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Technology Makes New Cars Too Expensive to Fix
securitas writes "The CSM's Eric Evarts reports on how technology makes new cars too expensive to repair, which may lead to disposable cars. The increased use of expensive electronics, air bags and advanced, lightweight body materials are causing costs to rise. Add to it the cost of specialized training and equipment (for an aluminum-body repair shop: $200,000) or even the cost of new parts alone (xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights: $3,000 each), not to mention the knowledge base required (over 1 million pages, available only electronically vs. 100 pages 20 years ago) and a labor shortage. From the article: 'Specialist technicians need advanced reading, problem-solving, and basic electronics skills.... The best people to find are those who have worked in the IT [information technology] industry.'"
We've got plenty of resources and landfills with tons of space. These are perfect. I hope they also get less than 1 mile to the gallon, because efficiency sucks! Yeah!
goes faster than your new car, handles better, has a real transmission, and is easy and cheap to work on...
power steering is for pussies.
Before long people will be sending thier cars to India to get them fixed ;-)
And if you thought that was boring you obviously havn't read my Journal ;-)
...Pintos, for example. Problem with them was that they disposed of the owners too...
--- Welcome my son, welcome to the machine.
The other thing about that mount is that if the truck catches fire and it is hot enough to ignite the magnesium - ouch!
A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
I'll try that tomorrow on my way into work. :)
Reviews with a twist! http://www.sardonicbastard.com
Someone please tell my dad this. He's always trying to fix cars that are a little too complicated for anyone to figure out in a weekend. The cars slowly start to have problems more frequently until, at long last, the car stops running on the highway and I'm 20 miles from claiming my lottery ticket on my way to marrying Britney Spears. You could say I'm bitter.
True story.
Entertainment while you wait for the ambulance to arrive. That's not a bug, it's a feature.
Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
Hmmm.
DVD -- one hand to hold my coffee, one hand to gratify self while watching DVD porn, one hand to hold cell phone, one hand to gesture rudely at other drivers. Hands free to steer: -2
Book -- one hand to hold my coffee, one hand to hold the book, one hand to turn the page, one hand to hold cell phone, one hand to gesture rudely at other drivers. Hands free to steer: -3
Clearly, car DVDs are safer than books.
Just ask the Earth Liberation Front...
They found out, in the news, after they lit a Hummer Dealership on fire, that Hummers, ONLY when lit on fire, put out more pollutants then they EVER would through normal usage and eventual PROPER destruction at the end of their lives...
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?