Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Dealing with Outdated Automotive Software?

Posted by Cliff on from the artificial-obsolescence dept.

Jan Hendrik Montag asks: "My car mechanics had problems to fix a problem in electronic motor management with my 14 yr old Audi. That was not too surprising. But as my mechanic consulted a Volkswagen/Audi-company, they received the answer, that my car is too old and they don't have the appropriate devices and software to read my cars' mind. I just wonder, what will happen in 20 or 30 years to then-vintage-cars from today? Shouldn't there be a necessity to declare old car-software and diagnostic devices open-source just to make sure a collector then can repair his/her car just as it is possible to repair an old car from the 60's? Or will those cars be doomed in case of failure? What would be a solution?"

7 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. OS Cars? by Ricwot · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I think OS cars would be really good, they'd be free, but they would take ages to build and if you wanted anthying fixed you'd have to do it yourself

  2. No, it's always like this (n/t) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    no freaking text

  3. Ask slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Are Americans and Europeans really like we expect?

    Answer the following question to find out.

    State your country, and put in order the things you would most hate your child (or other children) to watch on television.

    1. Man being shot (acted)
    2. Man being shot (real)
    3. Somebody saying "God damn it!"
    4. Somebody saying "The fucker's fuckin' fucked."
    5. Women's breasts
    6. People having sex

    1. Re:Ask slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      An actor having sex with a guy's wife. The guy runs in, shouts "God damn it!" and shoots the actor. The woman jumps up exposing her breasts and screams "The fucker's fuckin' fucked."

  4. Re:Grammar do be interestin'! by larry+bagina · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    Once upon a time, editors, for lack of a better word, edited.

    There is a Frank Zappa quote that almost fits slashdot to a T...

    • Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read. -- Frank Zappa, quoted in Linda Botts, "Loose Talk" (1980)
    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  5. What?!? by jo42 · · Score: 0, Offtopic


    You haven't bought a brand new gas guzzling, oversized monstrosity of a SUV|Pickup|Minivan yet? How un-American of you not to support the American and Middle-Eastern oil-based economies by doing this! Shame on you!!

  6. Offtopic but perhaps a contribution none the less by vax · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I too, have delt alot with older cars, and one of the more frustrating things ive noticed is that the Kelly Blue Book online service, cuts off the models of cars at anywhere around like 80-89 depending on the make and model. What occured to me is how easy it would be for another site to harvest the data off Kelly's before it gets removed as newer cars get added.. its just a thought but such a site would be very useful. Also ive noticed theres little infomation on alot of Cars in terms of Reverse Engineering and Hacking solutions for problems that perhaps for whatever reason the part required is eather not available or wayyy too expensive. I think creating a "Everything2" style site but for Reverse Engineering would be a much welcomed change on the web.