but only because of the technology. The shape might be the slipperiest possible in practicality, but they are ugly. The look is growing on me a bit as I do admire "form follows function" too.

Recently, I repeatedly took my buddy to chemo and radiation with DW's Prius. It's a 400 mile round trip to the VA since the local funding was cut in the early 2000's. The little over-sized golf cart got as high as 55 mpg in no wind, appreciated even in this day of lowered gas prices.

On the other hand, this low-slung nosecone-with-wheels is worthless in deep snow. It never slips, just silently fades away until the driver is parked with his foot to the floor.

So in foul weather we use our 4x4 Ford Excursion. It once got the Sierra Club's Valdez award because of it's abysmal fuel economy, 13 mpg at best but more like 7 around town in winter.

They are each the best tools for the job... depending.

The Ford Escape used to license it's tech from Toyota. It was always a generation behind the Prius, but Ford might be caught up on their own now (doubt it) and eventually Toyota's current patents will run out.

A straight electric would likely be the easiest of all to work on in the driveway. That is the fear in the Big-3 board rooms, would be my guess. Who Killed the Electric Car?

Wes
...

rjstractor wrote:

Hannibal wrote:
There is a lot of misinformation being spread around on the internet about the Prius and other hybrids. The traction battery in a Prius weighs right at 100 lbs, is about the size of two car batteries, and can be changed out with hand tools. I'm not at all concerned about the traction battery in my Prius. The automatic transmission in a conventional car is likely to cost far more to rebuild and at less mileage.

I agree, most of the disinformation about hybrids is spread by those who don't know much about them. I got pretty familiar with the Escape hybrid my son is driving and once you figure out how the systems work there's no magic to it. Personally I'm not a big Prius fan but it has nothing to do with its hybrid system.

If Ford would have offered the Focus in a Hybrid, I would have bought a union built Hybrid Focus in a heartbeat over the Prius. I can't help but wonder if it has to do with their licensing agreement. The Prius IS union made but, it's JAW and not UAW. To me, preferable to non-union Mexican made. I believe the Escape is union made in Kansas City?
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/10/business/ford-to-use-toyota-s-hybrid-technology.html

Hannibal wrote:
There is a lot of misinformation being spread around on the internet about the Prius and other hybrids. The traction battery in a Prius weighs right at 100 lbs, is about the size of two car batteries, and can be changed out with hand tools. I'm not at all concerned about the traction battery in my Prius. The automatic transmission in a conventional car is likely to cost far more to rebuild and at less mileage.

I agree, most of the disinformation about hybrids is spread by those who don't know much about them. I got pretty familiar with the Escape hybrid my son is driving and once you figure out how the systems work there's no magic to it. Personally I'm not a big Prius fan but it has nothing to do with its hybrid system.

Paul Clancy wrote:
So you are saying someone can reverse engineer (copy) a company's software - change it and post it for free download and that's ok?

It's called freeware. Happens all the time.

jrp26789 wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:

Paul Clancy wrote:
This is how software licenses have always worked. When you buy it you purchase the right to use it but not the right to alter the intellectual property - the publisher owns that still. That is what this is really about. Hacking your car.

Yep.

Not entirely accurate. You purchased the music/ intellectual property and can do what ever you want with it. Sing, record it, sample it, play for friends and nieghbors. Even alter it. What you can't do is profit from it. And that's the difference.

:h

The first post is about software - the response about music? The two are licensed differently. The first post is entirely correct.

My fear has to do with code readers - preventing independents from being able to interrogate the computer in order to find out exactly what's wrong would severely limit who can do all but the most basic of repairs.

...

When my computers die, I'm replacing them with a motherboard chassis from Newegg and installing a Linux operating system. ;)

Wes
...

All the more reason to stick with my philosophy of keeping my vehicles till the
wheels fall off, till can't/won't fix them anymore, etc

Toss in the insane MSRP's and my Suburban is going to last till I die...

Noodling dropping in a 'built' 7.4L of some sort. Now will consider a turbine,
but not up in the engine bay...back end by the fuel tank. Yes know the thermal
issues, but not after snap response...lag is just fine and know HOW2 deal with
that.

When my 1980 Silverado does die, or won't fix it anymore...going to get a 1950's
pickup. Best if it is NOT a half ton but one of the higher class

In-line Six with a carb. Force feed it with a turbine. Manual and will
figure out which 5 speed will work. Replace the live axle
with a 10.5" or 11.5" ring gear in the 4.1 ratio range...no SMOG required

If DMCA passes as written, only dealers or "authorized" centers will be allowed
to have the code checkers to work on any vehicle.
This would put independents out of business.

What is worse they could be like Microsoft and say we will not update support
or work on anything after XX number of years. In such a case you may have a low millage vehicle that will not run. Possibly for several thousand $$$ they would allow someone to "fix" your vehicle for a certain time-frame. Whatever they want to do is possible because they OWN the codes.

Do not take this purposed legislation lightly.